Title 14, Coast GuardRelease 119-110
§2508 Emergency Leave Retention Authority
Title 14 › SUBTITLE II — PERSONNEL › CHAPTER 25 — PERSONNEL; GENERAL PROVISIONS › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 2508
Summary
Coast Guard members sent to help in a President‑declared major disaster or emergency, or to respond to a Commandant‑declared "spill of national significance," count as serving in a contingency operation for certain military rules. "Spill of national significance" — a Commandant‑declared oil or hazardous‑substance discharge (33 U.S.C. 2701).
Full Legal Text
Title 14, §2508
Coast Guard, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In General.—
A duty assignment for an active duty member of the Coast Guard in support of a declaration of a major disaster or emergency by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) or in response to a spill of national significance shall be treated, for the purpose of section 701(e) of title 10, as a duty assignment in support of a contingency operation.
(b)Definitions.—
In this section: (1) Spill of national significance.—
(2)Discharge.—
The term “discharge” has the meaning given that term in section 1001 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701).
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143, which is classified principally to chapter 68 (§ 5121 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 5121 of Title 42 and Tables.
Amendments
2022—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–263 substituted “section 701(e)” for “section 701(f)(2)”. 2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 426 of this title as this section.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2022 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–232 effective Jan. 1, 2023, see section 631(d) of Pub. L. 117–263, set out as a note under section 701 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Effective Date
Pub. L. 111–281, title II, § 207(c), Oct. 15, 2010, 124 Stat. 2912, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [enacting this section] shall be deemed to have been enacted on April 19, 2010.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
14 U.S.C. § 2508
Title 14, Coast Guard
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110