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Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73not60

§3602 Definitions

Title 22 › Chapter 51— PANAMA CANAL › § 3602

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Gives specific new meanings to names from the Panama Canal treaties when U.S. laws apply to things that happen on or after October 1, 1979. "Panama Canal Treaty of 1977" means the treaty signed September 7, 1977. "Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements" means that treaty, the agreements that put it into effect, and the Air Traffic Control agreement concluded January 8, 1979. For applying U.S. law after October 1, 1979, certain old terms are read as follows: "Canal Zone" means the areas in Panama made available to the United States under those agreements; "Canal Zone waters" or "waters of the Canal Zone" means the waters of the Panama Canal; "Government of the Canal Zone" or "Canal Zone Government" means the United States of America; "Governor of the Canal Zone" or "Governor" means the Panama Canal Commission; and "Panama Canal Company" or "Company" means the Panama Canal Commission. These swaps do not apply if the chapter says otherwise, if the context clearly intends something else, or if the term refers to a time before October 1, 1979. "Canal Transfer Date" means December 31, 1999, and "Panama Canal Authority" means the Panamanian agency that succeeds the Panama Canal Commission on that date.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §3602

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)For purposes of this chapter—
(1)references to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 refer to the Panama Canal Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Panama, signed September 7, 1977; and
(2)references to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements refer to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, the agreements relating to and implementing that Treaty, signed September 7, 1977, and the Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Panama Concerning Air Traffic Control and Related Services, concluded January 8, 1979.
(b)Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, for purposes of applying laws of the United States and regulations issued pursuant to such laws with respect to transactions, occurrences, or status on or after October 1, 1979—
(1)“Canal Zone” shall be deemed to refer to the areas and installations in the Republic of Panama made available to the United States pursuant to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements;
(2)“Canal Zone waters” and “waters of the Canal Zone” shall be deemed to refer to “Panama Canal waters” and “waters of the Panama Canal”, respectively;
(3)“Government of the Canal Zone” or “Canal Zone Government” shall be deemed to refer to the United States of America;
(4)“Governor of the Canal Zone” or “Governor”, wherever the reference is to the Governor of the Canal Zone, shall be deemed to refer to the Panama Canal Commission; and
(5)“Panama Canal Company” or “Company”, wherever the reference is to the Panama Canal Company, shall be deemed to refer to the Panama Canal Commission.
(c)Any reference set forth in subsection (b) of this section shall apply except as otherwise provided in this chapter or unless (1) such reference is inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, (2) in the context in which a term is used such reference is clearly not intended, or (3) a term refers to a time before October 1, 1979.
(d)For purposes of this chapter:
(1)The term “Canal Transfer Date” means December 31, 1999, such date being the date specified in the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 for the transfer of the Panama Canal from the United States of America to the Republic of Panama.
(2)The term “Panama Canal Authority” means the entity created by the Republic of Panama to succeed the Panama Canal Commission as of the Canal Transfer Date.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a), (c), and (d), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 96–70, Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 452, known as the Panama Canal Act of 1979, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 3601 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

1997—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–85, § 3550(d)(2)(A), substituted “October 1, 1979” for “the

Effective Date

of this Act”. Pub. L. 105–85, § 3550(d)(1), substituted “laws of the United States and

Regulations

issued pursuant to such laws” for “the Canal Zone Code or other laws of the United States and

Regulations

issued pursuant to such Code or other laws” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 105–85, § 3550(d)(2)(A), substituted “October 1, 1979” for “the

Effective Date

of this Act”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 105–85, § 3512, added subsec. (d). 1996—Pub. L. 104–201, § 3548(c)(1), struck out “and recommendation for legislation” after “Definitions” in section catchline. Subsec. (b)(4) to (7). Pub. L. 104–201, § 3522(1), inserted “and” at end of par. (4), substituted a period for semicolon at end of par. (5), and struck out pars. (6) and (7) which read as follows: “(6) in chapter 57 of title 5 of the Canal Zone Code, ‘hospitals’ and ‘Health Bureau’ shall be deemed to refer, respectively, to the hospitals operated by the United States in the Republic of Panama, and to the organizational unit operating such hospitals; and “(7) in chapter 57 of title 5 of the Canal Zone Code, in section 4784 of title 6 of such Code, and in section 2 of title 7 of such Code, ‘health director’ shall be deemed to refer to the senior official in charge of the hospitals operated by the United States in the Republic of Panama.” Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–201, § 3522(2), struck out subsec. (d) which read as follows: “The President shall, within two years after October 1, 1979, submit to the Congress a request for legislation which would— “(1) amend or repeal provisions of law which in their present form are applicable only during the transition period prescribed in Article XI of that Treaty, “(2) repeal the Canal Zone Code, and “(3) contain provisions considered necessary and appropriate in light of the experience as of that time under that Treaty.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

References to Canal Zone Code Deemed References to Panama Canal Code Pub. L. 96–70, title III, § 3303(b), Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 499, provided that: “Those provisions of the Canal Zone Code not repealed by this Act are redesignated as the ‘Panama Canal Code’. Any reference to the Canal Zone Code in those laws and

Regulations

referred to in section 3(b) of this Act [subsec. (b) of this section] shall, subject to the provisions of such section, be deemed to refer to the [former] Panama Canal Code.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 3602

Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60