14 U.S.C. § 509 — Space-available travel on Coast Guard air-

Page 46 TITLE 14—COAST GUARD § 507 or the prospective payment of an amount that represents the value of, treatment or care pro- vided under any TRICARE program. (Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VII, § 722(a), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2228, § 520; renumbered § 506, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 105(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4200; amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. G, title LVXXXV [LXXXV], § 8513(a)(1), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4760.) Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 506, act Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 537, related to the issue of the national flag to be used for draping the coffin of any deceased member of the Coast Guard, prior to repeal by act July 15, 1954, ch. 507, § 14(c)(5), 68 Stat. 481. For provisions relating to recov- ery, care, and disposition of the remains of deceased personnel of the uniformed services and deceased civil- ian personnel, see section 1481 of Title 10, Armed Forces. AMENDMENTS 2021—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, § 8513(a)(1)(A), in- serted ‘‘as established under chapter 56 of title 10’’ after ‘‘Medicare-Eligible Retiree Health Care Fund’’. Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, § 8513(a)(1)(B), sub- stituted ‘‘operations and support’’ for ‘‘operating ex- penses’’. 2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 520 of this title as this section. § 507. Appointment of judges The Secretary may appoint civilian employees of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating as appellate military judges, available for assignment to the Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals as provided for in section 866(a) of title 10. (Added Pub. L. 111–281, title II, § 201(a), Oct. 15, 2010, 124 Stat. 2909, § 153; renumbered § 507, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 105(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4200.) Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 507 was renumbered section 2710 of this title. AMENDMENTS 2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 153 of this title as this section. § 508. Coast Guard health-care professionals; li- censure portability (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding the licensure of health-care providers, a health-care professional described in subsection (b) may practice the health profession or professions of the health- care professional at any location in any State, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, re- gardless of where such health-care professional or the patient is located, if the practice is with- in the scope of the authorized Federal duties of such health-care professional. (b) DESCRIBED INDIVIDUALS.—A health-care professional described in this subsection is an individual— (1) who is— (A) a member of the Coast Guard; (B) a civilian employee of the Coast Guard; (C) a member of the Public Health Service who is assigned to the Coast Guard; or (D) any other health-care professional credentialed and privileged at a Federal health-care institution or location specially designated by the Secretary; and (2) who— (A) has a current license to practice medi- cine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or an- other health profession; and (B) is performing authorized duties for the Coast Guard. (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘license’’ and ‘‘health-care professional’’ have the meanings given those terms in section 1094(e) of title 10. (Added Pub. L. 115–282, title III, § 305(a), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4245.) Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 508 was renumbered section 2711 of this title. § 509. Space-available travel on Coast Guard air- craft (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant may es- tablish a program to provide transportation on Coast Guard aircraft on a space-available basis to the categories of eligible individuals de- scribed in subsection (c) (in this section re- ferred to as the ‘‘program’’). (2) POLICY DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the date on which the program is es- tablished, the Commandant shall develop a policy for the operation of the program. (b) OPERATION OF PROGRAM.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall op- erate the program in a budget-neutral manner. (2) LIMITATIONS.— (A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subparagraph (B), no additional funds may be used, or flight hours performed, for the purpose of providing transportation under the program. (B) DE MINIMIS EXPENDITURES.—The Com- mandant may make de minimis expenditures of resources required for the administrative aspects of the program. (3) REIMBURSEMENT NOT REQUIRED.—Eligible individuals described in subsection (c) shall not be required to reimburse the Coast Guard for travel provided under this section. (c) CATEGORIES OF ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS.—Sub- ject to subsection (d), the categories of eligible individuals described in this subsection are the following: (1) Members of the armed forces on active duty. (2) Members of the Selected Reserve who hold a valid Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card. (3) Retired members of a regular or reserve component of the armed forces, including re- Page 47 TITLE 14—COAST GUARD § 510 tired members of reserve components who, but for being under the eligibility age applicable under section 12731 of title 10, would be eligi- ble for retired pay under chapter 1223 of title 10. (4) Subject to subsection (f), veterans with a permanent service-connected disability rated as total. (5) Such categories of dependents of individ- uals described in paragraphs (1) through (3) as the Commandant shall specify in the policy under subsection (a)(2), under such conditions and circumstances as the Commandant shall specify in such policy. (6) Such other categories of individuals as the Commandant considers appropriate. (d) REQUIREMENTS.—In operating the program, the Commandant shall— (1) in the sole discretion of the Com- mandant, establish an order of priority for transportation for categories of eligible indi- viduals that is based on considerations of mili- tary necessity, humanitarian concerns, and enhancement of morale; (2) give priority in consideration of transpor- tation to the demands of members of the armed forces in the regular components and in the reserve components on active duty and to the need to provide such members, and their dependents, a means of respite from such de- mands; and (3) implement policies aimed at ensuring cost control (as required under subsection (b)) and the safety, security, and efficient proc- essing of travelers, including limiting the ben- efit under the program to 1 or more categories of otherwise eligible individuals, as the Com- mandant considers necessary. (e) TRANSPORTATION.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), in establishing space-available transpor- tation priorities under the program, the Com- mandant shall provide transportation for an individual described in paragraph (2), and a single dependent of the individual if needed to accompany the individual, at a priority level in the same category as the priority level for an unaccompanied dependent over the age of 18 years traveling on environmental and mo- rale leave. (2) INDIVIDUALS COVERED.—Subject to para- graph (3), paragraph (1) applies with respect to an individual described in subsection (c)(3) who— (A) resides in or is located in a Common- wealth or possession of the United States; and (B) is referred by a military or civilian pri- mary care provider located in that Common- wealth or possession to a specialty care pro- vider for services to be provided outside of such Commonwealth or possession. (3) APPLICATION TO CERTAIN RETIRED INDIVID- UALS.—If an individual described in subsection (c)(3) is a retired member of a reserve compo- nent who is ineligible for retired pay under chapter 1223 of title 10 by reason of being under the eligibility age applicable under sec- tion 12731 of title 10, paragraph (1) applies to the individual only if the individual is also en- rolled in the TRICARE program for certain members of the Retired Reserve authorized under section 1076e of title 10. (4) PRIORITY.—The priority for space-avail- able transportation required by this sub- section applies with respect to— (A) the travel from the Commonwealth or possession of the United States to receive the specialty care services; and (B) the return travel. (5) PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER AND SPECIALTY CARE PROVIDER DEFINED.—In this subsection, the terms ‘‘primary care provider’’ and ‘‘spe- cialty care provider’’ refer to a medical or den- tal professional who provides health care serv- ices under chapter 55 of title 10. (f) LIMITATIONS ON TRAVEL.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Travel may not be provided under this section to a veteran eligible for travel pursuant to paragraph (4) of subsection (c) in priority over any member eligible for travel under paragraph (1) of that subsection or any dependent of such a member eligible for travel under this section. (2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Subsection (c)(4) may not be construed as— (A) affecting or in any way imposing on the Coast Guard, any armed force, or any commercial entity with which the Coast Guard or an armed force contracts, an obli- gation or expectation that the Coast Guard or such armed force will retrofit or alter, in any way, military aircraft or commercial aircraft, or related equipment or facilities, used or leased by the Coast Guard or such armed force to accommodate passengers pro- vided travel under such authority on ac- count of disability; or (B) preempting the authority of an aircraft commander to determine who boards the air- craft and any other matters in connection with safe operation of the aircraft. (g) APPLICATION OF SECTION.—The authority to provide transportation under the program is in addition to any other authority under law to provide transportation on Coast Guard aircraft on a space-available basis. (Added Pub. L. 117–263, div. K, title CXII, § 11231(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 4030.) Editorial Notes PRIOR PROVISIONS A prior section 509 was renumbered section 2761 of this title. § 510. Conveyance of Coast Guard vessels for public purposes (a) IN GENERAL.—On request by the Com- mandant, the Administrator of the General Services Administration may transfer ownership of a Coast Guard vessel or aircraft to an eligible entity for educational, cultural, historical, char- itable, recreational, or other public purposes if such transfer is authorized by law. (b) CONDITIONS OF CONVEYANCE.—The General Services Administration may not convey a ves- sel or aircraft to an eligible entity as authorized by law unless the eligible entity agrees—