---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 9161"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "9161"
heading: "Law of the Sea Treaty"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/9161"
units:
  - "Chapter 99 — Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion"
  - "Subchapter IV — Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §9161. Law of the Sea Treaty


If the United States ratifies a treaty, which includes provisions with respect to jurisdiction over ocean thermal energy conversion activities, resulting from any United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, the [Administrator](/usc/42/9102.md?p=2), after consultation with the Secretary of State, shall promulgate any amendment to the regulations promulgated under this chapter which is necessary and appropriate to conform such regulations to the provisions of such treaty, in anticipation of the date when such treaty shall come into force and effect for, or otherwise be applicable to, the United States.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–320, title IV, § 401, Aug. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 998.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 96–320, Aug. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 974, known as the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act of 1980, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9101 of this title and Tables.