--- kind: "section" citation: "46 U.S.C. § 50304" title: "46" title_heading: "Shipping" number: "50304" heading: "Sale and transfer of property" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/50304" units: - "Subtitle V — Merchant Marine" - "Part A — General" - "Chapter 503 — Administrative" --- # §50304. Sale and transfer of property - (a) **Authority To Sell.—** The [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Transportation may sell property (other than [vessels](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9) transferred under section 4 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 990)) on terms the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) considers appropriate. - (b) **Transfers From Military to Civilian Control.—** When the President considers it in the interest of the [United States](/usc/46/53101.md?p=10), the President may transfer to the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Transportation possession and control of property described in the second paragraph of section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted, that is possessed and controlled by the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of a military department. - (c) **Transfers From Civilian to Military Control.—** When the President considers it necessary, the President by executive order may transfer to the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of a military department possession and control of property described in section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted, that is possessed and controlled by the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Transportation. The President’s order shall state the need for the transfer and the period of the need. When the President decides that the need has ended, the possession and control shall revert to the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Transportation. The property may not be sold except as provided by law. - (d) **Vessel Charters to Other Departments.—** On a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Transportation, the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) may charter or otherwise make available a [vessel](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9) under the jurisdiction of the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) to any other department, upon the request by the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of the Department that receives the [vessel](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9). The prior consent of the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Defense for such use shall be required with respect to any [vessel](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9) in the Ready Reserve Force or in the National Defense Reserve [Fleet](/usc/46/53101.md?p=3) which is maintained in a retention status for the Department of Defense. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(b), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1565; Pub. L. 110–181, div. C, title XXXV, § 3515, Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 595.) ## Notes | Historical and Revision Notes | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Revised
Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) | | 50304(a) | 46 App.:872. | June 5, 1920, ch. 250, §§ 13, 17, 41 Stat. 993, 994; Exec. Order No. 6166, June 10, 1933, § 12; June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title II, § 204, title IX, § 904, 49 Stat. 1987, 2016; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(44), (45), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 157. | | 50304(b) | 46 App.:875 (1st par.). | | | 50304(c) | 46 App.:875 (last par.). | | In subsections (b) and (c), the words “property described in the second paragraph of section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted” are substituted for “such other docks, piers, warehouses, wharves and terminal equipment and facilities or parts thereof, including all leasehold easements, rights of way, riparian rights and other rights, estates or interests therein or appurtenant thereto which were acquired . . . for military or naval purposes during the war emergency”, and the words “property described in section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted” are substituted for “property taken over by or transferred to . . . under this section”, because the first paragraph of section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, was repealed in 1981 and reference to that paragraph is necessary for a complete understanding of these provisions. The words “Secretary of a military department” are substituted for “War Department or the Navy Department” and “Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, or Department of the Navy” for consistency with other titles of the United States Code. For redesignation of the Department of War to the Department of the Army, and for transfer of certain functions to newly established Department of the Air Force, see sections 205(a) and 207(a) and (f) of the National Security Act of 1947 (ch. 343, 61 Stat. 501, 502, 503). In subsection (b), the words “possessed and controlled by” are substituted for “acquired by” for clarity and for consistency in the section. The word “best” is omitted as unnecessary. ### Editorial Notes ### References in Text Section 4 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, referred to in subsec. (a), is section 4 of act June 5, 1920, ch. 250, 41 Stat. 990, which was classified to section 863 of former Title 46, Shipping, and was repealed by Pub. L. 100–710, title II, § 202(4), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4753. Section 17 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994), as originally enacted, referred to in subsecs. (b) and (c), is section 17 of act June 5, 1920, ch. 250, 41 Stat. 994, which was classified to section 875 of the former Appendix to this title, was subsequently amended, and as amended, was repealed and restated in subsecs. (b) and (c) of this section by Pub. L. 109–304, §§ 8(b), 19, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1556, 1710. ### Amendments 2008—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–181 added subsec. (d).