Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73
§3619 Joint sea level canal study
Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 51— - PANAMA CANAL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATIONS › Part Part 1— - Panama Canal Commission › § 3619
Summary
The President must appoint U.S. members to a United States–Panama study of a sea level canal under Article XII of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, send the study to the Senate President and House Speaker, and Congress must expressly authorize any U.S. construction in Panama.
Full Legal Text
Title 22, §3619
Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The President shall appoint the representatives of the United States to any joint committee or body with the Republic of Panama to study the possibility of a sea level canal in the Republic of Panama pursuant to Article XII of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977.
(b)Upon the completion of any joint study between the United States and the Republic of Panama concerning the feasibility of a sea level canal in the Republic of Panama pursuant to paragraph 1 of Article XII of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, the text of the study shall be transmitted by the President to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(c)No construction of a sea level canal by the United States in the Republic of Panama shall be undertaken except with express congressional authorization after submission of the study by the President as provided in subsection (b) of this section.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 3619
Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73