---
kind: "section"
citation: "14 U.S.C. § 2509"
title: "14"
title_heading: "Coast Guard"
number: "2509"
heading: "Prohibition of certain involuntary administrative separations"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/14/2509"
units:
  - "Subtitle II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 25 — Personnel; General Provisions"
  - "Subchapter I — General Provisions"
---

# §2509. Prohibition of certain involuntary administrative separations

- (a) **In General.—** Except as provided in [subsection (b)](#b), the Secretary may not authorize the involuntary administrative separation of a covered individual based on a determination that the covered individual is unsuitable for deployment or other assignment due to a medical condition of the covered individual considered by a Physical Evaluation Board during an evaluation of the covered individual that resulted in the covered individual being determined to be fit for duty.
- (b) **Reevaluation.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** The Secretary may require a Physical Evaluation Board to reevaluate any covered individual if the Secretary determines there is reason to believe that a medical condition of the covered individual considered by a Physical Evaluation Board during an evaluation of the covered individual renders the covered individual unsuitable for continued duty.
  - (2) **Retirements and separations.—** A covered individual who is determined, based on a reevaluation under [paragraph (1)](#b-1), to be unfit to perform the duties of the covered individual’s office, grade, rank, or rating may be retired or separated for physical disability under chapter 61 of title 10.
- (c) **Covered Individual Defined.—** In this section, the term “covered individual” means any member of the Coast Guard who has been determined by a Physical Evaluation Board, pursuant to a physical evaluation by that board, to be fit for duty.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 112–213, title II, § 209(a), Dec. 20, 2012, 126 Stat. 1549, § 427; amended Pub. L. 114–120, title II, § 209(6), Feb. 8, 2016, 130 Stat. 41; renumbered § 2509, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 114(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4223.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–282 renumbered section 427 of this title as this section.

2016—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 114–120 substituted “chapter 61 of title 10” for “this chapter”.