An Act to amend the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to implementing the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea relating to radio equipment and radio operators on board ship
PL 83-584 (S.2453), enacted 08/13/1954

704 
PUBLIC LAW 584-AUG. 13, 1954 
[68 STAT. 
Office expenses. 
62 Stat. 915. 
67 Stat. 102. 
D. C. Code 11-
332. 
''§ 633. Fees and expenses". 
(b) That section 633 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end thereof a new subsection (c), reading as follows: 
"(c) United States commissioners wdio are required to devote full 
time to the performance of the duties of the office, as determined by the 
Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts 
under the supervision and direction of the Judicial Conference of the 
United States and who do not engage in the practice of the law, shall 
be allowed their actual and necessary office expenses, including the 
compensation of a necessary clerical assistant. 
Such office expense 
shall be determined and paid and such compensation shall be fixed and 
paid by the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States 
Courts under the provisions of section 604 of this title." 
(c) The analysis of chapter 43 of title 28, United States Code, im-
mediately preceding section 631 of such title, is amended so that item 
633 in such analysis w^ill read as follows: 
"633. Fees and expenses." 
SEC. 2. The amendment made by the first section of this Act shall 
not apply to any United States Commissioner for the District of 
Columbia, and this Act shall not be deemed to modify, supersede, or 
repeal the provisions of section 403 of the District of Columbia Law 
Enforcement Act of 1953. 
Approved August 13, 1954. 
'"''^WJhsV'' 
Public Law 584 
CHAPTER 729 
AN ACT 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to 
implementing the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 
relating to radio equipment and radio operators on board ship. 
s a f e t y 
by 
Sea 
radio. 
50 Stat. 192. 
47 u s e 351. 
Unlawful acts. 
Cargo ships. 
Under 500 tons. 
Exception. 
TIAS 2495. 
1600 tons or over. 
Be it enacted hy the /Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United/States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) paragraphs 
(1) and (2) of section 351 (a) of the Communications Act of 1934, as 
amended, are amended to read as follows: 
"(1) For any ship of the United States, other than a cargo ship of 
less than five hundred gross tons, to be navigated in the open sea out-
side of a harbor or port, or for any ship of the United States or any 
foreign country, other than a cargo ship of less than five hundred gross 
tons, to leave or attempt to leave any harbor or port of the United 
States for a voyage in the open sea, unless such ship is equipped with, 
an efficient radio installation in operating condition in charge of and 
operated by a qualified operator or operators, adequately installed 
and protected so as to insure proper operation, and so as not to 
endanger the ship and radio installation, as hereinafter provided, 
and in the case of a ship of the United States, unless there is on board 
a valid station license issued in accordance with this Act: Provided, 
That the Commission may defer the application of the provisions of 
this section for a period not beyond January 1, 1955, with respect to 
cargo ships of less than sixteen hundred gross tons not subject to the 
radio requirements of the Safety Convention when it is found imprac-
ticable to obtain or install equipment necessary for compliance 
therewith; 
"(2) For any ship of the United States of sixteen hundred gross 
tons, or over, to be navigated outside of a harbor or port, in the open 
sea, or for any such ship of the United States or any foreign country to 
leave or attempt to leave any harbor or port of the United States for 
68 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 584-AUG. 13, 1954 
705 
a voyage in the open sea, unless such ship is equipped with an efficient 
radio direction finding apparatus (radio compass) properly adjusted 
in operating condition as hereinafter provided, which apparatus is 
approved by the Commission: Provided^ That the Commission may 
defer the application of the provisions of this section with respect to 
radio direction finding apparatus to a ship or ships between one 
thousand six hundred and five thousand gross tons for a period 
not beyond November 19,1954, if it is found impracticable to obtain or 
install such direction finding apparatus." 
(b) Paragraph (3) of section 352 (a) of such Act is amended to 
read as follows: 
"(3) A foreign ship belonging to a country which is a party to any 
Safety Convention in force between the United States and that country 
which ship carries a valid certificate exempting said ship from the 
radio provisions of that Convention, or which ship conforms to the 
radio requirements of such Convention or Regulations and has on 
board a valid certificate to that effect, or which ship is not subject to 
the radio provisions of any such Convention;". 
(c) Section 352 of such Act is amended by adding at the end thereof 
a new subsection as follows: 
"(c) If, because of unforeseeable failure of equipment, a ship is 
unable to comply with the equipment requirements of this part without 
undue delay of the ship, the mileage limitations set forth in para-
graphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b) shall not apply: Pr'om^^e*/, That 
exemption of the ship is found to be reasonable or necessary in accord-
ance with subsectioTi (b) to permit the ship to proceed to a port where 
the equipment deficiency may be remedied." 
(d) Section 353 of such Act is amended to read as follows: 
Exception. 
5 0 Stat. 192. 
47 u s e 352. 
ExeoQit vessels. 
4 7 use 352. 
Equipment fail-
ure. 
50 Stat. 193. 
47 u s e 353. 
OPERATORS, WATCHES, AUTO-ALARM—RADIOTELEGRAPH EQUIPPED SHIPS 
"SEC. 353. (a) Each cargo ship required by this part to be fitted 
with a radiotelegraph installation and which is not fitted with an 
auto-alarm, and each passenger ship required by this part to be fitted 
with a radiotelegraph installation, shall, for safety purposes, carry 
at least two qualified operators. 
"(b) A cargo ship, required by this part to be fitted with a radio-
telegraph installation, which is fitted with an auto-alarm in accord-
ance with this title, shall, for safety purposes, carry at least one quali-
fied operator who shall have had at least six months' previous service 
in the aggregate as a qualified operator in a station on board a ship 
or ships of the United States. 
"(c) Each ship of the United States required by this part to be 
fitted with a radio telegraph installation shall, while being navigated 
outside a harbor or port, keep a continuous watch by means of qualified 
operators: Provided^ That in lieu thereof, on a cargo ship fitted with 
an 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 
qualified operator. 
"(d) 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 is required by this part to be fitted 
with a radiotelegraph installation. 
"(e) On all ships of the United States fitted with an auto-alarm, 
said apparatus shall be in operation at all times while the ship is 
being navigated outside of a harbor or port when the operator is not on 
watch." 
39777 O—55—pt. 1 
47 
706 
PUBLIC LAW 584-AUG. 13, 1954 
[68 ST AT. 
Redesignation of 
SEC. 2. (a) Such Act is amended by— 
" 
°'^* 
(1) redesignating sections 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 
and 362 thereof as sections 355, 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 
4 7 use 354-362, 
and 364 thereof, respectively; and 
(2) amending each such section number wherever it appears 
therein to conform to the redesignation prescribed by paragraph 
(1) of this subsection. 
(b) Such Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 353 
thereof, the following new section: 
"OPERATORS, WATCHES—^RADIOTELEPHONE EQUIPPED SHIPS 
"SEC. 354. (a) Each cargo ship fitted with a radiotelephone installa-
tion in accordance with section 356 shall, for safety purposes, carry 
at least one qualified operator who may be a member of the crew hold-
ing only a certificate for radio telephony. 
''(b) Each cargo ship of the United States fitted with a radio-
telephone installation in accordance with section 356 shall, while being 
navigated outside a harbor or port, keep a listening watch in such 
manner and during such periods as determined by the Commission." 
(c) That portion of section 355 of such Act, as redesignated hereby, 
which precedes subsection (b) thereof is amended to read as follows: 
" T E C H N I C A L REQUIREMENTS—^RADIOTELEGRAPH EQUIPPED SHIPS 
"SEC. 355. The radio installation and the radio direction finding 
apparatus required by section 351 of this part shall comply with the 
following requirements: 
" (a) The radio installation shall comprise a main and an emergency 
or reserve radiotelegraph installation: Provided^ That, in the case 
of an existing installation on a cargo ship and a new installation on a 
cargo ship of five hundred gross tons and upwards but less than one 
thousand six hundred gross tons, if the main installation complies with 
all requirements of an emergency or reserve installation, the emergency 
or reserve installation may be omitted, except that a separate emer-
gency receiver must, in all cases, be provided." 
(d) Such Act is amended by inserting, immediately after section 
355 thereof, as redesignated hereby, the following new section: 
" T E C H N I C A L REQUIREMENTS—RADIOTELEPHONE EQUIPPED SHIPS 
"SEC. 356. Cargo ships of less than sixteen hundred gross tons may, 
in lieu of the radiotelegraph installation prescribed by section 355, 
carry a radiotelephone installation meeting the following require-
ments : 
"(a) The ship's radiotelephone installation shall be in the upper 
part of the ship and, unless situated on the bridge, there shall be 
efficient communication with the bridge. 
"(b) The radiotelephone installation shall be capable of transmit-
ting and receiving on the frequencies and with types of emissions 
designated bv the Commission pursuant to law for the purpose of dis-
tress and safety of navigation. 
"(c) The transmitter shall be capable of transmitting clearly per-
ceptible signals from ship to ship during daytime, under normal con-
ditions and circumstances, over a minimum normal range of one 
hundred and fifty nautical miles. 
"(d) There shall be available at all times a source of energy suf-
ficient to operate the installation over the normal range required by 
paragraph (c). If batteries are provided they shall have sufficient 
capacity to operate the transmitter and receiver for at least six hours 
68 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 584-AUG. 13, 1954 
707 
continuously under normal working conditions. In new installations 
an emergency source of energy shall be provided in the upper part of 
the ship unless the main source of energy is so situated." 
(e) The text of section 357 of such Act, as redesignated hereby, is 
amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 357. Every ship required to be provided with lifeboat radio by 
treaty to which the United States is a party, by statute, or by regula-
tion made in conformity with a treaty, convention, or statute, shall be 
fitted with eflScient radio equipment appropriate to such requirement 
under such rules and regulations as the Commission may find necessary 
for safety of life. 
For purposes of this section, 'radio equipment' 
shall include portable as well as nonportable apparatus." 
(f) Subsection 361 (b) of such Act, as redesignated hereby, is 
amended to read as follows: 
"(b) Appropriate certificates concerning the radio particulars 
provided for in said Convention shall be issued upon proper request 
to any vessel which is subject to the radio provisions of the Safety 
Convention and is found by the Commission to comply therewith. 
Safety Radiotelegraphy Certificates and Safety 
Radiotelephony 
Certificates, as prescribed by the said Convention, and Exemption 
Certificates issued in lieu of such certificates, shall be issued by the 
Commission. 
Other certificates concerning the radio particulars pro-
vided for in the said Convention shall be issued by the Commandant 
of the Coast Guard or whatever other agency is authorized by law to 
do so upon request of the Commission made after proper inspection or 
determination of the facts. 
If the holder of a certificate violates the 
radio provisions of the Safety Convention or the provisions of this 
Act, or the rules, regulations or conditions prescribed by the Com-
mission, and if the effective administration of the Safety Convention 
or of this part so requires, the Commission, after hearing in accordance 
with law, is authorized to modify or cancel a certificate which it has 
issued, or to request the modification or cancellation of a certificate 
which has been issued by another agency upon the Commission's 
request. 
Upon receipt of such request for modification or cancella-
tion, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, or whatever agency is 
authorized by law to do so, shall modify or cancel the certificate in 
accordance therewith." 
SEC. 3. Section 3 of such Act is amended by inserting at the end 
thereof the following new subsections: 
"(ee) 'Existing installation', as used in section 355 of this Act, 
means an installation installed on a ship prior to November 19, 1952, 
in the case of a United States ship subject to the radio provisions of 
the Safety Convention, or one installed on a ship prior to a date one 
year after the effective date of this subsection in the case of other 
ships subject to part I I of title I I I of this Act. 
"(ff) 'New installation', as used in sections 355 and 356 of this Act, 
means an installation which replaces an existing installation or, in the 
case of a United States ship subject to the radio provisions of the 
Safety Convention, one installed on a ship subsequent to November 19, 
1952, and, in the case of other ships subject to part I I of title I I I of 
this Act, one which is installed subsequent to a date one year after 
the effective date of this subsection." 
Approved August 13, 1954. 
L i f e b o a t radio 
equipped ships. 
"Radio 
ment." 
C e r t i f i c a t e s of 
Convention, radio 
particulars. 
Violations. 
Modification 
cancellation. 
47 u s e 153. 
Definitions.