WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 46, Shipping › Chapter 553

46 U.S.C. 55305: Cargoes procured, furnished, or financed by the United States Government

Created in 2006 by Public Law 109-304. Changed by 6 later laws. 2 bills in this Congress would change it.

This Congress

  • H.R. 8800 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 · passed house · would change (a), (b), (c), (d), (e)
  • H.R. 3151 SHIPS for America Act of 2025 · introduced · would change (a), (d)

How it got here

2023

  • Pub. L. 118–31, §3531(a)(1), (2)(A), (3), redesignated subsec. (b) as (a), substituted "privately-owned commercial vessels of the United States, as provided under subsection (b)," for "privately-owned commercial vessels of the United States,", and struck out former subsec. (a). Prior t… Law text · (a)
  • Pub. L. 118–31, §3531(a)(4), added subsecs. (b) and (c). Former subsecs. (b) and (c) redesignated (a) and (d), respectively. Law text · (b), (c)
  • Pub. L. 118–31, §3531(a)(2)(B), (5), redesignated subsec. (c) as (d), struck it out, and added a new subsec. (d). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "The President, the Secretary of Defense, or Congress (by concurrent resolution or otherwise) may waive this section temporarily b… Law text · (d)
  • Pub. L. 118–31, §3531(a)(2)(B), redesignated subsecs. (d) and (e) as (e) and (f), respectively. Law text · (e), (f)

2022

  • Pub. L. 117–263 inserted "and annually submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the administration of such programs" after "section". Law text · (d)

2018

  • Pub. L. 115–232 substituted "1303(a)(1))" for "421(c)(1)". Law text · (d)

2014

  • Pub. L. 113–281, §306(1), substituted "reimburse, subject to the availability of appropriations, the owners or operators of vessels" for "provide armed personnel aboard vessels" and "commodities for the cost of providing armed personnel aboard such vessels" for "commodities". Law text · (e)
  • Pub. L. 113–281, §306(2), added par. (2) and struck out former pars. (2) and (3) which read as follows: Law text · (e), (3)

2012

  • Pub. L. 112–213 added subsec. (e). Law text · (e)

2008

  • Pub. L. 110–417, §3511(a), substituted "foreign country, organization, or persons" for "foreign country", "commodities, or provides financing in any way with Federal funds for the account of any persons unless otherwise exempted, within" for "commodities, within", and "furnishing or ob… Law text · (b)
  • Pub. L. 110–417, §3511(b), reenacted heading without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: "An agency having responsibility under this section shall administer its programs with respect to this section under regulations prescribed by the Secretary… Law text · (d)

Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.