Skip to content
LexBuild

33 USC § 517 - Payment of share of United States

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t33/s517"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "33 USC § 517 - Payment of share of United States"
title_number: 33
title_name: "NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS"
section_number: "517"
section_name: "Payment of share of United States"
chapter_number: 11
chapter_name: "BRIDGES OVER NAVIGABLE WATERS"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "ALTERATION OF BRIDGES"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 21, 1940, ch. 409, § 7, 54 Stat. 499; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. III, § 1(a)(1), eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2107, 54 Stat. 1231; Pub. L. 85–640, § 1(d), Aug. 14, 1958, 72 Stat. 596; Pub. L. 91–605, title I, § 118, Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1725; Pub. L. 97–449, § 2(d)(1), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2440; Pub. L. 114–120, title III, § 306(b)(4)(C), Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 55.)"
---

# § 517. Payment of share of United States

Following service of the order requiring alteration of the bridge, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may make partial payments as the work progresses to the extent that funds have been appropriated. The total payments out of Federal funds shall not exceed the proportionate share of the United States of the total cost of the project paid or incurred by the bridge owner, and, if such total cost exceeds the cost guaranteed by the bridge owner, shall not exceed the proportionate share of the United States of such guaranteed cost, except that if the cost of the work exceeds the guaranteed cost by reason of emergencies, conditions beyond the control of the owner, or unforeseen or undetermined conditions, the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may, after full review of all the circumstances, provide for additional payments by the United States to help defray such excess cost to the extent he deems to be reasonable and proper, and shall certify such additional payments to the Secretary of the Treasury for payment. All payments to any bridge owner herein provided for shall be made by the Secretary of the Treasury through the Fiscal Service upon certifications of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating.

---

**Source Credit**: (June 21, 1940, ch. 409, § 7, 54 Stat. 499; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. III, § 1(a)(1), eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2107, 54 Stat. 1231; Pub. L. 85–640, § 1(d), Aug. 14, 1958, 72 Stat. 596; Pub. L. 91–605, title I, § 118, Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1725; Pub. L. 97–449, § 2(d)(1), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2440; Pub. L. 114–120, title III, § 306(b)(4)(C), Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 55.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2016— substituted “Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating” for “Secretary of Transportation” wherever appearing.

1983— substituted “Secretary of Transportation” for “Secretary of War” wherever appearing, which substitution had previously been made by . See, also, Transfer of Functions note below.

1970— substituted provision permitting Secretary of Transportation to make payments for design work performed prior to the actual commencement of bridge alteration but after the order to alter has been issued for provision requiring Secretary of War to approve alteration plans, the cost guaranty, the fixing of proportionate shares as between the United States and bridge owner, and the commencement of the alteration, before the Chief of Engineers may make payments for bridge alteration, inserted reference to Secretary of Transportation in second sentence, and substituted “Secretary of Transportation” for “Secretary of War” in third sentence.

1958— struck out provisions which required Secretary of War to furnish to Secretary of the Treasury a certified copy of his approval of the plans and specifications and guaranty, and of his order fixing the proportionate shares, and which required the Secretary of the Treasury to set aside the share of the United States for the project.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Transfer of Functions

transferred functions, powers, and duties of Secretary of the Army [formerly War] and other officers and offices of Department of the Army [formerly War] relating to obstructive bridges under this subchapter to Secretary of Transportation.  amended this section to reflect transfer made by , and repealed section 6(g)(3).

## Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

“Fiscal Service” substituted in text for “Division of Disbursement” on authority of section 1(a)(1) of Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, eff. , 5 F.R. 2107, , set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, which consolidated such division into Fiscal Service of Department of the Treasury. See , Money and Finance.