republic-os/legal/us/code/title-22/chapter-9/section-444.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, corpus, kind, title_number, title_name, chapter_number, chapter_name, section, citation, status, release_point, release_date, source, source_url, source_identifier, source_file, source_hash, raw_snapshot_hash, text_hash, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	corpus	kind	title_number	title_name	chapter_number	chapter_name	section	citation	status	release_point	release_date	source	source_url	source_identifier	source_file	source_hash	raw_snapshot_hash	text_hash	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
LegalText	22 U.S.C. § 444	American Red Cross vessels	us	united_states_code	code_section	22	FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE	9	FOREIGN WARS, WAR MATERIALS, AND NEUTRALITY	444	22 U.S.C. § 444	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc22@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t22/s444	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-22/usc22.xml	467acfd400f217ae0af4ea3a7315ed5e395fda5cf81b839e12d4f40f90fb908a	b9c63ede722f5e0bf8eabfe9029e06e312ab9bcfd95c4d1424ed515baff1df83	5c8a37ac5193a45c68e7bd9780530dd6be699469aa13ed5dbc473f6d1e4e3dde	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

22 U.S.C. § 444 - American Red Cross vessels

Text

(a) Transport of officers, American Red Cross personnel, medical personnel, medical supplies, food and clothing The provisions of section 442(a) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title shall not prohibit the transportation by vessels, unarmed and not under convoy, under charter or other direction and control of the American Red Cross of officers and American Red Cross personnel, medical personnel, and medical supplies, food, and clothing, for the relief of human suffering: Provided, That where permission has not been given by the blockading power, no American Red Cross vessel shall enter a port where a blockade by aircraft, surface vessel, or submarine is being attempted through the destruction of vessels, or into a port of any country where such blockade of the whole country is being so attempted: Provided further, That such American Red Cross vessel shall be on a mission of mercy only and carrying only Red Cross materials and personnel.

(b) Transport of refugee children The provisions of sections 442(a) and 443 1 of this title shall not prohibit a vessel, in ballast, unarmed, and not under convoy, and transporting refugee children, under sixteen years of age, from war zones, or combat areas, and shall not prohibit such vessel entering into such war zones or combat areas for this purpose, together with such necessary American citizen adult personnel in charge as may be approved by the Secretary of State, subject to the provisions of the immigration laws, if such vessel is proceeding under safe conduct granted by all of the States named in the proclamations issued under the authority of section 441(a) of this title, and if such vessel has painted on a large scale prominently, distinctly, and unmistakably on each side thereof and upon the superstructure thereof plainly visible from the air an American flag and a statement to the effect that such vessel is a refugee-child rescue ship of the United States or under United States registry: Provided, That every such child so brought into the United States shall, previous to departure from the port of embarkation, have been so sponsored by some responsible American person, natural or corporate, that he will not become a public charge.

(Nov. 4, 1939, ch. 2, § 4, 54 Stat. 7; June 26, 1940, ch. 431, 54 Stat. 611; Aug. 27, 1940, ch. 695, 54 Stat. 866.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextSections 442(a) and 443 of this title, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), were repealed by act Nov. 17, 1941, ch. 473, § 1, 55 Stat. 764.

Amendments1940—Act June 26, 1940, inserted “unarmed and not under convoy”, inserted two proviso clauses and struck out “proceeding under safe conduct granted by states named in any proclamation issued under the authority of section 441(a) of this title” after “control of the American Red Cross”. Act Aug. 27, 1940, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).