§2. Primary duties

The Coast Guard shall enforce or assist in the enforcement of all applicable Federal laws on, under, and over the high seas and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; shall engage in maritime air surveillance or interdiction to enforce or assist in the enforcement of the laws of the United States; shall administer laws and promulgate and enforce regulations for the promotion of safety of life and property on and under the high seas and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States covering all matters not specifically delegated by law to some other executive department; shall develop, establish, maintain, and operate, with due regard to the requirements of national defense, aids to maritime navigation, ice-breaking facilities, and rescue facilities for the promotion of safety on, under, and over the high seas and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; shall, pursuant to international agreements, develop, establish, maintain, and operate icebreaking facilities on, under, and over waters other than the high seas and waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; shall engage in oceanographic research of the high seas and in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; and shall maintain a state of readiness to function as a specialized service in the Navy in time of war, including the fulfillment of Maritime Defense Zone command responsibilities..¹

(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 496 ; Pub. L. 87–396, §1, Oct. 5, 1961, 75 Stat. 827 ; Pub. L. 91–278, §1(1), June 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 304 ; Pub. L. 93–519, Dec. 13, 1974, 88 Stat. 1659 ; Pub. L. 99–640, §6, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3547 ; Pub. L. 100–448, §17, Sept. 28, 1988, 102 Stat. 1845 ; Pub. L. 100–690, title VII, §7403, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4484 .)

Historical and Revision Notes

This section defines in general terms, for the first time in any statute, all the primary duties of the Coast Guard. It is derived from title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§45, 50k–50o, 51, 52, 53, 55, 60, 61, 62, 63, 98a, 104, 261, 301, title 33, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§720, 720a, 740, 740a, 740b, title 46, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§1 (footnote), 2 (R.S. 1536, 2747, 2758, 2759, 4249; June 23, 1874, ch. 455, §1, 18 Stat. 220 ; June 18, 1878, ch. 265, §4, 20 Stat. 163 ; July 5, 1884, ch. 221, §2, 23 Stat. 118 ; Feb. 14, 1903, ch. 552, §10, 32 Stat. 829 ; Apr. 19, 1906, ch. 1640, §§1–3, 34 Stat. 123 ; May 12, 1906, ch. 2454, 34 Stat. 190 ; June 17, 1910, ch. 301, §§6, 7, 36 Stat. 538 ; Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, §1, 37 Stat. 736 ; June 24, 1914, ch. 124, 38 Stat. 387 ; Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 81, §5, 38 Stat. 927 ; Aug. 29, 1916, ch. 417, 39 Stat. 1820 ; May 22, 1926, ch. 371, §6, 44 Stat. 626 ; June 30, 1932, ch. 314, §501, 47 Stat. 415 ; May 27, 1936, ch. 463, §1, 49 Stat. 1380 ; Aug. 16, 1937, ch. 665, §3, 50 Stat. 667 ; Feb. 19, 1941, ch. 8, §§2, 201, 55 Stat. 9 , 11; July 11, 1941, ch. 290, §7, 55 Stat. 585 ; Nov. 23, 1942, ch. 639, §2(2), 56 Stat. 102 ; Sept. 30, 1944, ch. 453, §1, 58 Stat. 759 ; June 22, 1948, ch. 600, 62 Stat. 574 ; June 26, 1948, ch. 672, 62 Stat. 1050 ).

This section contains a codification of functions. It sets forth in general language the primary responsibilities of the Coast Guard: enforcement of all Federal laws on waters to which they have application, safety of life and property at sea, aiding navigation, and readiness to function with the Navy. Having been created in 1915 by the consolidation of the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life Saving Service, the Coast Guard has gradually been given additional duties and responsibilities, such as the assignment of law enforcement powers on the high seas and navigable waters in 1936, the transfer of the Lighthouse Service in 1939, and the transfer of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation in 1942. Existing along with these other duties has been that of maintaining a state of readiness as a specialized service prepared for active participation with the Navy in time of war. These various interdependent functions of the Service have not been expressed collectively in any statute heretofore, but it is believed desirable to do so in this revision in order to have outlined in general terms in one section the broad scope of the functions of the Coast Guard. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.

Amendments

1988-Pub. L. 100–690 substituted "United States; shall engage in maritime air surveillance or interdiction to enforce or assist in the enforcement of the laws of the United States; shall administer" for first reference to "United States;".

Pub. L. 100–448 substituted "Federal laws on, under, and over" for "Federal laws on and under".

1986-Pub. L. 99–640 inserted ", including the fulfillment of Maritime Defense Zone command responsibilities."

1974-Pub. L. 93–519 inserted provision requiring Coast Guard to develop, establish, maintain and operate, pursuant to international agreements, icebreaking facilities in waters other than those subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

1970-Pub. L. 91–278 improved and clarified text, substituting "on and under" for "upon" in clause preceding first semicolon; inserting "and under" after "life and property on" and striking out "on" after "the high seas and" in clause preceding second semicolon; and substituting "icebreaking" for "ice-breaking" and inserting ", under," after "promotion of safety on" in clause preceding third semicolon, respectively.

1961-Pub. L. 87–396 required Coast Guard to engage in oceanographic research on high seas and in waters subject to jurisdiction of the United States.

Cross References

Aids to navigation authorized, see section 81 of this title.

Ice and derelict patrol, see section 738a of Title 46, Appendix, Shipping.

Law enforcement, see section 89 of this title.

Safety of naval vessels, see section 91 of this title.

Saving life and property, see section 88 of this title.

¹ So in original.