1625-0019 Stat/Authority

§ 1601

TITLE 33—NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS

§ 1601. Definitions
For the purposes of this chapter—
(1) ‘‘vessel’’ means every description of
watercraft, including nondisplacement craft
and seaplanes, used or capable of being used as
a means of transportation on water; and
(2) ‘‘high seas’’ means all parts of the sea
that are not included in the territorial sea or
in the internal waters of any nation.
(Pub. L. 95–75, § 2, July 27, 1977, 91 Stat. 308.)
REFERENCES IN TEXT
This chapter, referred to in opening par., was in the
original ‘‘this Act’’, meaning Pub. L. 95–75, July 27,
1977, 91 Stat. 308, known as the ‘‘International Navigational Rules Act of 1977’’, which enacted this chapter,
repealed sections 1051 to 1094 of this title, enacted provisions set out as notes under this section, and repealed
provision set out as a note under section 1051 of this
title.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS;
REPEAL OF FORMER REGULATIONS
Section 10 of Pub. L. 95–75 provided in part that Pub.
L. 88–131, enacting sections 1051 to 1094 of this title and
a provision set out as a note under section 1051 of this
title which sections included the former International
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, was repealed effective on the date on which the International
Regulations [promulgated pursuant to this chapter] entered into force for the United States [July 15, 1977].
See Proclamation dated Jan. 19, 1977, set out as a note
under section 1602 of this title.
REFERENCES TO FORMER REGULATIONS
Section 10 of Pub. L. 95–75 provided in part that: ‘‘The
reference in any other law to Public Law 88–131 [enacting sections 1051 to 1094 of this title and enacting a provision set out as a note under section 1051 of this title],
or to the regulations set forth in section 4 of that Act
[sections 1061 to 1094 of this title], shall be considered
a reference, respectively, to this Act [this chapter], or
to the International Regulations proclaimed hereunder
[set out as a note under section 1602 of this title].’’
SHORT TITLE
Section 1 of Pub. L. 95–75 provided: ‘‘That this Act
[enacting this chapter, repealing sections 1051 to 1094 of
this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under
this section, and repealing provisions set out as a note
under section 1051 of this title] may be cited as the
‘International Navigational Rules Act of 1977’.’’

§ 1602. International Regulations
(a) Proclamation by President; effective date
The President is authorized to proclaim the
International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (hereinafter referred to as the
‘‘International Regulations’’). The effective date
of the International Regulations for the United
States shall be specified in the proclamation and
shall be the date as near as possible to, but no
earlier than, the date on which the Convention
on the International Regulations for Preventing
Collisions at Sea, 1972 (hereinafter referred to as
the ‘‘Convention’’), signed at London, England,
under date of October 20, 1972, enters into force
for the United States. The International Regulations proclaimed shall consist of the rules and
other annexes attached to the Convention.
(b) Publication of proclamation in Federal Register
The proclamation shall include the International Regulations and shall be published in

Page 544

the Federal Register. On the date specified in
the proclamation, the International Regulations
shall enter into force for the United States and
shall have effect as if enacted by statute.
(c) Amendment of International Regulations
Subject to the provisions of subsection (d) of
this section, the President is also authorized to
proclaim any amendment to the International
Regulations hereafter adopted in accordance
with the provisions of article VI of the Convention, and to which the United States does not
object. The effective date of the amendment
shall be specified in the proclamation and shall
be in accordance with the provisions of the said
article VI. The proclamation shall include the
adopted amendment and shall be published in
the Federal Register. On the date specified in
the proclamation, the amendment shall enter
into force for the United States as a constituent
part of the International Regulations, as amended, and shall have effect as if enacted by statute.
(d) Notification to Congress of proposed amendments; Congressional resolution of disapproval
(1) Upon receiving a proposed amendment to
the International Regulations, communicated to
the United States pursuant to clause 3 of article
VI of the Convention, the President shall
promptly notify the Congress of the proposed
amendment. If, within sixty days after receipt of
such notification by the Congress, or ten days
prior to the date under clause 4 of article VI for
registering an objection, whichever comes first,
the Congress adopts a resolution of disapproval,
such resolution shall be transmitted to the
President and shall constitute an objection by
the United States to the proposed amendment.
If, upon receiving notification of the resolution
of disapproval, the President has not already notified the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization of an objection to the
United States to the proposed amendment, he
shall promptly do so.
(2) For the purposes of this subsection, ‘‘resolution of disapproval’’ means a concurrent resolution initiated by either House of the Congress,
the matter after the resolving clause of which is
to read as follows: ‘‘That the
(the
concurring) does not favor the proposed
amendment to the International Regulations for
Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972, relating to
, and forwarded to the Congress by the
President on
.’’, the first blank space
therein to be filled with the name of the resolving House, the second blank space therein to be
filled with the name of the concurring House,
the third blank space therein to be filled with
the subject matter of the proposed amendment,
and the fourth blank space therein to be filled
with the day, month, and year.
(3) Any proposed amendment transmitted to
the Congress by the President and any resolution of disapproval pertaining thereto shall be
referred, in the House of Representatives, to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and shall be referred, in the Senate, to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.