Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§8618 Marine Corps Heritage Center and National Museum of the Marine Corps at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia

Title 10 › Subtitle C — Navy and Marine Corps › PART IV — GENERAL ADMINISTRATION › CHAPTER 861 — SECRETARY OF THE NAVY: MISCELLANEOUS POWERS AND DUTIES › § 8618

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Navy may join with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation to design, build, and run a multipurpose museum and heritage center called the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps. The place will hold public displays, store and care for artifacts, support research, and include classrooms and offices that fit the Marine Corps University’s mission. The Foundation can be allowed to hire builders or give money for each phase of the project. After a phase is finished to the Secretary’s approval and the Foundation meets its financial obligations, that part of the facility becomes Navy property. For running and caring for the museum, the Secretary may make contracts or agreements directly with the Foundation and may lease parts of the facility to the Foundation so it can raise money or handle administrative tasks. When setting lease value, the Secretary can count the Foundation’s educational and museum support as part of the value. The Foundation may be allowed to use museum space for other money-making activities if those activities do not interfere with military or museum operations. Lease money (except agreed noncash contributions) must be used only to support the museum and stay available until spent. The Secretary can accept gifts for the museum, recognize donors under rules the Secretary makes, sell donated items in an open transaction with records, and place gift money and sale proceeds into a Treasury fund for the museum. The Secretary may add other reasonable terms to protect U.S. interests.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §8618

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Joint Venture for Development and Continued Maintenance and Operation.—

The Secretary of the Navy may enter into a joint venture with the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (in this section referred to as the “Foundation”), a not-for-profit entity, for the design, construction, and maintenance and operation of a multipurpose facility to be used for historical displays for public viewing, curation, and storage of artifacts, research facilities, classrooms, offices, and associated activities consistent with the mission of the Marine Corps University. The facility shall be known as the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

(b)Design and Construction.—

For each phase of development of the facility described in subsection (a), the Secretary may—

(1)permit the Foundation to contract for the design, construction, or both of such phase of development; or

(2)accept funds from the Foundation for the design, construction, or both of such phase of development.

(c)Acceptance Authority.—

Upon completion of construction of any phase of development of the facility described in subsection (a) by the Foundation to the satisfaction of the Secretary, and the satisfaction of any financial obligations incident thereto by the Foundation, the facility shall become the real property of the Department of the Navy with all right, title, and interest in and to facility being in the United States.

(d)Maintenance, Operation, and Support.—

(1)The Secretary may, for the purpose of maintenance and operation of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps—

(A)enter into contracts or cooperative agreements, on a sole-source basis, with the Foundation for the procurement of property or services for the direct benefit or use of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps; and

(B)notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (h) of section 2667 of this title and under such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate for the joint venture authorized by subsection (a), lease in accordance with such section 2667 portions of the facility developed under subsection (a) to the Foundation for use in generating revenue for activities of the facility and for such administrative purposes as may be necessary for support of the facility.

(2)In making a determination of fair market value under section 2667(b)(4) of this title for payment of consideration pursuant to a lease described in paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary may consider the entirety of the educational efforts of the Foundation, support to the Marine Corps Heritage Center history division by the Foundation, or the funding of museum programs and exhibits by the Foundation, or other support related to the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps, in addition to the types of in-kind consideration provided under section 2667(c) of this title.

(3)The Secretary may authorize the Foundation to use real or personal property within the Marine Corps Heritage Center and National Museum of the Marine Corps to conduct additional revenue-generating activities, as the Secretary considers appropriate considering the work of the Foundation and needs of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and National Museum of the Marine Corps. The Secretary shall only authorize the use of such property for a revenue-generating activity if the Secretary determines the activity will not interfere with military activities and personnel or the activities of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and National Museum of the Marine Corps.

(4)The Secretary shall retain lease payments received under this section, other than in-kind consideration authorized under paragraph (2) or under section 2667(c) of this title, solely for use in support of the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and funds received as lease payments shall remain available until expended.

(e)Authority to Accept Gifts.—

(1)The Secretary of the Navy may accept, hold, administer, and spend any gift, devise, or bequest of real property, personal property, or money made on the condition that the gift, devise, or bequest be used for the benefit, or in connection with, the establishment, operation, or maintenance, of the Marine Corps Heritage Center or the National Museum of the Marine Corps. section 2601 (other than subsections (b), (c), and (e)) of this title shall apply to gifts accepted under this subsection.

(2)The Secretary may display at the Marine Corps Heritage Center or the National Museum of the Marine Corps recognition for an individual or organization that contributes money to a partner organization, or an individual or organization that contributes a gift directly to the Navy, for the benefit of the Marine Corps Heritage Center or the National Museum of the Marine Corps, whether or not the contribution is subject to the condition that the recognition be provided. The Secretary shall prescribe regulations governing the circumstances under which contributor recognition may be provided, appropriate forms of recognition, and suitable display standards.

(3)The Secretary may authorize the sale of donated property received under paragraph (1). A sale under this paragraph need not be conducted in accordance with disposal requirements that would otherwise apply, so long as the sale is conducted at arms-length and includes an auditable transaction record.

(4)Any money received under paragraph (1) and any proceeds from the sale of property under paragraph (3) shall be deposited into a fund established in the Treasury to support the Marine Corps Heritage Center and the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

(f)Additional Terms and Conditions.—

The Secretary may require such additional terms and conditions in connection with the joint venture authorized by subsection (a) as the Secretary considers appropriate to protect the interests of the United States.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 8618

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110