§4512 — Title 50 War and National Defense | U.S. Code

Summary

It bans hoarding of any materials the President names as scarce or that would have their supply threatened. You may not stockpile more than what is reasonably needed for business, home, or personal use, or buy to resell at prices above normal market rates. The President must publish each designation and any withdrawal in the Federal Register and in other ways he finds appropriate. The President may set rules about when people can hold amounts above reasonable needs. This does not reduce the powers given in sections 4511 and 4554.

Title 50, §4512

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In order to prevent hoarding, no person shall accumulate (1) in excess of the reasonable demands of business, personal, or home consumption, or (2) for the purpose of resale at prices in excess of prevailing market prices, materials which have been designated by the President as scarce materials or materials the supply of which would be threatened by such accumulation. The President shall order published in the Federal Register, and in such other manner as he may deem appropriate, every designation of materials the accumulation of which is unlawful and any withdrawal of such designation. In making such designations the President may prescribe such conditions with respect to the accumulation of materials in excess of the reasonable demands of business, personal, or home consumption as he deems necessary to carry out the objectives of this chapter. This section shall not be construed to limit the authority contained in section 4511 and 4554 of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Termination of SectionFor termination of section, see section 4564(a) of this title.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning act Sept. 8, 1950, ch. 932, 64 Stat. 798, known as the Defense Production Act of 1950, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 4501 of this title and Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 2072 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

1951—Act July 31, 1951, authorized President to prescribe conditions and exceptions allowing maintenance of substantial inventories of critical materials in certain cases.

Executive Documents

Delegation of Functions Authorities of President under this section with respect to health and medical resources needed to respond to the spread of COVID–19 within the United States delegated to Secretary of Homeland Security, see section 4 of Ex. Ord. No. 13911, Mar. 27, 2020, 85 F.R. 18404, set out as a note under section 4511 of this title. Functions of President under this chapter relating to production, conservation, use, control, distribution, and allocation of energy, delegated to Secretary of Energy, see section 4 of Ex. Ord. No. 11790, June 25, 1974, 39 F.R. 23185, set out as a note under section 761 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. Executive Order No. 13910 Ex. Ord. No. 13910, Mar. 23, 2020, 85 F.R. 17001, which delegated authority of President under this section to prevent hoarding of health and medical resources necessary to respond to the spread of COVID–19 within the United States to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 14122, § 2, Apr. 12, 2024, 89 F.R. 27355, set out in a note under section 300hh–3 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

§4512 Hoarding of designated scarce materials