--- kind: "range" citation: "46 U.S.C. §§ 56309–56311" title: "46" from: "56309" to: "56311" count: 3 release: "119-102" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/56309..56311" --- # §56309. Emergency foreign vessel acquisition; purchase or requisition of vessels lying idle in United States waters During any period in which [vessels](/usc/46/115.md) may be requisitioned under this chapter, the President is authorized and empowered through the Secretary of Transportation to purchase, or to requisition, or for any part of such period to charter or requisition the use of, or to take over the title to or possession of, for such use or disposition as he shall direct, any merchant [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) not owned by citizens of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md) which is lying idle in waters within the jurisdiction of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md) and which the President finds to be necessary to the national defense. Just compensation shall be determined and made to the owner or owners of any such [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) in accordance with the applicable provisions of this chapter. Such compensation hereunder, or advances on account thereof, shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md) in a separate deposit fund. Payments for such compensation and also for payment of any valid claim upon such [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) in accord with the provisions of [section 56305](/usc/46/56305.md), shall be made from such fund upon the [certificate](/usc/46/55104.md?p=a-1) of the Secretary of Transportation. # §56310. Voluntary purchase or charter agreements During any period in which [vessels](/usc/46/115.md) may be requisitioned under this chapter as amended,[^1] the President is authorized through the Secretary of Transportation to acquire by voluntary agreement of purchase or charter the ownership or use of any merchant [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) not owned by citizens of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md). # §56311. Requisitioned vessels - (a) Any [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) not [documented](/usc/46/56312.md) under the laws of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md), acquired by or made available to the Secretary of Transportation under section [56309](/usc/46/56309.md) or [56310](/usc/46/56310.md), as applicable, or otherwise, may, notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the discretion of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating be [documented](/usc/46/56312.md) as a [vessel of the United States](/usc/46/116.md) under such rules and regulations or orders, and with such limitations, as the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may prescribe or issue as necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and provisions of section [56309](/usc/46/56309.md) or [56310](/usc/46/56310.md), as applicable, and in accordance with the provisions of [subsection (c)](#c), engage in the coastwise trade when so [documented](/usc/46/56312.md). Any document issued to a [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) under the provisions of this subsection shall be surrendered at any time that such surrender may be ordered by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating. No [vessel](/usc/46/115.md), the surrender of the documents of which has been so ordered, shall, after the effective date of such order, have the status of a [vessel of the United States](/usc/46/116.md) unless [documented](/usc/46/56312.md) anew. - (b) The President may, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, by rules and regulations or orders, waive compliance with any provision of law relating to masters, officers, members of the crew, or crew accommodations on any [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) [documented](/usc/46/56312.md) under authority of this section to such extent and upon such terms as he finds necessary because of the lack of physical facilities on such [vessels](/usc/46/115.md), and because of the need to employ aliens for their operation. No [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) shall cease to enjoy the benefits and privileges of a [vessel of the United States](/usc/46/116.md) by reason of the employment of any person in accordance with the provisions of this subsection. - (c) Any [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) while [documented](/usc/46/56312.md) under the provisions of this section, when chartered under section [56309](/usc/46/56309.md) or [56310](/usc/46/56310.md), as applicable, by the Secretary of Transportation to Government [agencies](/usc/46/101.md) or departments or to private operators, may engage in the coastwise trade under permits issued by the Secretary of Transportation, who is authorized to issue permits for such purpose pursuant to such rules and regulations as he may prescribe. The Secretary of Transportation is authorized to prescribe such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and provisions of this section. [Section 57109](/usc/46/57109.md) shall not apply with respect to [vessels](/usc/46/115.md) chartered to Government [agencies](/usc/46/101.md) or departments or to private operators or otherwise used or disposed of under section [56309](/usc/46/56309.md) or [56310](/usc/46/56310.md), as applicable. Existing laws covering the inspection of steam [vessels](/usc/46/115.md) are made applicable to [vessels](/usc/46/115.md) [documented](/usc/46/56312.md) under this section only to such extent and upon such conditions as may be required by regulations of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating: Provided, That in determining to what extent those laws should be made applicable, due consideration shall be given to the primary purpose of transporting commodities essential to the national defense. - (d) The Secretary of Transportation without regard to the[^1] [section 6101 of title 41](/usc/41/6101.md) may repair, reconstruct, or recondition any [vessels](/usc/46/115.md) to be utilized under section [56309](/usc/46/56309.md) or [56310](/usc/46/56310.md), as applicable. The Secretary of Transportation and any other Government department or [agency](/usc/46/101.md) by which any [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) is acquired or chartered, or to which any [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) is transferred or made available under section [56309](/usc/46/56309.md) or [56310](/usc/46/56310.md), as applicable, may, with the aid of any funds available and without regard to the provisions of [section 6101 of title 41](/usc/41/6101.md), repair, reconstruct, or recondition any such [vessels](/usc/46/115.md) to meet the needs of the services intended, or provide facilities for such repair, reconstruction, or reconditioning. The Secretary of Transportation may operate or charter for operation any [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) to be utilized under section [56309](/usc/46/56309.md) or [56310](/usc/46/56310.md), as applicable[^2] to private operators, citizens of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md), or to any department or [agency](/usc/46/101.md) of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md) Government, without regard to the provisions of [chapter 575](/usc/46/chstV-ptF-ch575.md), and any department or [agency](/usc/46/101.md) of the [United States](/usc/46/114.md) Government is authorized to enter into such charters. - (e) In case of any voyage of a [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) [documented](/usc/46/56312.md) under the provisions of this section begun before the date of termination of an effective period of [section 196 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=(/us/usc/t46/s196)), but is completed after such date, the provisions of this section shall continue in effect with respect to such [vessel](/usc/46/115.md) until such voyage is completed.