Us Code § 1441 - Special use permits
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 1441 — Special use permits, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 1441. Special use permits
(a) Issuance of permits
The Secretary may issue special use permits which authorize the conduct of specific activities in a national marine sanctuary if the Secretary determines such authorization is necessary—
(1) to establish conditions of access to and use of any sanctuary resource; or
(2) to promote public use and understanding of a sanctuary resource.
(b) Public notice required
The Secretary shall provide appropriate public notice before identifying any category of activity subject to a special use permit under subsection (a).
(c) Permit terms
A permit issued under this section—
(1) shall authorize the conduct of an activity only if that activity is compatible with the purposes for which the sanctuary is designated and with protection of sanctuary resources;
(2) shall not authorize the conduct of any activity for a period of more than 5 years unless renewed by the Secretary;
(3) shall require that activities carried out under the permit be conducted in a manner that does not destroy, cause the loss of, or injure sanctuary resources; and
(4) shall require the permittee to purchase and maintain comprehensive general liability insurance, or post an equivalent bond, against claims arising out of activities conducted under the permit and to agree to hold the United States harmless against such claims.
(d) Fees
(1) Assessment and collection
The Secretary may assess and collect fees for the conduct of any activity under a permit issued under this section.
(2) Amount
The amount of a fee under this subsection shall be equal to the sum of—
(A) costs incurred, or expected to be incurred, by the Secretary in issuing the permit;
(B) costs incurred, or expected to be incurred, by the Secretary as a direct result of the conduct of the activity for which the permit is issued, including costs of monitoring the conduct of the activity; and
(C) an amount which represents the fair market value of the use of the sanctuary resource.
(3) Use of fees
Amounts collected by the Secretary in the form of fees under this section may be used by the Secretary—
(A) for issuing and administering permits under this section; and
(B) for expenses of managing national marine sanctuaries.
(4) Waiver or reduction of fees
The Secretary may accept in-kind contributions in lieu of a fee under paragraph (2)(C), or waive or reduce any fee assessed under this subsection for any activity that does not derive profit from the access to or use of sanctuary resources.
(e) Violations
Upon violation of a term or condition of a permit issued under this section, the Secretary may—
(1) suspend or revoke the permit without compensation to the permittee and without liability to the United States;
(2) assess a civil penalty in accordance with section 1437 of this title; or
(3) both.
(f) Reports
Each person issued a permit under this section shall submit an annual report to the Secretary not later than December 31 of each year which describes activities conducted under that permit and revenues derived from such activities during the year.
(g) Fishing
Nothing in this section shall be considered to require a person to obtain a permit under this section for the conduct of any fishing activities in a national marine sanctuary.
(Pub. L. 92–532, title III, §310, as added Pub. L. 100–627, title II, §203(3), Nov. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 3214; amended Pub. L. 106–513, §11, Nov. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 2389.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2000—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–513, §11(1), added subsec. (b). Former subsec. (b) redesignated (c).
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 106–513, §11(1), (2), redesignated subsec. (b) as (c) and substituted "insurance, or post an equivalent bond," for "insurance" in par. (4). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d).
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 106–513, §11(1), redesignated subsec. (c) as (d). Former subsec. (d) redesignated (e).
Subsec. (d)(2)(C). Pub. L. 106–513, §11(3), substituted "resource." for "resource and a reasonable return to the United States Government."
Subsec. (d)(3)(B). Pub. L. 106–513, §11(4), struck out "designating and" after "expenses of".
Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 106–513, §11(5), added par. (4).
Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 106–513, §11(1), redesignated subsecs. (d) to (f) as (e) to (g), respectively.
About This Section
16 U.S.C. § 1441 is part of Title 16 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.
This section may be cited in legal writing as 16 U.S.C. § 1441. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.
How to Read This Statute
Statutes are organized by title, chapter, section, and subsection. Pay attention to words like "shall," "may," "and," and "or," because they determine whether a requirement is mandatory or permissive and whether multiple conditions must all be met. Historical notes and amendments often appear at the end of a section.
Using This Page
This page is intended for research and educational use. Lawyers, students, journalists, and compliance professionals can use it as a starting point, but should always verify the current text through an official government source before relying on it for legal advice, filings, or compliance decisions.