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46 U.S.C. § 55112 — Vessel escort operations and towing assistance
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In General.—** Except in the case of a vessel in distress, only a vessel of the United States may perform the following escort vessel operations within the navigable waters of the United States:
(1) Operations that commence or terminate at a port or place in the United States.
(2) Operations required by United States law or regulation.
(3) Operations provided in whole or in part within or through navigation facilities owned, maintained, or operated by the United States Government or the approaches to those facilities, other than facilities operated by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation on the St. Lawrence River portion of the Seaway.
**(b) Escort Vessels.—** For purposes of this section, an escort vessel is—
(1) any vessel that is assigned and dedicated to assist another vessel, whether or not tethered to that vessel, solely as a safety precaution to assist in controlling the speed or course of the assisted vessel in the event of a steering or propulsion equipment failure, or any other similar emergency circumstance, or in restricted waters where additional assistance in maneuvering the vessel is required to ensure its safe operation; and
(2) in the case of a vessel being towed under [section 55111 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title46-section55111&num=0&edition=prelim), any vessel that is assigned and dedicated to the vessel being towed in addition to any towing vessel required under that section.
**(c) Relationship to Other Law.—** This section does not affect [section 55111 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title46-section55111&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(d) Penalty.—** A person violating this section is liable to the Government for a civil pen
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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_b7c9eadeada7380d5a3a9765
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-46/section-55112-vessel-escort-operations-and-towing-assistance--83382863a7.md
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Passage SHA-256: d3693161543ebc21e49639babce43c452004c050efd4f832b80cd8233796e772
Source location: Title 46, Chapter 551, § 55112; chapter-551-coastwise-trade.md
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**(a) In General.—** Except in the case of a vessel in distress, only a vessel of the United States may perform the following escort vessel operations within the navigable waters of the United States:
(1) Operations that commence or terminate at a port or place in the United States.
(2) Operations required by United States law or regulation.
(3) Operations provided in whole or in part within or through navigation facilities owned, maintained, or operated by the United States Government or the approaches to those facilities, other than facilities operated by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation on the St. Lawrence River portion of the Seaway.
**(b) Escort Vessels.—** For purposes of this section, an escort vessel is—
(1) any vessel that is assigned and dedicated to assist another vessel, whether or not tethered to that vessel, solely as a safety precaution to assist in controlling the speed or course of the assisted vessel in the event of a steering or propulsion equipment failure, or any other similar emergency circumstance, or in restricted waters where additional assistance in maneuvering the vessel is required to ensure its safe operation; and
(2) in the case of a vessel being towed under [section 55111 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title46-section55111&num=0&edition=prelim), any vessel that is assigned and dedicated to the vessel being towed in addition to any towing vessel required under that section.
**(c) Relationship to Other Law.—** This section does not affect [section 55111 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title46-section55111&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(d) Penalty.—** A person violating this section is liable to the Government for a civil penalty of not more than $10,000 for each day during which the violation occurs.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) In General.—** Except when towing a vessel in distress, a vessel may not do any part of any towing described in subsection (b) unless the towing vessel—
(1) is wholly owned by citizens of the United States for purposes of engaging in the coastwise trade; and
(2) has been issued a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement under chapter 121 of this title or is exempt from documentation but would otherwise be eligible for such a certificate and endorsement.
**(b) Applicable Towing.—** Subsection (a) applies to the towing of—
(1) a vessel between ports or places in the United States to which the coastwise laws apply, either directly or via a foreign port or place;
(2) a vessel from point to point within the harbors of ports or places to which the coastwise laws apply; or
(3) a vessel transporting valueless material or dredged material, regardless of whether it has commercial value, from a point in the United States or on the high seas within the exclusive economic zone, to another point in the United States or on the high seas within the exclusive economic zone.
**(c) Penalties.—**
(1) **Owner and master.—** — The owner and master of a vessel towing another vessel in violation of this section are each liable for a penalty of at least $350 but not more than $1,100. A penalty under this paragraph constitutes a lien on the vessel. The lien is enforceable in a district court of the United States for any district in which the vessel is found. Clearance may not be granted to the vessel until the penalties have been paid.
(2) **Vessel.—** — In addition to the penalties under paragraph (1), the towing vessel is liable for a penalty of $60 per ton based on the tonnage of each towed vessel.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 46 U.S.C. § 55111
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
In this subtitle—
(1) “associated equipment”—
(A) means—
(i) a system, accessory, component, or appurtenance of a recreational vessel; or
(ii) a marine safety article intended for use on board a recreational vessel; but
(B) with the exception of emergency locator beacons for recreational vessels operating beyond 3 nautical miles from the baselines from which the territorial sea of the United States is measured or beyond 3 nautical miles from the coastline of the Great Lakes, does not include radio equipment.
(2) “Coast Guard” means the organization established and continued under [section 101 of title 14](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title14-section101&num=0&edition=prelim).
(3) “Commandant” means the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
(4) “commercial service” includes any type of trade or business involving the transportation of goods or individuals, except service performed by a combatant vessel.
(5) “consideration” means an economic benefit, inducement, right, or profit including pecuniary payment accruing to an individual, person, or entity, but not including a voluntary sharing of the actual expenses of the voyage, by monetary contribution or donation of fuel, food, beverage, or other supplies.
(6) “crude oil” means a liquid hydrocarbon mixture occurring naturally in the earth, whether or not treated to render it suitable for transportation, and includes crude oil from which certain distillate fractions may have been removed, and crude oil to which certain distillate fractions may have been added.
(7) “crude oil tanker” means a tanker engaged in the trade of carrying crude oil.
(8) “dangerous drug” means a narcotic drug, a controlled substance, or a controlled substance analog (as defined in section 102 of the Com
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 46 U.S.C. § 2101
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 481
TITLE 46—SHIPPING
§ 55113
HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
Revised
Section
Source (U.S. Code)
Source (Statutes at Large)
55111 ..........
46 App.:316(a), (b).
R.S. § 4370; June 11, 1940, ch.
324, 54 Stat. 304; Pub. L.
99–307, § 10, May 19, 1986,
100
Stat.
447;
Pub.
L.
100–329, § 2, June 7, 1988,
102
Stat.
589;
Pub.
L.
104–324,
title
XI,
§ 1115(b)(3), Oct. 19, 1996,
110 Stat. 3972.
In subsection (a), the words ‘‘or to do any part of such
towing’’ and ‘‘other than a vessel in distress’’ in the
source provision are made applicable to all the towing
described in subsection (b) for clarity and consistency.
In paragraph (1), the words ‘‘wholly owned by citizens
of the United States for purposes of engaging in the
coastwise trade’’ are substituted for ‘‘wholly owned by
a person who is a citizen of the United States within
the meaning of the laws respecting the documentation
of vessels’’ for consistency in this chapter.
Subsection (a)(2) is substituted for ‘‘having in force a
certificate of documentation issued under section 12106
of title 46’’ for consistency in this chapter and with sec-
tion 12102(b) as revised by the bill.
In subsection (b)(1), the words ‘‘in the United States
to which the coastwise laws apply’’ are substituted for
‘‘in the United States, its Territories or possessions,
embraced within the coastwise laws of the United
States’’ because of the definition of ‘‘United States’’ in
chapter 1 of the revised title and because of section
55101 of the revised title.
In subsection (b)(3), the words ‘‘or place’’ are omitted
as surplus. The words ‘‘as defined in the Presidential
Proclamation of March 10, 1983’’ are omitted because
‘‘exclusive economic zone’’ is defined in chapter 1 of the
revised title.
In subsectio
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 46 U.S.C. § 55112
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