
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 14USC2]

 
                          TITLE 14--COAST GUARD
 
                       PART I--REGULAR COAST GUARD
 
                   CHAPTER 1--ESTABLISHMENT AND DUTIES
 
Sec. 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\
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    \1\ So in original.
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(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 496; Pub. L. 87-396, Sec. 1, Oct. 5, 
1961, 75 Stat. 827; Pub. L. 91-278, Sec. 1(1), June 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 
304; Pub. L. 93-519, Dec. 13, 1974, 88 Stat. 1659; Pub. L. 99-640, 
Sec. 6, Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3547; Pub. L. 100-448, Sec. 17, Sept. 
28, 1988, 102 Stat. 1845; Pub. L. 100-690, title VII, Sec. 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., Secs. 45, 50k-50o, 51, 52, 53, 55, 60, 61, 
62, 63, 98a, 104, 261, 301, title 33, U.S.C., 1946 ed., Secs. 720, 720a, 
740, 740a, 740b, title 46, U.S.C., 1946 ed., Secs. 1 (footnote), 2 (R.S. 
1536, 2747, 2758, 2759, 4249; June 23, 1874, ch. 455, Sec. 1, 18 Stat. 
220; June 18, 1878, ch. 265, Sec. 4, 20 Stat. 163; July 5, 1884, ch. 
221, Sec. 2, 23 Stat. 118; Feb. 14, 1903, ch. 552, Sec. 10, 32 Stat. 
829; Apr. 19, 1906, ch. 1640, Secs. 1-3, 34 Stat. 123; May 12, 1906, ch. 
2454, 34 Stat. 190; June 17, 1910, ch. 301, Secs. 6, 7, 36 Stat. 538; 
Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, Sec. 1, 37 Stat. 736; June 24, 1914, ch. 124, 38 
Stat. 387; Mar. 3, 1915, ch. 81, Sec. 5, 38 Stat. 927; Aug. 29, 1916, 
ch. 417, 39 Stat. 1820; May 22, 1926, ch. 371, Sec. 6, 44 Stat. 626; 
June 30, 1932, ch. 314, Sec. 501, 47 Stat. 415; May 27, 1936, ch. 463, 
Sec. 1, 49 Stat. 1380; Aug. 16, 1937, ch. 665, Sec. 3, 50 Stat. 667; 
Feb. 19, 1941, ch. 8, Secs. 2, 201, 55 Stat. 9, 11; July 11, 1941, ch. 
290, Sec. 7, 55 Stat. 585; Nov. 23, 1942, ch. 639, Sec. 2(2), 56 Stat. 
102; Sept. 30, 1944, ch. 453, Sec. 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.
