(a) In General.—The Secretary of Transportation may construct, reconstruct, repair, equip, and outfit, by contract or otherwise, vessels or parts thereof, for any other department or agency of the United States Government to the extent the other department or agency is authorized by law to do so for its own account.
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Terms Used In 46 USC 57107
- Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
(b) Effect on Contract Authorization.—An obligation incurred or expenditure made by the Secretary under this section does not affect any contract authorization of the Secretary, but instead shall be charged against the existing appropriation or contract authorization of the department or agency.
(c) Salvaging Cargoes.—
(1) Reimbursable agreements.—The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the Maritime Administration, may enter into reimbursable agreements with other Federal entities to provide legal services to such entities relating to the salvaging of cargoes for which such entities have custody, or control, or for which for such entities have trustee responsibilities from vessels in the custody or control of the Maritime Administration or its predecessor agencies. The Secretary may receive and retain reimbursement from such entities for all costs incurred related to the provision of such services.
(2) Amounts received.—Amounts received as reimbursements under this subsection shall be credited to the fund or account that was used to cover the costs incurred by the Secretary or, if the period of availability of obligations for that appropriation has expired, to the appropriation of funds that is currently available to the Secretary for substantially the same purpose. Amounts so credited shall be merged with amounts in such fund or account and shall be available for the same purposes, and subject to the same conditions and limitations, as amounts in such fund or account.
(3) Advance payments.—Payments made in advance shall be for any part of the estimated cost as determined by the Secretary of Transportation. Adjustments to the amounts paid in advance shall be made as agreed to by the Secretary of Transportation and the head of the ordering agency or unit based on the actual cost of goods or services provided.
