From the U.S. House of Representatives Downloadable U.S. Code
[uscode.house.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 5, 1999]

[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
 
-HEAD-
    Sec. 269. Bills of health
 
-STATUTE-
    (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.
 
-SOURCE-
    (July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, Sec. 366, 58 Stat. 705.)
 
-TRANS-
                           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.
 
-SECREF-
                   SECTION REFERRED TO IN OTHER SECTIONS
      This section is referred to in sections 270, 271 of this title.