### §8779. Officers' messes and quarters: limitations on employment of enlisted members

(a) Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Navy prescribes, enlisted members of the naval service and enlisted members of the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the Navy may be assigned to duty in a service capacity in officers' messes and public quarters where the Secretary finds that this use of the members is desirable for military reasons.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, retired enlisted members of the naval service and members of the Fleet Reserve and the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve may, when not on active duty, be voluntarily employed in any service capacity in officers' messes and public quarters without additional expense to the United States.

(c) The Secretary, to the extent he considers proper, may delegate the authority conferred by this section, except the authority to prescribe regulations, to any person in the Department of the Navy, with or without the authority to make successive redelegations.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 470, §7579; renumbered §8779, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §807(d)(9), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1837.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7579 | 34 U.S.C. 915b(b). | Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 756, §16(b), 60 Stat. 855. |
| | 5 U.S.C. 412a. | Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 756, §39, 60 Stat. 858. |
| | 5 U.S.C. 421g(b). | Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 756, §40(b), 60 Stat. 858. |

In subsection (a) the words "enlisted members of the naval service and enlisted members of the Coast Guard when it is operating as a service in the Navy" are substituted for the words "enlisted naval personnel" to execute the definition of "naval personnel" made applicable to this section by 5 U.S.C. 421g. The definition in that section also covers personnel of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, but since that service has no enlisted members reference to it is unnecessary. In executing this definition the words "while on active duty" are omitted as unnecessary, since members not on active duty would not be subject to assignment by the Secretary of the Navy.

In subsection (b) the word "transferred" before the words "member of the Fleet Reserve" is omitted as unnecessary, since the categories of such members other than "transferred" have not been administratively used, and authority for them is omitted in this title. The words "and the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve" are added, as the words "Fleet Reserve" are used in a generic sense to cover such members. The words "when not on active duty" are added. When the personnel concerned are on active duty, they are treated in the same manner as others on active duty.

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 7579 of this title as this section.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

#### Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.