
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 46USC12112]

 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
                     Subtitle II--Vessels and Seamen
 
                    Part H--Identification of Vessels
 
                  CHAPTER 121--DOCUMENTATION OF VESSELS
 
Sec. 12112. Vessels procured outside the United States

    (a) The Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of State, 
acting jointly, may provide for the issuance of a certificate of 
documentation with an appropriate endorsement for a vessel procured 
outside the United States meeting the ownership requirements of section 
12102 of this title.
    (b) Subject to limitations the Secretary of Transportation may 
prescribe, a vessel for which a document is issued under this section 
may proceed to the United States and engage en route in the foreign 
trade or trade with Guam, American Samoa, Wake, Midway, or Kingman Reef. 
On the vessel's arrival in the United States, the document shall be 
surrendered as provided by regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
    (c) A vessel for which a document is issued under this section is 
subject to the jursidiction \1\ and laws of the United States. However, 
the Secretary of Transportation may suspend for a period of not more 
than 6 months, the application of a vessel inspection law carried out by 
the Secretary or regulations prescribed under that law if the Secretary 
considers the suspension to be in the public interest.
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    \1\ So in original. Probably should be ``jurisdiction''.
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(Pub. L. 98-89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 588; Pub. L. 100-710, title I, 
Sec. 104(a)(4), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4750; Pub. L. 101-225, title 
III, Sec. 301(a)(11), Dec. 12, 1989, 103 Stat. 1922.)

                      Historical and Revision Notes
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          Revised section                Source section (U.S. Code)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
12112.............................  46:65p
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Section 12112 authorizes the Secretary and the Secretary of State to 
provide for the issuance of an appropriate document for a vessel 
procured outside of the United States by a United States citizen. This 
enables the vessel to proceed directly to the United States and to trade 
en route, with the requirement that the document be surrendered upon the 
vessel's arrival in the United States. It also authorizes the Secretary 
to temporarily suspend application of those vessel inspection and 
measurement laws if the suspension is deemed to be in the public 
interest.


                               Amendments

    1989--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101-225, Sec. 301(a)(11)(A), substituted 
``a certificate of documentation with an appropriate endorsement'' for 
``an appropriate document''.
    Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101-225, Sec. 301(a)(11)(B), substituted ``a 
document'' for ``an appropriate document''.
    1988--Pub. L. 100-710 inserted ``of Transportation'' after first 
reference to ``Secretary'' in subsecs. (a) to (c).


                    Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 100-710 effective Jan. 1, 1989, with certain 
exceptions and qualifications, see section 107 of Pub. L. 100-710, set 
out as an Effective Date note under section 30101 of this title.
