---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 56302"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "56302"
heading: "Charter terms"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/56302"
units:
  - "Subtitle V — Merchant Marine"
  - "Part E — Control of Merchant Marine Capabilities"
  - "Chapter 563 — Emergency Acquisition of Vessels"
---

# §56302. Charter terms

- (a) **In General.—** If a [vessel](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9) is requisitioned for use but not ownership under this chapter, the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) of Transportation, at the time of requisition or as soon thereafter as the situation allows, shall offer the [person](/usc/46/53101.md?p=6) entitled to possession of the [vessel](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9) a charter containing—
  - (1) the terms the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) believes should govern the relationship between the [United States](/usc/46/53101.md?p=10) Government and the [person](/usc/46/53101.md?p=6); and
  - (2) the rate of hire the [Secretary](/usc/46/53101.md?p=8) considers just compensation for the use of the [vessel](/usc/46/53501.md?p=9) and the services required under the charter.
- (b) **Refusal To Accept.—** If the [person](/usc/46/53101.md?p=6) does not accept the charter and rate of hire, the parties shall proceed as provided in [section 56304 of this title](/usc/46/56304.md).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 109–304, § 8(c), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1654.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised<br>Section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 56302 | 46 App.:1242(c) (1st sentence). | June 29, 1936, ch. 858, title IX, § 902(c) (1st sentence); as added Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 555, § 3, 53 Stat. 1255; Pub. L. 97–31, § 12(131), Aug. 6, 1981, 95 Stat. 165. |

In subsection (a), the words “requisitioned for use but not ownership under this chapter” are substituted for “taken and used under authority of this section, but the ownership thereof is not required by the United States” to eliminate unnecessary words. The word “requisition” is substituted for “taking”, and the word “vessel” is substituted for “such property”, for consistency.

Subsection (b) is added because the provisions about disputed compensation, for both charter use and other takings, are consolidated in section 56304 of the revised title to avoid repetition.