
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: 46USC2306]

 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
                     Subtitle II--Vessels and Seamen
 
                       Part A--General Provisions
 
               CHAPTER 23--OPERATION OF VESSELS GENERALLY
 
Sec. 2306. Vessel reporting requirements

    (a)(1) An owner, charterer, managing operator, or agent of a vessel 
of the United States, having reason to believe (because of lack of 
communication with or nonappearance of a vessel or any other incident) 
that the vessel may have been lost or imperiled, immediately shall--
        (A) notify the Coast Guard; and
        (B) use all available means to determine the status of the 
    vessel.

    (2) When more than 48 hours have passed since the owner, charterer, 
managing operator, or agent of a vessel required to report to the United 
States Flag Merchant Vessel Location Filing System under authority of 
section 212(A) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1122a), 
has received a communication from the vessel, the owner, charterer, 
managing operator, or agent immediately shall--
        (A) notify the Coast Guard; and
        (B) use all available means to determine the status of the 
    vessel.

    (3) A person notifying the Coast Guard under paragraph (1) or (2) of 
this subsection shall provide the name and identification number of the 
vessel, the names of individuals on board, and other information that 
may be requested by the Coast Guard. The owner, charterer, managing 
operator, or agent also shall submit written confirmation to the Coast 
Guard within 24 hours after nonwritten notification to the Coast Guard 
under those paragraphs.
    (4) An owner, charterer, managing operator, or agent violating this 
subsection is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty 
of not more than $5,000 for each day during which the violation occurs.
    (b)(1) The master of a vessel of the United States required to 
report to the System shall report to the owner, charterer, managing 
operator, or agent at least once every 48 hours.
    (2) A master violating this subsection is liable to the Government 
for a civil penalty of not more than $1,000 for each day during which 
the violation occurs.
    (c) The Secretary may prescribe regulations to carry out this 
section.

(Added Pub. L. 98-498, title II, Sec. 212(a)(3), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 
2305.)


                             Effective Date

    Section 214 of Pub. L. 98-498 provided that: ``Sections 211(a) and 
212 of this subtitle [enacting this section and amending sections 2302, 
3309, 6101, and 6103 of this title] are effective one hundred and eighty 
days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 19, 1984].''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 2301 of this title.
