12 2 STA T .594PUBLIC LA W 11 0– 1 8 1 —J A N .28 , 2008 ‘ ‘ §57 5 3 3 .Ves se lchart er ing a u th o rit y‘ ‘ TheS e cr e ta r yof Tra nsp ortat i on m ay enter into contracts or other a g reements on b eha l fofthe U nite d States to p u rchase , charter, operate, or other w ise ac q uire the use of any v essels docu - mented under chapter 12 1 of this title and any other related real or personal property . The Secretary is authori z ed to use this authority as the Secretary deems appropriate. ’ ’. ( b )CONF O RMI N GA M E N D MEN T . — The chapter analysis for chapter 57 5 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following
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‘ 57 5 3 3 .Ves se lchart er ing a u th o rit y’ ’. SEC.3512 . MARIT IME A D MI N ISTRATI O N V ESSE L C H ARTERIN G A U THORIT Y . Section 5 03 03 of title 46 , United States Code, is amended by— (1) inserting ‘‘vessels,’’ after ‘‘piers,’’
and (2) by stri k ing ‘‘control;’’ in subsection (a)(1) and inserting ‘‘control, e x cept that the prior consent of the Secretary of D efense for such use shall be required with respect to any vessel in the R eady Reserve F orce or in the N ational Defense Reserve Fleet which is maintained in a retention status for the Department of Defense;’’. SEC. 3513. CHARTERING TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTAL INSTRUMENTALITIES. Section 11(b) of the M erchant Ship Sales Act of 1 9 46 (50 U.S.C. App. 1744(b)), is amended— (1) by striking ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon in paragraph (3); (2) by striking ‘‘Defense.’’ in paragraph (4) and inserting ‘‘Defense; or’’; and (3) by adding at the end thereof the following: ‘‘(5) on a reimbursable basis, for charter to the government of any State, locality, or Territory of the United States, except that the prior consent of the Secretary of Defense for such use shall be required with respect to any vessel in the Ready Reserve Force or in the National Defense Reserve Fleet which is maintained in a retention status for the Department of Defense.’’. SEC. 351 4 . DIS P OSAL O F O B SOLETE GOVERNMENT VESSELS. Section 6(c)(1) of the National Maritime H eritage Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 5405(c)(1)) is amended— (1) by inserting ‘‘(either by sale or purchase of disposal services)’’ after ‘‘shall dispose’’; and (2) by striking subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) and inserting the following: ‘‘(A) in accordance with a priority system for disposing of vessels, as determined by the Secretary, which shall include provisions requiring the Maritime Administration to— ‘‘(i) dispose of all deteriorated high priority ships that are available for disposal, within 12 months of their designation as such; and ‘‘(ii) give priority to the disposition of those vessels that pose the most significant danger to the environ- ment or cost the most to maintain;’’. Deadlin e .
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