---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 283"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "283"
heading: "Situations involving bombings of places of public use, Government facilities, public transportation systems, and infrastructure facilities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/283"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 15 — Military Support for Civilian Law Enforcement Agencies"
---

# §283. Situations involving bombings of places of public use, Government facilities, public transportation systems, and infrastructure facilities

- (a) **In General.—** Upon the request of the Attorney General, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may provide assistance in support of [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Justice activities related to the enforcement of [section 2332f of title 18](/usc/18/2332f.md) during situations involving bombings of places of public use, Government [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2), public transportation systems, and infrastructure [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2).
- (b) **Rendering-safe Support.—** [Military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) explosive ordnance [disposal](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) units providing rendering-safe support to [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 in emergency situations involving weapons of mass destruction shall provide such support in a manner consistent with the provisions of [section 382](/usc/10/382.md)[^1] of this title.
- (c) **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)](#c-2-B), the regulations prescribed under [paragraph (1)](#c-1) may not authorize any of 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) Such regulations may authorize an action described in [subparagraph (A)](#c-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 (a)](#a) or under otherwise applicable law.
- (d) **Explosive Ordnance Defined.—** The term “explosive ordnance”—
  - (1) means—
    - (A) bombs and warheads;
    - (B) guided and ballistic missiles;
    - (C) artillery, mortar, rocket, and small arms ammunition;
    - (D) all mines, torpedoes, and depth charges;
    - (E) grenades demolition charges;
    - (F) pyrotechnics;
    - (G) clusters and dispensers;
    - (H) cartridge- and propellant- actuated devices;
    - (I) electroexplosives devices;
    - (J) clandestine and improvised explosive devices; and
    - (K) all similar or related items or [components](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) explosive in nature; and
  - (2) [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) all munitions containing explosives, propellants, nuclear fission or fusion materials, and biological and chemical agents.

## Footnotes

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

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title X, § 1082(a), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1002, § 383; renumbered § 283, Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1241(a)(2), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2497.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 382 of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was renumbered section 282 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 383 of this title as this section.