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Title 46, ShippingRelease 119-102

§57522 Books and Records, Balance Sheets, and Inspection and Auditing

Title 46 › Subtitle V — Merchant Marine › Part F — Government-Owned Merchant Vessels › CHAPTER 575 — CONSTRUCTION, CHARTER, AND SALE OF VESSELS › SUBCHAPTER II — CHARTERS › § 57522

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Every contract the Secretary of Transportation makes under this chapter must require the contractor and any related companies (affiliates, agents, subsidiaries, or parent companies) to keep records and accounts about how they maintain, operate, and service the vessels, routes, and services. They must file balance sheets, profit-and-loss statements, and other financial reports when the Secretary asks. The Secretary can examine and audit those records whenever he thinks it is necessary. If anyone willfully refuses to follow these rules, the Secretary can cancel the contract and the United States will have no further liability.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §57522

Shipping, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Every contract executed by the Secretary of Transportation under this chapter shall contain provisions requiring (1) that, the contractor and every affiliate, domestic agent, subsidiary, or holding company connected with, or directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, the contractor, to keep its books, records, and accounts, relating to the maintenance, operation, and servicing of the vessels, services, routes, and lines covered by the contract, in such form and under such regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation; (2) that the contractor and every affiliate, domestic agent, subsidiary, or holding company connected with, or directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, the contractor, to file, upon notice from the Secretary of Transportation, balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and such other statements of financial operations, special report, memoranda of any facts and transactions, which in the opinion of the Secretary of Transportation affect the financial results in, the performance of, or transactions or operations under, such contract; (3) that the Secretary of Transportation shall be authorized to examine and audit the books, records, and accounts of all persons referred to in this section whenever he may deem it necessary or desirable; and (4) that upon the willful failure or refusal of any person described in this section to comply with the contract provisions required by this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall have the right to rescind the contract, and upon such rescission, the United States shall be relieved of all further liability on such contract.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section consists of text of act
June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title VIII, § 801, 49 Stat. 2011, as amended by Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(119), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 164. section 801 of act
June 29, 1936, ch. 858, which was formerly set out as a note under section 53101 of this title, was transferred to this section by Pub. L. 114–120, title III, § 313(c)(1)(A), Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 58.

Amendments

2016—Pub. L. 114–120, § 313(c)(1)(B)(i), inserted “Books and records, balance sheets, and inspection and auditing” in section catchline. Pub. L. 114–120, § 313(c)(1)(B)(ii), which directed substitution of “this chapter” for “the provision of title VI or VII of this Act”, was executed by making the substitution for “the provisions of title VI or VII of this Act” to reflect the probable intent of Congress. Pub. L. 114–120, § 313(c)(1)(B)(iii), struck out “: Provided, That the provisions of this paragraph shall not require the duplication of books, records, and accounts required to be kept in some other form by the Interstate Commerce Commission” after “prescribed by the Secretary of Transportation”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 57522

Title 46, Shipping

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102