§ 2. — Primary duties.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 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.
Transfer of Functions
For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the
Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of
Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security,
and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d),
552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of
Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified,
set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.
Annual Report on Coast Guard Capabilities and Readiness to Fulfill
National Defense Responsibilities
Pub. L. 107-295, title IV, Sec. 426, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2126,
provided that: ``Not later than February 15 each year, the Secretary of
the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall submit to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report, prepared in conjunction with the
Commandant of the Coast Guard, setting forth the capabilities and
readiness of the Coast Guard to fulfill its national defense
responsibilities.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in title 6 section 113.
