republic-os/legal/us/code/title-46/chapter-503/section-50304.md

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LegalText	46 U.S.C. § 50304	Sale and transfer of property	us	united_states_code	code_section	46	SHIPPING	503	ADMINISTRATIVE	50304	46 U.S.C. § 50304	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc46@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t46/s50304	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml	ac4c7242b220c727089736e13bad96583ab7025f20989a7252b54954ef9791f1	eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f	8e98951e79a35e39f9dd3762d564615ac9bcc4334328c2445835d23c0b63735e	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

46 U.S.C. § 50304 - Sale and transfer of property

Text

(a) Authority To Sell.— The Secretary of Transportation may sell property (other than vessels transferred under section 4 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 990)) on terms the Secretary considers appropriate.

(b) Transfers From Military to Civilian Control.— When the President considers it in the interest of the United States, the President may transfer to the Secretary of Transportation possession and control of property described in the second paragraph of section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted, that is possessed and controlled by the Secretary of a military department.

(c) Transfers From Civilian to Military Control.— When the President considers it necessary, the President by executive order may transfer to the Secretary of a military department possession and control of property described in section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted, that is possessed and controlled by the Secretary of Transportation. The President’s order shall state the need for the transfer and the period of the need. When the President decides that the need has ended, the possession and control shall revert to the Secretary of Transportation. The property may not be sold except as provided by law.

(d) Vessel Charters to Other Departments.— On a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, as determined by the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary may charter or otherwise make available a vessel under the jurisdiction of the Secretary to any other department, upon the request by the Secretary of the Department that receives the vessel. The prior consent of the Secretary of Defense for such use shall be required with respect to any vessel in the Ready Reserve Force or in the National Defense Reserve Fleet which is maintained in a retention status for the Department of Defense.

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(b), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1565; Pub. L. 110–181, div. C, title XXXV, § 3515, Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 595.)

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 50304(a)46 App.:872.June 5, 1920, ch. 250, §§ 13, 17, 41 Stat. 993, 994; Exec. Order No. 6166, June 10, 1933, § 12; June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title II, § 204, title IX, § 904, 49 Stat. 1987, 2016; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(44), (45), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 157. 50304(b)46 App.:875 (1st par.). 50304(c)46 App.:875 (last par.). In subsections (b) and (c), the words “property described in the second paragraph of section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted” are substituted for “such other docks, piers, warehouses, wharves and terminal equipment and facilities or parts thereof, including all leasehold easements, rights of way, riparian rights and other rights, estates or interests therein or appurtenant thereto which were acquired . . . for military or naval purposes during the war emergency”, and the words “property described in section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted” are substituted for “property taken over by or transferred to . . . under this section”, because the first paragraph of section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, was repealed in 1981 and reference to that paragraph is necessary for a complete understanding of these provisions. The words “Secretary of a military department” are substituted for “War Department or the Navy Department” and “Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, or Department of the Navy” for consistency with other titles of the United States Code. For redesignation of the Department of War to the Department of the Army, and for transfer of certain functions to newly established Department of the Air Force, see sections 205(a) and 207(a) and (f) of the National Security Act of 1947 (ch. 343, 61 Stat. 501, 502, 503). In subsection (b), the words “possessed and controlled by” are substituted for “acquired by” for clarity and for consistency in the section. The word “best” is omitted as unnecessary.

Editorial Notes

References in TextSection 4 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, referred to in subsec. (a), is section 4 of act June 5, 1920, ch. 250, 41 Stat. 990, which was classified to section 863 of former Title 46, Shipping, and was repealed by Pub. L. 100–710, title II, § 202(4), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4753. Section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (c), is section 17 of act June 5, 1920, ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994, which was classified to section 875 of the former Appendix to this title, was subsequently amended, and as amended, was repealed and restated in subsecs. (b) and (c) of this section by Pub. L. 109–304, §§ 8(b), 19, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1556, 1710.

Amendments2008—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–181 added subsec. (d).