GENERAL NOTE TO U.S. CODE SECTIONS

Most sections of the U.S. Code to be affected by the draft revision have already been extensively modified by two Reorganization Plans, 3-46 and 26-50.

Briefly, Reorganization Plan 3-46, insofar as the laws included in this compilation are concerned, transferred functions of officers of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, and of the Secretary of Commerce relative to that Bureau, to the person of the Commandant of the Coast Guard.

Reorganization Plan 26-50 affected this by transferring these functions to the Secretary of the Treasury, except when the Coast Guard operates as part of the Navy.

The Department of Transportation Act (80 Stat. 931) established the Department of Transportation on April 1, 1967 and "transferred to and vested in the Secretary (of Transportation) all functions, powers, and duties, relating to the Coast Guard, of the Secretary of the Treasury."

The draft revision is designed to reflect these changes, and to vest. all authority in "the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating."

The Department of Transportation Act also transferred responsibility for the administration of the Great Lakes Pilotage Act of 1960 (74 Stat. 259; 46 U.S.C. 216 et seq.) from the Secretary of Commerce to the Secretary of Transportation who now administers its provisions through the Coast Guard. Chapter XV of the draft revision accomodates this transfer.

While the preparation of this draft revision was in its final stages and just prior to the effective date for the establishment of the Department of Transportation, the Secretary of the Treasury transferred from the Collector of Customs to the Commandant of the Coast Guard responsibility for performing the marine functions of vessel measurement; documentation of vessels; publication of the register of merchant vessels of the United States; registration of private signals, funnel marks and house flags; and recording of vessel mortgages and conveyances. The existing provisions of law relating to vessel measurement have been incorporated in the draft revision as chapter XVI. The existing provisions of law pertaining to the other transferred functions are not so neatly severable from provisions pertaining to functions still performed by the Collector of Customs. All of these provisions have been included in the companion draft proposal prepared by the Bureau of Customs prior to the transfer (Proposed Navigation Act of 1967). Adjustment of the terminology in that proposal would be necessary to accomodate the transferred functions not covered by this draft revision.