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Title 33, Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-102

§642 Appointment of Commissioners; Vacancies; Chairman; Tenure of Office

Title 33 › CHAPTER 13 — MISSISSIPPI RIVER COMMISSION › § 642

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President must appoint seven commissioners. Three must come from the Army Engineer Corps, one from the National Ocean Survey, and three must be civilians, with two of those civilians being civil engineers. If a seat becomes empty, the President fills it the same way. The President also picks one of the Army Engineer Corps members to serve as the commission’s president. The commissioners named under sections 641–644, 646, and 647 — except the civilian appointees — stay in office but can be removed by the President. Any civilian appointed after November 7, 1966 serves a nine-year term.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §642

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The President of the United States shall appoint seven commissioners, three of whom shall be selected from the Engineer Corps of the Army, one from the National Ocean Survey, and three from civil life, two of whom shall be civil engineers. And any vacancy which may occur in the commission shall in like manner be filled by the President of the United States; and he shall designate one of the commissioners appointed from the Engineer Corps of the Army to be president of the commission. The commissioners appointed under sections 641 to 644, 646, and 647 of this title, except those appointed from civil life, shall remain in office subject to removal by the President of the United States. Each commissioner appointed from civil life after November 7, 1966, shall be appointed for a term of nine years.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2012—Pub. L. 112–166 struck out “, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,” after “United States shall”. 1966—Pub. L. 89–789 inserted “, except those appointed from civil life,” and provided a nine year term for each commissioner appointed from civil life after Nov. 7, 1966.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2012 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 112–166 effective 60 days after Aug. 10, 2012, and applicable to appointments made on and after that

Effective Date

, including any nomination pending in the Senate on that date, see section 6(a) of Pub. L. 112–166, set out as a note under section 113 of Title 6, Domestic Security.

Executive Documents

Change of Name

Coast and Geodetic Survey consolidated with National Weather Bureau in 1965 to form Environmental Science Services Administration by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1965, eff. July 13, 1965, 30 F.R. 8819, 79 Stat. 1318. Environmental Science Services Administration abolished in 1970 and its personnel, property, records, etc., transferred to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by Reorg. Plan No. 4 of 1970, eff. Oct. 3, 1970, 35 F.R. 15627, 84 Stat. 2090. By order of Acting Associate Administrator of National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, 35 F.R. 19249, Dec. 19, 1970, Coast and Geodetic Survey redesignated National Ocean Survey. See notes set out under section 311 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Transfer of Functions

Functions of all officers of Department of Commerce and functions of all officers and employees of such Department transferred, with a few exceptions, to Secretary of Commerce, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions by any of such officers, agencies and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 5 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 642

Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102