Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73
§3794 Release of technical data under Freedom of Information Act: recovery of costs
Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART V— - ACQUISITION › Subpart Subpart D— - General Contracting Provisions › Chapter CHAPTER 275— - PROPRIETARY CONTRACTOR DATA AND RIGHTS IN TECHNICAL DATA › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - OTHER PROVISIONS RELATING TO PROPRIETARY CONTRACTOR DATA AND RIGHTS IN TECHNICAL DATA › § 3794
Summary
The Secretary of Defense must release technical data under the Freedom of Information Act if the person asking pays the reasonable costs for search, copying, and review. The Department must create a uniform fee schedule after public notice and comment. Money collected stays with the Department or the part that collected it and is used for the same purpose and time period as the original appropriation that paid the costs. The Secretary must waive any extra fees above what FOIA would require in three cases: a U.S. citizen or U.S. company that certifies it needs the data to decide or make an offer to supply the product (the Secretary may require a deposit up to the cost, refunded when an offer is submitted); when the data release is needed to follow an international agreement; or when the Secretary finds, under FOIA rules, that waiving the fee is in the United States’ interest.
Full Legal Text
Title 10, §3794
Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)The Secretary of Defense shall, if required to release technical data under section 552 of title 5 (relating to the Freedom of Information Act), release such technical data to the person requesting the release if the person pays all reasonable costs attributable to search, duplication, and review.
(2)The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations, pursuant to notice and receipt of public comment, specifying a uniform schedule of fees under this section.
(b)An amount received under this section—
(1)shall be retained by the Department of Defense or the element of the Department of Defense receiving the amount; and
(2)shall be merged with and available for the same purpose and the same time period as the appropriation from which the costs incurred in complying with requests for technical data were paid.
(c)The Secretary of Defense shall waive the payment of costs required by subsection (a) which are in an amount greater than the costs that would be required for such a release of information under section 552 of title 5 if—
(1)the request is made by a citizen of the United States or a United States corporation, and such citizen or corporation certifies that the technical data requested is required to enable such citizen or corporation to submit an offer or determine whether it is capable of submitting an offer to provide the product to which the technical data relates to the United States or a contractor with the United States (except that the Secretary may require the citizen or corporation to pay a deposit in an amount equal to not more than the cost of complying with the request, to be refunded upon submission of an offer by the citizen or corporation);
(2)the release of technical data is requested in order to comply with the terms of an international agreement; or
(3)the Secretary determines, in accordance with section 552(a)(4)(A)(iii) of title 5, that such a waiver is in the interests of the United States.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Pub. L. 99–591 is a corrected version of Pub. L. 99–500. Pub. L. 99–500, Pub. L. 99–591, and Pub. L. 99–661 added identical sections.
Prior Provisions
Prior sections 3794 to 3797 were repealed by Pub. L. 96–513, title II, § 213, title VII, § 701, Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2885, 2955, effective Sept. 15, 1981. section 3794, added Pub. L. 86–616, § 3(a),
July 12, 1960, 74 Stat. 389, authorized Secretary of the Army to remove an officer from active list of Regular Army if his removal is recommended by a board of review and provided that decision of Secretary in such a case is final and conclusive. See section 1184 of this title. section 3795, added Pub. L. 86–616, § 3(a),
July 12, 1960, 74 Stat. 389, provided that each officer under consideration for removal from active list of Regular Army under this chapter be given written notification, at least 30 days prior to a board of inquiry hearing, that he is being required to show cause for retention on active list, be allowed reasonable time to prepare a defense, be allowed to appear in person and by counsel at proceedings before board of inquiry, and be allowed full access to, and furnished copies of, records relevant to his case at all stages of proceedings, except records that Secretary determines be withheld in interests of national security, in which case, a summary, to extent national security permits, be furnished. See section 1185 of this title. section 3796, added Pub. L. 86–616, § 3(a),
July 12, 1960, 74 Stat. 389, authorized Secretary of the Army, at any time during proceedings under this chapter and before removal of an officer from active list of Regular Army, to grant that officer’s request for voluntary retirement, if he is otherwise qualified therefor, or for honorable discharge with severance benefits. See section 1186 of this title. section 3797, added Pub. L. 86–616, § 3(a),
July 12, 1960, 74 Stat. 390, provided that no officer serve on a board under this chapter unless he holds a regular or temporary grade above lieutenant colonel, and is senior in regular grade to, and outranks, any officer considered by that board and that no person be a member of more than one board convened under this chapter for same officer. See section 1187 of this title.
Amendments
2021—Pub. L. 116–283, § 1833(o)(2), as amended by Pub. L. 117–81, § 1701(b)(12)(B), renumbered section 2328 of this title as this section. 1987—Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(a)(7)(B)(i), substituted “Release of technical data under Freedom of Information Act: recovery of costs” for “Release of technical data” in section catchline. Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(a)(7)(A)(i)(I), substituted “such technical data to the person requesting the” for “technical data to a person requesting such a”. Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(a)(7)(A)(i)(II), substituted “search, duplication, and review” for “search and duplication”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(a)(7)(A)(ii), substituted “Crediting of receipts” for “Disposition of costs” in heading. Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(a)(7)(A)(iii), substituted “section 552(a)(4)(A)(iii)” for “section 552(a)(4)(A)”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2021 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–81 applicable as if included in the enactment of title XVIII of Pub. L. 116–283 as enacted, see section 1701(a)(2) of Pub. L. 117–81, set out in a note preceding section 3001 of this title and
Effective Date
note below. Amendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1987 Amendment Pub. L. 100–26, § 12(d)(2), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 289, provided that: “The amendment to section 2328 of such title [now 10 U.S.C. 3794] made by section 7(a)(7)(A)(i)(II) shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as provided in section 1804(b) of Public Law 99–570 [set out as an
Effective Date
of 1986 Amendment note under section 552 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees] for the amendment made by section 1803 of that Public Law to section 552a of title 5, United States Code [probably means amendment by section 1803 of Pub. L. 99–570 to section 552(a) of Title 5].”
Effective Date
Pub. L. 99–500, § 101(c) [title X, § 954(b)], Oct. 18, 1986, 100 Stat. 1783–82, 1783–173, Pub. L. 99–591, § 101(c) [title X, § 954(b)], Oct. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 3341–82, 3341–173, and Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title IX, formerly title IV, § 954(b), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3953, renumbered title IX by Pub. L. 100–26, § 3(5), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 273, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [enacting this section] shall take effect at the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 18, 1986].”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
10 U.S.C. § 3794
Title 10 — Armed Forces
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73