Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§8618 Marine Corps Heritage Center and National Museum of the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle C— - Navy and Marine Corps › Part PART IV— - GENERAL ADMINISTRATION › Chapter CHAPTER 861— - SECRETARY OF THE NAVY: MISCELLANEOUS POWERS AND DUTIES › § 8618

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Navy can team up with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit, to design, build, run, and take care of a multipurpose museum at Quantico called the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The building will be used for public displays, caring for artifacts, research, classes, and offices. The Foundation may pay for or hire builders for each part of the project. When the Foundation finishes a construction phase and meets its related debts, that part of the museum becomes Navy property owned by the United States. The Navy may make direct contracts with the Foundation for museum needs and may lease parts of the museum back to the Foundation so it can raise money. When setting lease value, the Navy can count the Foundation’s educational and museum support as part of the deal. Lease payments must be used only to support the museum and stay available until spent. The Navy can accept gifts and money for the museum, show donor recognition under rules it makes, sell donated items at arm’s length with records, and keep gift funds in a Treasury account for the museum. The Navy can add other terms it thinks are needed to protect U.S. interests.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §8618

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of the Navy may enter into a joint venture with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (in this section referred to as the “Foundation”), a not-for-profit entity, for the design, construction, and maintenance and operation of a multipurpose facility to be used for historical displays for public viewing, curation, and storage of artifacts, research facilities, classrooms, offices, and associated activities consistent with the mission of the Marine Corps University. The facility shall be known as the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
(b)For each phase of development of the facility described in subsection (a), the Secretary may—
(1)permit the Foundation to contract for the design, construction, or both of such phase of development; or
(2)accept funds from the Foundation for the design, construction, or both of such phase of development.
(c)Upon completion of construction of any phase of development of the facility described in subsection (a) by the Foundation to the satisfaction of the Secretary, and the satisfaction of any financial obligations incident thereto by the Foundation, the facility shall become the real property of the Department of the Navy with all right, title, and interest in and to facility being in the United States.
(d)(1)The Secretary may, for the purpose of maintenance and operation of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps—
(A)enter into contracts or cooperative agreements, on a sole-source basis, with the Foundation for the procurement of property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps; and
(B)notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (h) of section 2667 of this title and under such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate for the joint venture authorized by subsection (a), lease in accordance with such section 2667 portions of the facility developed under subsection (a) to the Foundation for use in generating revenue for activities of the facility and for such administrative purposes as may be necessary for support of the facility.
(2)In making a determination of fair market value under section 2667(b)(4) of this title for payment of consideration pursuant to a lease described in paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary may consider the entirety of the educational efforts of the Foundation, support to the Marine Corps Heritage Center history division by the Foundation, or the funding of museum programs and exhibits by the Foundation, or other support related to the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps, in addition to the types of in-kind consideration provided under section 2667(c) of this title.
(3)The Secretary may authorize the Foundation to use real or personal property within the Marine Corps Heritage Center and National Museum of the Marine Corps to conduct additional revenue-generating activities, as the Secretary considers appropriate considering the work of the Foundation and needs of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and National Museum of the Marine Corps. The Secretary shall only authorize the use of such property for a revenue-generating activity if the Secretary determines the activity will not interfere with military activities and personnel or the activities of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and National Museum of the Marine Corps.
(4)The Secretary shall retain lease payments received under this section, other than in-kind consideration authorized under paragraph (2) or under section 2667(c) of this title, solely for use in support of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and funds received as lease payments shall remain available until expended.
(e)(1)The Secretary of the Navy 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 the Marine Corps Heritage Center or the National Museum of the Marine Corps. section 2601 (other than subsections (b), (c), and (e)) of this title shall apply to gifts accepted under this subsection.
(2)The Secretary may display at the Marine Corps Heritage Center or the National Museum of the Marine Corps recognition for an individual or organization that contributes money to a partner organization, or an individual or organization that contributes a gift directly to the Navy, for the benefit of the Marine Corps Heritage Center or the National Museum of the Marine Corps, whether or not the contribution is subject to the condition that the recognition be provided. The Secretary shall prescribe regulations governing the circumstances under which contributor recognition may be provided, appropriate forms of recognition, and suitable display standards.
(3)The Secretary may authorize the sale of donated property received under paragraph (1). A sale under this paragraph need not be conducted in accordance with disposal requirements that would otherwise apply, so long as the sale is conducted at arms-length and includes an auditable transaction record.
(4)Any money received under paragraph (1) and any proceeds from the sale of property under paragraph (3) shall be deposited into a fund established in the Treasury to support the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
(f)The Secretary may require such additional terms and conditions in connection with the joint venture authorized by subsection (a) as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United States.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 8618

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73