---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 10906"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "10906"
heading: "Discharge of crew for unsuitability"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/10906"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen"
  - "Part G — Merchant Seamen Protection and Relief"
  - "Chapter 109 — Proceedings on Unseaworthiness"
---

# §10906. Discharge of crew for unsuitability


When a survey is made at a foreign port, the surveyors shall [state](/usc/46/112.md) in the report whether, in their opinion, the [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) had been sent to sea unsuitably provided in any important particular, by neglect or design or through mistake or accident. If by neglect or design, and the [consular officer](/usc/46/105.md) approves the finding, the officer shall discharge a [seaman](/usc/46/10101.md?p=3) requesting discharge and shall require the [master](/usc/46/10101.md?p=1) to pay one month’s wages to that [seaman](/usc/46/10101.md?p=3) in addition to wages then due, or sufficient money for the return of the [seaman](/usc/46/10101.md?p=3) to the nearest and most convenient port of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md), whichever is the greater amount.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 576.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |
| --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| 10906 | 46:658 |

Section 10906 provides that if a consular officer finds that a vessel has been sent to sea in an unsuitable state, a crew member requesting discharge must be paid one month’s additional wages and passage to the United States.