33 USC CHAPTER 12, SUBCHAPTER V: PROSECUTION OF WORK GENERALLY
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33 USC CHAPTER 12, SUBCHAPTER V: PROSECUTION OF WORK GENERALLY
From Title 33—NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERSCHAPTER 12—RIVER AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS GENERALLY

SUBCHAPTER V—PROSECUTION OF WORK GENERALLY

§621. By what methods river and harbor work may be authorized to be prosecuted

Any public work on canals, rivers, and harbors adopted by Congress may be prosecuted by direct appropriations, by continuing contracts, or by both direct appropriations and continuing contracts.

(Sept. 22, 1922, ch. 427, §10, 42 Stat. 1043.)


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1922.

§622. Contracts, etc., with private industry for implementation of projects for improvements and dredging; reduction of federally owned fleet

(a) Contracts for dredging and related work

The Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers (hereinafter referred to as the "Secretary"), in carrying out projects for improvement of rivers and harbors (other than surveys, estimates, and gagings) shall, by contract or otherwise, carry out such work in the manner most economical and advantageous to the United States. The Secretary shall have dredging and related work done by contract if he determines private industry has the capability to do such work and it can be done at reasonable prices and in a timely manner. During the four-year period which begins on April 26, 1978, the Secretary may limit the application of the second sentence of this subsection for work for which the federally owned fleet is available to achieve an orderly transition to full implementation of this subsection.

(b) Reduction of federally owned fleet

As private industry reasonably demonstrates its capability under subsection (a) to perform the work done by the federally owned fleet, at reasonable prices and in a timely manner, the federally owned fleet shall be reduced in an orderly manner, as determined by the Secretary, by retirement of plant. To carry out emergency and national defense work the Secretary shall retain only the minimum federally owned fleet capable of performing such work and he may exempt from the provisions of this section such amount of work as he determines to be reasonably necessary to keep such fleet fully operational, as determined by the Secretary, after the minimum fleet requirements have been determined. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, in carrying out the reduction of the federally owned fleet, the Secretary may retain so much of the federally owned fleet as he determines necessary, for so long as he determines necessary, to insure the capability of the Federal Government and private industry together to carry out projects for improvements of rivers and harbors. For the purpose of making the determination required by the preceding sentence the Secretary shall not exempt any work from the requirements of this section. The minimum federally owned fleet shall be maintained to technologically modern and efficient standards, including replacement as necessary. The Secretary is authorized and directed to undertake a study to determine the minimum federally owned fleet required to perform emergency and national defense work. The study, which shall be submitted to Congress within two years after April 26, 1978, shall also include preservation of employee rights of persons presently employed on the existing federally owned fleet.

(c) Program to increase use of private hopper dredges

(1) Initiation

The Secretary shall initiate a program to increase the use of private-industry hopper dredges for the construction and maintenance of Federal navigation channels.

(2) Ready reserve status for hopper dredge Wheeler

In order to carry out this subsection, the Secretary shall place the Federal hopper dredge Wheeler in a ready reserve status not later than the earlier of 90 days after the date of completion of the rehabilitation of the hopper dredge McFarland pursuant to section 563 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996 or October 1, 1997.

(3) Testing and use of ready reserve hopper dredge

The Secretary may periodically perform routine tests of the equipment of the vessel placed in a ready reserve status under paragraph (2) to ensure the vessel's ability to perform emergency work. The Secretary shall not assign any scheduled hopper dredging work to such vessel but shall perform any repairs needed to maintain the vessel in a fully operational condition. The Secretary may place the vessel in active status in order to perform any dredging work only if the Secretary determines that private industry has failed to submit a responsive and responsible bid for work advertised by the Secretary or to carry out the project as required pursuant to a contract with the Secretary.

(4) Repair and rehabilitation

The Secretary may undertake any repair and rehabilitation of any Federal hopper dredge, including the vessel placed in ready reserve status under paragraph (2) to allow the vessel to be placed in active status as provided in paragraph (3).

(5) Procedures

The Secretary shall develop and implement procedures to ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable, private industry hopper dredge capacity is available to meet both routine and time-sensitive dredging needs. Such procedures shall include—

(A) scheduling of contract solicitations to effectively distribute dredging work throughout the dredging season; and

(B) use of expedited contracting procedures to allow dredges performing routine work to be made available to meet time-sensitive, urgent, or emergency dredging needs.

(6) Report

Not later than 2 years after October 12, 1996, the Secretary shall report to Congress on whether the vessel placed in ready reserve status under paragraph (2) is needed to be returned to active status or continued in a ready reserve status or whether another Federal hopper dredge should be placed in a ready reserve status.

(7) Limitations

(A) Reductions in status

The Secretary may not further reduce the readiness status of any Federal hopper dredge below a ready reserve status except any vessel placed in such status for not less than 5 years that the Secretary determines has not been used sufficiently to justify retaining the vessel in such status.

(B) Increase in assignments of dredging work

For each fiscal year beginning after October 12, 1996, the Secretary shall not assign any greater quantity of dredging work to any Federal hopper dredge in active status than was assigned to that vessel in the average of the 3 prior fiscal years. This subparagraph shall not apply to the Federal hopper dredges Essayons and Yaquina of the Corps of Engineers.

(C) Remaining dredges

In carrying out the program under this section, the Secretary shall not reduce the availability and utilization of Federal hopper dredge vessels stationed on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts below that which occurred in fiscal year 1996 to meet the navigation dredging needs of the ports on those coasts.

(8) Contracts; payment of capital costs

The Secretary may enter into a contract for the maintenance and crewing of any Federal hopper dredge retained in a ready reserve status. The capital costs (including depreciation costs) of any dredge retained in such status shall be paid for out of funds made available from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and shall not be charged against the Corps of Engineers' Revolving Fund Account or any individual project cost unless the dredge is specifically used in connection with that project.

(Aug. 11, 1888, ch. 860, §3, 25 Stat. 423; July 25, 1912, ch. 253, §1, 37 Stat. 222; Mar. 2, 1919, ch. 95, §3, 40 Stat. 1287; Pub. L. 95–269, §1, Apr. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 218; Pub. L. 104–303, title II, §237, Oct. 12, 1996, 110 Stat. 3705; Pub. L. 110–114, title II, §2047(b), Nov. 8, 2007, 121 Stat. 1106.)


Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 563 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1996, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), is section 563 of Pub. L. 104–303, Oct. 12, 1996, 110 Stat. 3784, which is not classified to the Code.

Codification

Prior to the general amendment by Pub. L. 95–269, this section was a composite of several Acts as follows:

The first sentence was from a part of section 3 of Act of Aug. 11, 1888, the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1888. The remainder of section 3 was classified to section 623 of this title.

The second sentence, which provided that all improvement works authorized by contract may, in the discretion of the Secretary of War [now Army], be carried on by contract or otherwise, as may be most economical or advantageous to the United States, was from section 1 of the Act of July 25, 1912, the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1912. Previous similar provisions were contained in Acts Mar. 2, 1907, ch. 2509, §1, 34 Stat. 1110; Feb. 27, 1911, ch. 166, §1, 36 Stat. 952.

The third sentence, which provided that in all cases where the project for a work of river or harbor improvement provides for the construction or use of Government dredging plant, the Secretary of War [now Army] may, in his discretion, have the work done by contract if reasonable prices can be obtained, was from section 3 of the Act of Mar. 2, 1919, the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1919, which superseded a somewhat similar provision in section 3 of the Act of Aug. 8, 1917, ch. 49, 40 Stat. 261. Section 1 of the 1917 Act, 40 Stat. 255, provided in part that "the work proposed under the project adopted by the river and harbor Act approved July twenty-fifth, nineteen hundred and twelve, may be done by contract if reasonable prices can be obtained".

Amendments

2007—Subsec. (c)(7)(B). Pub. L. 110–114 inserted "This subparagraph shall not apply to the Federal hopper dredges Essayons and Yaquina of the Corps of Engineers." at end.

1996—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–303 added subsec. (c).

1978Pub. L. 95–269 designated existing provision as subsec. (a), substituted provisions relating to authority of Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, to implement improvement projects by contract or otherwise and dredging and related work by contract with private industry, for provisions relating to authority of the Secretary of the Army to apply moneys appropriated for improvements by contract or otherwise and for construction or use of a Government dredging plant by contract, and added subsec. (b).

§623. Repealed. Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 654, §1(57), 65 Stat. 703

Section, act Aug. 11, 1888, ch. 860, §3, 25 Stat. 423, related to letting of contracts to lowest responsible bidder.

§624. Limitation on improvement work by private contract

(a) Determinations respecting comparison of private contract price with estimation of cost of performance of work by Government plant or by well-equipped contractor

No works of river and harbor improvement shall be done by private contract—

(1) if the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, determines that Government plant is reasonably available to perform the subject work and the contract price for doing the work is more than 25 per centum in excess of the estimated comparable cost of doing the work by Government plant; or

(2) in any other circumstance where the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, determines that the contract price is more than 25 per centum in excess of what he determines to be a fair and reasonable estimated cost of a well-equipped contractor doing the work.

(b) Considerations involved in determinations of estimation of cost of performance of work by Government plant

In estimating the comparable cost of doing the work under subsection (a)(1) by Government plant the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers shall, in addition to the cost of labor and materials, take into account proper charges for depreciation of plant, all supervising and overhead expenses, interest on the capital invested in the Government plant (but the rate of interest shall not exceed the maximum prevailing rate being paid by the United States on current issues of bonds or other evidences of indebtedness) and such other Government expenses and charges as the Chief of Engineers determines to be appropriate.

(c) Considerations involved in determinations of estimation of cost of performance of work by well-equipped contractor

In determining a fair and reasonable estimated cost of doing work by private contract under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, shall, in addition to the cost of labor and materials, take into account proper charges for depreciation of plant, all expenses for supervision, overhead, workmen's compensation, general liability insurance, taxes (State and local), interest on capital invested in plant, and such other expenses and charges the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, determines to be appropriate.

(Mar. 2, 1919, ch. 95, §8, 40 Stat. 1290; Pub. L. 95–269, §2, Apr. 26, 1978, 92 Stat. 219.)


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1919.

Amendments

1978Pub. L. 95–269 designated existing provision as subsec. (a), substituted provisions relating to determinations by the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, respecting contract prices for performance of works of river and harbor improvement by a Government plant or by a well-equipped contractor as a limitation on performance of the work by private contract, for provisions relating to limitation on use of funds for works of river and harbor improvement pursuant to private contract based on estimation of cost for performance of work by Government plant and factors constituting cost estimation, and added subsecs. (b) and (c).


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Compensation for Increased Costs

Provision for payment to contractors to compensate for loss occasioned by increased cost of materials during the war with Germany was made by section 10 of act Mar. 2, 1919, and act June 5, 1920, ch. 252, §5, 41 Stat. 1014.

Repeal of Limitation on Costs

A provision for limitation on the costs of projects made by section 1 of act Mar. 2, 1919, was repealed by act June 5, 1920, ch. 252, §3, 41 Stat. 1013.

§625. Repealed. Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 654, §1(58), 65 Stat. 703

Section, acts Sept. 19, 1890, ch. 907, §2, 26 Stat. 452; July 25, 1912, ch. 253, §8, 37 Stat. 233, related to combining several projects in one contract.

§626. Prosecution of work when appropriation insufficient

Whenever the appropriations made, or authorized to be made, for the completion of any river and harbor work shall prove insufficient therefor, the Secretary of the Army may, in his discretion, on the recommendation of the Chief of Engineers, apply the funds so appropriated or authorized to the prosecution of such work.

(July 25, 1912, ch. 253, §8, 37 Stat. 233; July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, §205(a), 61 Stat. 501.)


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from part of section 8 of the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1912. The omitted part of such section 8 was set out in section 625 of this title.


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. Section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. Section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted "Title 10, Armed Forces" which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.

Similar Provisions

A similar provision was contained in act Mar. 2, 1907, ch. 2509, §1, 34 Stat. 1073.

§627. Application of appropriation when separate works are included therein

Where separate works or items are consolidated in River and Harbor Acts and an aggregate amount is appropriated therefor, any balances remaining to the credit of the separate works or items may be transferred to the credit of the corresponding aggregate amounts appropriated for the consolidated items, and the amounts appropriated or transferred shall, unless otherwise expressed, be expended in securing maintenance and improvement according to the respective projects adopted by Congress, after giving due regard to the respective needs of traffic. The allotments to the respective works consolidated shall be made by the Secretary of the Army upon recommendations by the Chief of Engineers. In case such works or items are consolidated and separate amounts are given with each project, the amounts so named shall be expended upon such separate projects unless, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Army, another allotment or division should be made of the same. Any balances remaining to the credit of the consolidated items shall be carried to the credit of the respective aggregate amounts appropriated for the consolidated items.

(Mar. 4, 1915, ch. 142, §3, 38 Stat. 1052; July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, §205(a), 61 Stat. 501.)


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1915.

Prior Provisions

Section 3 of act Mar. 4, 1915, superseded act Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 144, §7, 37 Stat. 827, which read as follows:

"Where separate works or items are consolidated in this or subsequent river and harbor Acts and an aggregate amount is appropriated therefor the amounts appropriated shall, unless otherwise expressed, be expended in securing maintenance and improvement according to the respective projects adopted by Congress, after giving due regard to the respective needs of traffic. The allotments to the respective works consolidated shall be made by the Secretary of War upon recommendations by the Chief of Engineers. In case such works or items are consolidated and separate amounts are given with each project, the amounts so named shall be expended upon such separate projects unless, in the discretion of the Secretary of War, another allotment or division should be made of the same. Any balances remaining to the credit of the consolidated items shall be carried to the credit of the respective aggregate amounts appropriated for the consolidated items."


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. Section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. Section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted "Title 10, Armed Forces" which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.

Similar Provisions

The Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act, Mar. 2, 1919, ch. 95, §2, 40 Stat. 1287, contained the following provision: "Where separate works or items are consolidated herein and an aggregate amount is appropriated therefor, the amount so appropriated shall, unless otherwise expressed, be expended in securing the maintenance and improvement according to the respective projects adopted by Congress after giving due regard to the respective needs of traffic. The allotments to the respective works so consolidated shall be made by the Chief of Engineers as authorized by the Secretary of War. In case such works or items are consolidated and separate amounts are given to individual projects the amounts so named shall be expended upon such separate projects. Any balances remaining to the credit of the consolidated items shall be carried to the credit of the respective aggregate amounts appropriated for the consolidated items."

Similar provisions were contained in act July 18, 1918, ch. 155, §2, 40 Stat. 910.

§628. Expenditure for dredging within harbor lines

No money appropriated for the improvement of rivers and harbors shall be expended for dredging inside of harbor lines duly established.

(July 13, 1892, ch. 158, §5, 27 Stat. 111.)


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1892.

§629. Contract for hire of dredging plant

Whenever it shall become, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Army, necessary or desirable to hire a dredging plant or plants for the performance of any of the public work carried on under his direction the said Secretary may, in his discretion, agree for the same, either in the manner customary on March 2, 1907, or on the basis of an equitable reimbursement for deterioration of plant when in use by the Government, and a reasonable percentage of the total cost of the work.

(Mar. 2, 1907, ch. 2509, §5, 34 Stat. 1119; July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, §205(a), 61 Stat. 501.)


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1907.

The part of the original text omitted here repealed act Apr. 28, 1904, ch. 1761, §4, 33 Stat. 452.


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. Section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. Section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted "Title 10, Armed Forces" which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.

§630. Limitation on expenditure for purchase of dredges

No money authorized to be expended for the acquirement of any dredge or dredges shall be so expended for the purchase of any dredge or dredges from private contractors, which at the time of the proposed purchase can be manufactured at any navy yard or other government-owned factory for a sum less than it can be purchased for from such private contractor.

(Sept. 22, 1922, ch. 427, §5, 42 Stat. 1042.)


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from part of section 5 of the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act for 1922.

The omitted portion of that section authorized the construction of six seagoing hopper dredges and limited the cost of each to $750,000.

§631. Transfer of property between projects

The Secretary of the Army may direct a temporary transfer of any property employed in the improvement of rivers and harbors whenever, in his judgment, such transfer would secure efficient or economical results, and such adjustment in the way of charges and credits shall be made between the projects affected as may be equitable.

(June 13, 1902, ch. 1079, §5, 32 Stat. 373; July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, §205(a), 61 Stat. 501.)


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from part of section 5 of the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1902.

The omitted part of that section is set out as section 558 of this title.


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. Section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. Section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted "Title 10, Armed Forces" which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.

§632. Omitted


Editorial Notes

Codification

Section, act June 25, 1910, ch. 382, §5, 36 Stat. 676, provided that the requirements of R.S. §3744, section 16 of former Title 41, Public Contracts, should not apply to the lease of certain property or hire of vessels for use in connection with river and harbor improvements where the period of the lease or hire did not exceed three months. R.S. §3744, which required contracts by the Secretaries of War, Navy, and Interior to be in writing and filed in the returns office of the Interior Department, was repealed by act Oct. 21, 1941, ch. 452, 55 Stat. 743.

§633. Protection, alteration, reconstruction, relocation, or replacement of structures and facilities; contract standards; reasonable costs

Whenever, during the construction or reconstruction of any navigation, flood control, or related water development project under the direction of the Secretary of the Army, the Chief of Engineers determines that any structure or facility owned by an agency of government and utilized in the performance of a governmental function should be protected, altered, reconstructed, relocated, or replaced to meet the requirements of navigation or flood control, or both; or to preserve the safety or integrity of such facility when its safety or usefulness is determined by the Chief of Engineers to be adversely affected or threatened by the project, the Chief of Engineers may, if he deems such action to be in the public interest, enter into a contract providing for (1) the payment from appropriations made for the construction or maintenance of such project, of the reasonable cost of replacing, relocating, or reconstructing such facility to such standard as he deems reasonable but not to exceed the minimum standard of the State or political subdivision for the same type of facility involved, except that if the existing facility exceeds the minimum standard of the State or political subdivision, the Chief of Engineers may provide a facility of comparable standard, or (2) the payment of a lump sum representing the estimated reasonable cost thereof. This section shall not be construed as modifying any existing or future requirement of local cooperation, or as indicating a policy that local interests shall not hereafter be required to assume costs of modifying such facilities. The provisions of this section may be applied to projects hereafter authorized and to those heretofore authorized but not completed as of July 3, 1958, and notwithstanding the navigation servitude vested in the United States, they may be applied to such structures or facilities occupying the beds of navigable waters of the United States.

(Pub. L. 85–500, title I, §111, July 3, 1958, 72 Stat. 303; Pub. L. 89–298, title III, §309, Oct. 27, 1965, 79 Stat. 1094.)


Editorial Notes

Amendments

1965Pub. L. 89–298 provided for payment of the reasonable cost of replacing, relocating, or reconstructing the facility to a reasonable standard, not exceeding minimum standard of State or political subdivision for same type of facility involved, except that if the existing facility exceeds the minimum standard of the State or political subdivision, the Chief of Engineers may provide a facility of comparable standard, in provision designated as clause (1), eliminated former provision for payment of reasonable actual cost of the remedial work, and designated existing provisions as clause (2).

§634. Assistance relating to water supply

The Secretary may provide assistance to municipalities the water supply of which is adversely affected by construction carried out by the Corps of Engineers.

(Pub. L. 115–270, title I, §1114, Oct. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 3776.)


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

"Secretary" Defined

Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 102 of Pub. L. 115–270, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.

§635. Coast Guard anchorages

The Secretary may perform dredging at Federal expense within and adjacent to anchorages established by the Coast Guard pursuant to existing authorities.

(Pub. L. 116–260, div. AA, title I, §106, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2623.)


Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

"Secretary" Defined

Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 2 of div. AA of Pub. L. 116–260, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.