Title 50War and National DefenseRelease 119-73

§4704 United States as entitled to all benefits of exemption and limitation of liability accorded to owners of vessels

Title 50 › Chapter CHAPTER 57— - CLAIMS UNDER THE CLARIFICATION ACT › § 4704

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States gets the same exemptions and limits on liability as shipowners for vessels owned, chartered to, or operated by War Shipping Administrator under bareboat or time charters; "United States" includes agents acting for the Administrator.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §4704

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The United States shall, with respect to vessels owned by or chartered to the War Shipping Administrator 11 See Transfer of Functions note below. under bareboat charter or time charter or operated directly by such Administrator or for his account, be entitled to the benefits of all exemptions and of all limitations of liability accorded by law to the owners of vessels. With respect to any such vessel, the term “the United States” shall include agents or other persons acting for or on behalf of the Administrator in connection with the operation thereof.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1294 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

War Shipping Administration terminated as of Sept. 1, 1946, and functions, powers, duties, etc., transferred to United States Maritime Commission for period Sept. 1, 1946, to Dec. 31, 1946, for purpose of liquidating Administration, by act July 8, 1946, ch. 543, title II, § 202, 60 Stat. 501. Maritime Administration transferred from Department of Commerce to Department of Transportation by Maritime Act of 1981, Pub. L. 97–31, Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 151, which was repealed in part by Pub. L. 109–304, § 19, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1710. See section 109 of Title 49, Transportation. Vessel Operations Under Revolving Fund Vessel operations conducted under Vessel Operations Revolving Fund, applicability of this section to, see section 50301(a) to (e) of Title 46, Shipping.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

United States Maritime Commission abolished by Reorg. Plan No. 21, 1950, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3178, 64 Stat. 1273, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, which transferred part of its functions and part of functions of its Chairman to Federal Maritime Board and Chairman thereof, that Board having been created by that Plan as an agency within Department of Commerce with an independent status in some respects, and transferred remainder of Commission’s functions and functions of its Chairman to Secretary of Commerce, with power vested in Secretary to authorize their performance by Maritime Administrator, the head of Maritime Administration, which likewise was established by the Plan in Department of Commerce with provision that Chairman of Federal Maritime Board should, ex officio, be that Administrator. Federal Maritime Board, including offices of members of Board, abolished by section 304 of Reorg. Plan No. 7 of 1961, eff. Aug. 12, 1961, 26 F.R. 7315, 75 Stat. 843, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Functions of Board transferred either to Federal Maritime Commission or to Secretary of Commerce by section 103 and 202 of Reorg. Plan No. 7 of 1961.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 4704

Title 50War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73