10 USC § 980 - Limitation on use of humans as experimental subjects

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s980"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 980 - Limitation on use of humans as experimental subjects"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "980"
section_name: "Limitation on use of humans as experimental subjects"
chapter_number: 49
chapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS PROHIBITIONS AND PENALTIES"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "PERSONNEL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
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.)"
---


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

**(a)** Funds appropriated to the Department 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 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 if the research project may directly benefit the subject and is carried out in accordance with all other applicable laws.

**(2)** The Secretary may delegate the authority provided by paragraph (1) to the Under Secretary 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.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

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

[title VIII, § 8029], , , 1929.

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[title VII, § 737], , , 1857.

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### Amendments

2023—Subsec. (b).  designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

2001— designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective , see , set out as a note under .