Title 36, Patriotic and National ObservancesRelease 119-110
§20504 Cooperation with the Military
Title 36 › Subtitle II — Patriotic and National Organizations › Part B — Organizations › CHAPTER 205 — AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY › § 20504
Summary
When the Secretary of the Army, Air Force, or Navy asks, the corporation must research chemistry tied to national defense. The government pays the actual costs but the corporation cannot be paid fees. If an invention is defense-related, the government owns it; other discoveries give the government unlimited use.
Full Legal Text
Title 36, §20504
Patriotic and National Observances, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Investigations, Examinations, Experiments, and Reports.—
When requested by the Secretary of the Army, Air Force, or Navy, the corporation shall investigate, examine, experiment, and report on any subject in pure or applied chemistry connected with the national defense.
(b)Payments.—
The actual expense of those investigations, examinations, experiments, and reports shall be paid from amounts appropriated for those purposes, but the corporation may not receive compensation for any services performed for the United States Government.
(c)Title and License.—
Title to inventions and discoveries made in the course of those investigations, examinations, and experiments that the appropriate Secretary believes involve the national defense vest in the Government. The Government shall have unlimited license under other inventions and discoveries made in the course of those investigations, examinations, and experiments.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 2050436:3204.Aug. 25, 1937, ch. 762, § 4, 50 Stat. 799. In subsection (a), the words “When requested by the Secretary of the Army, Air Force, or Navy, the corporation” are substituted for “The American Chemical Society shall, whenever called upon by the Army, Air Force, or Navy Department” because under 10:3013, 5013, and 8013 the Secretaries are the heads of the Departments. The Secretary of the Air Force is added because of section 207 of the National Security Act of 1947 (ch. 343, 61 Stat. 502). In subsection (b), the words “shall be paid from amounts appropriated for those purposes” are substituted for “to be paid from appropriations which may have been made for that purpose by Congress” for clarity and to eliminate unnecessary words. In subsection (c), the words “that the appropriate Secretary believes” are substituted for “that, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, or the Secretary of the Army” to eliminate unnecessary words.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
36 U.S.C. § 20504
Title 36, Patriotic and National Observances
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110