---
type: "LegalText"
title: "46 U.S.C. § 53904"
description: "Liability insurance for persons involved in war or defense efforts"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
chapter_number: "539"
chapter_name: "WAR RISK INSURANCE"
section: "53904"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 53904"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc46@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s53904"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml"
source_hash: "b8b6cd0c97977b795839bf55320fd2d13cc508d8d44191e63f63e4eebc21657f"
raw_snapshot_hash: "eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f"
text_hash: "62a6184f9c371876a9c65ed025348801ffcaa791f6dd940b7319969a62da31f0"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 46 U.S.C. § 53904 - Liability insurance for persons involved in war or defense efforts

## Text

(a) In General.— The Secretary of Transportation may provide insurance under this chapter against legal liability that a person may incur in providing services or facilities for a vessel if, in the opinion of the Secretary, the insurance—

(1) is required in prosecuting a war or for national defense; and

(2) cannot be obtained at reasonable rates or on reasonable terms and conditions from approved companies authorized to do insurance business in a State of the United States.

(b) Limitations.— Employer liability insurance and worker compensation insurance against legal liability to employees may not be provided under this section.

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1628.)

## Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5390446 App.:1286.June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title XII, § 1206, as added Sept. 7, 1950, ch. 906, 64 Stat. 774; Aug. 3, 1956, ch. 929, § 5, 70 Stat. 986. In subsection (a), the words “a vessel” are substituted for “any American- or foreign-flag vessel, public or private” to eliminate unnecessary words.