U.S. Code > Title 46 Shipping > Subtitle V—Merchant Marine (§§ 50101—58109) > Part C—Financial Assistance Programs (§§ 53101—54101) > CHAPTER 531—MARITIME SECURITY FLEET (§§ 53101—53111) > § 53103. Award of operating agreements

§ 53103. Award of operating agreements

(a) In General.— The Secretary shall require, as a condition of including any vessel in the Fleet, that the person that is the owner or operator of the vessel for purposes of section 53102 (c) enter into an operating agreement with the Secretary under this section.
(b) Procedure for Applications.—
(1) Acceptance of applications.— Beginning no later than 30 days after the effective date of this chapter, the Secretary shall accept applications for enrollment of vessels in the Fleet.
(2) Action on applications.— Within 90 days after receipt of an application for enrollment of a vessel in the Fleet, the Secretary shall approve the application in conjunction with the Secretary of Defense, and shall enter into an operating agreement with the applicant, or provide in writing the reason for denial of that application.
(3) Participating fleet vessels.—
(A) In general.— The Secretary shall accept an application for an operating agreement for a participating fleet vessel under the priority under subsection (c)(1)(B) only from a person that has authority to enter into an operating agreement for the vessel with respect to the full term of the operating agreement.
(B) Vessel under demise charter.— For purposes of subparagraph (A), in the case of a vessel that is subject to a demise charter that terminates by its terms on September 30, 2005 (without giving effect to any extension provided therein for completion of a voyage or to effect the actual redelivery of the vessel), or that is terminable at will by the owner of the vessel after such date, only the owner of the vessel shall be treated as having the authority referred to in paragraph (1).
(C) Vessel owned by united states citizen trust.— For purposes of subparagraph (B), in the case of a vessel owned by a United States citizen trust, the term “owner of the vessel” includes a beneficial owner of the vessel with respect to such trust.
(c) Priority for Awarding Agreements.—
(1) In general.— Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary shall enter into operating agreements according to the following priority:
(A) New tank vessels.— First, for any tank vessel that—
(i) is constructed in the United States after the effective date of this chapter;
(ii) is eligible to be included in the Fleet under section 53102 (b); and
(iii) during the period of an operating agreement under this chapter that applies to the vessel, will be owned and operated by one or more persons that are citizens of the United States under section 50501 of this title,
except that the Secretary shall not enter into operating agreements under this subparagraph for more than 5 such vessels.
(B) Participating fleet vessels.— Second, to the extent amounts are available after applying subparagraph (A), for any participating fleet vessel, except that the Secretary shall not enter into operating agreements under this subparagraph for more than 47 vessels.
(C) Certain vessels operated by section 50501 citizens.— Third, to the extent amounts are available after applying subparagraphs (A) and (B), for any other vessel that is eligible to be included in the Fleet under section 53102 (b), and that, during the period of an operating agreement under this chapter that applies to the vessel, will be—
(i) owned and operated by one or more persons that are citizens of the United States under section 50501 of this title; or
(ii) owned by a person that is eligible to document the vessel under chapter 121 of this title, and operated by a person that is a citizen of the United States under section 50501 of this title.
(D) Other eligible vessels.— Fourth, to the extent amounts are available after applying subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), for any other vessel that is eligible to be included in the Fleet under section 53102 (b).
(2) Reduction in number of slots for participating fleet vessels.— The number in paragraph (1)(B) shall be reduced by 1—
(A) for each participating fleet vessel for which an application for enrollment in the Fleet is not received by the Secretary within the 90-day period beginning on the effective date of this chapter; and
(B) for each participating fleet vessel for which an application for enrollment in the Fleet received by the Secretary is not approved by the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense within the 90-day period beginning on the date of such receipt.
(3) Discretion within priority.— The Secretary—
(A) subject to subparagraph (B), may award operating agreements within each priority under paragraph (1) as the Secretary considers appropriate; and
(B) shall award operating agreements within a priority—
(i) in accordance with operational requirements specified by the Secretary of Defense;
(ii) in the case of operating agreements awarded under subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (1), according to applicants’ records of owning and operating vessels; and
(iii) subject to the approval of the Secretary of Defense.
(4) Treatment of tank vessel to be replaced.—
(A) For purposes of the application of paragraph (1)(A) with respect to the award of an operating agreement, the Secretary may treat an existing tank vessel that is eligible to be included in the Fleet under section 53102 (b) as a vessel that is constructed in the United States after the effective date of this chapter, if—
(i)
(I) a binding contract for construction in the United States of a replacement vessel to be operated under the operating agreement is executed by not later than 9 months after the first date amounts are available to carry out this chapter; and
(II) the replacement vessel is eligible to be included in the Fleet under section 53102 (b); or
(ii)
(I) not later than 9 months after the first date amounts are available to carry out this chapter, the operator of the existing tank vessel enters into an agreement to charter one or more tank vessels to be built in the United States and operated as a documented vessel or documented vessels;
(II) the combined tonnage of the vessels required to be chartered under subclause (I) is equal to or greater than the tonnage of the existing tank vessel subject to an operating agreement;
(III) the operator enters into an agreement with the Secretary that is substantially the same as an Emergency Preparedness Agreement under section 53107 of this title, under which the operator shall make available commercial transportation resources as provided in that section;
(IV) if the person that is the owner or operator of the existing tank vessel owns or operates more than one existing tank vessel subject to an operating agreement, the combined tonnage of those vessels required to be chartered under subclause (I) by that person is equal to or greater than the combined tonnage of all such existing tank vessels owned or operated by such person that are subject to operating agreements.
(B) No payment under this chapter may be made for an existing tank vessel with respect to which a binding contract is entered into under subparagraph (A)(i) for which an operating agreement is awarded under this paragraph after the earlier of—
(i) 4 years after the first date amounts are available to carry out this chapter; or
(ii) the date of delivery of the replacement tank vessel.
(C) For purpose of subparagraph (A)(ii), tonnage shall be measured under section 14502 of this title, or an alternate tonnage measured under section 14302 of this title as prescribed by the Secretary under section 14104 of this title.
(D) No payment under this chapter may be made for an existing tank vessel with respect to which an agreement is entered into under subparagraph (A)(ii) for any period occurring—
(i) after the date that is 5 years after the first date that amounts became available to carry out this chapter, if the vessel or vessels required to be chartered under subparagraph (A)(ii) have not been delivered; or
(ii) after delivery of the vessel or vessels required to be chartered under such subparagraph, if any of such vessels is not chartered by the operator of the existing tank vessel.
(d) Limitation.— The Secretary may not award operating agreements under this chapter that require payments under section 53106 for a fiscal year for more than 60 vessels.