46 USC § 57502 - Construction, reconditioning, and remodeling of vessels

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t46/s57502"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "46 USC § 57502 - Construction, reconditioning, and remodeling of vessels"
title_number: 46
title_name: "SHIPPING"
section_number: "57502"
section_name: "Construction, reconditioning, and remodeling of vessels"
chapter_number: 575
chapter_name: "CONSTRUCTION, CHARTER, AND SALE OF VESSELS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL"
part_number: "F"
part_name: "Government-Owned Merchant Vessels"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1664.)"
---


# § 57502. Construction, reconditioning, and remodeling of vessels

**(a)** **In General.—** The Secretary of Transportation may have new vessels constructed, and have old vessels reconditioned or remodeled, as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the objectives of this subtitle.

**(b)** **Place of Work.—** Construction, reconditioning, and remodeling of vessels under subsection (a) shall take place in shipyards in the continental United States (including Alaska and Hawaii). However, if satisfactory contracts cannot be obtained from private shipbuilders, the Secretary may have the work done in navy yards.

**(c)** **Applicability of Construction-Differential Subsidy Provisions.—** Contracts for the construction, reconstruction, or reconditioning of a vessel by a private shipbuilder under this chapter are subject to the provisions of title V of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, applicable to a contract with a private shipbuilder for the construction of a vessel under title V of that Act.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1664.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 57502(a), (b) | 46 App.:1192. | June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title VII, § 702, 49 Stat. 2008; Pub. L. 85–191, Aug. 28, 1957, 71 Stat. 471; Pub. L. 86–624, § 35(c), July 12, 1960, 74 Stat. 421; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(104), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 162. |
| 57502(c) | 46 App.:1193(b). | June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title VII, § 703(b), 49 Stat. 2008. |

In subsection (b), the words “for such new construction or reconstruction, in accordance with the provisions of this chapter” are omitted as unnecessary.

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Merchant Marine Act, 1936, referred to in subsec. (c), is , . Title V of the Act enacted provisions set out as notes under . For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1936 Amendment note set out under  and Tables.