46 U.S.C. § 3102 Immersion Suits

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-22 with Court Rules updates (published on www.congress.gov on 12/01/2023)
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 46 U.S.C. § 3102

(a) The Secretary shall by regulation require immersion suits on vessels designated by the Secretary that operate in the Atlantic Ocean north of 32 degrees North latitude or south of 32 degrees South latitude and in all other waters north of 35 degrees North latitude or south of 35 degrees South latitude. The Secretary may not exclude a vessel from designation under this section only because that vessel carries other lifesaving equipment.

(b) The Secretary shall establish standards for an immersion suit required by this section, including standards to guarantee adequate thermal protection, buoyance, and flotation stability.

(c)

(1) The owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel violating this section or a regulation prescribed under this section is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000. The vessel also is liable in rem for the penalty.

(2) The owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel violating this section or a regulation prescribed under this section may be fined not more than $25,000, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.

Cite as 46 U.S.C. § 3102

Source: Added Pub. L. 98-557, §22(a)(1), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2871; amended Pub. L. 98-623, title VII, §701(a)(1), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3413; Pub. L. 99-36, §2, May 15, 1985, 99 Stat. 68; Pub. L. 100-424, §8(a)(1), (2), Sept. 9, 1988, 102 Stat. 1592, 1593.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 7/7/2023

EDITORIAL NOTES

CODIFICATION

Pub. L. 98-557 and Pub. L. 98-623 enacted identical section 3102 of this title. Section 22 of Pub. L. 98-557 which enacted first identical section 3102 of this title, was repealed by section 2 of Pub. L. 99-36 set out below as a Repeal of Duplicate Section note.

AMENDMENTS

1988- Pub. L. 100-424 substituted "Immersion" for "Exposure" in section catchline, and "immersion" for "exposure" in subsecs. (a) and (b).

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

REPEAL OF DUPLICATE SECTION 3102; REFERENCES THERETO AND REGULATIONS AND ACTIONS THEREUNDER

Pub. L. 99-36, §2, May 15, 1985, 99 Stat. 68, provided that: "Section 22 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1984 ( Public Law 98-557; 98 Stat. 2871), and the amendments made by such section [enacting first identical section 3102 of this title and provisions set out as a note under this section and amending the analysis of chapter 31 of this title], are repealed as of November 8, 1984. Regulations prescribed and actions taken under, and references to, such section and the amendments made by such section are deemed to be regulations prescribed and actions taken under, and references to, section 701 of the Act of November 8, 1984 ( Public Law 98-623; 98 Stat. 3413), and the amendments made by such section 701 [enacting second identical section 3102 of this title and provisions set out as a note under this section and amending the analysis of chapter 31 of this title]."