33 USC § 3401 - Purpose

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t33/s3401"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "33 USC § 3401 - Purpose"
title_number: 33
title_name: "NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS"
section_number: "3401"
section_name: "Purpose"
chapter_number: 47
chapter_name: "OCEAN EXPLORATION"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "EXPLORATION"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12001, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1417; Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title CIII, § 10305(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3971.)"
---


# § 3401. Purpose

The purpose of this subchapter is to establish the national ocean exploration program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12001, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1417; Pub. L. 117–263, div. J, title CIII, § 10305(a), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3971.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022— struck out “and the national undersea research program” after “national ocean exploration program”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title

, , , which provided that part II of subtitle A of title XII of , which enacted subchapter II of this chapter, could be cited as the “NOAA Undersea Research Program Act of 2009”, was repealed by , , .