General Bridge Act of 1946
Chapter 753, as amended
General Bridge Act of 1946
ch753
114–120
Statute Compilation
United States House of Representatives
Office of the Legislative Counsel
text/xml
EN
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Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946
General Bridge Act of 1946
11541
79
1946-08-02
General Bridge Act of 1946
[(Chapter 753, Enacted August 2, 1946)]
[As Amended Through P.L. 114–120, Enacted February 8, 2016]
[Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Chapter 753 of the 79th Congress. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/]
[Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]

AN ACT
To provide for increased efficiency in the legislative branch of the Government.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SHORT TITLE
That (a) this Act, divided into titles and section according to the following table of contents, may be cited as the “Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946”: * * * * * * *
TITLE V—

GENERAL BRIDGE ACT

SHORT TITLE
Sec. 501.
This title may be cited as the “General Bridge Act of 1946”.

CONSENT OF CONGRESS
Sec. 502.
(a)
The consent of Congress is hereby granted for the construction, maintenance, and operation of bridges and approaches thereto over the navigable waters of the United States, in accordance with the provisions of this title.
(b)
The location and plans for such bridges shall be approved by the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating before construction is commenced, and, in approving the location and plans of any bridge, the Secretary may impose any specific conditions relating to the maintenance and operation of the structure which the Secretary may deem necessary in the interest of public navigation, and the conditions so imposed shall have the force of law. This subsection shall not apply to any bridge over waters which are not subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and which are not used and are not susceptible to use in their natural condition or by reasonable improvement as a means to transport interstate or foreign commerce.
(c)
Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b), it shall be unlawful to construct or commence the construction of any privately owned highway toll bridge until the location and plans thereof shall also have been submitted to and approved by the highway department or departments of the State or States in which the bridge and its approaches are situated; and where such bridge shall be between two or more States and the highway departments thereof shall be unable to agree upon the location and plans therefor, or if they, or either of them, shall fail or refuse to act upon the location and plans submitted, such location and plans then shall be submitted to the Public Roads Administration and, if approved by the Public Roads Administration, approval by the highway departments shall not be required. * * * * * * *

PENALTIES
Sec. 510.
(a)
Any person who willfully fails or refuses to comply with any lawful order of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating or the Chief of Engineers issued under the provisions of this title, or who willfully fails to comply with any specific condition imposed by the Chief of Engineers and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating relating to the maintenance and operation of bridges, or who willfully refuses to produce books, papers, or documents in obedience to a subpena or other lawful requirement under this title, or who otherwise willfully violates any provisions of this title, shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not to exceed $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(b)
Whoever violates any provision of this Act, or any order issued under this Act, shall be liable to a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for a violation occurring in 2004; $10,000 for a violation occurring in 2005; $15,000 for a violation occurring in 2006; $20,000 for a violation occurring in 2007; and $25,000 for a violation occurring in 2008 and any year thereafter. Each day a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense. No penalty may be assessed under this subsection until the person charged is given notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the charge. The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating may assess and collect any civil penalty incurred under this subsection and, in his discretion, may remit, mitigate, or compromise any penalty until the matter is referred to the Attorney General. If a person against whom a civil penalty is assessed under this subsection fails to pay that penalty, an action may be commenced in the district court of the United States for any district in which the violation occurs for such penalty.
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