Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§6992e Federal facilities

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 82— - SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER X— - DEMONSTRATION MEDICAL WASTE TRACKING PROGRAM › § 6992e

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities in a demonstration State that run, control, or handle medical waste must follow all Federal, State, interstate, and local rules about medical waste the same way any person or company must. They must get permits, file reports, pay reasonable fees, and can be subject to orders, fines, criminal or civil penalties, and court-ordered actions for breaking the rules. The United States and its officers and employees are not immune from these enforcement actions, and the federal government gives up any immunity that would block enforcement. The President can temporarily excuse an executive branch department or agency from these rules if it is in a very important national interest. Each exemption can last up to one year and can be renewed with a new decision. The President must report every January to Congress all exemptions granted in the past year and the reasons. For this law, the word “person” also includes federal departments, agencies, and instrumentalities.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §6992e

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

(a)Each department, agency, and instrumentality of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government in a demonstration State (1) having jurisdiction over any solid waste management facility or disposal site at which medical waste is disposed of or otherwise handled, or (2) engaged in any activity resulting, or which may result, in the disposal, management, or handling of medical waste shall be subject to, and comply with, all Federal, State, interstate, and local requirements, both substantive and procedural (including any requirement for permits or reporting or any provisions for injunctive relief and such sanctions as may be imposed by a court to enforce such relief), respecting control and abatement of medical waste disposal and management in the same manner, and to the same extent, as any person is subject to such requirements, including the payment of reasonable service charges. The Federal, State, interstate, and local substantive and procedural requirements referred to in this subsection include, but are not limited to, all administrative orders, civil, criminal, and administrative penalties, and other sanctions, including injunctive relief, fines, and imprisonment. Neither the United States, nor any agent, employee, or officer thereof, shall be immune or exempt from any process or sanction of any State or Federal court with respect to the enforcement of any such order, penalty, or other sanction. For purposes of enforcing any such substantive or procedural requirement (including, but not limited to, any injunctive relief, administrative order, or civil, criminal, administrative penalty, or other sanction), against any such department, agency, or instrumentality, the United States hereby expressly waives any immunity otherwise applicable to the United States. The President may exempt any department, agency, or instrumentality in the executive branch from compliance with such a requirement if he determines it to be in the paramount interest of the United States to do so. No such exemption shall be granted due to lack of appropriation unless the President shall have specifically requested such appropriation as a part of the budgetary process and the Congress shall have failed to make available such requested appropriation. Any exemption shall be for a period not in excess of one year, but additional exemptions may be granted for periods not to exceed one year upon the President’s making a new determination. The President shall report each January to the Congress all exemptions from the requirements of this section granted during the preceding calendar year, together with his reason for granting each such exemption.
(b)For purposes of this chapter, the term “person” shall be treated as including each department, agency, and instrumentality of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Termination of Reporting RequirementsFor termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsec. (a) of this section requiring the President to report annually to Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and the 10th item on page 20 of House Document No. 103–7.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 6992e

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73