§8501 — Title 40 Public Buildings, Property, and Works | U.S. Code

Summary

Defines the National Capital Service Area in Washington, D.C., and says what is inside it. It covers the main federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, and federal office buildings near the Mall and the Capitol. The law describes a detailed boundary that follows parts of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, streets, bridges, and the Washington Channel. If a street marks the boundary, the street and its sidewalk are included. Federal property that touched the area on December 24, 1973, is treated as inside. That includes Fort Lesley McNair, the Washington Navy Yard, the Anacostia Naval Annex, the United States Naval Station, Bolling Air Force Base, and the Naval Research Laboratory. It does not include any area outside the District of Columbia boundary as it existed immediately before December 24, 1973, any part of Anacostia Park east of the northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge, or any part of Rock Creek Park. The rule does not apply to the United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds (see sections 5101 and 5102), other buildings cared for by the Architect of the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building and grounds (see section 6101), or the Library of Congress buildings (see Act of August 4, 1950 (2 U.S.C. 167j)). It does not change laws or authorities that were in place on January 1, 1975, for those buildings or the legislative and judicial officials then in charge. General U.S. laws and laws that applied only to the District of Columbia on January 1, 1975, keep applying to the area until they are changed. When possible, services the D.C. Home Rule Act (Public Law 93–198, 87 Stat. 774) allows — like street maintenance and other services — must be provided to Congress, its officers, and the named judicial and legislative officials if they ask. If a similar service for another federal agency would cost money, the requesting federal recipient must pay in advance or reimburse with proper vouchers as agreed. Living in the National Capital Service Area cannot by itself stop someone from voting or taking part in any District of Columbia election.

Title 40, §8501

Public Buildings, Property, and Works — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The National Capital Service Area is in the District of Columbia and includes the principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the United States Supreme Court Building, and the federal executive, legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building, and is more particularly described as the area bounded as follows:Beginning at that point on the present Virginia-District of Columbia boundary due west of the northernmost point of Theodore Roosevelt Island and running due east to the eastern shore of the Potomac River; thence generally south along the shore at the mean high water mark to the northwest corner of the Kennedy Center; thence east along the northern side of the Kennedy Center to a point where it reaches the E Street Expressway; thence east on the expressway to E Street Northwest and thence east on E Street Northwest to Eighteenth Street Northwest; thence south on Eighteenth Street Northwest to Constitution Avenue Northwest; thence east on Constitution Avenue to Seventeenth Street Northwest; thence north on Seventeenth Street Northwest to Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; thence east on Pennsylvania Avenue to Jackson Place Northwest; thence north on Jackson Place to H Street Northwest; thence east on H Street Northwest to Madison Place Northwest; thence south on Madison Place Northwest to Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; thence east on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest to Fifteenth Street Northwest; thence south on Fifteenth Street Northwest to Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest; thence southeast on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest to John Marshall Place Northwest; thence north on John Marshall Place Northwest to C Street Northwest; thence east on C Street Northwest to Third Street Northwest; thence north on Third Street Northwest to D Street Northwest; thence east on D Street Northwest to Second Street Northwest; thence south on Second Street Northwest to the intersection of Constitution Avenue Northwest and Louisiana Avenue Northwest; thence northeast on Louisiana Avenue Northwest to North Capitol Street; thence north on North Capitol Street to Massachusetts Avenue Northwest; thence southeast on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest so as to encompass Union Square; thence following Union Square to F Street Northeast; thence east on F Street Northeast to Second Street Northeast; thence south on Second Street Northeast to D Street Northeast; thence west on D Street Northeast to First Street Northeast; thence south on First Street Northeast to Maryland Avenue Northeast; thence generally north and east on Maryland Avenue to Second Street Northeast; thence south on Second Street Northeast to C Street Southeast; thence west on C Street Southeast to New Jersey Avenue Southeast; thence south on New Jersey Avenue Southeast to D Street Southeast; thence west on D Street Southeast to Canal Street Parkway; thence southeast on Canal Street Parkway to E Street Southeast; thence west on E Street Southeast to the intersection of Washington Avenue Southwest and South Capitol Street; thence northwest on Washington Avenue Southwest to Second Street Southwest; thence south on Second Street Southwest to Virginia Avenue Southwest; thence generally west on Virginia Avenue to Third Street Southwest; thence north on Third Street Southwest to C Street Southwest; thence west on C Street Southwest to Sixth Street Southwest; thence north on Sixth Street Southwest to Independence Avenue; thence west on Independence Avenue to Twelfth Street Southwest; thence south on Twelfth Street Southwest to D Street Southwest; thence west on D Street Southwest to Fourteenth Street Southwest; thence south on Fourteenth Street Southwest to the middle of the Washington Channel; thence generally south and east along the mid-channel of the Washington Channel to a point due west of the northern boundary line of Fort Lesley McNair; thence due east to the side of the Washington Channel; thence following generally south and east along the side of the Washington Channel at the mean high water mark, to the point of confluence with the Anacostia River, and along the northern shore at the mean high water mark to the northern most point of the Eleventh Street Bridge; thence generally south and east along the northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge to the eastern shore of the Anacostia River; thence generally south and west along such shore at the mean high water mark to the point of confluence of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers; thence generally south along the eastern shore at the mean high water mark of the Potomac River to the point where it meets the present southeastern boundary line of the District of Columbia; thence south and west along such southeastern boundary line to the point where it meets the present Virginia-District of Columbia boundary; thence generally north and west up the Potomac River along the Virginia-District of Columbia boundary to the point of beginning.

(2)Where the area in paragraph (1) is bounded by a street, the street, and any sidewalk of the street, are included in the area.

(3)Federal real property that on December 24, 1973, affronted or abutted the area described in paragraph (1) is deemed to be in the area. For the purposes of this paragraph, federal real property affronting or abutting the area described in paragraph (1)—

(A)is deemed to include Fort Lesley McNair, the Washington Navy Yard, the Anacostia Naval Annex, the United States Naval Station, Bolling Air Force Base, and the Naval Research Laboratory; and

(B)does not include any area situated outside of the District of Columbia boundary as it existed immediately prior to December 24, 1973, any part of the Anacostia Park situated east of the northern side of the Eleventh Street Bridge, or any part of the Rock Creek Park.

(b)(1)Except to the extent specifically provided by this section, this section does not—

(A)apply to the United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds as defined and described in section 5101 and 5102 of this title, any other buildings and grounds under the care of the Architect of the Capitol, the Supreme Court Building and grounds as described in section 6101 of this title, and the Library of Congress buildings and grounds as defined in section 11 of the Act of August 4, 1950 (2 U.S.C. 167j); and

(B)repeal, amend, alter, modify, or supersede—

(i)chapter 51 of this title, section 9, 9A, 9B, 9C or 14 of the Act of July 31, 1946 (ch. 707, 60 Stat. 719, 720), any other general law of the United States, any law enacted by Congress and applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia, or any rule or regulation prescribed pursuant to any of those provisions, that was in effect on January 1, 1975, and that pertained to those buildings and grounds; or

(ii)any authority which existed on December 24, 1973, with respect to those buildings and grounds and was vested on January 1, 1975, in the Senate, the House of Representatives, Congress, any committee, commission, or board of the Senate, the House of Representatives, or Congress, the Architect of the Capitol or any other officer of the legislative branch, the Chief Justice of the United States, the Marshal of the Supreme Court, or the Librarian of Congress.

(2)Except to the extent otherwise specifically provided in this section, all general laws of the United States and all laws enacted by the Congress and applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia, including regulations and rules prescribed pursuant to any of those laws, that were in effect on January 1, 1975, and which applied to and in the areas included in the National Capital Service Area pursuant to this section continue to be applicable to and in the National Capital Service Area in the same manner and to the same extent as if this section had not been enacted and remain applicable until repealed, amended, altered, modified, or superseded.

(c)As far as practicable, any service or facility authorized by the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (Public Law 93–198, 87 Stat. 774) to be rendered or furnished (including maintenance of streets and highways, and services under section 1537 of title 31) shall be made available to the Senate, the House of Representatives, Congress, any committee, commission, or board of the Senate, the House of Representatives, or Congress, the Architect of the Capitol, any other officer of the legislative branch who on January 1, 1975, was vested with authority over those buildings and grounds, the Chief Justice of the United States, the Marshal of the Supreme Court, and the Librarian of Congress on their request. If payment would be required for the rendition or furnishing of a similar service or facility to any other federal agency, the recipient, on presentation of proper vouchers and as agreed on by the parties, shall pay for the service or facility in advance or by reimbursement.

(d)An individual may not be denied the right to vote or otherwise participate in any manner in any election in the District of Columbia solely because the individual resides in the National Capital Service Area.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 8501(a)40:136(a), (f).Pub. L. 93–198, title VII, § 739(a), (f), (h)–(j), Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 825, 826, 829. 8501(b)(1)40:136(h)(1). 8501(b)(2)40:136(i). 8501(c)40:136(h)(2). 8501(d)40:136(j). In subsection (a)(1), the words “Washington Avenue Southwest” are substituted for “Canal Street Southwest” because of section 2 of D.C. Law 8–39. See section 7–451 note of the District of Columbia Code. In subsection (b)(1)(A), reference to the Supreme Court Building is omitted because 40:13p only describes the Supreme Court grounds. In subsection (b)(1)(B)(ii), the words “by law, or otherwise” are omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (b)(2), the words “and such laws,

Regulations

, and rules shall thereafter be applicable to and within such area in the manner and to the extent so provided by any such amendment, alteration, or modification” are omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (c), the words “Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “section 1537 of title 31” are substituted for “section 731 of this Act” because of section 4(b) of the Act of September 13, 1982 (Public Law 97–258, 96 Stat. 1067), the first section of which enacted Title 31, United States Code. The words “by law or otherwise” and “rendering and receiving such services” are omitted as unnecessary.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 9, 9A, 9B, 9C, and 14 of the Act of July 31, 1946, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(B)(i), are classified to section 1961, 1966, 1967, 1922, and 1969, respectively, of Title 2, The Congress. The District of Columbia Home Rule Act, referred to in subsec. (c), is Pub. L. 93–198, Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 774. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 109–284 inserted “of this title” after “section 5101 and 5102”.

§8501 National Capital Service Area