The Maritime Administration is an administration in the Department of Transportation. The mission of the Maritime Administration is to foster, promote, and develop the merchant maritime industry of the United States.

The head of the Maritime Administration is the Maritime Administrator, who is appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Administrator shall report directly to the Secretary of Transportation and carry out the duties prescribed by the Secretary.

The Maritime Administration shall have a Deputy Maritime Administrator, who is appointed in the competitive service by the Secretary, after consultation with the Administrator. The Deputy Administrator shall carry out the duties prescribed by the Administrator. The Deputy Administrator shall be Acting Administrator during the absence or disability of the Administrator and, unless the Secretary designates another individual, during a vacancy in the office of Administrator.

All duties and powers of the Maritime Administration are vested in the Secretary.

The Maritime Administration shall have regional offices for the Atlantic, Gulf, Great Lakes, and Pacific port ranges, and may have other regional offices as necessary. The Secretary shall appoint a qualified individual as Director of each regional office. The Secretary shall carry out appropriate activities and programs of the Maritime Administration through the regional offices.

The Secretary shall establish and maintain liaison with other agencies, and with representative trade organizations throughout the United States, concerned with the transportation of commodities by water in the export and import foreign commerce of the United States, for the purpose of securing preference to vessels of the United States for the transportation of those commodities.

To assist the Secretary in carrying out duties and powers relating to the Maritime Administration, not more than five officers of the armed forces may be detailed to the Secretary at any one time, in addition to details authorized by any other law. During the period of a detail, the Secretary shall pay the officer an amount that, when added to the officer’s pay and allowances as an officer in the armed forces, makes the officer’s total pay and allowances equal to the amount that would be paid to an individual performing work the Secretary considers to be of similar importance, difficulty, and responsibility as that performed by the officer during the detail.

In the same manner that a private corporation may make a contract within the scope of its authority under its charter, the Secretary may make contracts and cooperative agreements for the United States Government and disburse amounts to—

In the same manner that a private corporation may make a contract within the scope of its authority under its charter, the Secretary may make contracts and cooperative agreements for the United States Government and disburse amounts to—

(A) carry out the Secretary’s duties and powers under this section, subtitle V of title 46, and all other Maritime Administration programs; and

(B) protect, preserve, and improve collateral held by the Secretary to secure indebtedness.

(2) Audits.— The financial transactions of the Secretary under paragraph (1) shall be audited by the Comptroller General. The Comptroller General shall allow credit for an expenditure shown to be necessary because of the nature of the business activities authorized by this section or subtitle V of title 46. At least once a year, the Comptroller General shall report to Congress any departure by the Secretary from this section or subtitle V of title 46.

Except as otherwise provided by law, the administrative and related expenses for the administration of any grant programs by the Maritime Administrator may not exceed 3 percent.

Only those amounts specifically authorized by law may be appropriated for the use of the Maritime Administration for—

(1) In general.— Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, there are authorized to be appropriated such amounts as may be necessary to carry out the duties and powers of the Secretary relating to the Maritime Administration.

Only those amounts specifically authorized by law may be appropriated for the use of the Maritime Administration for—

(A) acquisition, construction, or reconstruction of vessels;

(B) construction-differential subsidies incident to the construction, reconstruction, or reconditioning of vessels;

(C) costs of national defense features;

(D) payments of obligations incurred for operating-differential subsidies;

(E) expenses necessary for research and development activities, including reimbursement of the Vessel Operations Revolving Fund for losses resulting from expenses of experimental vessel operations;

(F) the Vessel Operations Revolving Fund;

(G) National Defense Reserve Fleet expenses;

(H) expenses necessary to carry out part B of subtitle V of title 46; and

(I) other operations and training expenses related to the development of waterborne transportation systems, the use of waterborne transportation systems, and general administration.

(Pub. L. 97–449, § 1(b), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2417; Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(m)(5), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1375; Pub. L. 109–304, § 12, Oct. 6, 2006, 120 Stat. 1698; Pub. L. 111–84, div. C, title XXXV, § 3508, Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2721; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1075(d)(26), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4374; Pub. L. 112–213, title IV, § 409, Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1572; Pub. L. 114–328, div. C, title XXXV, § 3505(g), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2776.)