47 U.S.C. § 353 (TELECOMMUNICATIONS)
§ 353. Radio equipment and operators
(a) Two radio officers required
Each cargo ship which in accordance with this part is equipped with a radiotelegraph station and which is not equipped with a radiotelegraph auto alarm, and each passenger ship required by this part to be equipped with a radiotelegraph station, shall, for safety purposes, carry at least two radio officers.
(b) One radio officer required
A cargo ship which in accordance with this part is equipped with a radiotelegraph station, which is equipped with a radiotelegraph auto alarm, shall, for safety purposes, carry at least one radio officer who shall have had at least six months’ previous service in the aggregate as a radio officer in a station on board a ship or ships of the United States.
(c) Required watches
Each ship of the United States which in accordance with this part is equipped with a radiotelegraph station shall, while being navigated in the open sea outside of a harbor or port, keep a continuous watch by means of radio officers whenever the station is not being used for authorized traffic: Provided, That, in lieu thereof, on a cargo ship equipped with a radiotelegraph auto alarm in proper operating condition, a watch of at least eight hours per day, in the aggregate, shall be maintained by means of a radio officer.
(d) Hours of watch
The Commission shall, when it finds it necessary for safety purposes, have authority to prescribe the particular hours of watch on a ship of the United States which in accordance with this part is equipped with a radiotelegraph station.
(e) Operational status of auto alarms in open sea
On all ships of the United States equipped with a radiotelegraph auto alarm, said apparatus shall be in operation at all times while the ship is being navigated in the open sea outside of a harbor or port when the radio officer is not on watch.
(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title III, § 353, as added May 20, 1937, ch. 229, § 10(b), 50 Stat. 193; amended July 8, 1941, ch. 278, 55 Stat. 579; June 22, 1943, ch. 137, 57 Stat. 161; July 25, 1947, ch. 327, § 2(a), 61 Stat. 451; Aug. 13, 1954, ch. 729, § 1(d), 68 Stat. 705; Pub. L. 89–121, § 4, Aug. 13, 1965, 79 Stat. 513.)
heading: Amendments
text: 1965—Pub. L. 89–121, among other changes, substituted wherever appearing “radiotelegraph station” for “radiotelegraph installation”, “radiotelegraph auto alarm” for “auto-alarm”, and “radio officer” and “radio officers” for “qualified operator” and “qualified operators”, required a continuous watch to be kept when the radiotelegraph station is not being used for authorized traffic, and inserted “while being navigated in the open sea” in two places.
1954—Act Aug. 13, 1954, amended section to make clear that it applies only to ships equipped with a radiotelegraph installation, not those fitted with a radiotelephone installation.
1943—Subsec. (b). Act June 22, 1943, substituted “the termination of such emergency or such earlier date as Congress by concurrent resolution may designate” for “June 30, 1943”.
1941—Subsec. (b). Act July 8, 1941, inserted exception respecting national emergency.
heading: Partial Repeal Effective July 1, 1948
text: Acts July 8, 1941, and June 22, 1943, which amended subsec. (b) of this section by adding the clause authorizing suspension or modification of the service requirement during the emergency, were repealed, effective July 1, 1948, by act July 25, 1947, which provided that such acts should remain in full force and effect until such date.
heading: Effective Date
text: Section effective May 20, 1937, unless deferred by the Commission, see section 16 of act May 20, 1937, set out as a note under section 351 of this title.
heading: Approval of Operators by Secretary of Navy During War
text: Act Dec. 17, 1941, ch. 588, 55 Stat. 808, as amended June 28, 1943, ch. 174, 57 Stat. 244; June 13, 1945, ch. 190, 59 Stat. 259; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 101, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7875, 60 Stat. 1097, prohibiting employment of radio operators who were disapproved by the Secretary of the Navy during World War II, was repealed by act July 25, 1947, ch. 327, § 1, 61 Stat. 449.