US Code

Public Law 119-87 (04/30/2026)

48 U.S.C. § 1405c

Transfer of property to government

(a)

Property not reserved

All property which may have been acquired by the United States from Denmark in the Virgin Islands under the convention entered into , not reserved by the United States for public purposes prior to , is placed under the control of the Government of the Virgin Islands.

(b)

Applicability of United States law

Except as otherwise expressly provided, all laws of the United States for the protection and improvement of the navigable waters of the United States shall apply to the Virgin Islands.

(c)

Applicability of tonnage duties

No Federal laws levying tonnage duties, light money, or entrance and clearance fees shall apply to the Virgin Islands.

(d)

Presidential determination of applicable laws

The legislature of the Virgin Islands shall have power to enact navigation, boat inspection, and safety laws of local application; but the President shall have power to make applicable to the Virgin Islands such of the navigation, vessel inspection, and coastwise laws of the United States as he may find and declare to be necessary in the public interest, and, to the extent that the laws so made applicable conflict with any laws of local application enacted by the legislature, such laws enacted by the legislature shall have no force and effect.

(e)

Existing powers of United States officers unaf­fected

Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to affect or impair in any manner the terms and conditions of any authorizations, permits, or other powers heretofore lawfully granted or exercised in or in respect of the Virgin Islands by any authorized officer or agent of the United States.

June 22, 1936, ch. 699, § 4 49 Stat. 1808 Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 515 53 Stat. 1242 Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 654, § 1(127) 65 Stat. 706 Pub. L. 97–357, title III, § 30696 Stat. 1709 (, ; , ; , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 97–3571982—Subsec. (d). substituted “legislature” for “Legislative Assembly” wherever appearing.

1951—Subsec. (f). Act , repealed subsec. (f) which authorized the Secretary of the Interior to lease or sell any property under his administrative supervision in the Virgin Islands not needed for public purposes.

1939—Act , designated existing provisions as subsecs. (a), (b), (e), and (f) and added subsecs. (c) and (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Construction of Virgin Islands Projects by Secretary of the Army

Pub. L. 101–640, title IV, § 406104 Stat. 4647

“(a)

General Rule .—

Upon request of the Governor of the Virgin Islands with respect to a construction project in the Virgin Islands for which Federal financial assistance is available under any law of the United States, the Federal official administering such assistance may make such assistance available to the Secretary instead of the Virgin Islands. The Secretary shall use such assistance to carry out such project in accordance with the provisions of such law.
“(b)

Limitation on Statutory Construction .—

Nothing in this section shall be construed as relieving the Virgin Islands from complying with any requirements for non-Federal cooperation with respect to a construction project carried out with Federal financial assistance provided to the Secretary pursuant to this section; except that the Secretary shall be responsible for complying with administrative and fiscal requirements associated with utilization of such assistance.
“(c)

Termination Date .—

Subsection (a) shall not be effective after the last day of the 3-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act []; except that the Secretary shall complete construction of any project commenced under subsection (a) before such day.”
, , , provided that:

Executive Documents

Ex. Ord. No. 9170. Certain Navigation Laws Made Applicable to Virgin Islands

Ex. Ord. No. 9170, eff. , 7 F.R. 384, provided in part:

It is ordered that all of the navigation and vessel inspection laws of the United States be, and they are hereby, made applicable to the Virgin Islands of the United States, with the following exceptions:

(1) The coastwise laws of the United States.

30 Stat. 96 31 Stat. 30 38 Stat. 381 47 Stat. 1417 49 Stat. 668 49 Stat. 1367 54 Stat. 150 (2) The act of Congress approved (), as amended by the acts of (), (), (), (, 669), (), and ().

(3) So much of the vessel inspection laws of the United States as requires the inspection as a passenger vessel of any cargo vessel, foreign or domestic, when carrying more than twelve passengers or persons in addition to the crew.

(4) Federal laws levying tonnage duties, light money, or entrance and clearance fees.