
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: 46USC12501]

 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
                     Subtitle II--Vessels and Seamen
 
                    Part H--Identification of Vessels
 
                CHAPTER 125--VESSEL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM
 
Sec. 12501. Establishment of a vessel identification system

    (a) The Secretary of Transportation shall establish a vessel 
identification system to make available information under section 12503 
of this title for use by the public for law enforcement and other 
purposes relating to--
        (1) the ownership of documented vessels;
        (2) the ownership of vessels numbered under chapter 123 of this 
    title; and
        (3) the ownership of vessels titled under the law of a State.

    (b) The vessel identification system shall include information 
prescribed by the Secretary including--
        (1) identifying a vessel;
        (2) identifying the owner of the vessel, including--
            (A) the owner's social security number or, if that number is 
        not available, other means of identification acceptable to the 
        Secretary; or
            (B) for an owner other than an individual--
                (i) the owner's taxpayer identification number; or
                (ii) if the owner does not have a taxpayer 
            identification number, the social security number of an 
            individual who is a corporate officer, general partner, or 
            individual trustee of the owner and who signed the 
            application for documentation or numbering for the vessel;

        (3) identifying the State in which it is titled or numbered;
        (4) indicating whether the vessel is numbered or titled, or 
    both;
        (5) if titled in a State, indicating where evidence of a lien or 
    other security interest may be found against the vessel in that 
    State; and
        (6) information assisting law enforcement officials.

    (c) The Secretary may maintain information under this chapter in 
connection with any other information system maintained by the 
Secretary.

(Pub. L. 100-710, title I, Sec. 101(a), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4735; 
Pub. L. 101-225, title III, Sec. 302(1), Dec. 12, 1989, 103 Stat. 1922; 
Pub. L. 101-595, title VI, Sec. 603(10), Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 2993.)


                      Historical and Revision Notes

Revised section 12501
    Subsection (a) of section 12501 requires the Secretary of 
Transportation to establish a system of information concerning vessels 
of the United States for law enforcement and other purposes. The 
Secretary is required to make available information from the system 
relating to the ownership of vessels documented under chapter 121 of 
title 46, numbered under chapter 123 of that title, and titled under the 
law of a State. The information is available under section 12503 for use 
by the public, similarly under the Ship Mortgage Act, 1920.
    Subsection (b) lists the vessel identification information which is 
required to be maintained by the Secretary. The Secretary has the 
authority to prescribe other information to be maintained in addition to 
the items listed. For example, the Secretary may identify vessels issued 
fisheries permits by the Department of Commerce. The Secretary may also 
monitor transactions involving vessels that require approval by the 
Secretary under section 9 of the Shipping Act, 1916 (46 App. U.S.C. 808) 
before interest or control in the vessel may be transferred to a 
noncitizen.
    Subsection (c) clarifies that the Secretary has the flexibility to 
maintain this system in connection with any other information system 
maintained by the Secretary, including the Federal Aviation 
Administration system containing aircraft ownership information. This 
would also permit the Secretary to combine various systems and data 
bases maintained by the Secretary such as documentation and numbering of 
vessels, and safety, casualty, and law enforcement statistics.


                               Amendments

    1990--Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 101-595 amended subpar. (A) 
generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (A) read as follows: ``the 
owner's social security number; or''.
    1989--Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 101-225 amended par. (2) generally, 
adding subpars. (A) and (B).


                             Effective Date

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


    Records and Other Information; Establishment, Centralization and 
                             Computerization

    Section 104(e)(2) of title I of Pub. L. 100-710 provided that: ``To 
establish, centralize, and computerize records and other information 
maintained under chapters 121, 125, and 313 of title 46, United States 
Code, from the effective date of this title [Jan. 1, 1989, with certain 
exceptions and qualifications, see section 107 of Pub. L. 100-710, set 
out as a note under section 30101 of this title] through September 30, 
1993, the Secretary of Transportation shall spend (out of amounts 
appropriated for the Department of Transportation under an 
appropriations law) not less than an amount that is equal to the amounts 
estimated to be--
        ``(A) collected under section 9701 of title 31, United States 
    Code, for fees paid for services and things of value provided under 
    chapter 313 of title 46, United States Code (as enacted by section 
    101 of this Act), and for documenting vessels under chapter 121 of 
    title 46; and
        ``(B) transferred to or collected by the Secretary under chapter 
    125 of title 46, United States Code (as enacted by section 101 of 
    this Act).''


     Personnel and Equipment; Recruitment, Compensation, Training, 
                        Purchasing, or Deployment

    Section 104(g) of Pub. L. 100-710 provided that: ``Nothing in this 
section [amending sections 2101, 2110, 12102, 12103, 12105, 12110, 
12112, 12117, 12119, and 12120 of this title and sections 808, 1242, and 
1271 of the Appendix to this title, and enacting provisions set out as 
notes under sections 12501, 12502, and 12505 of this title] requires the 
Coast Guard to recruit, compensate, train, purchase, or deploy any 
personnel or equipment to carry out chapter 125 of title 46, United 
States Code (as enacted by section 101 of this Act), except to the 
extent that appropriations are made available in an appropriations law 
for the Department of Transportation.''
