An Act to amend the Shipping Act, 1916, as amended, to authorize exemption from the provisions of the act.
PL 89-778 (S.3391), enacted 11/06/1966

1358 
PUBLIC LAW 89-778-NOV. 6, 1966 
[80 STAT. 
39 Stat. 728. 
46 u s e 842. 
U.S. passenger 
vessels. 
Construction 
with fire-retardant 
material. 
Effective dates. 
Federal Maritime Commission. These penalties may be remitted or 
mitigated by the Federal Maritime Commission upon such terms as 
they in their discretion sliall deem proper, 
(d) The Federal Maritime Commission is authorized to prescribe 
such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
section. The provisions of the Shipping Act, 1916, shall apply with 
respect to proceedings conducted by the Commission under this section. 
(e) The collector of customs at the port or place of departure from 
the United States of any vessel described in subsection (a) of this 
section shall refuse the clearance required by section 4197 of the Ke-
vised Statutes (46 U.S.C. 91) to any such vessel which does not have 
evidence furnished by tlie Federal Maritime Commission that the 
provisions of this section have been complied with. 
SEC. 4. Subsection (b) of section 5 of the Act of May 27, 1936 (49 
Stat. 1384; 46 U.S.C. 369), is amended by adding at the end thereof 
the following: "After November 1, 1968, no passenger vessel of the 
United States of one hundred gross tons or over, having berth or 
stateroom accommodations for fifty or more passengers, shall be 
granted a certificate of inspection by the Coast Guard unless the vessel 
is constructed of fire-retai'dant material. 
The structural fire protec-
tion provided on these vessels shall conform to the requirements set 
forth in regulations for a vessel contracted for on or after May 28, 
1936." 
SEC. 5. The new subsection (b) of section 4400 of the Revised 
Statutes and section 3 of this Act shall become effective one hundred 
and eighty days after enactment of this Act. The new subsection (c) 
of section 4400 of the Eevised Statutes shall become effective on the 
date Avhen the recommended amendments to the International Con-
vention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1960, come into force, but in 
any case not later than November 2, 1968. Section 2 of this Act shall 
become effective nine months after enactment of this Act. 
Section 
4 of this Act shall become effective on November 2, 1968, 
Approved November 6, 1966. 
Public Law 89-778 
November 6, 1966 
A N 
A C T 
[S.3391] 
j , ^ amend the Shippiiijr Act, 1916, as amended, to authorize exemption from the 
provisions of the Act. 
Shipping Act, 
1916, amendment. 
39 Stat. 728. 
47 Stat. 1425. 
46 u s e 848. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America In Congress assembled^ That the Shipping 
Act, 1916 (46 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), is amended by adding thereto the 
following new section: 
"SEC. 35. The Federal Maritime Commission, upon application or 
on its own motion, may by order or rule exempt for the future any 
class of agreements between persons subject to this Act or any specified 
activity of such persons from any requirement of the Shipping Act, 
1916, or Intercoastal Shipping Act, 1933, where it finds that such 
exemption will not substantially impair effective regulation by the 
Federal Maritime (Commission, be unjustly discriminatory, or be 
detrimental to commerce. 
"The Commission may attach conditions to any such exemptions and 
may, by order, revoke any such exemption. 
"No order or rule of exemption or revocation of exemption shall be 
issued unless opportunity for hearing has been afforded interested 
persons," 
Approved November 6, 1966.