(a) In general. Section 607(j) of the Act provides that any person who was maintaining a fund or funds under section 607 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, prior to its amendment by the Merchant Marine Act of 1970 (for purposes of this part referred to as “old fund”) may continue to maintain such old fund in the same manner as under prior law subject to the limitations contained in section 607(j) of the Act. Thus, a party may not simultaneously maintain such old fund and a new fund established under the Act.

(b) Extension of agreement to new fund. If a person enters into an agreement under the Act to establish a new fund, he may agree to the extension of such agreement to some or all of the amounts in the old fund and transfer the amounts in the old fund to which the agreement is to apply from the old fund to the new fund. If an agreement to establish a new fund is extended to amounts from an old fund, each item in the old fund to which such agreement applies shall be considered to be transferred to the appropriate account in the manner provided for in § 391.8(d) in the new fund in a nontaxable transaction which is in accordance with the provisions of the agreement under which such old fund was maintained. For purposes of determining the amount of interest under section 607(h)(3)(C) of the Act and § 391.7(e), the date of deposit of any item so transferred shall be deemed to be July 1, 1971, or the date of the deposit in the old fund, whichever is the later.