§466 — Title 6 Domestic Security | U.S. Code

Summary

Congress says the military must not be used as police to carry out ordinary federal laws, unless the Constitution or laws passed by Congress allow it. The rule began in 1878 to stop U.S. Marshals from calling the Army for law enforcement. It has limited military use for policing, but it is not absolute. The President or other laws can authorize the military in emergencies, including war, insurrection, serious emergencies, or attacks using weapons of mass destruction. Laws like the Insurrection Act and the Stafford Act give the President broad powers to restore order. Congress reaffirms that this rule still applies and that nothing here should be read to change it.

Title 6, §466

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Congress finds the following:

(1)Section 1385 of title 18 (commonly known as the “Posse Comitatus Act”) prohibits the use of the Armed Forces as a posse comitatus to execute the laws except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress.

(2)Enacted in 1878, the Posse Comitatus Act was expressly intended to prevent United States Marshals, on their own initiative, from calling on the Army for assistance in enforcing Federal law.

(3)The Posse Comitatus Act has served the Nation well in limiting the use of the Armed Forces to enforce the law.

(4)Nevertheless, by its express terms, the Posse Comitatus Act is not a complete barrier to the use of the Armed Forces for a range of domestic purposes, including law enforcement functions, when the use of the Armed Forces is authorized by Act of Congress or the President determines that the use of the Armed Forces is required to fulfill the President’s obligations under the Constitution to respond promptly in time of war, insurrection, or other serious emergency.

(5)Existing laws, including chapter 13 of title 10 (commonly known as the “Insurrection Act”), and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), grant the President broad powers that may be invoked in the event of domestic emergencies, including an attack against the Nation using weapons of mass destruction, and these laws specifically authorize the President to use the Armed Forces to help restore public order.

(b)Congress reaffirms the continued importance of section 1385 of title 18, and it is the sense of Congress that nothing in this chapter should be construed to alter the applicability of such section to any use of the Armed Forces as a posse comitatus to execute the laws.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(5), 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

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note set out under section 5121 of Title 42 and Tables. This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 107–296, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2135, known as the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

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note set out under section 101 of this title and Tables.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “chapter 13” for “chapter 15”.

§466 Sense of Congress Reaffirming the Continued Importance and Applicability of the Posse Comitatus Act

Summary

Title 6, §466

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

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Amendments

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