1940: The Motorboat Act of 1940

The U.S. Congress adopted the Motorboat Act of 1940. The act gave the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation (formerly the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection) the authority to examine boat operators and the equipment on motorized vessels 65 feet in length and under that carried passengers for hire. These duties were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard permanently in 1946.