
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 14USC1]

 
                          TITLE 14--COAST GUARD
 
                       PART I--REGULAR COAST GUARD
 
                   CHAPTER 1--ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES
 
Sec. 1. Establishment of Coast Guard

    The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military 
service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all 
times. The Coast Guard shall be a service in the Department of 
Transportation, except when operating as a service in the Navy.

(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 496; Pub. L. 94-546, Sec. 1(1), Oct. 
18, 1976, 90 Stat. 2519.)


                      Historical and Revision Notes

    Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., Sec. 1 (Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 20, 
Sec. 1, 38 Stat. 800; July 11, 1941, ch. 290, Secs. 5, 6(a), 55 Stat. 
585).
    Said section has been divided. Provisions relating to operation 
under the Navy in time of war are placed in sections 3 and 4 of this 
title, and the remainder is in this section.
    This section continues the Coast Guard as a military service and 
branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times. By the act 
of July 11, 1941, 55 Stat. 585 (title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., Sec. 1), the 
Coast Guard was constituted a branch of the land and naval forces of the 
United States at all times. This section therefore merely continues an 
existing agency and codifies existing law on the military status of the 
Coast Guard, substituting ``armed forces'' for ``land and naval forces'' 
because of the recent establishment of the Department of the Air Force 
as an ``armed force'' rather than as a part of the ``land and naval 
forces''. The Coast Guard is designated a service in the Treasury 
Department except when operating as a service in the Navy. This is a 
better definition of the status of the Coast Guard than one which 
defines it as a service under the Treasury Department in time of peace, 
because the President is authorized to place the Coast Guard under the 
Navy in time of emergency, which could be in time of peace.
    Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No. 
557.


                               Amendments

    1976--Pub. L. 94-546 substituted ``Department of Transportation'' 
for ``Treasury Department''.

                          Transfer of Functions

    Coast Guard transferred to Department of Transportation and all 
functions, powers, and duties, relating to Coast Guard, of Secretary of 
the Treasury and of other offices and officers of Department of the 
Treasury transferred to Secretary of Transportation by Pub. L. 89-670, 
Sec. 6(b)(1), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 931. Section 6(b)(2) of Pub. L. 
89-670, however, provided that notwithstanding such transfer of 
functions, Coast Guard shall operate as part of Navy in time of war or 
when President directs as provided in section 3 of this title. See 
section 108 of Title 49, Transportation.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in title 46 section 2101.
