---
type: "LegalText"
title: "42 U.S.C. § 14331"
description: "Purpose"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
chapter_number: "137"
chapter_name: "MANAGEMENT OF RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES AND BATTERIES CONTAINING MERCURY"
section: "14331"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 14331"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s14331"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml"
source_hash: "ada289dcbb5e099ccf220a7f4dc092e33bcf7a02944fb0209f05587c82958db6"
raw_snapshot_hash: "644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e"
text_hash: "c405bc6f3f5288872cd53c19e271c7133f866dc2a8b59aae3cc6517c408473f0"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 42 U.S.C. § 14331 - Purpose

## Text

The purpose of this subchapter is to phase out the use of batteries containing mercury.

(Pub. L. 104–142, title II, § 202, May 13, 1996, 110 Stat. 1336.)