1998 Year of the Ocean The U.S. Marine Transportation System 



Chapter 31 (General; sections 3101-3102) provides authority for the President to suspend 

 inspection requirements for foreign flag vessels registered in the United States. It also provided for 

 immersion suits. 



Chapter 32 (Management of Vessels; sections 3201-3205) requires the Secretary to prescribe 

 regulations which establish a safety management system addressing, for example, safety and 

 environmental protection, and procedures for safe operation of vessels in compliance with U.S. and 

 international law, for responsible vessels and persons subject to the chapter. The Secretary shall 

 issue Safety Management Certificates and a Document of Compliance to requesters complying with 

 safety management plans. 



Chapter 33 (Inspections Generally; sections 3301-3318) provides the requirements and procedures 

 for inspection of vessels. Vessels subject to inspection include freight vessels, nautical school 

 vessels, passenger vessels, seagoing barges, and tank vessels. Vessels exempt from inspection in 

 certain circumstances include fishing vessels and certain fish processing vessels (sections 3301- 

 3302). Reciprocity for foreign vessels is provided in section 3303. The Secretary is directed to issue 

 regulations for proper execution of Part B. Certificates of inspection are issued to vessels 

 successfully meeting inspection requirements and are required to be on board the vessel to operate; 

 compliance with certificates of inspection is required (sections 3309-3314). Penalties may be 

 assessed for violation of Part B (section 3318). 



Chapter 35 (Carriage of Passengers; sections 3501-3506) governs the carriage of passengers. 

 Certificates of inspection shall include the number of passengers a vessel is authorized to carry and 

 liability may result for exceeding that number (section 3501). Persons in charge of specified vessels 

 must keep a correct list of passengers, including a correct count (section 3502). Persons selling 

 passage to a ship with accommodations of 50 or more passengers must notify prospective 

 passengers of the vessels safety standards; violations are subject to civil penalties (section 3504). 

 Foreign vessels are prohibited from departing a U.S. port with passengers who embarked at that 

 port if the Secretary finds that the vessel does not comply with the standards in the International 

 Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) (section 3505). 



Chapter 37 (Carriage of Liquid Bulk Dangerous Cargoes; sections 3701-3718) governs the carriage 

 of liquid bulk dangerous cargoes such as oil or hazardous materials. The chapter applies to any tank 

 vessel operating in U.S. navigable waters or transferring oil or hazardous materials in any port 

 subject to U.S. jurisdiction, with exemptions for certain vessels (section 3702). The Secretar>' is 

 required to issue regulations for the design, construction, alteration, repair, maintenance, operation, 

 equipping, personnel qualification, and manning of vessels subject to the chapter, necessary to 

 protect life and property, for navigation and vessel safety, and protection of the marine environment 

 (section 3703; regulations are found in 33 CFR and 46 CFR). Minimum standards for tank vessel 

 construction are provided (section 3703a); requirements for coastwise trade vessels (section 3704); 

 as well as minimum standards for crude oil tankers, product carriers, tankers, and self-propelled 

 tank vessels, with certain exemption as authorized by the Secretary (sections 3705-3709). The 

 Secretary is directed to establish a marine safety information system to contain information about 



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