Title 31 — Money and FinanceRelease 119-73
§1348 Telephone installation and charges
Title 31 › Subtitle SUBTITLE II— - THE BUDGET PROCESS › Chapter CHAPTER 13— - APPROPRIATIONS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - LIMITATIONS, EXCEPTIONS, AND PENALTIES › § 1348
Summary
Federal funds generally cannot be used to install telephones or pay phone charges in private homes. Exceptions: the Secretary of State may fund phones in U.S. residences abroad for Foreign Service; the Secretary of the Army may spend up to $30,000 each fiscal year for phones in private homes used for locks and dams; and the Secretary of Defense may fund wiring in government housing and, if needed for national defense, in private homes.
Full Legal Text
Title 31, §1348
Money and Finance — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)Except as provided in this section, appropriations are not available to install telephones in private residences or for tolls or other charges for telephone service from private residences.
(2)Under regulations of the Secretary of State, appropriations may be used to install and pay for the use of telephones in residences owned or leased by the United States Government in foreign countries for the use of the Foreign Service.
(b)Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army on recommendation of the Chief of Engineers, not more than $30,000 may be expended each fiscal year to install and use in private residences telephones required for official business in constructing and operating locks and dams for navigation, flood control, and related water uses.
(c)Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, funds appropriated to the Department of Defense are available to install, repair, and maintain telephone wiring in residences owned or leased by the United States Government and, if necessary for national defense purposes, in other private residences.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 1348(a)(1)31:679(words before 2d comma).Aug. 23, 1912, ch. 350, § 7(less proviso), 37 Stat. 414. 1348(a)(2)31:679(proviso).Aug. 23, 1912, ch. 350, 37 Stat. 360, § 7(proviso); added Apr. 30, 1940, ch. 175, 54 Stat. 175. 1348(b)31:679(words between 2d comma and proviso). 31:680a.May 10, 1939, ch. 119, § 4, 53 Stat. 738. 1348(c)31:680.Sept. 22, 1922, ch. 427, § 7, 42 Stat. 1042; May 17, 1950, ch. 188, § 203, 64 Stat. 170; restated June 28, 1955, ch. 198, 69 Stat. 188. In subsection (a)(1), the words “or private apartment” are omitted as being included in “private residences”. In subsection (a)(2), the word “appropriations” is substituted for “Government funds”, and the word “calls” is substituted for “tolls”, for consistency. The word “official” is omitted as surplus. In subsection (b), the words “On and after May 10, 1939” in 31:680a are omitted as executed. The word “agency” is substituted for “executive department, establishment, or agency” for clarity and because of section 101 of the revised title. The words “official business” are substituted for “public business” in 31:679 and “transaction of public business which the interests of the Government require to be so transacted” in 31:680a to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “division, bureau, or office” in 31:679 are omitted as being included in “agency”. The words “or such subordinates as he may specially designate” in 31:680a are omitted as surplus. In subsection (c), the words “On and after September 22, 1922 the provisions of section 679 of this title, or any other law prohibiting the expenditure of public money . . . shall not be construed to apply to or forbid” are omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1996—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 104–201, § 1721(1), struck out at end “Subsection (b) of this section applies to long-distance calls made on those telephones.” Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 104–201, § 1721(2), (3), redesignated subsecs. (c) and (d) as (b) and (c), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (b) which read as follows: “Appropriations of an agency are available to pay charges for a long-distance call if required for official business and the voucher to pay for the call is sworn to by the head of the agency. Appropriations of an executive agency are available only if the head of the agency also certifies that the call is necessary in the interest of the Government.” 1984—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 98–407 added subsec. (d).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–201 effective 180 days after Sept. 23, 1996, see section 1725(a) of Pub. L. 104–201, set out as a note under section 5722 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Effective Date
of 1984 Amendment Pub. L. 98–407, title VIII, § 811(b), Aug. 28, 1984, 98 Stat. 1523, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall be effective as of
January 1, 1984. Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense may be used to reimburse persons for expenditures made after
December 31, 1983, for the installation, repair, and maintenance of telephone wiring in any Government-owned or leased housing unit before the date of the enactment of this Act [Aug. 28, 1984].” Employees Authorized To Work at Home Pub. L. 104–52, title VI, § 620, Nov. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 501, provided that: “Notwithstanding any provisions of this or any other Act, during the fiscal year ending
September 30, 1996, and hereafter, any department, division, bureau, or office may use funds appropriated by this or any other Act to install telephone lines, and necessary equipment, and to pay monthly charges, in any private residence or private apartment of an employee who has been authorized to work at home in accordance with guidelines issued by the Office of Personnel Management: Provided, That the head of the department, division, bureau, or office certifies that adequate safeguards against private misuse exist, and that the service is necessary for direct support of the agency’s mission.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
31 U.S.C. § 1348
Title 31 — Money and Finance
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73