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Title 6 — Domestic SecurityRelease 119-73

§594 Testing authority

Title 6 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XIV— - COUNTERING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION OFFICE › Part Part B— - Mission of the Office › § 594

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Director must arrange for the Office, its contractors, or others to use existing federal labs, centers, ranges, and test sites to test materials, equipment, models, software, and other items tied to the Office’s missions under section 592. All use must follow laws and rules on security, safety, and the environment (including section 189 when relevant). Private users may be charged a fee to cover added costs to the agency. Test results are private and cannot be shared outside the federal government without permission from the person or group for whom the tests were done. Any fees may only recover direct and indirect costs (like utilities, contractor help, and staff pay) and can be returned to the same government fund that paid for the services.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §594

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Director shall coordinate with the responsible Federal agency or other entity to facilitate the use by the Office, by its contractors, or by other persons or entities, of existing Government laboratories, centers, ranges, or other testing facilities for the testing of materials, equipment, models, computer software, and other items as may be related to the missions identified in section 592 of this title. Any such use of Government facilities shall be carried out in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and contractual provisions, including those governing security, safety, and environmental protection, including, when applicable, the provisions of section 189 of this title. The Office may direct that private sector entities utilizing Government facilities in accordance with this section pay an appropriate fee to the agency that owns or operates those facilities to defray additional costs to the Government resulting from such use.
(b)The results of tests performed with services made available shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed outside the Federal Government without the consent of the persons for whom the tests are performed.
(c)Fees for services made available under this section shall not exceed the amount necessary to recoup the direct and indirect costs involved, such as direct costs of utilities, contractor support, and salaries of personnel that are incurred by the United States to provide for the testing.
(d)Fees received for services made available under this section may be credited to the appropriation from which funds were expended to provide such services.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–387, § 2(a)(7), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 592 of this title. 2007—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–53, § 104(a)(3), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as reference to section 592 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 594

Title 6 — Domestic Security

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73