---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 51324"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "51324"
heading: "Unfilled vacancies"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/51324"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Merchant Marine"
  - "Part B — Merchant Marine Service"
  - "Chapter 513 — United States Merchant Marine Academy"
---

# §51324. Unfilled vacancies

- (a) **In General.—** In the event of an unfilled vacancy for any critical position at the [United States](/usc/46/53101.md?p=10) Merchant Marine [Academy](/usc/46/51102.md?p=1), the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Transportation may appoint, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of [chapter 33](/usc/5/chptIII/sptB/ch33.md) of title 5, other than sections [3303](/usc/46/3303.md) and 3328 of that title, a qualified candidate for the purposes of filling up to 20 of such positions.
- (b) **Critical Position Defined.—** In this section, the term “critical position” means a position that contributes to the improvement of—
  - (1) the culture or infrastructure of the [Academy](/usc/46/51102.md?p=1);
  - (2) student health and well being;
  - (3) [Academy](/usc/46/51102.md?p=1) governance; or
  - (4) any other priority areas identified by the Council.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 117–81, div. C, title XXXV, § 3501(c)(1), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2238.)