---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 282"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "282"
heading: "Emergency situations involving weapons of mass destruction"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/282"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 15 — Military Support for Civilian Law Enforcement Agencies"
---

# §282. Emergency situations involving weapons of mass destruction

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, upon the request of the Attorney General, may provide assistance in support of [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Justice activities relating to the enforcement of section [175](/usc/18/175.md), [229](/usc/18/229.md), or [2332a](/usc/18/2332a.md) of title 18 during an emergency situation involving a weapon of mass destruction. [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense resources, including personnel of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, may be used to provide such assistance if—
  - (1) the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense and the Attorney General jointly determine that an emergency situation exists; and
  - (2) the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense determines that the provision of such assistance will not adversely affect the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) preparedness of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
- (b) **Emergency Situations Covered.—** In this section, the term “emergency situation involving a weapon of mass destruction” means a circumstance involving a weapon of mass destruction—
  - (1) that poses a serious threat to the interests of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1); and
  - (2) in which—
    - (A) civilian expertise and capabilities are not readily available to provide the required assistance to counter the threat immediately posed by the weapon involved;
    - (B) special capabilities and expertise of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense are necessary and critical to counter the threat posed by the weapon involved; and
    - (C) enforcement of section [175](/usc/18/175.md), [229](/usc/18/229.md), or [2332a](/usc/18/2332a.md) of title 18 would be seriously impaired if the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense assistance were not provided.
- (c) **Forms of Assistance.—** The assistance referred to in [subsection (a)](#a) [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) the operation of equipment (including equipment made available under [section 372](/usc/10/372.md)[^1] of this title) to monitor, contain, disable, or dispose of the weapon involved or elements of the weapon.
- (d) **Regulations.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense and the Attorney General shall jointly prescribe regulations concerning the types of assistance that may be provided under this section. Such regulations shall also describe the actions that [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense personnel may take in circumstances incident to the provision of assistance under this section.
  - (2)
    - (A) Except as provided in [subparagraph (B)](#d-2-B), the regulations may not authorize the following actions:
      - (i) Arrest.
      - (ii) Any direct participation in conducting a search for or seizure of evidence related to a violation of section 175, 229, or 2332a of title 18.
      - (iii) Any direct participation in the collection of intelligence for law enforcement purposes.
    - (B) The regulations may authorize an action described in [subparagraph (A)](#d-2-A) to be taken under the following conditions:
      - (i) The action is considered necessary for the immediate protection of human life, and civilian law enforcement officials are not capable of taking the action.
      - (ii) The action is otherwise authorized under [subsection (c)](#c) or under otherwise applicable law.
- (e) **Reimbursements.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall require reimbursement as a condition for providing assistance under this section to the extent required under [section 377](/usc/10/377.md)[^1] of this title.
- (f) **Delegations of Authority.—**
  - (1) Except to the extent otherwise provided by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense, the Deputy [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may exercise the authority of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense under this section. The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may delegate the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3)’s authority under this section only to an Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense or an Assistant [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense and only if the Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) or Assistant [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) to whom delegated has been designated by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) to act for, and to exercise the general powers of, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3).
  - (2) Except to the extent otherwise provided by the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General may exercise the authority of the Attorney General under this section. The Attorney General may delegate that authority only to the Associate Attorney General or an Assistant Attorney General and only if the Associate Attorney General or Assistant Attorney General to whom delegated has been designated by the Attorney General to act for, and to exercise the general powers of, the Attorney General.
- (g) **Relationship to Other Authority.—** Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict any executive branch authority regarding use of members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) or equipment of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense that was in effect before September 23, 1996.

## Footnotes

[^1]: See References in Text note below.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XIV, § 1416(a)(1), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2721, § 382; amended Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1073(a)(6), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1900; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1075(b)(10)(A), (B), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4369; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title X, § 1089, Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1603; renumbered § 282, Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1241(a)(2), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2497.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 372 of this title, referred to in subsec. (c), was renumbered section 272 of this title by Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1241(a)(2), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2497.

Section 377 of this title, referred to in subsec. (e), was renumbered section 277 of this title by Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1241(a)(2), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2497.

### Amendments

2016—Pub. L. 114–328 renumbered section 382 of this title as this section.

2011—Pub. L. 111–383, § 1075(b)(10)(B), struck out “chemical or biological” before “weapons” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–81 struck out “biological or chemical” before “weapon of mass destruction” in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 111–383, § 1075(b)(10)(A), substituted “section 175, 229, or 2332a” for “section 175 or 2332c”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–81 struck out “biological or chemical” before “weapon of mass destruction” in two places in introductory provisions.

Subsecs. (b)(2)(C), (d)(2)(A)(ii). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1075(b)(10)(A), substituted “section 175, 229, or 2332a” for “section 175 or 2332c”.

1997—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 105–85 substituted “September 23, 1996” for “the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Military Assistance to Civil Authorities To Respond to Act or Threat of Terrorism

Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title X, § 1023, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 747, authorized the Secretary of Defense, upon the request of the Attorney General, to provide assistance to civil authorities in responding to an act of terrorism or threat of an act of terrorism within the United States, if the Secretary determined that certain conditions were met, subject to reimbursement and limitations on funding and personnel, and provided that this authority applied between Oct. 1, 1999, and Sept. 30, 2004.