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Title 36 — Patriotic and National ObservancesRelease 119-73

§20504 Cooperation with the military

Title 36 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Patriotic and National Organizations › Part Part B— - Organizations › Chapter CHAPTER 205— - AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY › § 20504

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When the Secretary of the Army, Air Force, or Navy asks, the corporation must study, test, and report on chemistry topics that relate to national defense. The government will pay the actual costs from money set aside for that purpose, but the corporation cannot be paid for its services. If a Secretary thinks an invention or discovery made during that work involves national defense, it belongs to the U.S. government. For other inventions from the work, the government can use them without limits.

Full Legal Text

Title 36, §20504

Patriotic and National Observances — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)When requested by the Secretary of the Army, Air Force, or Navy, the corporation shall investigate, examine, experiment, and report on any subject in pure or applied chemistry connected with the national defense.
(b)The actual expense of those investigations, examinations, experiments, and reports shall be paid from amounts appropriated for those purposes, but the corporation may not receive compensation for any services performed for the United States Government.
(c)Title to inventions and discoveries made in the course of those investigations, examinations, and experiments that the appropriate Secretary believes involve the national defense vest in the Government. The Government shall have unlimited license under other inventions and discoveries made in the course of those investigations, examinations, and experiments.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 2050436:3204.Aug. 25, 1937, ch. 762, § 4, 50 Stat. 799. In subsection (a), the words “When requested by the Secretary of the Army, Air Force, or Navy, the corporation” are substituted for “The American Chemical Society shall, whenever called upon by the Army, Air Force, or Navy Department” because under 10:3013, 5013, and 8013 the Secretaries are the heads of the Departments. The Secretary of the Air Force is added because of section 207 of the National Security Act of 1947 (ch. 343, 61 Stat. 502). In subsection (b), the words “shall be paid from amounts appropriated for those purposes” are substituted for “to be paid from appropriations which may have been made for that purpose by Congress” for clarity and to eliminate unnecessary words. In subsection (c), the words “that the appropriate Secretary believes” are substituted for “that, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, or the Secretary of the Army” to eliminate unnecessary words.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

36 U.S.C. § 20504

Title 36 — Patriotic and National Observances

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73