International Voyage Load Line Act
PL 93-115 (S.1352), enacted 10/01/1973

418 
PUBLIC LAW 93-115-OCT. 1, 1973 
[87 STAT. 
Public Law 93-115 
October 1, 1973 
A N A C T 
^^' ^^^' 
To require leadlines on United States vessels engaged in foreign voyages and 
foreign vessels within the jurisdiction of the United States, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
International 
United Stotes of America in Congress assenibled, That this Act may 
Act^ori973.'* ^"^ b© cited as the "International Voyage Load Line Act of 1973". 
SEC. 2. The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard 
is operating (hereinafter referred to as "Secretary") shall enforce the 
provisions of this Act and prescribe regulations to carry out its pro-
visions. With the consent of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Sec-
retary may utilize officers of the Bureau of Customs to enforce this 
Act and the regulations established hereunder. 
DEFINITIONS 
SEC. 3. As used in this Act— 
(1) "new ship" means a vessel the keel of which is laid (or 
which is at a similar stage of construction) on or after July 
21,1968; and 
(2) "existing ship" means a vessel which is not a "new ship". 
APPLICABILITY 
SEC. 4. (a) This Act applies to vessels which— 
(1) arrive at any port or place within the jurisdiction of the 
United States from foreign ports; 
(2) make voyages between foreign ports (except foreign vessels 
engaged in such voyages); or 
(3) depart from any port or place within the jurisdiction of the 
United States for a foreign port. 
(b) This Act does not apply to— 
' 
(1) ships of war; 
(2) pleasure craft not used in trade or commerce; 
(3) fishing vessels; 
(4) existing ships of less than one hundred and fifty gross tons; 
(5) new ships of less than seventy-nine feet in length; 
(6) vessels which navigate exclusively on the Great Lakes; or 
(7) ve^els operating on sheltered waters between ports of the 
United States and neighboring countries as provided in any treaty 
of the United States. 
(c) A vessel which voluntarily obtains loadlines shall be treated 
as a vessel subject to this Act until its loadline certificate is surrendered 
and its loadline marks removed. 
(d) This Act does not abrogate any provisions of treaties or con-
ventions in effect, which are not in conflict with the International 
18 usT 1857. 
Convention on Loadlines, 1966, and to which the United States has 
acceded. 
PETERMINATION OF LOADLINES; ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE; PROHIBITION 
S E C 5. (a) The Secretary shall prescribe loadlines, the marking 
thereof, and associated condition surveys for vessels subject to this 
Act to indicate the minimum freeboard to which each may be safely 
loaded, giving due consideration to, and making differentials for the 
service, type, and character of each vessel, and in conformance with 
applicable international treaties or conventions to which the United 
States has acceded. 
87 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 93-115-OCT. 1, 1973 
419 
(b) Leadlines shall be permanently and conspicuously marked and 
maintained in the manner prescribed by the Secretary. Upon com-
pletion of survey requirements and a finding that tne loadline is 
positioned and marked in the manner prescribed, the Secretary shall 
issue a loadline certificate, to the master or owner of the vessel, which 
shall be carried on board the vessel. 
(c) A loadline shall not be established or marked which, in the 
judgment of the Secretary, authorizes less than the minimum safe 
freeboard. At the request of the owner a loadline may be established 
or marked to indicate a greater freeboard than that which the Sec-
retary determines is the minimum safe freeboard; any such loadline 
shall be the prescribed loadline for purposes of section 9. 
APPOINTMENT OF SURVEYORS; REVOCATION 
SEC. 6. (a) The Secretary shall appoint the American Bureau of 
Shipping, or such other United States nonprofit corporations or 
associations for the survey or registry of shipping which he approves, 
to determine that a vessel's condition is satisfactory and whetner its 
loadline is positioned and marked in the manner prescribed by the 
Secretary and thereupon to issue a loadline certificate. 
(b) The Secretary may appoint for the purpose of this section: 
(1) any officer of the United States, or 
(,2) at the request of a shipowner, any other corporation or 
association for the survey or registry of shipping which he 
approves. 
(c) The Secretary may revoke an appointment under this section 
at any time. 
EXEMPTIONS 
SEC. 7. When a vessel subject to this Act is shown to be entitled to an 
exemption from the provisions of this Act by an international agree-
ment to which the United States has acceded, a certificate of exemption 
shall be issued to the vessel, and carried in lieu of the certificate 
required by section 5 of this Act. 
RECOGNITION; NONAPPLICABILITY 
SEC. 8. (a) When it is found that the law and regulations in force in 
a foreign country relating to loadlines are equally effective as this Act 
and the regulations hereunder, or when a foreign country has acceded 
to an international loadline agreement to which the United States has 
acceded, the markings and certificate thereof of a vessel of the country 
shall be accepted as complying with the provisions of this Act and 
regulations hereunder. The control of such vessels shall be as provided 
in the applicable international agreement. 
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to vessels of foreign nations 
which do not similarly recognize the loadlines prescribed under this 
Act. 
LOADING R E S T R I C T I O N S ; RECORDATION 
SEC. 9. (a) No vessel subject to this Act may be so loaded as to sub-
merge the prescribed loadline, or to submerge the point where an 
appropriate loadline under the Act and the prescribed regulations 
should be marked. 
420 
PUBLIC LAW 93-115-OCT. 1, 1973 
[87 STAT. 
(b) The master of a vessel subject to this Act shall, after loading 
but before departing for a voyage by sea from any port or place in 
which this Act applies, record in the official logbook or other perma-
nent record of the vessel a statement of the relative position of the 
prescribed loadline mark applicable at the time in question with 
respect to the water surface, and of the actual draft of the vessel, 
forward and aft, at the time, as nearly as they may be ascertained. 
Petition for 
Modification. 
Costs, liability. 
DETENTION OF VESSELS 
SEC. 10. (a) When the Secretary has reason to believe that a vessel 
is about to leave a port in the United States or its possessions in viola-
tion of this Act or the regulations hereunder, the Secretary may, upon 
notifying the master or officer in charge of the vessel, order the vessel 
detained. 
(b) Clearance required by section 4197 of the Revised Statutes, as 
amended (46 U.S.C. 91), shall be refused or withdrawn from any 
vessel so detained until correction of deficiencies. 
(c) The master or officer in charge of a vessel may petition the 
Secretary, in a manner prescribed by regulation, to review the deten-
tion order. 
(d) Upon receipt of a petition, the Secretary may withdraw the 
detention order, modify it, or require independent surveys as may be 
necessary to determine the extent of deficiencies. Upon completion of 
his review, including results of any required independent surveys he 
shall affirm, set aside, or modify the detention order. 
(e) The owner of a vessel is liable for any costs incident to a peti-
tion for review and any independent surveys if the vessel is found to 
be in violation of this Act or the regulations hereunder. 
PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS 
SEC. 11. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the owner 
and the master of a vessel found in violation of this Act or the regula-
tions thereunder, are each liable to a civil penalty of not more than 
$1,000 for each day the vessel is in violation. 
(b) Each person, if the owner, manager, agent, or master of a vessel 
who knowingly allows, causes, attempts to cause, or fails to take reason-
able care to prevent the violation of subsection 9(a) of this Act or the 
regulations thereunder, is liable to a civil penalty of not more than 
$1,000 plus an additional amount of not more than $500 per inch 
of unlawful submergence. 
(c) For any violation of subsection (b) of section 9 of this Act or 
the regulations thereunder, the master of the vessel is liable to a civil 
penalty of not more than $500. 
(d) Any person who knowingly causes or permits the departure of 
a vessel from any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United 
States or its possessions in violation of a detention order pursuant to 
section 10 of this Act, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned 
not more than one year, or both. 
(e) Any person who causes or allows the concealment, removal, 
alteration, defacement, or obliteration of any mark placed on a vessel 
pursuant to section 5 of this Act and the regulations thereunder, except 
m the event of a lawful change or to escape enemy capture in time of 
war, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than 
two years or both. 
87 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 93-117-OCT. 2, 1973 
421 
(f) For any penalty under this section the vessel is also liable. 
(g) The Secretary may assess and collect any civil penalty incurred 
under this Act and, in his discretion, remit, mitigate, or compromise 
any penalty prior to referral to the Attorney General. 
SEC. 12. Act, March 2, 1929 (C. 508, 45 Stat. 1493); Act, May 26, 
1939 (C. 151, 53 Stat. 783); and section 1 of Act, August 31, 1962 
(Public Law 87-620, 76 Stat. 415), are hereby repealed. 
Approved October 1, 1973. 
Liability. 
Assessment and 
collection. 
Repeals. 
46 u s e 8S"8Sg. 
Public Law 93-116 
AN ACT 
To amend section 607(k) (8) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 607 
(k)(8) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended (46 U.S.C. 
1177 (k) (8)), is amended by striking that entire portion of section 
607(k) (8) which follows the lower case roman numeral "(ii)", and 
inserting in lieu thereof "trade from any point in Alaska, Hawaii, 
Puerto Rico, and such territories and possessions to any other point 
in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and such territories and possessions." 
Approved October 1, 1973. 
October 1,1973 
[S. 902] 
Merchant Marine 
Act, 1936, amend-
ment. 
84 Stat. 1032. 
Public Law 93-117 
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N 
October 2. 1973 
To extend tlje authority of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Deveh)i»njenl 
[H. j . Res.. 719] 
with respect to tlie insurance of loans and mortgages, to extend authorizations 
under laws relating to housing and urban development, and for othej* ]>urjM>ses. 
ResoJred by the Senate (ind House of Repre>ietitof'n'e.s of the IJn'tted 
Sfate>f of Aineiica 'in Congress assemhled, 
Housing. 
KXTKNiSlOX OF FHA IXISFRANCK PROiiKAM.s 
SKCTION 1. (a) Section 2(a) of the National Housing Act is 
amended by striking out "October 1, 1973" in the first sentence and 
inserting in lieu thereof "October 1,1974". 
(b) Section 217 of such Act is amended by striking out "October L 
1973" and inserting in lieu thereof "October 1, 1974". 
(c) Section 221(f) 
of such Act is amended by striking out 
"October 1. 1973*' in the fifth sentence and inserting in lieu thereof 
"October 1,1974". 
(d) Section 235(m) of such Act is amended by striking out 
"October 1, 1973*' and inserting in lieu thereof "October 1, 1974". 
(e) Section 236(n) of such Act is amended by striking out 
"October 1. 1973" and inserting in lieu thereof "October 1, 1974". 
(f) Section 809(f) 
of such Act is amended by striking out 
"October 1, 1973" in the second sentence and inserting in lieu thereof 
"October L 1974". 
(g) Section 810(k) of such Act is amended by striking out 
"October 1. 1973" in the second sentence and inserting in lieu thereof 
"October 1, 1974". 
Ante, 
p. 220.