(a) Enlisted members of the Coast Guard, civilian officers and civilian crews of vessels, and working parties in the field shall be allowed a ration or commutation thereof in money, in such amount and under limitations and regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
(b) Money for commuted rations shall be paid, under such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe, on proper vouchers, or pay rolls, to persons entitled to receive it, or to the officers designated by the Commandant to administer the financial affairs of the messes in which such persons may be subsisted.
(c) Money paid for commuted rations to the designated officer may be deposited in general or limited depositories of public money or in any bank in which deposits are insured. Such funds shall be expended and accounted for under such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe.
(d) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as modifying or changing in any manner the provisions of law pertaining to subsistence allowances for enlisted members, but no ration or commutation thereof shall be allowed a person receiving a subsistence allowance.
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§134, 135 (Mar. 25, 1940, ch. 71, title I, 54 Stat. 64; June 6, 1940, ch. 257, §10, 54 Stat. 248; May 31, 1941, ch. 156, title I, §1, 55 Stat. 221; Feb. 7, 1942, ch. 46, title I, 56 Stat. 71; June 26, 1943, ch. 147, §1, 57 Stat. 211; June 22, 1944, ch. 269, §1, 58 Stat. 316; May 29, 1945, ch. 130, §1, 59 Stat. 216; July 12, 1946, ch. 569, §1, 60 Stat. 531; Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 756, §31, 60 Stat. 857; July 1, 1947, ch. 186, title I, §101, 61 Stat. 226).
The provisions of said section 134 are extended to include all persons who might be entitled to receive money for commuted rations, rather than only the officer in charge of the mess.
The last proviso of said section 135 is eliminated, because experience during the past 2 years shows that it may react detrimentally on enlisted men in time of rising food costs.
Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.
Amendments
2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 478 of this title as this section.
1984—Subsecs. (a), (d). Pub. L. 98–557 substituted reference to enlisted members for reference to enlisted men.
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