To amend the Communications Act of 1934 in order to make certain provision for the carrying out of the Agreement for the Promotion of Safety on the Great Lakes by Means of Radio. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 3 of Great Lakes. the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, is amended by inserting Safety by after paragraph (dd) the following: "(ee) "Great Lakes Agreement' means the Agreement for the Promotion of Safety on the Great Lakes by Means of Radio in force and the regulations referred to therein." radio. Engineers, SEC. 2. (a) The first sentence of section 4 (f) (3) of such Act is 55 Stat. 461 amended to read as follows: "The Commission shall fix a reasonable 66 Stat. 711. rate of extra compensation for overtime services of engineers in 47 USC 154(f). charge and radio engineers of the Field Engineering and Monitoring. Overtime comBureau of the Federal Communications Commission, who may be pensation. required to remain on duty between the hours of 5 o'clock postmeridian and 8 o'clock antemeridian or on Sundays or holidays to perform services in connection with the inspection of ship radio equipment and apparatus for the p purposes of part II of title III of this Act or the 48 Stat. 1070. Great Lakes Agreement, on the basis of one-half day's additional pay 47 USC 351-362. for each two hours or fraction thereof of at least one hour that the overtime exceeds beyond 5 o'clock postmeridian (but not to exceed two and one-half days' pay for the full period from 5 o'clock postmeridian to 8 o'clock antemeridian) and two additional days' pay for Sunday or holiday duty." (b) The last proviso of such section 4 (f) (3) is amended by strik- 47 USC 154(f). ing out "inspectors" wherever it appears therein and inserting in lieu thereof "engineers". SEC. 3. Title V of such Act is amended by inserting after section 506 a new section reading as follows: "VIOLATION OF GREAT LAKES AGREEMENT "SEC. 507. (a) Any vessel of the United States that is navigated in violation of the provisions of the Great Lakes Agreement or the rules and regulations of the Commission made in pursuance thereof and any vessel of a foreign country that is so navigated on waters under the jurisdiction of the United States shall forfeit to the United States the sum of $500 recoverable by way of suit or libel. Each day during which such navigation occurs shall constitute a separate offense. "(b) Every willful failure on the part of the master of a vessel of the United States to enforce or to comply with the provisions of the Great Lakes Agreement or the rules and regulations of the Commission made in pursuance thereof shall cause him to forfeit to the United States the sum of $100." 60 Stat. 89. 47 USC 506. SEO. 4. Section 504 (b) of such Act is amended by deleting "title 48 Stat. 1101. III, part II" and inserting in lieu thereof "part II of title III and 47 USC 504(b). section 507". All 68 Stat. 729, Repeal. 36 Stat. 629. 46 USC 484-487, Effective date. SEC. 5. Section 602 (e) of such Act is amended to read as follows: "(e) The Act entitled 'An Act to require apparatus and operators for radio communication on certain ocean steamers', approved June 24, 1910, as amended, is hereby repealed." SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect on November 13, 1954. To provide an inmediate program for the modernization and improvement of such merchant-type vessels in the reserve fleet as are necessary for national defense. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may Emergency Ship be cited as the "Emergency Ship Repair Act of 1954". STATEMENT OF PURPOSE SEC. 2. It is the purpose of this Act in the interests of national defense to provide for the immediate improvement and modernization of needed merchant-type vessels in the reserve fleet under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce, and thereby to provide a much needed stimulus to the shipbuilding and ship repair industries of the Nation. RESERVE FLEET MODERNIZATION AND REPAIR PROGRAM SEC. 3. The Secretary of Commerce shall, after consulting the Secretary of Defense, formulate and carry out to the extent authorized under the provisions of this Act a program of repairing, modernizing, or converting such merchant-type vessels in the national defense reserve under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Commerce as may be necessary to provide for the purpose of national defense an adequate and ready reserve fleet of merchant and auxiliary vessels. CONTRACTING AUTHORIZATION Repair Aot of 1954. SEC. 4. The Secretary of Commerce shall, within twenty-four months after the date of the enactment of this Act, enter into such contracts for the repair, modernization, and conversion of vessels as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Such contracts (1) may provide for the expenditure by the United States of not more than $25,000,000, (2) shall be with private shipbuilding or ship repair yards on the Atlantic, Pacific, and gulf coasts of the United States, (3) shall be entered into in accordance with applicable provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949. In entering into such contracts the Secretary of Commerce 63 Stat. 377. shall not alter the present Maritime Administration policy of inviting 40 USC 471 note. single bids or split bids or both for drydock and nondrydock work. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION SEC. 5. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums not in excess of $25,000,000 as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act. Approved August 20, 1954. 68 Stat. 754. 68 Stat. 755. To authorize the Secretary of the Navy to dispose of certain uncompleted naval vessels, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary Naval vessels. of the Navy is authorized to scrap the uncompleted naval vessels Castle Disposal of (DD-720) and Woodrow R. Thompson (DD-721) and in his discre- certain. tion to dispose of the materials therefrom by sale or to retain any such materials for further naval use. SEC. 2. The action of the Department of the Navy in scrapping the uncompleted naval vessels Hoel (DD-768) and Abner Read (DD-769), prior to the enactment of the Act of June 19, 1948 (62 Stat. 492, ch. 521), which authorized the suspension of construction of these vessels, is hereby ratified. 68 Stat. 765. SEC. 3. The proviso of title,III of the Second Supplemental Surplus 68 Stat. 766. Appropriation Rescission Act, 1946, under the heading "Increase and Replacement of Naval Vessels" (60 Stat. 227), in the discretion of the President shall not apply to the "Lancetfish" (SS-296) and "Turbot" (SS-427). Approved August 23, 1954. Chapter 936 - 2d Session S. 3233 AN ACT All 68 Stat. 832. To amend the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, to provide permanent legislation for the transportation of a substantial portion of waterborne cargoes in United States-flag vessels. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 901 U. S. merchant of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, is hereby amended vessels. by inserting "(a)" after "SEC. 901." and by adding at the end of the Cargo preference. section the following new subsection: "(b) whenever the United States shall procure, contract for, or otherwise obtain for its own account, or shall furnish to or for the account of any foreign nation without provision for reimbursement, any equipment, materials, or commodities, within or without the United States, or shall advance funds or credits or guarantee the convertibility of foreign currencies in connection with the furnishing of such equipment, materials, or commodities, the appropriate agency or agencies shall take such steps as may be necessary and practicable to assure that at least 50 per centum of the gross tonnage of such equipment, materials, or commodities (computed separately for dry bulk carriers, dry cargo liners, and tankers), which may be transported on ocean vessels shall be transported on privately owned United States-flag commercial vessels, to the extent such vessels are available at fair and reasonable rates for United States-flag commercial vessels, in such manner as will insure a fair and reasonable participation of United States-flag commercial vessels in such cargoes by geographic areas: Provided, That the provisions of this subsection may be waived whenever the Congress by concurrent resolution or otherwise, or the President of the United States or the Secretary of Defense declares that an emergency exists justifying a temporary waiver of the provisions of section 901 (b) and so notifies the appropriate agency or agencies: And provided further, That the provisions of this subsection shall not apply to cargoes carried in the vessels of the Panama Canal Company. Nothing herein shall repeal or otherwise modify the provisions of Public Resolution Numbered 17, Seventy-third Congress (48 Stat. 500), as amended." Approved August 26, 1954. 49 Stat. 2015. 46.USC 1241. 15 USC 6168. |