---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 238c"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "238c"
heading: "Transportation of remains of officers"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/238c"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter I — Administration and Miscellaneous Provisions"
  - "Part B — Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §238c. Transportation of remains of officers


Appropriations available for traveling expenses of the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) shall be available for meeting the cost of preparation for burial and of transportation to the place of burial of remains of commissioned officers, and of personnel specified in [regulations](/usc/42/201.md?p=d), who die in line of duty. Appropriations available for carrying out the provisions of this chapter shall also be available for the payment of such expenses relating to the recovery, care and disposition of the remains of personnel or their dependents as may be authorized under other provisions of law.


## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title II, § 234, formerly title V, § 506, 58 Stat. 710; July 15, 1954, ch. 507, § 14(b), 68 Stat. 481; renumbered title XXI, § 2106, Pub. L. 98–24, § 2(a)(1), Apr. 26, 1983, 97 Stat. 176; renumbered title XXIII, § 2306, Pub. L. 99–660, title III, § 311(a), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3755; renumbered title XXV, § 2504, Pub. L. 100–607, title II, § 201(1), (3), Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3062, 3063; renumbered title XXVI, § 2604, Pub. L. 100–690, title II, § 2620(a), Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4244; renumbered title XXVII, § 2704, Pub. L. 101–381, title I, § 101(1), (2), Aug. 18, 1990, 104 Stat. 576; renumbered title II, § 234, Pub. L. 103–43, title XX, § 2010(a)(1)–(3), June 10, 1993, 107 Stat. 213.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 300aaa–3 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 103–43, to section 300cc–5 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 100–607, to section 300aa–5 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 99–660, and to section 224 of this title prior to renumbering by Pub. L. 98–24.

### Amendments

1954—Act July 15, 1954, inserted sentence at end relating to availability of appropriations for paying expenses relating to recovery, care, and disposition of the remains of personnel or their dependents.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

“Secretary of Health and Human Services” substituted for “Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare” pursuant to section 509(b) of Pub. L. 96–88, which is classified to section 3508(b) of Title 20, Education.

### Disposition of Remains of Deceased Personnel

Recovery, care and disposition of the remains of deceased members of the uniformed services and other deceased personnel, see section 1481 et seq. of Title 10, Armed Forces.

### Executive Documents

### Transfer of Functions

Functions of Public Health Service, Surgeon General of Public Health Service, and all other officers and employees of Public Health Service, and functions of all agencies of or in Public Health Service transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1966, eff. June 25, 1966, 31 F.R. 8855, 80 Stat. 1610, set out as a note under section 202 of this title.