Title 30Mineral Lands and MiningRelease 119-73

§556 Administration

Title 30 › Chapter CHAPTER 13— - CONTROL OF COAL-MINE FIRES › § 556

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior can hire people, animals, vehicles, and equipment needed for temporary, intermittent, or emergency work by contract or other means. These hires do not have to follow civil service rules (including chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5). The Secretary can hire work animals and motor or animal-drawn vehicles at rates the Secretary approves and without following section 6101 of title 41. The Secretary may also contract out surveys, investigations, and control or extinguishment work to engineers or firms. The Secretary can buy, lease, accept, exchange, or condemn land or rights when needed, and may repair or replace private property damaged during operations. The Secretary may accept money or property as gifts, bequests, or contributions and work with any federal, state, or private person or agency. Money received must be put into the U.S. Treasury in an available trust fund and paid out by the Secretary of the Treasury after the Secretary of the Interior certifies it, following the grant’s terms. The funds stay available until they are spent for the intended purpose.

Full Legal Text

Title 30, §556

Mineral Lands and Mining — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In carrying out the provisions of section 553 of this title the Secretary of the Interior is authorized—
(a)to secure, by contract or otherwise, and without regard to the civil service laws and chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, for work of a temporary, intermittent, or emergency character, such personal services as may be deemed necessary for the efficient and economical performance of the work;
(b)to hire, with or without personal services, work animals and animal-drawn and motor-propelled vehicles and equipment, at rates to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior and without regard to the provisions of section 6101 of title 41;
(c)to procure all or any part of the surveys, investigations, and control or extinguishment work by contracts with engineers, contractors, or firms or corporations thereof;
(d)to acquire lands or rights and interests therein, including improvements, by purchase, lease, gift, exchange, condemnation, or otherwise, whenever necessary for the purposes of this chapter;
(e)to repair, restore, or replace private property damaged or destroyed as a result of, or incident to, operations under this chapter; and
(f)to receive and accept money and property, real or personal, or interests therein, as a gift, bequest, or contribution, for use in any of the activities authorized under this chapter; and to conduct any of the activities authorized under this chapter in cooperation with any person or agency, Federal, State, or private. Any money so received shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States in an available trust fund to be disbursed by the Secretary of the Treasury upon certification by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with the terms of the grant, and shall remain available until expended for the purposes for which received and accepted.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification In subsec. (a), “chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5” substituted for “the Classification Act of 1949, as amended” on authority of Pub. L. 89–554, § 7(b), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. In subsec. (b), “section 6101 of title 41” substituted for “section 3709, Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C., sec. 5)” on authority of Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

30 U.S.C. § 556

Title 30Mineral Lands and Mining

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73