Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§88 Discharge of cargo of vessel in quarantine

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 2— - SANITATION AND QUARANTINE › § 88

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If a state's health rules block a ship from going to its official port but let its cargo be unloaded somewhere nearby, the customs collector can allow the cargo to be unloaded after getting a full report. The unloading must be watched by a surveyor or inspector, occur where allowed, and follow rules set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services or the collector to protect government funds.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §88

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

Whenever, by the health laws of any State, or by the regulations made pursuant thereto, any vessel arriving within a collection district of such State is prohibited from coming to the port of entry by law established for such district, and such health laws require or permit the cargo of the vessel to be unladen at some other place within or near to such district, the collector, after due report to him of the whole of such cargo, may grant his warrant or permit for the unlading and discharge thereof, under the care of the surveyor, or of one or more inspectors, at some other place where such health laws permit, and upon the conditions and restrictions which shall be directed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or which such collector may, for the time, deem expedient for the security of the public revenue.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Words “or delivery” after “port of entry” which were included in this section as originally enacted were omitted as ports of delivery were abolished pursuant to the President’s Message to Congress on Mar. 3, 1913, set out in Codification note under section 1 of Title 19, Customs Duties. R.S. § 4793 derived from act Feb. 23, 1799, ch. 12, § 2, 1 Stat. 619.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

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

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Functions of Federal Security Administrator transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and all agencies of Federal Security Agency transferred to Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by section 5 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953, set out as a note under section 3501 of this title. Federal Security Agency and office of Administrator abolished by section 8 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953. Functions of Department of the Treasury relating to public health transferred to Federal Security Agency pursuant to Reorg. Plan No. I of 1939, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 88

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73