§2604 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

Summary

The President can let the Secretary of Defense work with the United Seamen’s Service to set up and run places and services for U.S. merchant sailors overseas when needed for U.S. commitments abroad. People from the United Seamen’s Service doing that work can get travel paid by the U.S. government like civilian armed forces staff. Meals and housing can be paid by them or their Service, but they can have free quarters where civilian armed forces civilians do. They can use free office and recreation space, storage, wharves, and communications. No passport fee will be charged for their travel for these duties. The U.S. can ship their needed supplies and gifts at U.S. expense if rules say they are necessary. Where practical, the President must try to make local money convertible for the Service. United Seamen’s Service employees are not U.S. government employees.

Title 10, §2604

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whenever the President finds it necessary in the interest of United States commitments abroad to provide facilities and services for United States merchant seamen in foreign areas, he may authorize the Secretary of Defense, under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, to cooperate with and assist the United Seamen’s Service in establishing and providing those facilities and services.

(b)Personnel of the United Seamen’s Service who are performing duties in connection with the cooperation and assistance under subsection (a) may be furnished—

(1)transportation, at the expense of the United States, while traveling to and from, and while performing those duties, in the same manner as civilian employees of the armed forces;

(2)meals and quarters, at their expense or at the expense of the United Seamen’s Service, except that where civilian employees of the armed forces are quartered without charge, employees of the United Seamen’s Service may also be quartered without charge; and

(3)available office space (including space for recreational activities for seamen), warehousing, wharfage, and means of communication, without charge.

(c)No fee may be charged for a passport issued to an employee of the United Seamen’s Service for travel outside the United States to assume or perform duties under this section.

(d)Supplies of the United Seamen’s Service, including gifts for the use of merchant seamen, may be transported at the expense of the United States, if it is determined under regulations prescribed under subsection (a) that they are necessary to the cooperation and assistance provided under this section.

(e)Where practicable, the President shall also make arrangements to provide for convertibility of local currencies for the United Seamen’s Service, in connection with its activities under subsection (a).

(f)For the purposes of this section, employees of the United Seamen’s Service may not be considered as employees of the United States.

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Pub. L. 91–603, § 1, Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1674, provided: “That this Act [enacting this section, amending section 1151, 1152, 1171, and 1223 of Title 46, Appendix, Shipping, and enacting provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Seamen’s Service Act’.” Congressional Declaration of Purpose Pub. L. 91–603, § 2, Dec. 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 1674, provided that: “It is the purpose of this Act [enacting this section and amending section 1151, 1152, 1171 and 1223 of Title 46, Appendix, Shipping], by authorizing appropriate departments and agencies of the United States Government to cooperate with the United Seamen’s Service (a nonprofit, charitable organization incorporated under the laws of the State of New York) in the establishment and operation of facilities for United States merchant seamen in foreign areas, to promote the welfare of such seamen, essential to the overall interests of shipment of United States goods and supplies to such areas.”

§2604 United Seamen’s Service: cooperation and assistance

Summary

Title 10, §2604

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

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