§ 151. — High seas and inland waters demarcation lines.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 33USC151]
TITLE 33--NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS
CHAPTER 3--NAVIGATION RULES FOR HARBORS, RIVERS, AND INLAND WATERS
GENERALLY
SUBCHAPTER I--PRELIMINARY
Sec. 151. High seas and inland waters demarcation lines
(a) Establishment and purpose
The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is
operating shall establish appropriate identifiable demarcation lines
dividing the high seas from harbors, rivers, and other inland waters of
the United States, for the purpose of determining the applicability of
special navigational rules in lieu of the International Regulations for
Preventing Collisions at Sea.
(b) Applicability of other statutes; limitation; position
The Secretary shall also establish appropriate identifiable lines
dividing inland waters of the United States from the high seas for the
purpose of determining the applicability of each statute that refers to
this section or this section, as amended. These lines may not be located
more than twelve nautical miles seaward of the base line from which the
territorial sea is measured. These lines may differ in position for the
purposes of different statutes.
(c) ``United States'' defined
For the purposes of this section, the term ``United States''
includes the several States of the United States, the District of
Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the
United States Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any other
Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States.
(Feb. 19, 1895, ch. 102, Sec. 2, 28 Stat. 672; Pub. L. 96-324, Sec. 1,
Aug. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1020; Pub. L. 96-376, Sec. 13, Oct. 3, 1980, 94
Stat. 1511; Pub. L. 96-591, Sec. 9, Dec. 24, 1980, 94 Stat. 3436.)
References in Text
For the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea,
referred to in subsec. (a), see International Regulations for Preventing
Collisions at Sea, 1972, set out as a note under section 1602 of this
title.
Codification
Section was not enacted as part of act June 7, 1897, ch. 4, 30 Stat.
96, which comprises a major part of this chapter.
Amendments
1980--Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96-324 designated existing provisions as
subsec. (a), substituted provision authorizing the Secretary of the
Department in which the Coast Guard is operating to establish
demarcation lines for provision authorizing the Secretary of the
Treasury to establish demarcation lines, and inserted provision
specifying the purpose of establishing demarcation lines as determining
the applicability of special navigational rules in lieu of the
International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96-324 added subsec. (b).
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96-591 and Pub. L. 96-376 made identical
amendments by striking out reference to the Canal Zone.
Pub. L. 96-324 added subsec. (c).
Transfer of Functions
For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the
Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of
Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security,
and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d),
552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of
Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified,
set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.
Termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note
set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular
Possessions.
Territorial Sea of United States
For extension of territorial sea of United States, see Proc. No.
5928, set out as a note under section 1331 of Title 43, Public Lands.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 152 of this title; title 46
section 2101.
