Title 7AgricultureRelease 119-73

§2241a Exchange or sale authority

Title 7 › Chapter CHAPTER 55— - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE › § 2241a

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Lets the Secretary, through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, exchange, sell, or otherwise dispose of animals, plants, and related research items, including by public auction. The Secretary can keep and use the sale money without extra approval or yearly limit to buy such items or pay for their care and feeding. Qualified item of personal property: animal; animal product; plant; plant product. Does not apply to free distribution of new seed varieties and germplasm under section 2201.

Full Legal Text

Title 7, §2241a

Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section, the term “qualified item of personal property” means—
(1)an animal;
(2)an animal product;
(3)a plant; or
(4)a plant product.
(b)Except as provided in subsection (c), notwithstanding chapter 5 of subtitle I of title 40, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, in managing personal property for the purpose of carrying out the research functions of the Department, may exchange, sell, or otherwise dispose of any qualified item of personal property, including by way of public auction, and may retain and apply the sale or other proceeds, without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation, in whole or in partial payment—
(1)to acquire any qualified item of personal property; or
(2)to offset costs related to the maintenance, care, or feeding of any qualified item of personal property.
(c)Subsection (b) does not apply to the free dissemination of new varieties of seeds and germplasm in accordance with section 2201 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246.

Amendments

2014—Pub. L. 113–79 made technical amendment to directory language of Pub. L. 110–246, § 7408, which enacted this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Enactment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

7 U.S.C. § 2241a

Title 7Agriculture

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73