US Code

Public Law 119-83 (04/13/2026)

22 U.S.C. § 3602

Definitions

(a)

References to Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements

For purposes of this chapter—
(1)
references to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 refer to the Panama Canal Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Panama, signed ; and
(2)
references to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements refer to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977, the agreements relating to and implementing that Treaty, signed , and the Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Panama Concerning Air Traffic Control and Related Services, concluded .
(b)

Definitions

Subject to the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, for purposes of applying laws of the United States and regulations issued pursuant to such laws with respect to transactions, occurrences, or status on or after —
(1)
“Canal Zone” shall be deemed to refer to the areas and installations in the Republic of Panama made available to the United States pursuant to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements;
(2)
“Canal Zone waters” and “waters of the Canal Zone” shall be deemed to refer to “Panama Canal waters” and “waters of the Panama Canal”, respectively;
(3)
“Government of the Canal Zone” or “Canal Zone Government” shall be deemed to refer to the United States of America;
(4)
“Governor of the Canal Zone” or “Governor”, wherever the reference is to the Governor of the Canal Zone, shall be deemed to refer to the Panama Canal Commission; and
(5)
“Panama Canal Company” or “Company”, wherever the reference is to the Panama Canal Company, shall be deemed to refer to the Panama Canal Commission.
(c)

Applicability of subsection (b)

Any reference set forth in subsection (b) of this section shall apply except as otherwise provided in this chapter or unless (1) such reference is inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter, (2) in the context in which a term is used such reference is clearly not intended, or (3) a term refers to a time before .

(d)

Definitions relating to Canal transition

For purposes of this chapter:
(1)
The term “Canal Transfer Date” means , such date being the date specified in the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 for the transfer of the Panama Canal from the United States of America to the Republic of Panama.
(2)
The term “Panama Canal Authority” means the entity created by the Republic of Panama to succeed the Panama Canal Commission as of the Canal Transfer Date.

Pub. L. 96–70, § 393 Stat. 455 Pub. L. 104–201, div. C, title XXXV110 Stat. 2860 Pub. L. 105–85, div. C, title XXXV111 Stat. 2063 (, , ; , §§ 3522, 3548(c)(1), , , 2869; , §§ 3512, 3550(d)(1), (2)(A), , , 2074.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Pub. L. 96–7093 Stat. 452 section 3601 of this titleThis chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a), (c), and (d), was in the original “this Act”, meaning , , , known as the Panama Canal Act of 1979, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.

Amendments

Pub. L. 105–85, § 3550(d)(2)(A)1997—Subsec. (b). , substituted “” for “the effective date of this Act”.

Pub. L. 105–85, § 3550(d)(1), substituted “laws of the United States and regulations issued pursuant to such laws” for “the Canal Zone Code or other laws of the United States and regulations issued pursuant to such Code or other laws” in introductory provisions.

Pub. L. 105–85, § 3550(d)(2)(A)Subsec. (c). , substituted “” for “the effective date of this Act”.

Pub. L. 105–85, § 3512Subsec. (d). , added subsec. (d).

Pub. L. 104–201, § 3548(c)(1)1996—, struck out “and recommendation for legislation” after “Definitions” in section catchline.

Pub. L. 104–201, § 3522(1)Subsec. (b)(4) to (7). , inserted “and” at end of par. (4), substituted a period for semicolon at end of par. (5), and struck out pars. (6) and (7) which read as follows:

“(6) in chapter 57 of title 5 of the Canal Zone Code, ‘hospitals’ and ‘Health Bureau’ shall be deemed to refer, respectively, to the hospitals operated by the United States in the Republic of Panama, and to the organizational unit operating such hospitals; and

section 4784 of title 6section 2 of title 7“(7) in chapter 57 of title 5 of the Canal Zone Code, in of such Code, and in of such Code, ‘health director’ shall be deemed to refer to the senior official in charge of the hospitals operated by the United States in the Republic of Panama.”

Pub. L. 104–201, § 3522(2)Subsec. (d). , struck out subsec. (d) which read as follows: “The President shall, within two years after , submit to the Congress a request for legislation which would—

“(1) amend or repeal provisions of law which in their present form are applicable only during the transition period prescribed in Article XI of that Treaty,

“(2) repeal the Canal Zone Code, and

“(3) contain provisions considered necessary and appropriate in light of the experience as of that time under that Treaty.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

References to Canal Zone Code Deemed References to Panama Canal Code

Pub. L. 96–70, title III, § 3303(b)93 Stat. 499

“Those provisions of the Canal Zone Code not repealed by this Act are redesignated as the ‘Panama Canal Code’. Any reference to the Canal Zone Code in those laws and regulations referred to in section 3(b) of this Act [subsec. (b) of this section] shall, subject to the provisions of such section, be deemed to refer to the [former] Panama Canal Code.”
, , , provided that: