---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 520c"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "520c"
heading: "Recruiting functions: provision of meals and refreshments"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/520c"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 31 — Enlistments"
---

# §520c. Recruiting functions: provision of meals and refreshments


Under regulations prescribed by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5), funds appropriated to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense for recruitment of [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) personnel may be expended for small meals and refreshments during recruiting [functions](/usc/10/467.md?p=1) for the following [persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2):

- (1) [Persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) who have enlisted under the Delayed Entry [Program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) authorized by [section 513 of this title](/usc/10/513.md).
- (2) [Persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) who are objects of [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) recruiting efforts.
- (3) [Persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) whose assistance in recruiting efforts of the [military departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-8) is determined to be influential by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5).
- (4) Members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) and Federal employees when attending recruiting [functions](/usc/10/467.md?p=1) in accordance with a requirement to do so.
- (5) Other [persons](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) whose presence at recruiting [functions](/usc/10/467.md?p=1) will contribute to recruiting efforts.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title III, § 361(a), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2491; amended Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title V, § 545, Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1113; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title X, § 1031(a)(8)(A), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1596.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2003—Pub. L. 108–136 substituted “provision of meals and refreshments” for “use of funds” in section catchline, struck out “(a) Provision of Meals and Refreshments.—” before “Under regulations”, and struck out heading and text of subsec. (b). Text read as follows: “Not later than February 1 of each of the years 1998 through 2002, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the extent to which the authority under subsection (a) was exercised during the fiscal year ending in the preceding year.”

2001—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 107–107, § 545(b)(1), substituted “recruiting functions” for “recruiting events”.

Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 107–107, § 545(b)(2), substituted “presence at recruiting functions” for “presence at recruiting efforts”.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–107, § 545(a), struck out heading and text of subsec. (c). Text read as follows: “The authority in subsection (a) may not be exercised after September 30, 2001.”