Executive Order 9083—Redistribution of Maritime Functions

By virtue of the authority vested in me by Title I of the First War Powers Act, 1941, approved December 18, 1941, and in order to expedite the prosecution of the war effort, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Transfer of Functions of Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation

As provided in Sections 2 and 3 of this order, there are transferred to the Bureau of Customs and the United States Coast Guard all functions of: the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, the office of the director thereof, the offices of supervising inspectors, principal traveling inspectors, traveling inspectors, local inspectors, assistant inspectors, shipping commissioners, deputy shipping commissioners, and the Board of Supervising Inspectors, the Boards of Local Inspectors, the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, the Marine Boards, and those functions of the Secretary of Commerce which pertain thereto.

Section 2. Functions Transferred to Bureau of Customs

Those functions of the Bureau, Offices and Boards specified in Section 1, and of the Secretary of Commerce, pertaining to registry, enrollment, and licensing of vessels, including the issuance of commissions to yachts, the assignment of signal letters, and the preparation of all reports and publications in connection therewith: measurement of vessels, administration of tonnage duties, and collection of tolls; entrance and clearance of vessels and aircraft, regulation of vessels in the coasting and fishing trades, and limitation of the use of foreign vessels in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States; recording of sales, conveyances, and mortgages of vessels; protection of steerage passengers; all other functions of such Bureau, Offices and Boards which are now performed by the Bureau of Customs on behalf thereof; and the power to remit and mitigate fines, penalties and forfeitures incurred under the laws governing these functions, are transferred to the Commissioner of Customs, to be exercised by him under the direction and supervision of the Secretary of the Treasury.

Section 3. Functions Transferred to U. S. Coast Guard

Those functions of the Bureau, Offices and Boards specified in Section 1, and of the Secretary of Commerce, pertaining to approval of plans for the construction, repair, and alteration of vessels; approval of materials, equipment, and appliances; classification of vessels; inspection of vessels and their equipment and appliances; issuance of certificates of inspection, and of permits indicating the approval of vessels for operations which may be hazardous to life or property; administration of load line requirements; enforcement of other provisions for the safety of life and property on vessels; licensing and certificating of officers, pilots, and seamen; suspension and revocation of licenses and certificates; investigation of marine casualties; enforcement of manning requirements, citizenship requirements, and requirements for the mustering and drilling of crews; control of lug books; shipment, discharge, protection, and welfare of merchant seamen; enforcement of duties of shipowners and officers after accidents: promulgation and enforcement of rules for lights, signals, speed, steering, sailing, passing, anchorage, movement, and towlines of vessels and lights and signals on bridges; numbering of undocumented vessels; prescription and enforcement of regulations for outfitting and operation of motorboats; licensing of motorboat operators; regulation of regattas and marine parades; all other functions of such Bureau, Offices and Boards which are not specified in Section 2; and all other functions of the Secretary of Commerce pertaining to shipping which are not specified in Section 2, including the remission and mitigation of fines, penalties and forfeitures incurred under the laws governing these functions and those incurred under Public Law 351 of the 77th Congress, are transferred to the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, to be exercised by him under the direction and supervision of the Secretary of the Navy.

Section 4. Transfer of Functions from Bureau of Customs

Those functions relating to the award of numbers to undocumented vessels, now vested in the Collectors of Customs, are transferred to the Commandant of the Coast Guard to be exercised by him under the direction and supervision of the Secretary of the Navy.

Section 5. Transfer of Training Functions from Maritime Commission

Those functions of the United States Maritime Commission pertaining to establishing, developing, and operating the United States Maritime Service and the cadet and cadet officer training program; the prescribing of extension and correspondence courses, including the printing, publishing, and purchasing of textbooks, equipment and supplies required for such courses; the examination, inspection, rating, and certification of civilian nautical schools; the furnishing, maintaining, and repairing of vessels for the State Marine or Nautical Schools and administering grants of funds for the support of such schools and the jurisdiction over vessels, apparel, charts, books, and instruments loaned to such schools, are transferred to the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, to be exercised by him under the direction and supervision of the Secretary of the Navy.

Section 6. Authority to Waive Navigation and Vessel Inspection Laws

The authority vested in the Secretary of Commerce by Executive Order No. 8976, December 12, 1941, to waive compliance with the navigation and vessel inspection laws is transferred to the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of the Treasury, who shall exercise such authority with respect to the functions transferred to the United States Coast Guard and the Bureau of Customs, respectively.

Section 7. Transfer of Records, Property and Personnel

All records and property (including office equipment and floating equipment) of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, the Department of Commerce, the Collectors of Customs, and the United States Maritime Commission used primarily in the administration of functions transferred by this order, and all personnel used primarily by these agencies in the administration of such functions are transferred to the respective agencies concerned, for use in the administration of the functions transferred by this order.

Section 8. Transfer of Funds

So much of the unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, or other funds available or to be made available for the use of any agency in the exercise of any function transferred by this order, or for the use of the head of any agency in the exercise of any function so transferred, as the Director of the Bureau of the Budget with the approval of the President shall determine, shall be transferred to the agency concerned for use in connection with the exercise of the function so transferred. In determining the amount to be transferred the Director of the Bureau of the Budget may include an amount to provide for the liquidation of obligations incurred against such appropriations, allocations, or other funds prior to the transfer: Provided, That the use of the unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, or other funds transferred by this order shall be restricted to the purposes for which such monies were appropriated.

Section 9. Effective and Termination Dates

This order shall become effective on March 1, 1942 and remain in force until the termination of Title I of the First War Powers Act, 1941.

FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT

The White House,
February 28, 1942.