The regulations in this part govern practice and procedure before the Maritime Administration and Maritime Subsidy Board (as described in 49 CFR 1.66 and 1.67), hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Administration,” under the Merchant Marine Act, 1920, as amended, Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, Merchant Ship Sales Act, 1946, Administrative Procedure Act, and related Acts. In addition, certain proceedings under sections 605(c) and 805(a) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, shall be conducted in accordance with part 203 of this chapter except as may be provided otherwise by the Administration.

Documents required to be filed in, and correspondence relating to, proceedings governed by the regulations in this part should be addressed to “Secretary, Maritime Administration, Department of Transportation, Washington, DC 20590.” The Office of the Secretary, Maritime Administration, including the public document reading room, located in room 7210, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

All rules, orders, determinations or decisions issued in any proceeding covered by the regulations in this part shall, unless otherwise specifically provided by the Administration, be signed and authenticated by seal by the Secretary of the Administration in the name of the Administration.

Every document, exhibit, or other paper written in a language other than English and filed with the Administration or offered in evidence in any proceeding before the Administration under the regulations in this part or in response to any rule or order of the Administration pursuant to the regulations in this part, shall be filed or offered in the language in which it is written and shall be accompanied by an English translation thereof duly subscribed.

Information as to procedure under the regulations in this part, and instructions supplementing the regulations in this part in special instances, will be furnished upon application to the Secretary of the Administration.

Words importing the singular number may extend and be applied to several persons or things; words importing the plural number may include the singular; and words importing the masculine gender may be applied to females.

The regulations in this part may, from time to time, be suspended, amended, or revoked, in whole or in part. Notice of any such action will be published in the Federal Register. Also, any regulation in this part may be waived by the Administration or the Presiding Officer to prevent undue hardship in any particular case.