The Secretary of Transportation may delegate to an agency, a State, or a qualified person the authority to—
(1) establish and maintain the vessel identification system; and
(2) charge fees under section 12505 of this title to a person making information available to or requesting information from the vessel identification system.
(Added Pub. L. 100–710, title I, § 101(a), Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4737.)