(a) The Coast Guard may purchase uniforms, accouterments, and related equipment for sale to officer personnel and cadets of the Coast Guard.
(b) The Coast Guard may purchase uniform clothing for sale to enlisted personnel of the Coast Guard. The actual cost of the clothing thus sold to enlisted personnel may be withheld from their pay.
(c) The Coast Guard may provide a cash allowance, in such amount as the Secretary shall determine by policy, to be paid to pregnant officer personnel for the purchase of maternity-related uniform items, if such uniform items are not so furnished to the member by the Coast Guard.
(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 534, § 485; Aug. 3, 1950, ch. 536, § 33, 64 Stat. 408; Pub. L. 87–649, § 14d(4), Sept. 7, 1962, 76 Stat. 502; renumbered § 2708, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 116(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4226; Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXII, § 7229, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1709.)
Historical and Revision NotesSubsection (a) is based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 30 (Jan. 12, 1919, ch. 8, 40 Stat. 1054). Said section was changed to have application to the Coast Guard at all times, rather than when the Coast Guard is operating with the Navy.
Inasmuch as the act cited above applies equally to the Navy and Marine Corps as well as the Coast Guard, it is not scheduled for repeal but is being amended by section 9 of this act to eliminate reference to the Coast Guard.
Subsection (b) is based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946, ed., § 13, and on title 33, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 754 (July 1, 1898, ch. 346, § 1, 30 Stat. 604; July 27, 1912, ch. 255, § 2, 37 Stat. 239). Said section 13 was changed to have application to all enlisted personnel rather than to “crews of vessels in service” only. The provision of said section 754 which provided for the sale of clothing to civilian employees is eliminated as becoming obsolete.
Subsection (c) is new. Title 37, U.S.C., 1946 ed., § 110 authorizes the payment of a cash allowance in case clothing is not furnished to enlisted persons of the Coast Guard. Clearly this presumes the authority to issue clothing to enlisted persons; this section makes the authority statutory. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.
Editorial Notes
Amendments2025—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 119–60 added subsec. (c).
2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 485 of this title as this section.
1962—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 87–649 repealed subsec. (c) which permitted the Coast Guard to purchase uniform clothing for distribution to enlisted personnel or to pay such enlisted personnel a cash clothing allowance.
1950—Subsec. (c). Act Aug. 3, 1950, struck out “to” after “or”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1962 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 87–649 effective Nov. 1, 1962, see section 15 of Pub. L. 87–649, set out as an Effective Date note preceding section 101 of Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services.