---
kind: "section"
citation: "46 U.S.C. § 6305"
title: "46"
title_heading: "Shipping"
number: "6305"
heading: "Reports of investigations"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/46/6305"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Vessels and Seamen"
  - "Part D — Marine Casualties"
  - "Chapter 63 — Investigating Marine Casualties"
---

# §6305. Reports of investigations

- (a) The [Secretary](/usc/46/2101.md?p=46) shall prescribe regulations about the form and manner of reports of investigations conducted under this part.
- (b) Reports of investigations conducted under this part shall be made available to the public. This subsection does not require the release of information described by [section 552(b) of title 5](/usc/5/552.md?p=b) or protected from disclosure by another law of the United States.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 538; Pub. L. 105–383, title III, § 305, Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3420.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |
| --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
| 6305 | 46:239(g)<br>46:239(k) |

Section 6305 requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations about the form and manner of reports of investigations of marine casualties. It also provides that the reports shall be available to the public, except for any information they contain related to national security.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1998—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–383 substituted “. This subsection does not require the release of information described by section 552(b) of title 5 or protected from disclosure by another law of the United States.” for “, except to the extent that they contain information related to the national security.”