[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 46, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 46CFR42.07-35]

[Page 16]
 
                           TITLE 46--SHIPPING
 
   CHAPTER I--COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 42_DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VOYAGES BY SEA--Table of Contents
 
        Subpart 42.07_Control, Enforcement, and Rights of Appeal
 
Sec. 42.07-35  American Bureau of Shipping as an assigning authority.

    (a) The American Bureau of Shipping, with its home office at ABS 
Plaza, 16855 Northchase Drive, Houston, TX 77060, is hereby appointed as 
the prime assigning and issuing authority under the provisions of 
Articles 13 and 16(3) of the 1966 Convention and as directed by 46 
U.S.C. 5107. In this capacity the American Bureau of Shipping is 
empowered to assign load lines, to perform surveys required for load 
line assignments, and to determine that the position of and the manner 
of marking vessels has been done in accordance with applicable 
requirements.
    (b) On behalf of the United States of America, the American Bureau 
of Shipping is authorized to issue or reissue, under its own seal and 
signature of its officials, the appropriate load line certificates or 
International Load Line Exemption Certificate as described in subpart 
42.50 of this part or in parts 44 to 46, inclusive, of this subchapter. 
Except for the International Load Line Exemption Certificate, the 
required load line certificate issued to a specific vessel shall certify 
to the correctness of the load line marks assigned and marked on the 
vessel and compliance with authorized conditions, restrictions, and/or 
exemptions, if any. The International Load Line Exemption Certificate 
when issued to a vessel shall certify as to the compliance with the 
information applicable to the vessel.
    (c) The designation and delegation to the American Bureau of 
Shipping as an assigning and issuing authority shall be in effect 
indefinitely unless for due cause it shall be terminated by proper 
authority and notice of cancellation is published in the Federal 
Register.
    (d) The American Bureau of Shipping is authorized to revalidate from 
time to time by endorsement a load line certificate or an International 
Load Line Exemption Certificate.
    (e) Before revalidating any certificate by endorsement, the American 
Bureau of Shipping shall verify that the required load line marks 
assigned are marked on the vessel and the vessel is in compliance with 
authorized conditions, restrictions, and/or exemptions, if any.
    (f) The American Bureau of Shipping shall issue all load line 
certificates in duplicate; one copy shall be delivered to the owner or 
master of the vessel, and one copy (together with a summary of data used 
to determine the assigned load lines) shall be forwarded to the 
Commandant.
    (g) The American Bureau of Shipping shall prepare a load line survey 
report on each new vessel or existing vessel when brought into complete 
compliance with this part prior to issuing the required load line 
certificate described in subpart 42.50 of this part. At the time the 
certificate is delivered, one copy of this report shall be delivered to 
the master of the vessel, and one copy shall be forwarded to the 
Commandant. When a load line survey report is superseded or revised, one 
copy shall be delivered to the master of the vessel, and one copy shall 
be forwarded to the Commandant.
    (h) The load line survey report or stability information furnished 
to a specific vessel shall include a statement of the locations of all 
watertight subdivision bulkheads, including steps or recesses therein, 
which may be involved in the vessel's load line assignment.

[CGFR 68-60, 33 FR 10053, July 12, 1968, as amended by CGFR 68-126, 34 
FR 9012, June 5, 1969; CGD 80-143, 47 FR 25149, June 10, 1982; CGD 96-
041, 61 FR 50727, Sept. 27, 1996; USCG-1998-4442, 63 FR 52190, Sept. 30, 
1998; USCG-2000-7790, 65 FR 58459, Sept. 29, 2000]