§53205 Obligations and Rights Under Operating Agreements

Summary

Requires that a vessel under an Operating Agreement must be used in the cable-services trade or be chartered to the United States and must stay documented under chapter 121 while the agreement runs. The Secretary must make annual payments to the Contractor, subject to available appropriations, as described in section 53206. The United States has a contractual duty to pay those amounts only to the extent money is actually appropriated. A Contractor remains bound by the national security rules in section 53207 until the agreement’s original end date, including agreements ended under section 53204(c)(2). Any contingency agreement under section 53207 stays in effect until that date unless the Contractor and the Operating Agency both agree to change it. Operating Agreements cannot be transferred. A Contractor may replace a vessel with one eligible under section 53202(b) if the Secretary and the Operating Agency jointly approve and find it meets national security needs.