40 U.S.C. § 548: Surplus vessels

Summary

The Maritime Administration must sell or otherwise get rid of surplus vessels of 1,500 gross tons or more when they are merchant ships or can be turned into merchant ships. Those sales must follow the laws that govern such ship sales. The NOAA Administrator may instead sell or transfer NOAA survey and research vessels and related equipment (owned by the Federal Government and under NOAA control) that would otherwise be handled by the Maritime Administration. For the two-year period starting on the date the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 is enacted, NOAA may keep the money from those sales, notwithstanding section 571 of this title or section 3302 of title 31, and use it without fiscal year limits to buy new covered vessels or equipment or to repair and maintain existing ones.

Title 40, §548

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(a)In General.—

Except as provided in subsection (b), the Maritime Administration shall dispose of surplus vessels of 1,500 gross tons or more which the Administration determines to be merchant vessels or capable of conversion to merchant use. The vessels shall be disposed of in accordance with part F of subtitle V of title 46 and other laws authorizing the sale of such vessels.

(b)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Vessels and Equipment.—

(1)Authority.—

The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may dispose of covered vessels and equipment, which would otherwise be disposed of under subsection (a), through sales or transfers under this title.

(2)Use of proceeds.—

During the 2-year period beginning of the date of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, notwithstanding section 571 of this title or section 3302 of title 31, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may—

(A)retain the proceeds from the sale or transfer of a covered vessel or equipment under paragraph (1) until expended under subparagraph (B); and

(B)use such proceeds, without fiscal year limitation, for the acquisition of new covered vessels and equipment or the repair and maintenance of existing covered vessels and equipment.

(3)Covered vessels and equipment defined.—

In this subsection, the term “covered vessels and equipment” means survey and research vessels and related equipment owned by the Federal Government and under the control of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 54840:484(i).June 30, 1949, ch. 288, title II, § 203(i), 63 Stat. 386; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(15), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 154.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 119–60, which was approved Dec. 18, 2025.

Amendments

2025—Pub. L. 119–60 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, substituted “Except as provided in subsection (b), the Maritime” for “The Maritime”, and added subsec. (b). 2006—Pub. L. 109–304 substituted “part F of subtitle V of title 46” for “the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1101 et seq.),”.

§548 Surplus Vessels