Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§268 Quarantine duties of consular and other officers

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES › Part Part G— - Quarantine and Inspection › § 268

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Consular and medical officers the Secretary assigns must report local health conditions to the Surgeon General, using the forms and schedule the Surgeon General requires. Customs and Coast Guard officers must help enforce quarantine rules, but they will not receive extra pay for doing that work except reimbursement for actual and necessary travel expenses.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §268

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any consular or medical officer of the United States, designated for such purpose by the Secretary, shall make reports to the Surgeon General, on such forms and at such intervals as the Surgeon General may prescribe, of the health conditions at the port or place at which such officer is stationed.
(b)It shall be the duty of the customs officers and of Coast Guard officers to aid in the enforcement of quarantine rules and regulations; but no additional compensation, except actual and necessary traveling expenses, shall be allowed any such officer by reason of such services.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“Secretary of Health and Human Services” substituted for “Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare” in subsec. (a) pursuant to section 509(b) of Pub. L. 96–88, which is classified to section 3508(b) of Title 20, Education.

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 section 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.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Office of Surgeon General abolished by section 3 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1966, eff. June 25, 1966, 31 F.R. 8855, 80 Stat. 1610, and functions thereof transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare by section 1 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1966, set out as a note under section 202 of this title. Office of Surgeon General reestablished within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, see Notice of Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Mar. 30, 1987, 52 F.R. 11754. Reference to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare substituted for reference to Federal Security Administrator pursuant to section 5 of Reorg. Plan No. 1, of 1953, set out as a note under section 3501 of this title, which transferred functions of Federal Security Administrator to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and all agencies of Federal Security Agency to Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Federal Security Agency and office of Administrator abolished by section 8 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 268

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73