---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 254"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "254"
heading: "Interdepartmental work"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/254"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter II — General Powers and Duties"
  - "Part C — Hospitals, Medical Examinations, and Medical Care"
---

# §254. Interdepartmental work


Nothing contained in this part shall affect the authority of the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) to furnish any materials, supplies, or equipment, or perform any work of [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), requested in accordance with sections [1535](/usc/31/1535.md) and [1536](/usc/31/1536.md) of title 31, or the authority of any other [executive department](/usc/42/201.md?p=e) to furnish any materials, supplies, or equipment, or perform any work or [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), requested by the Department of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) for the [Service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) in accordance with that section.


## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 327, 58 Stat. 697; 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 1, §§ 5, 8, eff. Apr. 11, 1953, 18 F.R. 2053, 67 Stat. 631; Pub. L. 96–88, title V, § 509(b), Oct. 17, 1979, 93 Stat. 695.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

“Sections 1535 and 1536 of title 31” substituted in text for “section 7 of the Act of May 21, 1920, as amended (U.S.C., 1940 edition, title 31, sec. 686)” on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, the first section of which enacted Title 31, Money and Finance.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

“Department of Health and Human Services” substituted in text for “Department 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.

### 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.

Functions of Federal Security Administrator transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and all agencies of Federal Security Agency transferred to Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by section 5 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953, set out as a note under section 3501 of this title. Federal Security Agency and office of Administrator abolished by section 8 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953.