---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 980"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "980"
heading: "Limitation on use of humans as experimental subjects"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/980"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 49 — Miscellaneous Prohibitions and Penalties"
---

# §980. Limitation on use of humans as experimental subjects

- (a) Funds appropriated to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense may not be used for research involving a human being as an experimental subject unless—
  - (1) the informed consent of the subject is obtained in advance; or
  - (2) in the case of research intended to be beneficial to the subject, the informed consent of the subject or a legal representative of the subject is obtained in advance.
- (b)
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may waive the prohibition in this section with respect to a specific research project to advance the development of a medical product necessary to the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) if the research project may directly benefit the subject and is carried out in accordance with all other applicable laws.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may delegate the authority provided by [paragraph (1)](#b-1) to the Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Research and Engineering.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 98–525, title XIV, § 1401(c)(1), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2615; amended Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title VII, § 733, Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1170; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title II, § 212, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 183.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in the following appropriation acts:

Pub. L. 98–473, title I, § 101(h) [title VIII, § 8029], Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 1904, 1929.

Pub. L. 98–212, title VII, § 734, Dec. 8, 1983, 97 Stat. 1444.

Pub. L. 97–377, title I, § 101(c) [title VII, § 737], Dec. 21, 1982, 96 Stat. 1833, 1857.

Pub. L. 97–114, title VII, § 738, Dec. 29, 1981, 95 Stat. 1585.

Pub. L. 96–527, title VII, § 739, Dec. 15, 1980, 94 Stat. 3088.

Pub. L. 96–154, title VII, § 741, Dec. 21, 1979, 93 Stat. 1159.

Pub. L. 95–457, title VIII, § 841, Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1251.

Pub. L. 95–111, title VIII, § 840, Sept. 21, 1977, 91 Stat. 906.

Pub. L. 94–419, title VII, § 739, Sept. 22, 1976, 90 Stat. 1297.

Pub. L. 94–212, title VII, § 740, Feb. 9, 1976, 90 Stat. 175.

Pub. L. 93–437, title VIII, § 841, Oct. 8, 1974, 88 Stat. 1231.

Pub. L. 93–238, title VII, § 743, Jan. 2, 1974, 87 Stat. 1045.

Pub. L. 92–570, title VII, § 745, Oct. 26, 1972, 86 Stat. 1203.

### Amendments

2023—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 118–31 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

2001—Pub. L. 107–107 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Oct. 1, 1985, see section 1404 of Pub. L. 98–525, set out as a note under section 520b of this title.