---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1220c–1"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1220c–1"
heading: "Financial assistance to State to prepare transferred ship"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1220c-1"
units:
  - "Chapter 25B — Reefs for Marine Life Conservation"
---

# §1220c–1. Financial assistance to State to prepare transferred ship

- (a) **Assistance authorized—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1), subject to the availability of appropriations, may provide, to any [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) to which an obsolete ship is transferred under this chapter, financial assistance to prepare the ship for use as an artificial reef, including for—
  - (1) environmental remediation;
  - (2) towing; and
  - (3) sinking.
- (b) **Amount of assistance—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) shall determine the amount of assistance under this section with respect to an obsolete ship based on—
  - (1) the total amount available for providing assistance under this section;
  - (2) the benefit achieved by providing assistance for that ship; and
  - (3) the cost effectiveness of disposing of the ship by transfer under this chapter and provision of assistance under this section, compared to other disposal options for that ship.
- (c) **Terms and conditions—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1)—
  - (1) shall require a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) seeking assistance under this section to provide cost data and other information determined by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) to be necessary to justify and document the assistance; and
  - (2) may require a [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) receiving such assistance to comply with terms and conditions necessary to protect the environment and the interests of the United States.
- (d) **Limitation—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) may not provide assistance under this section to a foreign country to which an obsolete ship is transferred under this chapter.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 92–402, § 7, as added Pub. L. 107–314, div. C, title XXXV, § 3504(a)(1)(B), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2754; amended Pub. L. 111–84, div. C, title XXXV, § 3513(b), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2724.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 7 of Pub. L. 92–402 was renumbered section 8 and is classified to section 1220d of this title.

### Amendments

2009—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 111–84 added subsec. (d).