Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 98 Part 3.djvu/499

 PUBLIC LAW 98-557—OCT. 30, 1984

STAT. 2871

EXPOSURE SUITS

SEC. 22. (a)(1) Chapter 31 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following: "§ 3102. Exposure suits 46 USC 3102. "(a) The Secretary shall by regulation require exposure suits on Regulations, vessels designated by the Secretary that operate in the Atlantic Atlantic Ocean. Ocean north of thirty-two degrees North latitude or south of thirtytwo degrees South latitude and in all other waters north of thirtyfive degrees North latitude or south of thirty-five degrees South latitude. The Secretary may not exclude a vessel from designation under this section only because that vessel carries other lifesaving equipment. "(b) The Secretary shall establish standards for an exposure suit required by this section, including standards to guarantee adequate thermal protection, buoyance, and flotation stability. "(c)(1) The owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel violating this section or a regulation prescribed under this section is liable to the United States Government for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000. The vessel also is liable in rem for the penalty. "(2) The owner, charterer, managing operator, agent, master, or individual in charge of a vessel violating this section or a regulation prescribed under this section may be fined not more than $25,000, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.". (2) The analysis of chapter 31 of title 46, United States Code, is amended by inserting immediately after the item relating to section 3101 the following: "3102. Exposure suits.".

(b) Section 3102 of title 46, United States Code (as added by subsection (a) of this section), does not limit the authority of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to prescribe regulations requiring exposure suits on vessels not required by section 3102 to have exposure suits. (c) The regulations prescribed under section 3102 of title 46, United States Code (as added by subsection (a) of this section), shall be effective not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act. (d) Not later than six months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall submit a report to the Congress evaluating the benefits and disadvantages of extending the regulations prescribed under section 3102 of title 46, United States Code (as added by subsection (a) of this section) to require exposure suits on designated vessels operating in all waters north of thirty-one degrees North latitude or south of thirty-one degrees South latitude.

46 USC 3102 note.

Regulations. Effective date. 46 USC 3102 note.

Report.

VESSEL FIRE RESPONSE CAPABILITY

SEC. 23. (a) The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall make a grant to the Maritime Fire and Safety Association, a nonprofit organization incorporated in the State of Oregon. Such grant shall be used for a demonstration project to develop a fire response capability for vessels through the acquisition of equipment and supplies and through training of fire

Grants.

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