15 U.S.C. § 4659: Additional authorities

Summary

Allows the Secretary of Commerce to make and manage agreements, contracts, grants, cooperative deals, and other transactions needed to carry out the law. The Secretary can make advance payments without following the usual federal rule in 31 U.S.C. 3324. The Secretary can require applicants to pay money back as a condition of getting support, hire temporary experts, appoint up to 25 scientific or professional staff at pay up to the top rate set under 3 U.S.C. 104, share services or facilities with other federal agencies with their consent, and set rules and procedures. Any payments received from recipients must be returned to and merged with the same account that provided the support. When a covered project is a major federal action under NEPA and Commerce must approve or act on it, Commerce has the first right to be the lead NEPA agency. Starting October 2, 2024, the Secretary can use certain listed categorical exclusions from environmental review (from specific federal rules and directives). The law also treats some routine grant-backed projects, certain Defense-related facility work, and activities under section 4656 as categorically excluded. The Secretary may rely on prior studies or planning documents for NEPA reviews if they meet Commerce’s standards or are equally rigorous. Covered activity means construction, expansion, or modernization eligible for federal help under sections 4652 or 4656; NEPA means the National Environmental Policy Act.

Title 15, §4659

Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

In carrying out the responsibilities of the Department of Commerce under this chapter, the Secretary may—

(1)enter into agreements, including contracts, grants and cooperative agreements, and other transactions as may be necessary and on such terms as the Secretary considers appropriate;

(2)make advance payments under agreements and other transactions authorized under paragraph (1) without regard to section 3324 of title 31;

(3)require a person or other entity to make payments to the Department of Commerce upon application and as a condition for receiving support through an award of assistance or other transaction;

(4)procure temporary and intermittent services of experts and consultants in accordance with section 3109 of title 5;

(5)notwithstanding section 3104 of title 5 or the provisions of any other law relating to the appointment, number, classification, or compensation of employees, make appointments of scientific, engineering, and professional personnel, and fix the basic pay of such personnel at a rate to be determined by the Secretary at rates not in excess of the highest total annual compensation payable at the rate determined under section 104 of title 3, except that the Secretary shall appoint not more than 25 personnel under this paragraph;

(6)with the consent of another Federal agency, enter into an agreement with that Federal agency to use, with or without reimbursement, any service, equipment, personnel, or facility of that Federal agency; and

(7)establish such rules, regulations, and procedures as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(b)Requirement

Any funds received from a payment made by a person or entity pursuant to subsection (a)(3) shall be credited to and merged with the account from which support to the person or entity was made

(c)Lead Federal agency and cooperating agencies

(1)Definition

In this subsection, the term “lead agency” has the meaning given the term in section 111 of NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4336e).

(2)Option to serve as lead agency

With respect to a covered activity that is a major Federal action under NEPA, and with respect to which the Department of Commerce is authorized or required by law to issue an authorization or take action for or relating to that covered activity, the Department of Commerce shall have the first right to serve as the lead agency with respect to that covered activity under NEPA.

(d)Categorical exclusions

(1)Establishment of categorical exclusions

Each of the following categorical exclusions is established for the National Institute of Standards and Technology with respect to a covered activity and, beginning on October 2, 2024, is available for use by the Secretary with respect to a covered activity:

(A)Categorical exclusion 17.04.d (relating to the acquisition of machinery and equipment) in the document entitled “EDA Program to Implement the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and Other Federal Environmental Mandates As Required” (Directive No. 17.02–2; effective date October 14, 1992).

(B)Categorical exclusion A9 in Appendix A to subpart D of part 1021 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(C)Categorical exclusions B1.24, B1.31, B2.5, and B5.1 in Appendix B to subpart D of part 1021 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(D)The categorical exclusions described in paragraphs (4) and (13) of section 50.19(b) of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(E)Categorical exclusion (c)(1) in Appendix B to part 651 of title 32, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(F)Categorical exclusions A2.3.8 and A2.3.14 in Appendix B to part 989 of title 32, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(2)Additional categorical exclusions

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each of the following shall be treated as a category of action categorically excluded from the requirements relating to environmental assessments and environmental impact statements under section 1501.4 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation:

(A)The provision by the Secretary of any Federal financial assistance for a project described in section 4652 of this title, if the facility that is the subject of the project is on or adjacent to a site—

(i)that is owned or leased by the covered entity to which Federal financial assistance is provided for that project; and

(ii)on which, as of the date on which the Secretary provides that Federal financial assistance, substantially similar construction, expansion, or modernization is being or has been carried out, such that the facility would not more than double existing developed acreage or on-site supporting infrastructure.

(B)The provision by the Secretary of Defense of any Federal financial assistance relating to—

(i)the creation, expansion, or modernization of one or more facilities described in the second sentence of section 4653(a)(1) of this title; or

(ii)carrying out section 4653(b) of this title, as in effect on October 2, 2024.

(C)Any activity undertaken by the Secretary relating to carrying out section 4656 of this title, as in effect on October 2, 2024.

(e)Incorporation of prior planning decisions

(1)Definition

In this subsection, the term “prior studies and decisions” means baseline data, planning documents, studies, analyses, decisions, and documentation that a Federal agency has completed for a project (or that have been completed under the laws and procedures of a State or Indian Tribe), including for determining the reasonable range of alternatives for that project.

(2)Reliance on prior studies and decisions

In completing an environmental review under NEPA for a covered activity, the Secretary may consider and, as appropriate, rely on or adopt prior studies and decisions, if the Secretary determines that—

(A)those prior studies and decisions meet the standards for an adequate statement, assessment, or determination under applicable procedures of the Department of Commerce implementing the requirements of NEPA;

(B)in the case of prior studies and decisions completed under the laws and procedures of a State or Indian Tribe, those laws and procedures are of equal or greater rigor than those of each applicable Federal law, including NEPA, implementing procedures of the Department of Commerce; or

(C)if applicable, the prior studies and decisions are informed by other analysis or documentation that would have been prepared if the prior studies and decisions were prepared by the Secretary under NEPA.

(f)Definitions

In this section: (1) Covered activity

(2)NEPA

The term “NEPA” means the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (a), was in the original “this division” and was translated as reading “this title”, meaning title XCIX of div. H of Pub. L. 116–283, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, referred to in subsec. (f)(2), is Pub. L. 91–190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852, which is classified generally to chapter 55 (§ 4321 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 4321 of Title 42 and Tables.

Amendments

2024—Subsecs. (c) to (f). Pub. L. 118–105 added subsecs. (c) to (f).

§4659 Additional Authorities