33 USC § 3005 - Number of authorized commissioned officers

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t33/s3005"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "33 USC § 3005 - Number of authorized commissioned officers"
title_number: 33
title_name: "NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS"
section_number: "3005"
section_name: "Number of authorized commissioned officers"
chapter_number: 43
chapter_name: "NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION COMMISSIONED OFFICER CORPS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL PROVISIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 107–372, title II, § 215, Dec. 19, 2002, 116 Stat. 3084; Pub. L. 110–386, § 6, Oct. 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 4108; Pub. L. 116–259, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 23, 2020, 134 Stat. 1155.)"
---


# § 3005. Number of authorized commissioned officers

**(a)** **In general** The total number of authorized commissioned officers on the lineal list of the commissioned officer corps of the Administration shall not exceed 500.

**(b)** **Positions of importance and responsibility** Officers serving in positions designated under section 3028 of this title and officers recalled from retired status or detailed to an agency other than the Administration—

**(1)** may not be counted in determining the total number of authorized officers on the lineal list under this section; and

**(2)** may not count against such number.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 107–372, title II, § 215, Dec. 19, 2002, 116 Stat. 3084; Pub. L. 110–386, § 6, Oct. 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 4108; Pub. L. 116–259, title I, § 102(a), Dec. 23, 2020, 134 Stat. 1155.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in  prior to repeal by .

### Amendments

2020— amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to number of authorized commissioned officers effective .

2008— amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “There are authorized to be on the lineal list of the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—

“(1) 270 officers for fiscal year 2003;

“(2) 285 officers for fiscal year 2004; and

“(3) 299 officers for fiscal year 2005.”