[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 608 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 608

 To provide limitations on maritime liens on fishing licenses and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 17, 2011

  Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Begich) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide limitations on maritime liens on fishing licenses and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Maritime Lien Reform Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON MARITIME LIENS ON FISHING LICENSE AND LICENSE 
              DESCRIPTION.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 313 of title 46, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 31310. Limitation on maritime liens on fishing license and 
              license description
    ``(a) In General.--This chapter--
            ``(1) does not establish a maritime lien on a license 
        that--
                    ``(A) authorizes a person or use of a vessel to 
                engage in fishing; and
                    ``(B) is issued under State or Federal law; and
            ``(2) does not authorize any civil action to enforce a 
        maritime lien on such a license.
    ``(b) Fishing License Described.--A fishing license--
            ``(1) is governed solely by the State or Federal law under 
        which it was issued; and
            ``(2) is not included in the whole of a vessel or as an 
        appurtenance or intangible of a vessel for any purpose.
    ``(c) Limitation on Statutory Construction.--Nothing in subsections 
(a) and (b) shall be construed as imposing any limitation upon the 
authority of the Secretary of Commerce to modify, suspend, revoke, or 
sanction any Federal fishery license issued by the Secretary of 
Commerce or to bring a civil action to enforce such modification, 
suspension, revocation, or sanction.''.
    (b) Table of Sections Amendment.--The table of sections at the 
beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section 31309 the following:

``31310. Limitation on maritime liens on fishing license and license 
                            description.''.
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