46a USC Rule - Vessel escort operations and towing assistance

(a) In general

Except in the case of a vessel in distress, only a vessel of the United States (as that term is defined in section 2101 of title 46) may perform the following escort vessel operations within the navigable waters of the United States:

(1) Operations that commence or terminate at a port or place in the United States.

(2) Operations required by United States law or regulation.

(3) Operations provided in whole or in part within or through navigation facilities owned, maintained, or operated by the United States Government or the approaches to those facilities, other than facilities operated by the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation on the St. Lawrence River portion of the Seaway.

(b) Addition to towing vessel

In the case of a vessel being towed under section 316 (a) of this Appendix, an escort vessel is any vessel assigned and dedicated to the vessel being towed in addition to any towing vessel required under that section.

Nothing in this section shall affect or be construed or interpreted to affect or modify section 316 (a) of this Appendix.

(d) Definition

In this section, the term “escort vessel” means any vessel that is assigned and dedicated to assist another vessel, whether or not tethered to that vessel, solely as a safety precaution to assist in controlling the speed or course of the assisted vessel in the event of a steering or propulsion equipment failure, or any other similar emergency circumstance, or in restricted waters where additional assistance in maneuvering the vessel is required to ensure its safe operation.

(e) Penalty

A person violating this section is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each day during which the violation occurs.

Source

(Pub. L. 107–295, title IV, § 404,Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2114.)

The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.

The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Tuesday, April 16, 2013

An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.

How To Use

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Abbreviations used in the Description of Change column:

An empty field implies a standard amendment.
"new" means a new section or new note, or all new text of an existing section or note.
"nt" means note.
"nt [tbl]" means note [table].
"prec" means preceding.
"fr" means a transfer from another section.
"to" means a transfer to another section.
"omitted" means the section is omitted.
"repealed" means the section is repealed.
"nt ed change" and "ed change" - See the Editorial Classification Change Table [pdf].

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General Reference

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46a USC	Description of Change	Session Year	Public Law	Statutes at Large

This is a list of parts within the Code of Federal Regulations for which this US Code section provides rulemaking authority.

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46a USC Rule - Vessel escort operations and towing assistance

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