# § 502. Delegation of powers by the Secretary
**(a)** **General Powers.—** The Secretary is authorized to confer or impose upon the Commandant any of the rights, privileges, powers, or duties, in respect to the administration of the Coast Guard, vested in or imposed upon the Secretary by this title or other provisions of law.
**(b)** **Delegation.—** The Secretary may promulgate such regulations and orders as he deems appropriate to carry out the provisions of this title or any other law applicable to the Coast Guard.
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**Source Credit**: (Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 544, § 631; Pub. L. 94–546, § 1(33), Oct. 18, 1976, 90 Stat. 2521; renumbered § 502, Pub. L. 115–282, title I, § 105(b), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4200; Pub. L. 119–60, div. G, title LXXII, § 7201(d), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1677.)
### Historical and Revision Notes
This section authorizes the Secretary to delegate to the Commandant any of the authority granted to him in respect to the administration of the Coast Guard. Such power to delegate is granted by other statutes to the heads of many of the executive departments. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.
Subsec. (b) is derived from title 14, U.S.C., 1946 ed., §§ 92, 185e (, ; , ; , ). This subsection enlarges said sections to prescribe what is generally understood in a military organization, that the promulgation of regulations is a function of the head of the Department. Changes were made in phraseology. 81st Congress, House Report No. 557.
## Editorial Notes
### Codification
The text of , which was transferred to this section, redesignated as subsec. (b), and amended by , was based , , § 633; renumbered § 503, , , .
### Prior Provisions
A prior section 502 was renumbered .
### Amendments
2025— designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and inserted heading and transferred to subsec. (b) of this section, inserted heading, and substituted “The Secretary” for section 503 enumerator, heading, and “In addition to the authority conferred by other provisions of this title the Secretary”. See Codification note above.
2018— renumbered as this section.
1976— substituted “Secretary” for “Secretary of the Treasury” wherever appearing and substituted “Commandant” for “Commandant of the Coast Guard”.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Administrative Advisory Committees; Solicitation of Nominations for Membership; Publication in Federal Register; Disclosures to Congress; Compensation and Travel Expenses
> **“(1)** The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall, not less often than once a year, publish notice in the Federal Register for solicitation of nominations for membership on any advisory committee established administratively for the purpose of giving advice and recommendations to such Secretary or the Commandant of the Coast Guard with respect to functions of the Coast Guard.
>
> **“(2)** Any advisory committee described in paragraph (1) of this subsection is authorized to make available to Congress any information, advice, and recommendations which the committee is authorized to give to the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating or the Commandant of the Coast Guard.
>
> **“(3)** Members of any advisory committee described in paragraph (1) of this subsection who are not officers or employees of the United States shall serve without pay and members of any such committee who are officers or employees of the United States shall receive no additional pay on account of their service on such committee. While away from their homes or regular places of business, members of any such committee may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code.”
, , , provided that: