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‘‘(2) is operating—
‘‘(A) in internal waters of the United
States, or
‘‘(B) within 3 nautical miles from the
baseline from which the territorial sea of the
United States is measured.’’.
(7) In section 8502(a)(3), by striking ‘‘not on
the high seas’’ and inserting: ‘‘not beyond 3 nautical
miles from the baseline from which the territorial
sea of the United States is measured’’.
(8) In section 8503(a), by striking paragraph
(2) and inserting the following:
‘‘(2) is operating—
‘‘(A) in internal waters of the United
States, or
‘‘(B) within 3 nautical miles from the
baseline from which the territorial sea of the
United States is measured.’’.
SEC. 302. PENALTIES FOR INTERFERING WITH THE SAFE
OPERATION OF A VESSEL.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2302 of title 46, United
States Code, is amended—
(1) by amending the section heading to read as
follows:
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‘‘§ 2302. Penalties for negligent operations and inter-
fering with safe operation’’;
and
(2) in subsection (a) by striking ‘‘that endan-
gers’’ and inserting ‘‘or interfering with the safe op-
eration of a vessel, so as to endanger’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of chapter 23 of title 46, United States
Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section
2302 and inserting the following:
‘‘Penalties for negligent operations and interfering with safe operation.’’.
TITLE IV—MISCELLANEOUS
SEC. 401. VESSEL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM AMENDMENTS.
Title 46, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in section 12102(a), by striking ‘‘or is not
titled in a State’’;
(2) in section 12301, by adding at the end the
following:
‘‘(c) A documented vessel shall not be titled or re-
quired to display numbers under this chapter by a State,
and any certificate of title issued by a State for a docu-
mented vessel shall be surrendered in accordance with reg-
ulations prescribed by the Secretary.
‘‘(d) The Secretary may approve the surrender under
subsection (c) of a certificate of title covered by a pre-
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ferred mortgage under section 31322(d) of this title only
if the mortgagee consents.’’;
(3) in section 31322—
(A) by amending subsection (b) to read as
follows:
‘‘(b) Any indebtedness secured by a preferred mort-
gage that is filed or recorded under this chapter, or that
is subject to a mortgage or instrument that is deemed to
be a preferred mortgage under subsection (d) of this sec-
tion, may have any rate of interest to which the parties
agree.’’; and
(B) in subsection (d), by amending para-
graph (3) to read as follows:
‘‘(3) A preferred mortgage under this subsection con-
tinues to be a preferred mortgage even if the vessel is no
longer titled in the State where the mortgage or instru-
ment granting a security interest became a preferred
mortgage under this subsection.’’; and
(4) in section 31325—
(A) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘a
vessel titled in a State,’’ after ‘‘a vessel to be
documented under chapter 121 of this title,’’;
(B) in subsection (b)(3), by inserting ‘‘a
vessel titled in a State,’’ after ‘‘a vessel for
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which an application for documentation is filed
under chapter 121 of this title,’’; and
(C) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘a vessel
to be documented under chapter 121 of this
title,’’.
SEC. 402. CONVEYANCE OF COAST GUARD RESERVE TRAIN-
ING FACILITY, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law—
(1) the land and improvements thereto compris-
ing the Coast Guard Reserve training facility in
Jacksonville, Florida, is deemed to be surplus prop-
erty; and
(2) the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall
dispose of all right, title, and interest of the United
States in and to that property, by sale, at fair mar-
ket value.
(b) RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL.—Before a sale is
made under subsection (a) to any other person, the Com-
mandant of the Coast Guard shall give to the city of Jack-
sonville, Florida, the right of first refusal to purchase all
or any part of the property required to be sold under that
subsection.
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SEC. 403. DOCUMENTATION OF CERTAIN VESSELS.
(a) GENERAL WAIVER.—Notwithstanding section 27
of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 App. U.S.C. 883),
section 8 of the Act of June 19, 1886 (46 App. U.S.C.
289), and sections 12106 and 12108 of title 46, United
States Code, the Secretary of Transportation may issue
a certificate of documentation with appropriate endorse-
ment for each of the following vessels:
(1) SEAGULL (United States official number
1038605).
(2) BAREFOOT CONTESA (United States of-
ficial number 285410).
(3) PRECIOUS METAL (United States official
number 596316).
(4) BLUE HAWAII (State of Florida registra-
tion number FL0466KC).
(5) SOUTHERN STAR (United States official
number 650774).
(6) KEEWAYDIN (United States official num-
ber 662066).
(7) W.G. JACKSON (United States official
number 1047199).
(8) The vessel known as hopper barge E–15
(North Carolina State official number 264959).
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(9) MIGHTY JOHN III (formerly the NIAG-
ARA 
QUEEN, 
Canadian 
registration 
number
318746).
(10) MAR Y PAZ (United States official num-
ber 668179).
(11) SAMAKEE (State of New York registra-
tion number NY 4108 FK).
(12) NAWNSENSE (United States official
number 977593).
(b) DOCUMENTATION OF JUAN PATRICIO.—
(1) AUTHORITY TO DOCUMENT VESSEL.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sec-
tion 27 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46
App. U.S.C. 883), section 8 of the Act of June
19, 1886 (46 App. U.S.C. 289), and section
12106 of title 46, United States Code, the Sec-
retary of Transportation may issue a certificate
of documentation with an appropriate endorse-
ment for employment in coastwise trade for the
vessel JUAN PATRICIO Argentinean registra-
tion number 6449.
(B) CONDITION.—The Secretary may not
issue a certificate of documentation for a vessel
under subparagraph (A) unless, not later than
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act,
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the owner of the vessel submits to the Secretary
a letter certifying that the owner either—
(i) has executed a contract for the
construction in the United States of a pas-
senger vessel of at least 175 feet in length;
or
(ii) intends to execute a contract for
construction in the United States of a pas-
senger vessel of at least 175 feet in length
before February 1, 1998.
(C) 
EFFECTIVE
DATE
OF
CERTIFI-
CATION.—A certificate of documentation issued
under subparagraph (A) shall take effect on the
date of delivery of the vessel to the owner.
(2) TERMINATION OF EFFECTIVENESS OF CER-
TIFICATE.—A certificate of documentation issued for
the vessel under paragraph (1)(A) shall expire upon
the occurrence of any of the following, whichever is
earliest:
(A) The date of sale of the vessel by the
owner.
(B) February 1, 1998, if the owner of the
vessel made a certification to the Secretary in
accordance with paragraph (1)(B)(ii) and a
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contract for construction of a vessel has not
been executed.
(C) Any date on which the contract re-
ferred to in subparagraph (B) is breached, re-
scinded, or terminated (other than for comple-
tion or performance of the contract) by the
owner of the vessel referred to in paragraph
(1)(A).
(D) Two years after the date of issuance.
(c) OWNERSHIP
OF VESSEL PHILADELPHIA.—
Notwithstanding section 2 of the Shipping Act, 1916 (46
App. U.S.C. 802, 803) and section 12102(a)(4) of title
46, United States Code, the parent corporation of the cor-
poration holding title to the vessel PHILADELPHIA
(United States official number 654192) on May 3, 1995,
is deemed on that date and thereafter to be a citizen of
the United States for purposes of owning corporations
whose vessels are eligible for documentation under chapter
121 of title 46, United States Code, with a coastwise en-
dorsement, if—
(1) the chief executive officer of the parent cor-
poration is a citizen of the United States;
(2) the chairman of the board of directors of
the parent corporation is a citizen of the United
States, and the number of its directors who are non-
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citizens does not exceed a minority of the number
necessary to constitute a quorum;
(3) the parent corporation meets the stock own-
ership requirements of section 2 of the Shipping Act,
1916, for operating a vessel in the coastwise trade;
(4) the corporation holding title is otherwise eli-
gible to own a vessel operated in the coastwise trade;
and
(5) the vessel is otherwise eligible to be oper-
ated in the coastwise trade.
SEC. 404. CONVEYANCE OF COAST GUARD FACILITY IN
NAHANT, MASSACHUSETTS.
(a) AUTHORITY TO CONVEY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation may convey, by an appropriate means of con-
veyance, all right, title, and interest of the United
States in and to the property comprising United
States Coast Guard Recreation Facility Nahant,
Massachusetts, to the town of Nahant, Massachu-
setts.
(2) IDENTIFICATION OF PROPERTY.—The Sec-
retary may identify, describe, and determine the
property to be conveyed under this section.
(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Any conveyance of
property under this section shall be made—
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(1) without payment of consideration; and
(2) subject to the terms and conditions the Sec-
retary considers appropriate.
SEC. 405. UNREASONABLE OBSTRUCTION TO NAVIGATION.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
liftbridge over the back channel of the Schuylkill River in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is deemed to unreasonably ob-
struct navigation for purposes of the Act entitled ‘‘An Act
to provide for the alteration of certain bridges over navi-
gable waters of the United States, for the apportionment
of the cost of such alterations between the United States
and the owners of such bridges, and for other purposes’’,
approved June 21, 1940 (chapter 409; 33 U.S.C. 511–
523), popularly known as the ‘‘Hobbs Bridge Act’’ and
the ‘‘Truman-Hobbs Bridge Act’’.
SEC. 406. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OIL SPILL RE-
SPONSE VESSELS.
Section 1004(a)(2) of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990
(33 U.S.C. 2704(a)(2)) is amended by inserting ‘‘includ-
ing a vessel responding to a discharge of substantial threat
of a discharge of oil,’’ after ‘‘vessel,’’.
SEC. 407. CONVEYANCE OF COAST GUARD PROPERTY TO
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY, FLORIDA.
(a) AUTHORITY TO CONVEY.—
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation may convey to the University of Jacksonville,
Florida, without consideration, all right, title, and
interest of the United States in and to the property
comprising the Long Branch Rear Range Light,
Jacksonville, Florida.
(2) IDENTIFICATION OF PROPERTY.—The Sec-
retary may identify, describe, and determine the
property to be conveyed under this section.
(b) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—Any conveyance of
any property under this section shall be made—
(1) subject to the terms and conditions the
Commandant may consider appropriate; and
(2) subject to the condition that all right, title,
and interest in and to property conveyed shall imme-
diately revert to the United States if the property,
or any part thereof, ceases to be used by Jackson-
ville University, Florida.
SEC. 408. PENALTY FOR VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL
SAFETY CONVENTION.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2302 of title 46, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new subsection:
‘‘(e)(1) A vessel may not transport cargoes sponsored
by the United States Government if—