Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§7780 Acquisition of buildings in District of Columbia

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle B— - Army › Part PART IV— - SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT › Chapter CHAPTER 779— - REAL PROPERTY › § 7780

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

If war exists or is about to start, the Army Secretary may rent any building or part of a building in D.C. for military use. At any time the Army Secretary may take over buildings, spaces, or attached areas in D.C. for Army needs, except lived-in homes, buildings used by other federal agencies, or rooms inside those places.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §7780

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In time of war or when war is imminent, the Secretary of the Army may acquire by lease any building, or part of a building, in the District of Columbia that may be needed for military purposes.
(b)At any time, the Secretary may, for the purposes of the Department of the Army, requisition the use and take possession of any building or space in any building, and its appurtenances, in the District of Columbia, other than—
(1)a dwelling house occupied as such;
(2)a building occupied by any other agency of the United States; or
(3)space in such a dwelling house or building.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4780(a)40:37.
July 9, 1918, ch. 143 (3d proviso under “Barracks and Quarters”), 40 Stat. 861. 4780(b)40:41.
July 8, 1918, ch. 139 (2d par. under “War Department”), 40 Stat. 826. In subsection (a), the words “may acquire by lease” are substituted for the words “is authorized, in his discretion, to rent or lease”. The word “needed” is substituted for the word “required”. In subsection (b), the words “At any time” are inserted for clarity. The word “may” is substituted for the words “is authorized”. The word “agency” is substituted for the word “branch”. Clause (3) is inserted for clarity. The word “determine” is substituted for the word “ascertain”. The words “out of funds appropriated for the payment of rent by” are substituted for the words “within the limits of the appropriations for rent made by any act making appropriations for”. The word “is” is substituted for the word “be”. The words “so ascertained” and “in the manner provided by section 41(20) and 250 of Title 28” are omitted as surplusage, since those sections were repealed in 1948 and replaced by section 1346, 1491, 1496, 1501, 1503, 2401, 2402, and 2501 of that title.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 4780 of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 7780

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73