(a) Proposals by United States.—The Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, may propose amendments to the Convention or request a conference for amending the Convention as provided in article IX of the Convention.
Terms Used In 46 USC 80508
- Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
- Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
- State: means a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. See 1 USC 7
(b) Proposals by Other Countries.—An amendment communicated to the United States under article IX(2) of the Convention may be accepted for the United States by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. The President may declare that the United States does not accept an amendment.
(c) Amendments to Annexes.—
(1) In general.—The Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating—
(A) may propose amendments to the annexes to the Convention;
(B) may propose a conference for amending annexes to the Convention; and
(C) shall consider and act on amendments to the annexes to the Convention adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization and communicated to the United States under article X(2) of the Convention.
(2) Action following approval or objection.—If a proposed amendment to an annex is approved by the United States, the amendment shall enter into force as provided in article X of the Convention. If a proposed amendment is objected to, the Secretary of State promptly shall communicate the objection as provided in article X(3) of the Convention.
(d) Appointment of Arbitrator.—The Secretary of State, with the concurrence of the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, shall appoint an arbitrator when one is required to resolve a dispute within the meaning of article XIII of the Convention.
