Which statute authorizes the Coast Guard to collect all costs incurred as the result of a false distress?

• A. 14 U.S.C. §654
• B. 14 U.S.C. §88
• C. 18 U.S.C. §1001
• D. 21 U.S.C. §205

Answer: (B)

Capturing the costs tied to a distress call that turns out to be false rests on the Coast Guard’s authority to recover expenses from such events. Title 14, section 88 explicitly authorizes the Coast Guard to collect all costs incurred as a result of a false distress. This gives a clear remedy to recoup the resources—personnel, vessels, aircraft time, fuel, equipment, and related operational expenses—used in the search and rescue effort that was based on a hoax or false premise. The purpose is to deter misuse of distress signals and to ensure that life-saving resources aren’t wasted on non-genuine emergencies. The other statutes listed don’t provide this specific authority for cost recovery in search-and-rescue operations; one is a general criminal statute about false statements, and the remaining provisions address topics unrelated to SAR cost recovery.