---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 55603"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "55603"
heading: "Multistate, State, Tribal, and regional transportation planning"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/55603"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Merchant Marine"
  - "Part D — Promotional Programs"
  - "Chapter 556 — Marine Highways"
---

# §55603. Multistate, State, Tribal, and regional transportation planning

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8), in consultation with Federal entities, State and local governments, [Tribal governments](/usc/46/55605.md?p=2), and appropriate private sector entities, may develop strategies to encourage the use of [marine highway transportation](/usc/46/55605.md?p=1) for transportation of passengers and [cargo](/usc/46/53901.md?p=2).
- (b) **Strategies.—** If the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) develops strategies under [subsection (a)](#a), the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) may—
  - (1) assess the extent to which States, local governments, and [Tribal governments](/usc/46/55605.md?p=2) include [marine highway transportation](/usc/46/55605.md?p=1) and other marine transportation solutions in transportation planning;
  - (2) encourage State and Tribal departments of transportation to develop strategies, where appropriate, to incorporate [marine highway transportation](/usc/46/55605.md?p=1), [ferries](/usc/46/2101.md?p=10), and other marine transportation solutions for regional and interstate transport of freight and passengers in transportation planning; and
  - (3) encourage groups of States, [Tribal governments](/usc/46/55605.md?p=2), and multistate transportation entities to determine how marine highways can address congestion, bottlenecks, and other interstate transportation challenges.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 117–263, div. C, title XXXV, § 3521(b)(1), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3078.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 55603, added Pub. L. 110–140, title XI, § 1121(a), Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1761, which related to an interagency board to identify and seek solutions to impediments hindering effective use of short sea transportation, was repealed by Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXIII [LXXXIII], § 8332(d)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4704.