Section 1511 · Bureaus in Department

Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 597 of Title 5 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.

Amendments

2000—Pars. (5) to (7). Pub. L. 106–503 inserted “and” after “Census;” in par. (5), redesignated par. (7) as (6) and struck out former par. (6) which read as follows: “United States Fire Administration; and”.

1999—Pub. L. 106–113 redesignated pars. (a) to (g) as (1) to (7), respectively, realigned margins, and in par. (4) substituted “United States Patent and Trademark Office” for “Patent and Trademark Office;”.

1988—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 100–418 substituted “National Institute of Standards and Technology” for “National Bureau of Standards”.

1981—Pars. (c) to (g). Pub. L. 97–31 struck out par. (c) “Maritime Administration” and redesignated pars. (d) to (h) as (c) to (g), respectively.

1978—Par. (g). Pub. L. 95–422 substituted “United States Fire Administration” for “National Fire Prevention and Control Administration”.

1974—Pub. L. 93–498 amended section generally, substituting reference to Secretary of Commerce for Department of Commerce, substituting letters for numbers in the designation for enumerated bodies, and in such enumeration substituted reference to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Travel Service, Maritime Administration, National Bureau of Standards, Patent Office, Bureau of the Census, National Fire Prevention and Control Administration and such other bureaus or other organizational units as the Secretary of Commerce may from time to time establish in accordance with law, for reference to The Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, The Bureau of Public Roads, The Civil Aeronautics Authority, The Census Office, The Coast and Geodetic Survey, The Federal Maritime Board, The Inland Waterways Corporation, The Maritime Administration, The National Bureau of Standards, The Patent Office, and The Weather Bureau.

Change of Name

“United States Travel and Tourism Administration” substituted for “United States Travel Service” in par. (b), pursuant to section 4(a)(1) of Pub. L. 97–63, which established United States Travel and Tourism Administration in place of United States Travel Service, effective Oct. 1, 1981. See section 2124 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

“Patent and Trademark Office” substituted for “Patent Office”, in par. (d) pursuant to section 3 of Pub. L. 93–596, set out as a note under section 1 of Title 35, Patents.

In order to implement the provisions of Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970, eff. Oct. 3, 1970, 35 F.R. 15627, 84 Stat. 2090, as amended, set out below, the following organizational names appearing in chapter IX of subtitle B of Title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, which covers the administration of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, were changed by order of the Acting Associate Administrator, 35 F.R. 19249, Dec. 19, 1970, as follows: Environmental Science Services Administration to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (ESSA to NOAA); Coast and Geodetic Survey to National Ocean Survey; and Weather Bureau to National Weather Service.

Effective Date of 1999 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 106–113 effective 4 months after Nov. 29, 1999, see section 1000(a)(9) [title IV, §4731] of Pub. L. 106–113, set out as a note under section 1 of Title 35, Patents.

Repeals

Act June 17, 1910, ch. 301, §4, 36 Stat. 537, cited as a credit to this section, was repealed by act Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, §20, 63 Stat. 561.

Act June 30, 1932, ch. 314, §501, 47 Stat. 415, cited as a credit to this section, was repealed by Pub. L. 89–554, §8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 648 and Pub. L. 97–258, §5(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1068, 1074.

Act May 27, 1936, ch. 463, §1, 49 Stat. 1380, cited as a credit to this section, was repealed by Pub. L. 89–554, §8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 649.

Transfer of Functions; Organizational History

Functions of United States Fire Administration generally transferred to Federal Emergency Management Agency. For further details see Transfer of Functions note set out under section 2202 of this title.

Functions of Secretary of Commerce, Department of Commerce, and officers and components of Department of Commerce as they related to or were utilized by Office of Energy Programs within Department of Commerce, but limited to industrial energy conservation programs, transferred to, and vested in, Secretary of Energy as part of creation of Department of Energy by Pub. L. 95–91, Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 565. See section 7157 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of Commerce, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of Commerce, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 5 of 1950, §§1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out as a note under section 1501 of this title.

Public Roads Administration, which was redesignated Bureau of Public Roads and, with its functions, transferred from Federal Works Agency to General Services Administration by section 103(a) of act June 30, 1949 (set out as section 753 of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works), was subsequently transferred to Department of Commerce, and then to Department of Transportation, by Reorg. Plan No. 7 of 1949, as amended, which is set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Federal Maritime Board was created as an agency within Department of Commerce by Reorg. Plan No. 21 of 1950, §§101, 106, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, and sections 103 to 105 of the Plan transferred to Board and its chairman certain functions of former United States Maritime Commission and chairman thereof. Section 307 of the Plan provided that functions transferred to Federal Maritime Board and its chairman should not be subject to the provisions of Reorg. Plan No. 5 of 1950, also eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out in note under section 1501 of this title, which, with a few additional exceptions, transferred functions of all officers, agencies, and employees of Department of Commerce to Secretary of Commerce, and authorized him to delegate any functions so transferred, or any of his other functions, to any of such officers, agencies and employees. Section 304 of Reorg. Plan No. 7 of 1961, eff. Aug. 12, 1961, 26 F.R. 7315, 75 Stat. 840, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, abolished Federal Maritime Board, including offices of members of Board. Functions of Board transferred either to Federal Maritime Commission, which was established as an independent body, or to Secretary of Commerce by sections 103 and 202 of Reorg. Plan No. 7 of 1961.

Maritime Administration, with a Maritime Administrator at its head, was established in Department of Commerce by Reorg. Plan No. 21 of 1950, §201, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, and section 204 of the Plan transferred certain functions of former United States Maritime Commission and its Chairman to Secretary of Commerce, with power vested in Secretary to authorize their performance by Administrator. Section 307 of the Plan provided that functions transferred to Secretary by that Plan should not be subject to provisions of Reorg. Plan No. 5 of 1950, also eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out in note under section 1501 of this title, which, with a few additional exceptions, transferred functions of all other officers, agencies, and employees of Department of Commerce to Secretary of Commerce, and authorized him to delegate any functions so transferred, or any of his other functions, to any of such officers, agencies, and employees.

Section 304 of Reorg. Plan No. 7 of 1961, eff. Aug. 12, 1961, 26 F.R. 7315, 75 Stat. 840, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, abolished Federal Maritime Board, including offices of members of Board. Functions of Board transferred either to Federal Maritime Commission, which was established as an independent body, or to Secretary of Commerce by sections 103 and 202 of Reorg. Plan No. 7 of 1961.

Maritime Administration of Department of Commerce transferred to Department of Transportation, and all related functions of Secretary and other officers and offices of Department of Commerce transferred to Department of Transportation and vested in Secretary of Transportation, see section 1601 et seq. of Title 46, Appendix, Shipping.

Community Relations Service transferred from Department of Commerce to Department of Justice by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1966, eff. Apr. 22, 1966, 31 F.R. 6187, 80 Stat. 1607, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.

Department of Commerce, prior to act Mar. 4, 1913, was known as Department of Commerce and Labor. The following agencies which were placed under jurisdiction of Department of Commerce and Labor by act Feb. 13, 1903, which act established the Department, were abolished or transferred as follows:

Office of United States Shipping Commissioner abolished by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946, §§101 to 104, eff. July 16, 1946, which transferred functions to Commandant of Coast Guard and Commissioner of Customs. See Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Bureau of Navigation and the Steamboat Inspection Service consolidated into Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection by act June 30, 1932, which name was changed to Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation by act May 27, 1936, cited to text. Bureau abolished and functions transferred to Commandant of Coast Guard and Commissioner of Customs by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1946. See Appendix to Title 5.

Bureau of Fisheries transferred to Department of the Interior by section 4(e) of Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939. Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939 is set out in the Appendix to Title 5.

Bureau of Immigration changed to Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization by act June 29, 1906, ch. 3592, §1, 34 Stat. 596. Commissioner General of Immigration, Commissioners of Immigration, and Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization, transferred to Department of Labor by act Mar. 4, 1913. Subsequently, by Ex. Ord. No. 6166, §14 of June 10, 1933, and Reorg. Plan No. V of 1940, eff. June 14, 1940, 5 F.R. 2223, 54 Stat. 1238, Bureau of Immigration and Bureau of Naturalization consolidated to form Immigration and Naturalization Service and transferred to Department of Justice.

Light-House Board and Light-House Establishment consolidated under Bureau of Lighthouses by act June 17, 1910, ch. 301, §4, 36 Stat. 537. Bureau of Lighthouses transferred to Coast Guard in Department of the Treasury by Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939, §2(a). Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939 is set out in the Appendix to Title 5. Said section 4 of act June 17, 1910, was repealed by section 20 of act Aug. 4, 1949, section 1 of which reestablished Coast Guard by enacting Title 14, Coast Guard. Coast Guard transferred to Department of Transportation, and all functions, powers, and duties relating to Coast Guard of Secretary of the Treasury and of other officers and offices of Department of the Treasury transferred to Secretary of Transportation by Pub. L. 89–670, §6(b)(1), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 938. Section 6(b)(2) of Pub. L. 89–670, however, provided that notwithstanding such transfer of functions, Coast Guard shall operate as part of Navy in time of war or when President directs as provided in section 3 of Title 14, Coast Guard. See section 108 of Title 49, Transportation.

Bureau of Mines transferred from Department of the Interior to Department of Commerce by Ex. Ord. No. 4239, eff. July 1, 1925, and retransferred to Department of the Interior by Ex. Ord. No. 6611, Feb. 24, 1934.

The following agencies acquired their status in the manner indicated:

Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce resulted from a consolidation of Bureau of Manufactures and Bureau of Statistics by act Aug. 23, 1912.

Civil Aeronautics Authority [Civil Aeronautics Board] transferred to Department of Commerce by section 7 of Reorg. Plan No. IV of 1940, set out in the Appendix to Title 5. For transfer of functions of Civil Aeronautics Board see section 1551 et seq. and section 1655(d) of former Title 49, Transportation.

Inland Waterways Corporation transferred to Department of Commerce by section 6 of Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939. Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939 is set out in the Appendix of Title 5. Pub. L. 88–67, §2, July 19, 1963, 77 Stat. 81, provided generally for liquidation of affairs of Inland Waterways Corporation.

Patent Office transferred from Department of the Interior by Ex. Ord. of Mar. 17, 1925, as authorized by section 12 of act Feb. 14, 1903. See section 1517 of this title.

Environmental Science Services Administration in Department of Commerce, including offices of Administrator and Deputy Administrator thereof, abolished by Reorg. Plan No. 4 of 1970, eff. Oct. 3, 1970, 35 F.R. 15627, 84 Stat. 2090, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, which created National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Department of Commerce and transferred personnel, property, records, and unexpended balances of funds of Environmental Science Services Administration to such newly created National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Components of Environmental Science Services Administration thus transferred included Weather Bureau, Coast and Geodetic Survey, Environmental Data Service, National Environmental Satellite Center, and ESSA Research Laboratories.

Weather Bureau transferred from Department of Agriculture by section 8 of Reorg. Plan No. IV of 1940. Reorg. Plan IV of 1940 is set out in the Appendix to Title 5. Coast and Geodetic Survey and Weather Bureau consolidated to form a new agency in Department of Commerce known as Environmental Science Services Administration by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1965, eff. July 13, 1965, 30 F.R. 8819, 79 Stat. 4443, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.

Functions, powers, and duties of Office of Audits and Investigations and Inspections Staff and that portion of office referred to as Office of Investigations and Security which had responsibility for investigation of alleged criminal violations and program abuse in Department of Commerce transferred to Office of Inspector General in Department of Commerce, as established by Pub. L. 95–452, §2, Oct. 12, 1978, 92 Stat. 1101, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. See section 9(a)(1)(B) of Pub. L. 95–452, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.