Sec.  80.91   Order of priority of communications.

   (a)  All  stations  in  the  maritime  mobile service and the maritime
   mobile-satellite  service  shall be capable of offering four levels of
   priority in the following order:

   (1) Distress calls, distress messages, and distress traffic.

   (2) Urgency communications.

   (3) Safety communications.

   (4) Other communications.

   (b) In a fully automated system, where it is impracticable to offer all four
   levels of priority, category 1 shall receive priority until such time as
   intergovernmental agreements remove exemptions granted for such systems from
   offering the complete order of priority.

   [ 68 FR 46960 , Aug. 7, 2003]