Title 36 — Patriotic and National ObservancesRelease 119-73not60
§150302 Powers
Title 36 › Subtitle Subtitle II— Patriotic and National Organizations › Part B— Organizations › Chapter 1503— NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES › § 150302
Summary
Allows the corporation to set up its own rules and organization, elect members at home and abroad, put them into classes, fill vacancies, and report those actions to Congress. It can take, hold, manage, invest, and use property and its income under donor instructions, and Congress can at any time limit how much real estate it owns or how long it keeps it.
Full Legal Text
Title 36, §150302
Patriotic and National Observances — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The corporation may—
(1)make its own organization, including adopting a constitution, bylaws, and regulations;
(2)provide for the election of domestic and foreign members, their division into classes, and other matters needful or usual in such an institution;
(3)fill vacancies; and
(4)report its actions under this subsection to Congress.
(b)(1)The corporation may—
(A)receive property by devise, bequest, donation, or otherwise;
(B)hold the property absolutely or in trust;
(C)manage and invest the property as provided in the constitution of the corporation; and
(D)use the property and income from the property to carry out the purposes of the corporation, subject to instructions of donors.
(2)Congress at any time may limit the amount of real estate the corporation may acquire and the amount of time it may be held.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 150302(a)36:252.Mar. 3, 1863, ch. 111, § 2, 12 Stat. 806; July 14, 1870, ch. 264, 16 Stat. 277. 150302(b)36:254.June 20, 1884, ch. 107, 23 Stat. 50; May 27, 1914, ch. 101, § 1, 38 Stat. 383. In subsection (a)(1), the word “rules” is omitted as included in “
Regulations
”. In subsection (a)(2), the words “their division” are substituted for “the division” for clarity. In subsection (a)(3), the words “created by death, resignation, or otherwise” are omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (a)(4), the words “its actions under this subsection” are substituted for “the same” for clarity. In subsection (b)(1), before clause (A), the word “may” is substituted for “be, and the same is, authorized and empowered to” for consistency in the revised title and to eliminate unnecessary words. In clause (A), the words “either real or personal” are omitted as unnecessary and for consistency in the revised title. In clause (C), the word “reinvest” is omitted as unnecessary.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
36 U.S.C. § 150302
Title 36 — Patriotic and National Observances
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60