§2601 — Title 10 Armed Forces | U.S. Code

Summary

A Secretary in charge of a military department can take and use gifts, wills, or donations of land, things, money, or services to help schools, hospitals, libraries, museums, cemeteries, or similar places they run. They can also accept services from nonprofit groups that support military museums or military schools, and they can ask serious collectors for books, artifacts, art, or old combat gear for a military museum. Gifts for the benefit of injured service members (including those on full-time National Guard duty under section 502(f) of title 32), injured Department of Defense civilian employees, their dependents, or survivors who were killed may also be accepted. The Secretary cannot accept services from a foreign government or international group for those injury-related gifts, and foreign money or property is allowed only if it is not meant for a specific person. The Secretary of Defense must write rules about what conditions can go with these gifts. Money and sale proceeds from these gifts go into a named General Gift Fund for each service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard under Homeland Security, or Department of Defense). Gifts can be used without new laws unless doing so would break other laws, conflict with rules, harm the Department’s reputation, or hurt a program’s integrity. Naming rights (putting a donor’s name on a building or item) are allowed for certain schools, the Defense Acquisition University, and military museums, but a Secretary can only delegate that decision to a civilian official confirmed by the Senate. The department may pay transfer costs, the Treasury may hold and invest gift money in U.S. securities with earnings added to the fund, and the Comptroller General will audit the gifts and report to Congress. “Secretary concerned” includes the Secretary of Defense, and “services” means things that help education, morale, welfare, recreation, or are part of giving the gift.

Title 10, §2601

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Secretary concerned may accept, hold, administer, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of real property, personal property, or money made on the condition that the gift, devise, or bequest be used for the benefit, or in connection with, the establishment, operation, or maintenance, of a school, hospital, library, museum, cemetery, or other institution or organization under the jurisdiction of the Secretary.

(2)(A)Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, the Secretary concerned may accept a gift of services for a military museum program or a professional military education institution from a nonprofit entity established for the purpose of supporting a military museum program or a professional military education institution. Employees or personnel of a nonprofit entity who provide a gift of services under this subparagraph may not be considered to be employees of the United States.

(B)For the use and benefit of a military museum program, the Secretary concerned may solicit from a bona fide collector a gift of books, manuscripts, works of art, historical artifacts, drawings, plans, models, or condemned or obsolete combat materiel.

(b)(1)The Secretary concerned may accept, hold, administer, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of real property, personal property, money, or services made on the condition that the gift, devise, or bequest be used for the benefit of—

(A)members of the armed forces, including members performing full-time National Guard duty under section 502(f) of title 32, who incur a wound, injury, or illness while in the line of duty;

(B)civilian employees of the Department of Defense who incur a wound, injury, or illness while in the line of duty;

(C)dependents of such members or employees; and

(D)survivors of such members or employees who are killed.

(2)The Secretary concerned may not accept a gift of services from a foreign government or international organization under this subsection. A gift of real property, personal property, or money from a foreign government or international organization may be accepted under this subsection only if the gift is not designated for a specific individual.

(3)The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations specifying the conditions that may be attached to a gift, devise, or bequest accepted under this subsection.

(c)Gifts and bequests of money, and the proceeds of the sale of property, received under subsection (a) or (b) shall be deposited in the Treasury in the following accounts:

(1)The Department of the Army General Gift Fund, in the case of deposits made by the Secretary of the Army.

(2)The Department of the Navy General Gift Fund, in the case of deposits made by the Secretary of the Navy.

(3)The Department of the Air Force General Gift Fund, in the case of deposits made by the Secretary of the Air Force.

(4)The Coast Guard General Gift Fund, in the case of deposits made by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

(5)The Department of Defense General Gift Fund, in the case of deposits made by the Secretary of Defense.

(d)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), property and money accepted under subsection (a) or (b) may be used by the Secretary concerned, and services accepted under such subsections may be performed, without further specific authorization in law.

(2)Property, money, and services may not be accepted under subsection (a) or (b)—

(A)if the use of the property or money or the performance of the services in connection with any program, project, or activity would result in the violation of any prohibition or limitation otherwise applicable to such program, project, or activity;

(B)if the conditions attached to the property, money, or services are inconsistent with applicable law or regulations;

(C)if the Secretary concerned determines that the use of the property or money or the performance of the services would reflect unfavorably on the ability of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, any employee of the Department or Coast Guard, or any member of the armed forces to carry out any responsibility or duty in a fair and objective manner; or

(D)if the Secretary concerned determines that the use of the property or money or the performance of the services would compromise the integrity or appearance of integrity of any program of the Department of Defense or Coast Guard, or any individual involved in such a program.

(3)The Secretary concerned may disburse funds deposited in a gift fund referred to in subsection (c) for the purposes specified in subsections (a) and (b), subject to the terms of the gift, devise, or bequest.

(e)(1)The Secretary concerned may accept a gift under subsection (a) or (b) consisting of the provision, acquisition, enhancement, or construction of real or personal property offered to an eligible entity even though the gift will be subject to the condition that the real or personal property, or a portion thereof, bear a specified name.

(2)The authority conferred by this subsection may be delegated by the Secretary concerned only to a civilian official appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(3)A gift may not be accepted under paragraph (1) if—

(A)the acceptance of the gift or the imposition of the naming-rights condition would reflect unfavorably upon the United States, as provided in subsection (d)(2); or

(B)the real or personal property to be subject to the condition, or portion thereof, has been named by an act of Congress.

(4)The Secretaries concerned shall issue uniform regulations governing the circumstances under which gifts conditioned on naming rights may be accepted, appropriate naming conventions, and suitable display standards.

(5)In this subsection, the term “eligible entity” means each of the following:

(A)The United States Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy.

(B)The professional military education schools listed in section 2162(d) of this title and the Defense Acquisition University.

(C)A military museum.

(f)The Secretary concerned may pay all necessary expenses in connection with the conveyance or transfer of a gift, devise, or bequest accepted under this section.

(g)For the purposes of Federal income, estate, and gift taxes, any property, money, or services accepted under subsection (a) or (b) shall be considered as a gift, devise, or bequest to or for the use of the United States.

(h)In the case of each gift fund referred to in subsection (c), the Secretary of the Treasury, upon the request of the Secretary concerned, may retain money, securities, and the proceeds of the sale of securities in the gift fund and may invest money and reinvest the proceeds of the sale of securities in the gift fund in securities of the United States or in securities guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States. The interest and profits accruing from those securities shall be deposited to the credit of the gift fund and may be disbursed as provided in subsection (d).

(i)The Comptroller General shall make periodic audits of gifts, devises, and bequests accepted under subsection (a) or (b) at such intervals as the Comptroller General determines to be warranted. The Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on the results of each such audit.

(j)In this section:

(1)The term “Secretary concerned” includes the Secretary of Defense.

(2)The term “services” includes activities that benefit the education, morale, welfare, or recreation of members of the armed forces and their dependents or are related or incidental to the conveyance of a gift, devise, or bequest of real property or personal property under subsection (a) or (b).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 2601(a)2601(b)5:150q.5:150r.Mar. 11, 1948, ch. 107, 62 Stat. 71. 2601(c)5:150s. 2601(d)5:150t. In subsection (a), the words “receive” and “administration” are omitted as surplusage. In subsection (b), the words “and conditions” and “United States” are omitted as surplusage. In subsection (c), the words “any gift, devise, or bequest of” and “real or personal” are omitted as surplusage. In subsection (d), the words “or any part thereof deposited in the Treasury pursuant to section 150r of this title” are omitted as surplusage.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2024—Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 118–159 inserted “or a professional military education institution” after “museum program” in two places. 2021—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 116–283, § 2821(a)(1), struck out “Real” before “Property” in heading. Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 116–283, § 2821(b)(1), substituted “an eligible entity” for “the United States Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, or the Coast Guard Academy”. Pub. L. 116–283, § 2821(a)(2), inserted “or personal” after “real” in two places. Subsec. (e)(3)(B). Pub. L. 116–283, § 2821(a)(3), inserted “or personal” after “real”. Subsec. (e)(5). Pub. L. 116–283, § 2821(b)(2), added par. (5). 2015—Subsecs. (e) to (j). Pub. L. 114–92 added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsecs. (e) to (i) as (f) to (j), respectively. 2013—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–239, § 2852(a)(1), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “The” for “Subject to subsection (d)(2), the”, and added par. (2). Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 112–239, § 2852(a)(2)(A), substituted “The” for “Subject to subsection (d)(2), the” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 112–239, § 2852(a)(2)(B)(i), substituted “such subsections” for “subsection (b)”. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 112–239, § 2852(a)(2)(B)(ii), substituted “, money, and services may not be accepted under subsection (a) or” for “and money may not be accepted under subsection (a) and property, money, and services may not be accepted under subsection” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 112–239, § 2852(a)(2)(C), substituted “, money, or services accepted under subsection (a) or” for “or money accepted under subsection (a) and any property, money, or services accepted under subsection”. Subsec. (i)(2). Pub. L. 112–239, § 587(a), inserted “education,” before “morale,”. 2008—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 110–181 struck out par. (4) which read as follows: “The authority to accept gifts, devises, or bequests under this subsection expires on December 31, 2007.” 2006—Pub. L. 109–163 reenacted section catchline without change and amended text generally. Prior to amendment, section consisted of subsecs. (a) to (d) relating to general gift funds. 2002—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 107–296 substituted “Secretary of Homeland Security” for “Secretary of Transportation”. 1980—Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 96–513 substituted “Secretary of Transportation” for “Secretary of the Treasury”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2002 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 107–296 effective on the date of transfer of the Coast Guard to the Department of Homeland Security, see section 1704(g) of Pub. L. 107–296, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1980 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 96–513 effective Dec. 12, 1980, see section 701(b)(3) of Pub. L. 96–513, set out as a note under section 101 of this title. Limitation on Solicitation of Gifts Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title V, § 593(b), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 138, provided that: “The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe

Regulations

implementing section 2601 and 2608 of title 10, United States Code, that prohibit the solicitation of any gift under such sections by any employee of the Department of Defense if the nature or circumstances of such solicitation would compromise the integrity or the appearance of integrity of any program of the Department of Defense or of any individual involved in such program.”

§2601 General gift funds

Summary

Title 10, §2601

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Regulations

Citations & Metadata