§300102 — Title 36 Patriotic and National Observances | U.S. Code

Summary

Provide volunteer help in wartime to sick and wounded members of the U.S. Armed Forces. This must follow the spirit and rules of the October 1863 Geneva conference and the Red Cross/Geneva treaties of August 22, 1864; July 27, 1929; and August 12, 1949, and any similar treaties the United States joins. Carry out the duties a national Red Cross society has under those treaties. Act as a channel for voluntary relief with military leaders and connect the U.S. people, the U.S. Government and Armed Forces, and similar national societies through the International Committee of the Red Cross. Provide peacetime relief and prevention for disease, famine, fires, floods, and other major disasters. Do other activities that fit these goals.

Title 36, §300102

Patriotic and National Observances — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The purposes of the corporation are—

(1)to provide volunteer aid in time of war to the sick and wounded of the Armed Forces, in accordance with the spirit and conditions of—

(A)the conference of Geneva of October 1863;

(B)the treaties of the Red Cross, or the treaties of Geneva, August 22, 1864, July 27, 1929, and August 12, 1949, to which the United States of America has given its adhesion; and

(C)any other treaty, convention, or protocol similar in purpose to which the United States of America has given or may give its adhesion;

(2)in carrying out the purposes described in paragraph (1) of this section, to perform all the duties devolved on a national society by each nation that has acceded to any of those treaties, conventions, or protocols;

(3)to act in matters of voluntary relief and in accordance with the military authorities as a medium of communication between the people of the United States and the Armed Forces of the United States and to act in those matters between similar national societies of governments of other countries through the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Government, the people, and the Armed Forces of the United States;

(4)to carry out a system of national and international relief in time of peace, and to apply that system in mitigating the suffering caused by pestilence, famine, fire, floods, and other great national calamities, and to devise and carry out measures for preventing those calamities; and

(5)to conduct other activities consistent with the foregoing purposes.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 30010236:3.Jan. 5, 1905, ch. 23, § 3, 33 Stat. 600; May 8, 1947, ch. 50, § 4, 61 Stat. 81; July 17, 1953, ch. 222, § 4(a), (b), 67 Stat. 179. In this section, the text of 36:3 (“Third” par.) is omitted as executed. In clause (1)(B), the date “August 12, 1949” is added to include the reference to a subsequent treaty. In clause (2), the words “in carrying out the purposes described in clause (1) of this section” are substituted for “And for said purposes” for clarity. In clause (3), the words “International Committee of the Red Cross” are substituted for “Comité International de Secours” because the name has been changed. In clause (4), the word “continue” is omitted as included in “carry out”.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2007—Par. (5). Pub. L. 110–26 added par. (5).

§300102 Purposes