§1953. Coast Guard program
33 U.S.C. § 1953
The Commandant of the Coast Guard, in consultation with the Interagency Committee, shall—
take actions to reduce violations of and improve implementation of MARPOL Annex V and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) with respect to the discard of plastics and other garbage from vessels;
take actions to cost-effectively monitor and enforce compliance with MARPOL Annex V and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.), including through cooperation and coordination with other Federal and State enforcement programs;
take actions to improve compliance with requirements under MARPOL Annex V and section 6 of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (33 U.S.C. 1905) that all United States ports and terminals maintain and monitor the adequacy of receptacles for the disposal of plastics and other garbage, including through promoting voluntary government-industry partnerships;
develop and implement a plan, in coordination with industry and recreational boaters, to improve ship-board waste management, including recordkeeping, and access to waste reception facilities for ship-board waste;
take actions to improve international cooperation to reduce marine debris; and
establish a voluntary reporting program for commercial vessel operators and recreational boaters to report incidents of damage to vessels and disruption of navigation caused by marine debris, and observed violations of laws and regulations relating to the disposal of plastics and other marine debris.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
(Pub. L. 109–449, § 102, formerly § 4, Dec. 22, 2006, 120 Stat. 3335; Pub. L. 112–213, title VI, § 605, Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1578; renumbered § 102, Pub. L. 119–65, §§ 2(a)(2), 6(a), Dec. 26, 2025, 139 Stat. 1986, 1990.)
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, referred to in pars. (1) and (2), is Pub. L. 96–478, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2297, which is classified principally to chapter 33 (§ 1901 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1901 of this title and Tables.
Amendments
2025—Pub. L. 119–65, § 6(a), which directed amendment of this section by substituting “Under Secretary” for “Administrator”, could not be executed because the word “Administrator” did not appear.
2012—Pub. L. 112–213 struck out subsec. (a) designation and heading “Strategy” and struck out subsecs. (b) and (c) which required reports on the Coast Guard’s progress in implementing former subsec. (a) and on the effectiveness of international and national measures to prevent and reduce marine debris and its impact.