
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC269]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                    CHAPTER 6A--PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
 
                SUBCHAPTER II--GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES
 
                    Part G--Quarantine and Inspection
 
Sec. 269. Bills of health


(a) Detail of medical officer; conditions precedent to issuance; 
        consular officer to receive fees

    Except as otherwise prescribed in regulations, any vessel at any 
foreign port or place clearing or departing for any port or place in a 
State or possession shall be required to obtain from the consular 
officer of the United States or from the Public Health Service officer, 
or other medical officer of the United States designated by the Surgeon 
General, at the port or place of departure, a bill of health in 
duplicate, in the form prescribed by the Surgeon General. The President, 
from time to time, shall specify the ports at which a medical officer 
shall be stationed for this purpose. Such bill of health shall set forth 
the sanitary history and condition of said vessel, and shall state that 
it has in all respects complied with the regulations prescribed pursuant 
to subsection (c) of this section. Before granting such duplicate bill 
of health, such consular or medical officer shall be satisfied that the 
matters and things therein stated are true. The consular officer shall 
be entitled to demand and receive the fees for bills of health and such 
fees shall be established by regulation.

(b) Collectors of customs to receive originals; duplicate copies as part 
        of ship's papers

    Original bills of health shall be delivered to the collectors of 
customs at the port of entry. Duplicate copies of such bills of health 
shall be delivered at the time of inspection to quarantine officers at 
such port. The bills of health herein prescribed shall be considered as 
part of the ship's papers, and when duly certified to by the proper 
consular or other officer of the United States, over his official 
signature and seal, shall be accepted as evidence of the statements 
therein contained in any court of the United States.

(c) Regulations to secure sanitary conditions of vessels

    The Surgeon General shall from time to time prescribe regulations, 
applicable to vessels referred to in subsection (a) of this section for 
the purpose of preventing the introduction into the States or 
possessions of the United States of any communicable disease by securing 
the best sanitary condition of such vessels, their cargoes, passengers, 
and crews. Such regulations shall be observed by such vessels prior to 
departure, during the course of the voyage, and also during inspection, 
disinfection, or other quarantine procedure upon arrival at any United 
States quarantine station.

(d) Vessels from ports near frontier

    The provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall not 
apply to vessels plying between such foreign ports on or near the 
frontiers of the United States and ports of the United States as are 
designated by treaty.

(e) Compliance with regulations

    It shall be unlawful for any vessel to enter any port in any State 
or possession of the United States to discharge its cargo, or land its 
passengers, except upon a certificate of the quarantine officer that 
regulations prescribed under subsection (c) of this section have in all 
respects been complied with by such officer, the vessel, and its master. 
The master of every such vessel shall deliver such certificate to the 
collector of customs at the port of entry, together with the original 
bill of health and other papers of the vessel. The certificate required 
by this subsection shall be procurable from the quarantine officer, upon 
arrival of the vessel at the quarantine station and satisfactory 
inspection thereof, at any time within which quarantine services are 
performed at such station.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, Sec. 366, 58 Stat. 705.)

                          Transfer of Functions

    Functions of Public Health Service, Surgeon General of Public Health 
Service, and all other officers and employees of Public Health Service, 
and functions of all agencies of or in Public Health Service transferred 
to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 
1966, eff. June 25, 1966, 31 F.R. 8855, 80 Stat. 1610, set out as a note 
under section 202 of this title. Secretary of Health, Education, and 
Welfare redesignated Secretary of Health and Human Services by section 
509(b) of Pub. L. 96-88 which is classified to section 3508(b) of Title 
20, Education.
    All offices of collector of customs, comptroller of customs, 
surveyor of customs, and appraiser of merchandise of Bureau of Customs 
of Department of the Treasury to which appointments were required to be 
made by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate ordered 
abolished, with such offices to be terminated not later than December 
31, 1966, by Reorg. Plan No. 1, of 1965, eff. May 25, 1965, 30 F.R. 
7035, 79 Stat. 1317, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government 
Organization and Employees. All functions of offices eliminated were 
already vested in Secretary of the Treasury by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 
1950, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, set out in the 
Appendix to Title 5.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 270, 271 of this title.
