An act to revitalize the pleasure cruise industry by clarifying and waiving certain restrictions in the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, and the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, to permit the entry of the steamship vessel "United States", steamship vessel "Oceanic Independence", steamship vessel "Santa Rosa", and the steamship vessels "Mariposa" and "Monterey" into the trade.
PL 96-111 (S.1281), enacted 11/15/1979

PUBLIC LAW 96-111—NOV. 15, 1979 
93 STAT. 845 
Public Law 96-111 
96th Congress 
An Act 
To revitalize the pleasure cruise industry by clarifsring and waiving certain restric-
tions in the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, and the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, to 
permit the entry of the steamship vessel United States, steamship vessel Oceanic 
Independence, steamship vessel Santa Rosa, and the steamship vessels Mariposa 
and Monterey into the trade. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of 
America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 506 of the 
Merchant Marine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. 1156), section 27 of the 
Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 U.S.C. 883), and any other provision of 
law, the Secretary of the department in which the United States 
Coast Guard is operating shall cause the vessel Oceanic Independence 
(official Coast Guard numbered 261147) and the vessel steamship 
Santa Rosa (official Coast Guard numbered 276598) to be documented 
as vessels of the United States entitled to engage in the coastwise 
trade, so long as— 
(1) in the case of 
the Oceanic Independence— 
(A) the vessel is in compliance with all other requirements 
for vessels engaging in the coastwise trade, 
(B) any rebuilding of the vessel or repair work constituting 
a rebuilding, accomplished after enactment of this Act, shall 
be effected within the United States, its territories (not 
including trust territories), or its possessions, except that the 
vessel shall not lose its coastwise privileges by reason of 
having work necessary to install bow thrusters in the vessel 
and to equip it with a marine sewer sanitation system 
performed outside the United States, its territories (not 
including the trust territories) or its possessions before the 
vessel engages in the coastwise trade following enactment of 
this Act, 
(C) the vessel is owned by a citizen or citizens of the United 
States as defined in the applicable laws prescribing the 
qualifications for vessels to engage in the coastwise trade, 
and 
(D) for hire carriage in such trade is limited to passengers, 
their accompanying baggage, and one thousand measure-
ment tons of cargo, of forty cubic feet each, per annum in any 
coastwise trade: Provided, That for hire carriage of cargo in 
excess of the aforesaid one thousand tons shall be unlawful, 
(2) in the case of the steamship Santa Rosa— 
(A) prior to such documentation the owner of the steam-
ship Santa Rosa repays to the Secretary of Commerce, upon 
such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, 
an amount which bears the same proportion to the total 
construction differential subsidy paid for such vessel as the 
remaining economic life of the vessel computed from the 
date of documentation bears to the total economic life of the 
vessel, and 
Nov. 15, 1979 
[S. 1281] 
Steamship 
vessels, waiver 
of trade 
restrictions. 
93 STAT. 846 
PUBLIC LAW 96-111—NOV. 15, 1979 
(B) for hire carriage in such trade is limited to passengers, 
their accompanying baggage, and one thousand measure-
ment tons of cargo, of 
forty cubic feet each, per annum in any 
coastwise trade: Provided, That for hire carriage of cargo in 
excess of the aforesaid one thousand tons shall be unlawful. 
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SEC. 2. Section 2 of Public Law 92-296 (86 Stat. 140), as amended by 
note. 
Public Law 94-536 (90 Stat. 2497), is further amended by inserting 
after the words "American flag" the following: "in the coastwise and/ 
or foreign commerce of the United States and/or between foreign 
ports notwithstanding the provision of section 506 of the Merchant 
46 use 1156. 
Marine Act, 1936: Provided, That for hire carriage in coastwise 
commerce of the United States is limited to passengers, their accom-
panying baggage, and one thousand measurement tons of cargo, of 
forty cubic feet each, per annum in any single coastwise trade: 
Provided further, That for hire carriage of cargo in excess of the 
aforesaid one thousand tons shall be unlawful,". 
SEC. 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 506 of the Mer-
chant Marine Act, 1936 (46 U.S.C. 1156), and any other provision of 
law or of prior contract with the United States, the steamship 
Mariposa and the steamship Monterey, may, subject to the approval 
of the Secretary of Commerce, be allowed to remain under the 
American flag and operate totally in both the coastwise and foreign 
commerce of the United States and/or between foreign ports: Pro-
vided, That for hire carriage in the domestic commerce of the United 
States is limited to passengers, their accompanying baggage, and one 
thousand measurement tons of cargo, of forty cubic feet each, per 
annum in any single coastwise trade: Provided further. That for hire 
carrigige of cargo in excess of the aforesaid one thousand tons shall be 
unlawful. In the event the operator should elect to transfer either or 
both vessels to foreign flag operation, nothing in this Act shall be 
construed as permitting these vessels in such circumstances to have 
any rights or ability whatsoever to operate in the United States 
coastwise trades. 
Approved November 15, 1979. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 96-559 accompanying H.R. 5472 (eomm. on Merchant Marine 
and Fisheries). 
SENATE REPORT No. 96-298 (eomm. on Oommerce, Science, and Transportation). 
eONGRESSIONAL REOORD, Vol. 125 (1979): 
Sept. 6, considered and passed Senate. 
Oct. 30, H.R. 5472 considered and passed House; passage vacated and S. 1281, 
amended, passed in Heu. 
Nov. 1, Senate agreed to House amendments.