republic-os/legal/us/code/title-46/chapter-551/section-55109.md

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LegalText	46 U.S.C. § 55109	Dredging	us	united_states_code	code_section	46	SHIPPING	551	COASTWISE TRADE	55109	46 U.S.C. § 55109	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/s55109	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-46/usc46.xml	b53f59dd7520f59f40dbd2e8758c0b138fb06eebc8584e6b109625b01d7d3236	eb1331aa3c08ed87231a3606d86b30d1b5942cdf8542f6a3df8ac1d66e86057f	8e3de92d69d8efe635e51dba7a199a200c6eae71fa60bde9fe4adf314be5ee13	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

46 U.S.C. § 55109 - Dredging

Text

(a) In General.— Except as provided in subsection (b), a vessel may engage in dredging in the navigable waters of the United States only if—

(1) the vessel is wholly owned by citizens of the United States for purposes of engaging in the coastwise trade;

(2) the charterer, if any, is a citizen of the United States for purposes of engaging in the coastwise trade; and

(3) the vessel has been issued a certificate of documentation with a coastwise endorsement under chapter 121 of this title or is exempt from documentation but would otherwise be eligible for such a certificate and endorsement.

(b) Dredging of Gold in Alaska.— A documented vessel with a registry endorsement may engage in the dredging of gold in Alaska.

(c) Penalty.— If a vessel is operated in knowing violation of this section, the vessel and its equipment are liable to seizure by and forfeiture to the United States Government.

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1637.)

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes RevisedSectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 5510946 App.:292.May 28, 1906, ch. 2566, § 1, 34 Stat. 204; Pub. L. 102–87, title V, § 5501(a)(1), Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5084. Subsection (a)(1) is substituted for “(1) the vessel meets the requirements of section 883 of this Appendix and sections 802 and 803 of this Appendix for engaging in the coastwise trade” for consistency with other sections of the revised title and to eliminate unnecessary words. Section 883 requires (among other things) that the vessel be owned by citizens of the United States, and section 802 contains the requirements for certain entities to qualify as citizens. Those requirements are restated in section 50501 which applies to this section. Section 883 also requires that the vessel be built in and documented under the laws of the United States. Those latter two requirements are covered by subsection (a)(3). Note that the build requirement is a requirement for a coastwise endorsement. In subsection (a)(3), the words “or is exempt from documentation but would otherwise be eligible for such a certificate and endorsement” are added for consistency with section 12102 as revised by the bill. [H.R. Rep. No. 109–170, at 180 (2005) provided: Section 17(i) of the bill [H.R. 1442, enacted as Pub. L. 109–304] amends section 5501(a) of the Oceans Act of 1992 (Public Law 102–587, 106 Stat. 5084) [see note above] by adding a new paragraph (3). The intent of this amendment is to maintain the status quo under paragraph (2) of section 5501(a) of that Act, as it exists prior to the enactment of this codification legislation. Section 55109 of title 46, United States Code, as contained in this bill, is intended as a codification without substantive change of section 1 of the Act of May 28, 1906, as amended (46 App. U.S.C. 292). Therefore, the exceptions from that latter provision, which currently exist under such paragraph (2), are intended to continue to exist to the same extent under new section 55109 of title 46. In addition, if the original intent of such paragraph (2) was that the restriction contained in the pre-1992 amended version of that 1906 provision continues to apply to the vessels, persons, and entities described in such paragraph (2), then that outcome is intended to remain unchanged by this legislation, despite the repeal by this legislation of that 1906 provision. No expression as to the original intent of such paragraph (2) is intended by this legislation.]

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Nonapplicability to Certain VesselsPub. L. 109–304, § 19, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1711, repealed section 1 of act May 28, 1906, ch. 2566, 34 Stat. 204 (section 292 of the former Appendix to this title, from which this section was derived), except as may be applicable under section 5501(a)(2) of Pub. L. 102–587, set out below. Pub. L. 102–587, title V, § 5501(a)(2), (3), Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5084, as amended by Pub. L. 109–304, § 17(i), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1709, provided that: “(2) The amendment made by paragraph (1) [amending section 292 of the former Appendix to this title, from which this section was derived] does not apply to—“(A)(i) the vessel STUYVESANT, official number 648540; “(ii) any other hopper dredging vessel documented under chapter 121 of title 46, United States Code before the effective date of this Act [Nov. 4, 1992] and chartered to Stuyvesant Dredging Company or to an entity in which it has an ownership interest; however, this exception expires on December 3, 2022 or when the vessel STUYVESANT ceases to be documented under chapter 121, whichever first occurs; and “(iii) any other non-hopper dredging vessel documented under chapter 121 and chartered to Stuyvesant Dredging Company or to an entity in which it has an ownership interest, as is necessary (a) to fulfill dredging obligations under a specific contract, including any extension periods; or (b) as temporary replacement capacity for a vessel which has become disabled but only for so long as the disability shall last and until the vessel is in a position to fully resume dredging operations; however, this exception expires on December 8, 2022 or when the vessel STUYVESANT ceases to be documented under chapter 121, whichever first occurs; “(B) the vessel COLUMBUS, official number 590658, except that the vessel’s certificate of documentation shall be endorsed to prohibit the vessel from engaging in the transportation of merchandise (except valueless material), including dredge material of value, between places within the navigable waters of the United States; “(C) a vessel that is engaged in dredged material excavation if that excavation is not more than a minority of the total cost of the construction contract in which the excavation is a single, integral part, and the vessel is—“(i) built in the United States; “(ii) a non-self-propelled mechanical clamshell dredging vessel; and “(iii) owned or chartered by a corporation that had on file with the Secretary of Transportation, on August 1, 1989, the certificate specified in section 27A of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 App. U.S.C. 883–1) [now 46 U.S.C. 12118]; or “(D) any other documented vessel engaged in dredging and time chartered to an entity that, on August 1, 1989, was, and has continuously remained, the parent of a corporation that had on file with the Secretary of Transportation on August 1, 1989, a certificate specified in section 27A of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 App. U.S.C. 883–1) [now 46 U.S.C. 12118] if the vessel is—“(i) not engaged in a federally funded navigation dredging project; and “(ii) engaged only in dredging associated with, and integral to, accomplishment of that parent’s regular business requirements. “(3) The exceptions provided by paragraph (2) shall apply under section 55109 of title 46, United States Code, to the same extent as under former section 1 of the Act of May 28, 1906 [section 292 of the former Appendix to this title, from which this section was derived], as amended by paragraph (1).”