(a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a State or a States delegate approved by the Secretary of Transportation may make information available to the Secretary if, in a manner and form prescribed by the Secretary, the State
(1) identifies the vessel;
(2) identifies the owner of the vessel, including by
(A) the owners social security number or, if that number is not available, other means of identification acceptable to the Secretary; or
(B) for an owner other than an individual
(i) the owners taxpayer identification number; or
(ii) if the owner does not have a taxpayer identification number, the social security number of an individual who is a corporate officer, general partner, or individual trustee of the owner and who signed the application for documentation or numbering for the vessel;
(3) identifies the State in which it is titled or numbered;
(4) indicates whether the vessel is numbered or titled, or both;
(5) if titled in a State, indicates where evidence of a lien or other security interest may be found against the vessel in that State;
(6) includes information to assist law enforcement; and
(7) includes other information agreed to by the Secretary and the State.
(c) The Secretary shall
(1) retain information on a vessel with a preferred mortgage under section
31322 (d) of this title that is no longer titled in a State making information available to the Secretary under this chapter until the mortgage is discharged or the vessel is sold; and
(2) accept information under section
31321 (h) of this title only if that information cannot be provided to a State.
