PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Owners, charterers, managing operators, masters, or persons in charge must give each seaman a written agreement before the seaman starts work. It must say the date and hour to report on board, cannot cover wage allotments or a provisions scale, and must be signed by the master (or an owner/rep) and the seaman. The agreement must be kept and shown to the seaman. The Secretary will require companies to keep and share records of engagement, discharge, and service with the seaman and the Coast Guard on request.

Title 46, §10502

Shipping, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall make a shipping agreement in writing with each seaman before the seaman commences employment.

(b)The agreement shall include the date and hour on which the seaman must be on board to begin the voyage.

(c)The agreement may not contain a provision on the allotment of wages or a scale of provisions.

(d)Each shipping agreement must be signed by the master or individual in charge or a representative of the owner, charterer, or managing operator, and by each seaman employed.

(e)The owner, charterer, managing operator, master, or individual in charge shall maintain the shipping agreement and make the shipping agreement available to the seaman.

(f)The Secretary shall prescribe regulations requiring shipping companies to maintain records of seamen on matters of engagement, discharge, and service. The shipping companies shall make these records available to the seaman and the Coast Guard on request.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 1050246:574 section 10502 requires the master on a vessel engaged on a coastwise voyage to sign a shipping agreement with each member of the crew and lists provisions which must be and provisions which may not be included in the agreement.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1993—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–206, § 413(1), amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (a) read as follows: “Before proceeding on a voyage, the master of a vessel to which this chapter applies shall make a shipping articles agreement in writing with each seaman on board, declaring the nature of the voyage or the period of time for which the seaman is engaged.” Subsecs. (d) to (f). Pub. L. 103–206, § 413(2), added subsecs. (d) to (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

§10502 Shipping Articles Agreements