[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1721 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1721

To provide for the transfer of certain tuna fishing vessels documented 
               in the United States to foreign registry.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            November 19 (legislative day, November 2), 1993

  Mr. Breaux introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the transfer of certain tuna fishing vessels documented 
               in the United States to foreign registry.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF REGISTRY FOR CERTAIN FISHING VESSELS.

    (a) In General.--The transfer of registry of a tuna fishing vessel 
which is an agreement vessel documented under the laws of the United 
States to foreign registry shall not be treated, for purposes of the 
Merchant Marine Act, 1936, or any other law of the United States, as--
            (1) a disposition vessel, or
            (2) a failure to meet any substantial obligation under an 
        agreement entered into between the owner or operator of the 
        vessel and the Secretary,
if the vessel continues to be owned, directly or indirectly, by a 
United States person and to be operated in compliance with section 307 
of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1417).
    (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            (1) any term defined in section 607(k) of the Merchant 
        Marine Act, 1936 (46 App. U.S.C. 1177(k)) that is used in this 
        section shall have the meaning given that term in that section; 
        and
            (2) the term ``United States person'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 7701(a)(30) of the Internal Revenue Code 
        of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 7701(a)(30)).
    (c) Effective Date.--This section shall apply to any transfer of 
registry effected before January 1, 1996.

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