An Act to clarify and consolidate the authority to require the establishment, maintenance, and operation of aids to maritime navigation on fixed structures in or over navigable waters of the United States.
PL 84-550 (S.1378), enacted 06/04/1956

226 
PUBLIC LAW 560-JUNE 4, 1966 
[70 8T A T . 
Judicial process. 
Appeal, 
Penalty. 
inspection shall be revoked, and the owner, master, or agent of said 
vessel shall immediately be given notice, in writing, of such revoca-
tion ; and no new certificate of inspection shall be again issued to her 
until the provisions of this title or Acts amendatory or supplementary 
thereto have been complied with. Any vessel subject to the provisions 
of this title or Acts amendatory or supplementary thereto operating or 
navigating or attempting to operate or navigate after the revocation 
of her certificate of inspection and before the issuance of a new cer-
tificate, shall, upon application by a department or agency charged 
with the enforcement of such title or Acts, to any district court of 
the United States having jurisdiction, and by proper order or action 
of said court in the premises, be seized summarily by way of libel and 
held without privilege of rele^ase by bail or bond until a proper 
certificate of inspection shall have been issued to said vessel: 
Provided, That the owner, master, or person in charge of any vessel 
whose certificate shall have been so revoked may within thirty days 
after receiving notice of such revocation appeal to the head of the 
department in which the Coast Guard is operating for a reexamina-
tion of the case, and upon such appeal the said head of the depart-
ment shall have power to revise, modify, or set aside such action of 
revocation, and direct the issuance to such vessel of her original 
certificate or of a new certificate of inspection; and in case the said 
head of the department shall so direct the issuance of a certificate,, 
all judicial process against said vessel based on this section shall there-
upon be of no further force or effect, and the vessel shall thereupon 
be released." 
SEC. 5. Section 4454 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (U. S. C , 
1952 edition, title 46, sec. 436), is amended by deleting the word 
"steamer" and inserting in lieu thereof the words "inspected vessel"; 
and by deleting the words "Coast Guard" and inserting in lieu thereof 
the word "examining". 
Approved June 4, 1956. 
June 4, 1956 
[S. 1378] 
Public Law 550 
CHAPTER 351 
AN ACT 
To clarify and consolidate the authority to require the establishment, mainte-
nance, and operation of aids to maritime navigation on fixed structures in or 
over navigable waters of the United States. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Revresentatives 
of the 
na^^tion?^*^""* United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 85 of 
63 Stat. *
5
o 1. 
title 14, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
"§ 85. Aids to maritime navigation on fixed structures; penalty 
"The Secretary shall prescribe and enforce necessary and reason-
able rules and regulations, for the protection of maritime navigation, 
relative to the establishment, maintenance, and operation of lights and 
other signals on fixed structures in or over navigable waters of the 
United States. Any owner or operator of such a structure, excluding 
an agency of the United States, who violates any of the rules or regu-
lations prescribed hereunder, commits a misdemeanor and shall be 
punished, upon conviction thereof, by a fine of not exceeding $100 for 
each day during which such violation continues." 
SEC. 2. Section 18 of the Federal Water Power Act, as amended 
(U. S. C, 1946 edition, title 16, sec. 811), is further amended by strik-
ing out the words "Secretary of War" in the first sentence and inserting 
in lieu thereof the words "Secretary of the Department in which the 
Coast Guard is operating". 
41 Stat. 1073. 
70 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 661-JUNE 4, 1966 
227 
SEC. 3. The analysis of chapter 5 of title 14, United States Code, 
immediately preceding section 81 of such title, is amended by striking 
out the item 
"85. Failure to maintain lights; penalty" 
and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 
"85. Aids to maritime navigation on fixed structures; iienalty." 
Approved June 4, 1956. 
Public Law 551 
CHAPTER 352 
AN ACT 
To amend section 4153 of the Revised Statutes, as amended, to authorize more 
liberal propelling power allowances in computing the net tonnages of certain 
vessels. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That subdivision (f) 
of section 4153 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (U. S. C , 1952 
edition, title 46, sec. 77 (f)), is further amended to read as follows: 
"(f) In the case of a vessel which is screw propelled in whole or 
in part, the following deduction shall be made tor the space occupied 
by the propelling machinery: 
"(1) Thirty-two thirteenths times the tonnage of the propelling-
machinery space, if the tonnage of that space is not more than 13 per 
centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel and if that space is reason-
able in extent: Provided,, however^ That, in lieu thereof, the deduction 
shall be one and three-fourths times the tonnage of the propelling-
machinery space, in the case of a vessel the construction of which was 
commenced on or before the date of enactment of this Act, if the owner 
so elects; 
"(2) Thirty-two per centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel, if 
the tonnage of the propelling-machinery space is more than 13 per 
centum and less than 20 per centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel; 
or 
"(3) Thirty-two per centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel or 
one and three-fourths times the tonnage of the propelling-machinery 
space, whichever the owner of the vessel elects, if the tonnage of 
that space is 20 per centum or more of the gross tonnage of the 
vessel." 
SEC. 2. Subdivision (g) of section 4153 of the Revised Statutes, 
as amended (U. S. C , 1952 edition, title 46, sec. 77 (g)), is further 
amended to read as follows: 
"(g) In the case of a vessel which is propelled in whole or in part 
by paddle wheels, the following deduction shall be made for the space 
occupied by the propelling machinery: 
"(1) Thirty-seven twentieths times the tonnage of the propelling-
machinery space, if the tonnage of that space is not more than 20 per 
centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel and if that space is reason-
able in extent: Provided^ however^ That, in lieu thereof, the deduction 
shall be one and one-half times the tonnage of the propelling-machin-
ery space, in the case of a vessel the construction of which was 
commenced on or before the date of enactment of this Act, if the 
owner so elects; 
"(2) Thirty-seven per centum of the gross tonnage of the vessel, 
if the tonnage of the propelling-machinery space is more than 20 
per centum and less than 30 per centum of the gross tonnage of the 
vessel; or 
June 4, 1956 
[S.1790] 
Tonnage of ves-
sels. 
Computation. 
Screw-pr opell.ed 
vessels. 
P addle-prop elll ed 
vessels.