---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 1421d"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "1421d"
heading: "Unusual mortality event activity funding"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/1421d"
units:
  - "Chapter 31 — Marine Mammal Protection"
  - "Subchapter V — Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response"
---

# §1421d. Unusual mortality event activity funding

- (a) **Establishment of Fund—** There is established in the Treasury an interest bearing [fund](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2) to be known as the “[Marine Mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) [Unusual Mortality Event](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=9) [Fund](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2)”, which shall consist of amounts deposited into the [Fund](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2) under [subsection (c)](#c).
- (b) **Uses—** Amounts in the [Fund](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2) shall be available only for use by the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A), in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) of the Interior, and dispersed among claimants based on budgets approved by the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) prior to expenditure—
  - (1) to make advance, partial, or progress payments under contracts or other funding mechanisms for property, supplies, salaries, services, and travel costs incurred in acting in accordance with the contingency plan issued under [section 1421c(b) of this title](/usc/16/1421c.md?p=b) or under the direction of an Onsite Coordinator for an [unusual mortality event](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=9) designated under [section 1421c(a)(2)(B)(iii) of this title](/usc/16/1421c.md?p=a-2-B-iii);
  - (2) for reimbursing any [stranding network participant](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=7) for costs incurred in the collection, preparation, analysis, and transportation of [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) tissues and samples collected with respect to an [unusual mortality event](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=9) for the [Tissue Bank](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=8); and
  - (3) for the care and maintenance of a [marine mammal](/usc/16/1362.md?p=6) seized under [section 1374(c)(2)(D) of this title](/usc/16/1374.md?p=c-2-D); and[^1]
- (c) **Deposits into Fund—** There shall be deposited into the [Fund](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2)—
  - (1) amounts appropriated to the [Fund](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=2);
  - (2) other amounts appropriated to the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) for use with respect to [unusual mortality events](/usc/16/1421h.md?p=9); and
  - (3) amounts received by the [United States](/usc/16/1362.md?p=14) in the form of gifts, devises, and bequests under [subsection (d)](#d).
- (d) **Acceptance of donations—** For purposes of carrying out this subchapter and [section 1374(c)(2)(D) of this title](/usc/16/1374.md?p=c-2-D), the [Secretary](/usc/16/1362.md?p=12-A) may accept, solicit, and use the services of volunteers, and may accept, solicit, receive, hold, administer, and use gifts, devises, and bequests.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. The “; and” probably should be a period.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 92–522, title IV, § 405, formerly title III, § 305, as added Pub. L. 102–587, title III, § 3003(a), Nov. 4, 1992, 106 Stat. 5064; renumbered title IV, § 405, and amended Pub. L. 103–238, §§ 6, 16(b), 24(b), (c)(2), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 542, 559, 565, 566; Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title CIV, § 10403, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3983.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 117–263 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) related to uses of amounts in the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund and payment of pending claims.

1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–238, § 16(b), substituted “an interest bearing fund” for “a fund”.

Subsec. (b)(1)(A)(i). Pub. L. 103–238, § 24(c)(2), made technical amendment to reference to section 1421c(b) of this title to reflect renumbering of corresponding section of original act.

Subsec. (b)(1)(A)(iii). Pub. L. 103–238, § 6(1), added cl. (iii).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–238, § 6(2), inserted “and section 1374(c)(2)(D) of this title”.