Title 33, Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-110
§903 Coverage
Title 33 › CHAPTER 18 — LONGSHORE AND HARBOR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION › § 903
Summary
Pays workers for disability or death only when the harm comes from an injury that happens on U.S. navigable waters or in nearby areas used for loading, fixing, or building vessels. Federal, state, or foreign government officers and employees are not covered. No benefits are paid if the worker was only intoxicated when hurt or if the worker intended to hurt or kill themselves or someone else. Workers at facilities that only build, repair, or dismantle small vessels are generally not covered unless the injury happened on the water or on adjacent launching, hauling, drydocking, pier, wharf, or dock areas, or if the facility gets federal maritime subsidies, or if the worker has no state workers’ compensation coverage. A “small vessel” is a commercial barge under 900 lightship displacement tons or other work vessels under 1,600 gross tons. Any payments already made under other workers’ compensation laws reduce what this law must pay.
Full Legal Text
Title 33, §903
Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Disability or death; injuries occurring upon navigable waters of United States
Except as otherwise provided in this section, compensation shall be payable under this chapter in respect of disability or death of an employee, but only if the disability or death results from an injury occurring upon the navigable waters of the United States (including any adjoining pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal, building way, marine railway, or other adjoining area customarily used by an employer in loading, unloading, repairing, dismantling, or building a vessel).
(b)Governmental officers and employees
No compensation shall be payable in respect of the disability or death of an officer or employee of the United States, or any agency thereof, or of any State or foreign government, or any subdivision thereof.
(c)Intoxication; willful intention to kill
No compensation shall be payable if the injury was occasioned solely by the intoxication of the employee or by the willful intention of the employee to injure or kill himself or another.
(d)Small vessels
(1)No compensation shall be payable to an employee employed at a facility of an employer if, as certified by the Secretary, the facility is engaged in the business of building, repairing, or dismantling exclusively small vessels (as defined in paragraph (3) of this subsection), unless the injury occurs while upon the navigable waters of the United States or while upon any adjoining pier, wharf, dock, facility over land for launching vessels, or facility over land for hauling, lifting, or drydocking vessels.
(2)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), compensation shall be payable to an employee—
(A)who is employed at a facility which is used in the business of building, repairing, or dismantling small vessels if such facility receives Federal maritime subsidies; or
(B)if the employee is not subject to coverage under a State workers’ compensation law.
(3)For purposes of this subsection, a small vessel means—
(A)a commercial barge which is under 900 lightship displacement tons; or
(B)a commercial tugboat, towboat, crew boat, supply boat, fishing vessel, or other work vessel which is under 1,600 tons gross as measured under section 14502 of title 46, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of that title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of that title.
(e)Credit for benefits paid under other laws
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any amounts paid to an employee for the same injury, disability, or death for which benefits are claimed under this chapter pursuant to any other workers’ compensation law or section 30104 of title 46 shall be credited against any liability imposed by this chapter.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification In subsec. (e), “section 30104 of title 46” substituted for “section 20 of the Act of March 4, 1915 (38 Stat. 1185, chapter 153; 46 U.S.C. 688) (relating to recovery for injury to or death of seamen)” on authority of Pub. L. 109–304, § 18(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1709, which Act enacted section 30104 of Title 46, Shipping.
Amendments
1996—Subsec. (d)(3)(B). Pub. L. 104–324 inserted before period at end “as measured under section 14502 of title 46, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of that title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of that title”. 1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–426, § 3(a), inserted introductory language relating to exceptions provided for elsewhere in this section, redesignated existing par. (1) as subsec. (b), and struck out existing par. (2) which had excepted from coverage masters and crew members or persons engaged by such masters or crew members to load, unload, or repair vessels under 18 tons net. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–426, § 3(a), redesignated as subsec. (b) provisions formerly set out in subsec. (a)(2). Former subsec. (b) redesignated (c). Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 98–426, § 3(a), (b), redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c) and added subsecs. (d) and (e). 1972—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92–576, § 2(c), substituted provisions respecting coverage of injuries occurring upon navigable waters of the United States, including any adjoining pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal, building way, marine railway, or other adjoining area customarily used by an employer in loading, unloading, repairing, or building a vessel, for
Prior Provisions
respecting coverage of such injuries upon navigable waters and if recovery for the disability or death through workmen’s compensation proceedings may not validly be provided by State law. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 92–576, § 21, substituted “or” for “nor” before “any person engaged by the master”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by section 3(a) of Pub. L. 98–426 applicable with respect to any injury after Sept. 28, 1984, and amendment by section 3(b) of Pub. L. 98–426 effective Sept. 28, 1984, and applicable both with respect to claims filed after Sept. 28, 1984, and to claims pending on that date, see section 28(a), (c) of Pub. L. 98–426, set out as a note under section 901 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1972 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 92–576 effective 30 days after Oct. 27, 1972, see section 22 of Pub. L. 92–576, set out as a note under section 902 of this title. District of ColumbiaThe Longshoremen’s and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act [this chapter] was made applicable in respect to the injury or death of an employee of an employer carrying on any employment in the District of Columbia, by act May 17, 1928, ch. 612, 45 Stat. 600, as amended.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
33 U.S.C. § 903
Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110