
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: 46USC4102]

 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
                     Subtitle II--Vessels and Seamen
 
              Part B--Inspection and Regulation of Vessels
 
                CHAPTER 41--UNINSPECTED VESSELS GENERALLY
 
Sec. 4102. Safety equipment

    (a) Each uninspected vessel propelled by machinery shall be provided 
with the number, type, and size of fire extinguishers, capable of 
promptly and effectively extinguishing burning liquid fuel, that may be 
prescribed by regulation. The fire extinguishers shall be kept in 
condition for immediate and effective use and so placed as to be readily 
accessible.
    (b) Each uninspected vessel propelled by machinery shall carry at 
least one readily accessible life preserver or other lifesaving device, 
of the type prescribed by regulation, for each individual on board.
    (c) Each uninspected vessel shall have the carburetors of each 
engine of the vessel (except an outboard motor) using gasoline as fuel, 
equipped with an efficient flame arrestor, backfire trap, or other 
similar device prescribed by regulation.
    (d) Each uninspected vessel using a volatile liquid as fuel shall be 
provided with the means prescribed by regulation for properly and 
efficiently ventilating the bilges of the engine and fuel tank 
compartments, so as to remove any explosive or flammable gases.
    (e) Each manned uninspected vessel owned in the United States and 
operating beyond 3 nautical miles from the baselines from which the 
territorial sea of the United States is measured or beyond three 
nautical miles from the coastline of the Great Lakes shall be equipped 
with the number and type of alerting and locating equipment, including 
emergency position indicating radio beacons, prescribed by the 
Secretary.
    (f)(1) The Secretary, in consultation with the Towing Safety 
Advisory Committee and taking into consideration the characteristics, 
methods of operation, and nature of service of towing vessels, may 
require the installation, maintenance, and use of a fire suppression 
system or other measures to provide adequate assurance that fires on 
board towing vessels can be suppressed under reasonably foreseeable 
circumstances.
    (2) The Secretary shall require under paragraph (1) the use of a 
fire suppression system or other measures to provide adequate assurance 
that a fire on board a towing vessel that is towing a non-self-propelled 
tank vessel can be suppressed under reasonably foreseeable 
circumstances.

(Pub. L. 98-89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 528; Pub. L. 99-640, Sec. 16, 
Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3552; Pub. L. 100-424, Sec. 2(c), Sept. 9, 
1988, 102 Stat. 1590; Pub. L. 100-540, Sec. 1(a), Oct. 28, 1988, 102 
Stat. 2719; Pub. L. 104-324, title IX, Sec. 902(a), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 
Stat. 3947; Pub. L. 105-383, title III, Sec. 301(b)(3), Nov. 13, 1998, 
112 Stat. 3417.)

                      Historical and Revision Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Revised section                Source section (U.S. Code)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
4102(a)...........................  46:526g
4102(b)...........................  46:526e
4102(c)...........................  46:526i
4102(d)...........................  46:526j
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Section 4102 requires uninspected vessels to comply with certain 
provisions that incorporate minimum safety equipment and construction 
requirements. The Committee intends that the term life preserver include 
all types of personal equipment, including exposure suits with 
floatation characteristics.


                               Amendments

    1998--Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105-383 substituted ``owned in the United 
States and operating beyond 3 nautical miles from the baselines from 
which the territorial sea of the United States is measured'' for 
``operating on the high seas''.
    1996--Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 104-324 added subsec. (f).
    1988--Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 100-540 amended subsec. (e) generally 
without regard to the prior repeal of subsec. (e) by Pub. L. 100-424.
    Pub. L. 100-424 struck out subsec. (e) which read as follows: ``Each 
uninspected fishing, fish processing, or fish tender vessel operating on 
the high seas shall be equipped with the number and type of emergency 
position indicating radio beacons prescribed by regulation.'' See 
section 4502(a)(7) of this title.
    1986--Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99-640 added subsec. (e).


                               Regulations

    Section 902(b) of Pub. L. 104-324 provided that: ``The Secretary of 
the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall issue 
regulations establishing the requirement described in subsection (f)(2) 
of section 4102 of title 46, United States Code, as added by this 
section, by not later than October 1, 1997.''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 4103 of this title.
