14 U.S.C. § 521
Saving life and property
United States · Title 14 — COAST GUARD · Status: effective
Cite this
- Citation
- 14 U.S.C. § 521, Saving life and property, United States, version 1 as recorded 2026-07-09, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/439305
- Permanent ID
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Full text
In order to render aid to distressed individuals, vessels, and aircraft on and under the high seas and on and under the waters over which the United States has jurisdiction and in order to render aid to individuals and property imperiled by flood, the Coast Guard may:
An individual who knowingly and willfully communicates a false distress message to the Coast Guard or causes the Coast Guard to attempt to save lives and property when no help is needed is—
An individual who knowingly and willfully operates a device with the intention of interfering with the broadcast or reception of a radio, microwave, or other signal (including a signal from a global positioning system) transmitted, retransmitted, or augmented by the Coast Guard for the purpose of maritime safety is—
Legislative history
The public laws that enacted or amended this section. Tallies are for the whole bill as it passed each chamber — often an omnibus covering far more than this provision — not a vote on this section alone. The law that originally enacted this section predates the public laws loaded here, so only later amendments are listed.
- Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1988House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Federal Maritime Commission Authorization Act of 1990House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Howard Coble Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2014House: no recorded tallySenate: no recorded tally
- Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018House: 239–173Senate: no recorded tally
- William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021