§ 785. — Enforcement of law prohibiting taking of sponges of specified sizes; employment of Coast Guard vessels and Customs Service employees.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 16USC785]
TITLE 16--CONSERVATION
CHAPTER 11--REGULATION OF LANDING, CURING, AND SALE OF SPONGES TAKEN
FROM GULF OF MEXICO AND STRAITS OF FLORIDA
Sec. 785. Enforcement of law prohibiting taking of sponges of
specified sizes; employment of Coast Guard vessels and Customs
Service employees
The Secretary of Commerce shall enforce the provisions of this
chapter, and he is authorized to empower such officers and employees of
the Department of Commerce as he may designate, or such officers and
employees of other departments as may be detailed for the purpose, to
make arrests and seize vessels and sponges, and upon his request the
Secretary of the Treasury may employ the vessels of the Coast Guard or
the employees of the Customs Service to that end.
(Aug. 15, 1914, ch. 253, Sec. 5, 38 Stat. 692; Jan. 28, 1915, ch. 20,
Sec. 1, 38 Stat. 800; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, Sec. 4(e), eff. July 1,
1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1431; Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, Secs. 1, 20, 63
Stat. 495, 561; 1970 Reorg. Plan No. 4, eff. Oct. 3, 1970, 35 F.R.
15627, 84 Stat. 2090.)
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.
For transfer of functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of the
United States Customs Service of the Department of the Treasury,
including functions of the Secretary of the Treasury relating thereto,
to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related
references, see sections 203(1), 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.
``Secretary of Commerce'' and ``Department of Commerce'' substituted
in text for ``Secretary of the Interior'' and ``Department of the
Interior'' in view of: creation of National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration in Department of Commerce and Office of Administrator of
such Administration; abolition of Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in
Department of the Interior and Office of Director of such Bureau;
transfers of functions, including functions formerly vested by law in
Secretary of the Interior or Department of the Interior which were
administered through Bureau of Commercial Fisheries or were primarily
related to such Bureau, exclusive of certain enumerated functions with
respect to Great Lakes fishery research, Missouri River Reservoir
research, Gulf Breeze Biological Laboratory, and Trans-Alaska pipeline
investigations; and transfer of marine sport fish program of Bureau of
Sport Fisheries and Wildlife by Reorg. Plan No. 4 of 1970, eff. Oct. 3,
1970, 35 F.R. 15627, 84 Stat. 2090, set out in the Appendix to Title 5,
Government Organization and Employees.
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies
of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of
the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950,
Secs. 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in
the Appendix to Title 5.
``Coast Guard'' substituted in text for ``Revenue Cutter Service''
on authority of act Jan. 28, 1915, which combined Revenue Cutter Service
and Life-Saving Service to form Coast Guard. That act was repealed by
section 20 of act Aug. 4, 1949, section 1 of which reestablished Coast
Guard by enacting Title 14, Coast Guard.
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 section 6(b)(1)
of Pub. L. 89-670, Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 938. See section 108 of Title
49, Transportation.
Functions of all officers of Department of the Treasury, and
functions of all agencies and employees of such Department, transferred,
with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Treasury, with power vested
in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his
functions, by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg.
Plan No. 26 of 1950, Secs. 1, 2, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64
Stat. 1280, 1281, set out in the Appendix to Title 5. Customs Service,
referred to in this section, was a service under Department of the
Treasury, and Coast Guard, also referred to in this section, was
generally a service under such Department, but such Plan excepted, from
transfer, functions of Coast Guard, and of Commandant thereof, when
Coast Guard was operating as a part of the Navy under sections 1 and 3
of Title 14, Coast Guard.
Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, Sec. 3, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R.
2108, 54 Stat. 1232, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government
Organization and Employees, consolidated Bureau of Fisheries and Bureau
of Biological Survey with their respective functions into one agency in
Department of the Interior to be known as Fish and Wildlife Service, and
provided that functions of the consolidated agency shall be administered
under direction and supervision of Secretary of the Interior.
Reorg. Plan No. II of 1930, set out in the Appendix to Title 5,
transferred Bureau of Fisheries in Department of Commerce and its
functions to Department of the Interior, to be administered under
direction and supervision of Secretary of the Interior.
