Us Code § 2304 - Duty to provide assistance at sea
Full text of Us Code United States Code § 2304 — Duty to provide assistance at sea, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.
§ 2304. Duty to provide assistance at sea
(a)(1) A master or individual in charge of a vessel shall render assistance to any individual found at sea in danger of being lost, so far as the master or individual in charge can do so without serious danger to the master's or individual's vessel or individuals on board.
(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a vessel of war or a vessel owned by the United States Government appropriated only to a public service.
(b) A master or individual violating this section shall be fined not more than $1,000, imprisoned for not more than 2 years, or both.
(Pub. L. 98–89, Aug. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 509; Pub. L. 109–304, §15(8), Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1703.)
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
|---|---|
| 2304 | 46:728 |
Section 2304 requires a master or individual in charge of a vessel to render assistance to those in danger at sea if able to do so without seriously endangering the vessel or crew.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–304 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).
About This Section
46 U.S.C. § 2304 is part of Title 46 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 46 U.S.C. § 2304. 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.
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