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Title 14 — Coast GuardRelease 119-83

§2159 Boards of Inquiry

Title 14 › Subtitle SUBTITLE II— PERSONNEL › Chapter 21— PERSONNEL; OFFICERS › Subchapter II— DISCHARGES; RETIREMENTS; REVOCATION OF COMMISSIONS; SEPARATION FOR CAUSE › § 2159

Last updated Apr 18, 2026|Official source

Summary

Boards of inquiry must meet where the Secretary decides to hear evidence and recommend whether an officer who must "show cause" under section 2158 should stay on active duty. Officers must receive a fair, impartial hearing. If the board finds the officer failed to show cause, it will recommend removal. If the officer proved they should stay, the case ends, but the officer can be asked again after one year for clause (1) cases or at any time for clause (2) cases.

Full Legal Text

Title 14, §2159

Coast Guard — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Boards of inquiry shall be convened at such places as the Secretary may prescribe to receive evidence and make findings and recommendations whether an officer who is required to show cause for retention under section 2158 of this title should be retained on active duty.
(b)A fair and impartial hearing before a board of inquiry shall be given to each officer so required to show cause for retention.
(c)If a board of inquiry determines that the officer has failed to establish that he should be retained, it shall recommend to the Secretary that the officer not be retained on active duty.
(d)If a board of inquiry determines that the officer has established that he should be retained, his case is closed. However, at any time after one year from the date of the determination in a case arising under clause (1) of section 2158 of this title, and at any time after the date of the determination in a case arising under clause (2) of that section, an officer may again be required to show cause for retention.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 119–60 substituted “recommend to the Secretary that the officer not be retained on active duty” for “send the record of its proceedings to a board of review”. 2018—Pub. L. 115–282, § 112(b), renumbered section 322 of this title as this section. Subsecs. (a), (d). Pub. L. 115–282, § 123(b)(2), substituted “section 2158” for “section 321”. 1982—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 97–295 inserted “of this title” after “section 321”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

14 U.S.C. § 2159

Title 14 — Coast Guard

Last Updated

Apr 18, 2026

Release point: 119-83