U.S. Code > Appendix to Title 46 > CHAPTER 34—SAFE CONTAINERS FOR INTERNATIONAL CARGO (§§ 1501—1507) > § 1503. Duties of Secretary of Transportation

§ 1503. Duties of Secretary of Transportation

(a) Enforcement
On and after the date the instrument of ratification is deposited by the United States in accordance with the provisions of article VII of the Convention, the Secretary shall enforce and carry out the provisions of the Convention, and, unless an earlier date is specifically provided, the provisions of this chapter, in the United States.
(b) Regulations
The Secretary shall, as soon as practicable after December 13, 1977, promulgate, and from time to time, amend, those regulations he deems necessary for such enforcement. Such regulations, among other things, shall—
(1) establish procedures for the testing, inspection, and initial approval of existing and new containers and of designs for new containers, including procedures relating to the affixing, invalidating, and removal of safety approval plates for containers;
(2) establish procedures to be followed by owners of containers relating to the periodic examination of containers, as provided in the Convention; and
(3) provide a method for developing, collecting, and disseminating data concerning container safety and the international transport of containers.
(c) Affixation of approval plate; delegation of authority; fees
At any time after December 13, 1977, the Secretary may—
(1) authorize the affixation of a safety approval plate to any container which, after examination, is found not to have a safety approval plate attached to it and which the owner has established meets the standards of the Convention;
(2) delegate and withdraw the delegation of authority to initially approve existing and new containers and designs for new containers, and to authorize the affixing of safety approval plates; and
(3) establish a schedule of fees to be charged and collected for services performed by the Secretary, or under authority delegated by the Secretary, relating to the testing, inspection, and initial approval of containers and container designs.
(d) Method of delegating authority
Those delegations made under subsection (c)(2) of this section may be made to any person, including any public or private agency or nonprofit organization. The Secretary [1] before making any delegation under such subsection, shall promulgate regulations relating to—
(1) the criteria to be followed in selecting a person, public or private agency, or nonprofit organization as a recipient of delegated functions under such subsection;
(2) the manner in which such recipient shall carry out such delegated functions, including the records such recipient must keep, and a detailed description of the exact functions such recipient may exercise; and
(3) the review that will be carried out by the Secretary to determine that any recipient of delegated functions is performing properly the functions so delegated.
No recipient of authority delegated under such subsection may assess or collect, or attempt to assess or collect, any penalty for violation of any provision of this chapter, the Convention, or any order of the Secretary issued under this chapter, or issue or attempt to issue any detention or other order. Any records required to be kept by regulations promulgated by the Secretary under this subsection shall be available to the Secretary, for inspection, upon request. The name and address of the recipient, if other than the owner, together with the functions so delegated and the period of designation, shall be published in the Federal Register and otherwise publicized as appropriate.
(e) Intermodal transport
The Secretary shall, to the maximum possible extent, encourage the development and use of intermodal transport, using containers constructed to facilitate economical, safe, and expeditious handling of containerized cargo without intermediate reloading while such cargo is in transport over land, air, and sea areas.

[1] So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma.