The Secretary may order any vessel, in a port or place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States or in the navigable waters of the United States, to operate or anchor in a manner the Secretary directs if—

(1) the Secretary has reasonable cause to believe such vessel does not comply with any regulation issued under section 70034 or any other applicable law or treaty;

(2) the Secretary determines such vessel does not satisfy the conditions for port entry set forth in section 70021 or 70022 of this title; or

(3) by reason of weather, visibility, sea conditions, port congestion, other hazardous circumstances, or the condition of such vessel, the Secretary is satisfied such direction is justified in the interest of safety.

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Terms Used In 46 USC 70002

  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • vessel: includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water. See 1 USC 3