Shipping - 46 USC Section 3504

01/19/04

Sec. 3504. Notification to passengers

(a) A person selling passage on a foreign or domestic passenger
vessel having berth or stateroom accommodations for at least 50
passengers and embarking passengers at United States ports for a
coastwise or an international voyage shall notify each prospective
passenger of the safety standards applicable to the vessel in a
manner prescribed by regulation.
(b) All promotional literature or advertising through any medium
of communication in the United States offering passage or
soliciting passengers for ocean voyages anywhere in the world shall
include information similar to the information described in
subsection (a) of this section, and shall specify the registry of
each vessel named, as a part of the advertisement or description of
the voyage. Except for the inclusion of the country of registry of
the vessel, this subsection does not apply to voyages by vessels
meeting the safety standards described in section 3505 of this
title.
(c) A person 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 $10,000. If the violation involves
the sale of tickets for passage, the owner, charterer, managing
operator, agent, master, individual in charge, or any other person
involved in each violation also is liable to the Government for a
civil penalty of $500 for each ticket sold. The vessel on which
passage is sold also is liable in rem for a violation of this
section or a regulation prescribed under this section.

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
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Revised section Source section (U.S. Code)
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3504 46:362(b)
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Section 3504 requires notification to the public of the safety
standards that are applicable to certain foreign flag or United
States passenger vessels. In addition, all promotional literature
or advertising that offers passage or solicits passengers for ocean
voyages anywhere in the world shall include a safety standard
statement and shall specify the registry of the vessel. If the
vessel meets the international standards to which the United States
adheres, then the safety standard statement need not be included.
In all other cases the type of safety standard statement that must
be included is as prescribed by regulation. This section is
intended to place the United States public on notice as to the
degree of fire safety compliance of a foreign-flag passenger vessel
that does not operate or depart from a port or place in the United
States but does embark passengers from the United States at nearby
foreign ports. Departures from foreign ports are undertaken because
the foreign-flag passenger vessel cannot comply with the safety
standards applicable to a United States flag passenger vessel.

Last modified: April 20, 2006