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Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-102

§7655 Arms and Ammunition: Agencies and Departments of the United States

Title 10 › Subtitle B — Army › PART IV — SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT › CHAPTER 771 — ISSUE OF SERVICEABLE MATERIAL OTHER THAN TO ARMED FORCES › § 7655

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Army can lend weapons and their gear, and supply ammunition, to any U.S. department or independent agency when needed to protect public money and property, if the agency head asks. The items can be delivered to an officer the agency names, who must account to the Secretary. Items not used up must be returned when no longer needed. The borrowing agency must send money to the Army to cover four costs: ammunition issued; replacing weapons or gear that are lost, destroyed, or cannot be fixed; repairing returned items; and the Army’s shipping costs.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §7655

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whenever required for the protection of public money and property, the Secretary of the Army may lend arms and their accouterments, and issue ammunition, to a department or independent agency of the United States, upon request of its head. Property lent or issued under this subsection may be delivered to an officer of the department or agency designated by the head thereof, and that officer shall account for the property to the Secretary of the Army. Property lent or issued under this subsection and not properly expended shall be returned when it is no longer needed.
(b)The department or agency to which property is lent or issued under subsection (a) shall transfer funds to the credit of the Department of the Army to cover the costs of—
(1)ammunition issued;
(2)replacing arms and accouterments that have been lost or destroyed, or cannot be repaired;
(3)repairing arms and accouterments returned to the Department of the Army; and
(4)making and receiving shipments by the Department of the Army.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 4655(a)4655(b)50:61 (less proviso).50:61 (proviso).Mar. 3, 1879, ch. 183 (2d par. under “Miscellaneous”); restated Apr. 14, 1937, ch. 79, 50 Stat. 63. In subsection (a), the word “lend” is substituted for the word “issue”, with respect to arms and accouterments, since the property must be returned when the necessity for its use has expired. The words “and not properly expended” are inserted for clarity. The words “United States” are substituted for the word “Government”. The word “their” is substituted for the words “suitable * * * for use therewith”. The words “it is no longer needed” are substituted for the words “the necessity for their use has expired”. In subsection (b), the words “hereafter”, “borrowed”, and “under the authority of this section” are omitted as surplusage.

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 7655 was renumbered section 8855 of this title.

Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 4655 of this title as this section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 7655

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102