14 U.S.C. § 544 — Aids to maritime navigation; penalty

Page 56 TITLE 14—COAST GUARD § 543 tality is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, without first obtaining authority’’ for ‘‘mari- time navigation without first obtaining authority’’. Executive Documents TERMINATION OF TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Is- lands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions. § 543. Interference with aids to navigation; pen- alty It shall be unlawful for any person, or public body, or instrumentality, excluding the armed forces, to remove, change the location of, ob- struct, wilfully damage, make fast to, or inter- fere with any aid to navigation established, in- stalled, operated, or maintained by the Coast Guard pursuant to section 541 of this title, or with any aid to navigation lawfully maintained under authority granted by the Coast Guard pursuant to section 542 of this title, or to anchor any vessel in any of the navigable waters of the United States so as to obstruct or interfere with range lights maintained therein. Whoever vio- lates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined not more than $1,500 for each offense. Each day dur- ing which such violation shall continue shall be considered as a new offense. (Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 500, § 84; Pub. L. 113–281, title II, § 205(a)(2), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3025; renumbered § 543 and amended Pub. L. 115–282, title I, §§ 105(b), 123(b)(2), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4200, 4240.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on title 33, U.S.C., 1946, ed., §§ 761, 762 (May 14, 1908, ch. 168, § 6, 35 Stat. 162; June 17, 1910, ch. 301, § 6, 36 Stat. 538; Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 81, § 8, 38 Stat. 928; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, § 2(a), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1432). Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557. Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 543 was renumbered section 2905 of this title. AMENDMENTS 2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted ‘‘section 541’’ for ‘‘section 81’’ and ‘‘section 542’’ for ‘‘section 83’’. Pub. L. 115–282, § 105(b), renumbered section 84 of this title as this section. 2014—Pub. L. 113–281 substituted ‘‘$1,500’’ for ‘‘$500’’. § 544. Aids to maritime navigation; penalty The Secretary shall prescribe and enforce nec- essary and reasonable rules and regulations, for the protection of maritime navigation, relative to the establishment, maintenance, and oper- ation of lights and other signals on fixed and floating structures in or over waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and in the high seas for structures owned or operated by persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Any owner or operator of such a struc- ture, excluding an agency of the United States, who violates any of the rules or regulations pre- scribed hereunder, commits a misdemeanor and shall be punished, upon conviction thereof, by a fine of not exceeding $1,500 for each day which such violation continues. (Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 501, § 85; June 4, 1956, ch. 351, § 1, 70 Stat. 226; Pub. L. 93–283, § 1(2), May 14, 1974, 88 Stat. 139; Pub. L. 113–281, title II, § 205(a)(3), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3025; renum- bered § 544, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 105(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4200.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on title 33, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 760 (May 14, 1908, ch. 168, § 5, 35 Stat. 162). Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557. Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 544 was renumbered section 2906 of this title. AMENDMENTS 2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 85 of this title as this section. 2014—Pub. L. 113–281 substituted ‘‘$1,500’’ for ‘‘$100’’. 1974—Pub. L. 93–283 struck out ‘‘on fixed structures’’ after ‘‘maritime navigation’’ in section catchline and in text substituted ‘‘fixed and floating structures in or over waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and in the high seas for structures owned or op- erated by persons subject to the jurisdiction of the United States’’ for ‘‘fixed structures in or over navi- gable waters of the United States’’. 1956—Act June 4, 1956, amended section generally, vesting in Secretary rule-making authority, for the protection of maritime navigation, relative to the es- tablishment, maintenance, and operation of lights and other signals on fixed structures in or over navigable waters of the United States, and excluding agencies of United States from its provisions. § 545. Marking of obstructions The Secretary may mark for the protection of navigation any sunken vessel or other obstruc- tion existing on the navigable waters or waters above the continental shelf of the United States in such manner and for so long as, in his judg- ment, the needs of maritime navigation require. The owner of such an obstruction shall be liable to the United States for the cost of such mark- ing until such time as the obstruction is re- moved or its abandonment legally established or until such earlier time as the Secretary may de- termine. All moneys received by the United States from the owners of obstructions, in ac- cordance with this section, shall be covered into the Treasury of the United States as miscella- neous receipts. This section shall not be con- strued so as to relieve the owner of any such ob- struction from the duty and responsibility suit- ably to mark the same and remove it as required by law. (Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 501, § 86; Pub. L. 89–191, Sept. 17, 1965, 79 Stat. 822; Pub. L. 93–283, § 1(3), May 14, 1974, 88 Stat. 139; renumbered § 545, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 105(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4200.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on title 33, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 736 (R.S. 4676; June 17, 1910, ch. 301, § 6, 36 Stat. 538; Aug. 16, 1937, ch. 665, § 1,