Collapse to view only § 2575. Disposition of unclaimed property
- § 2571. Interchange of supplies and services
- § 2572. Documents, historical artifacts, and condemned or obsolete combat materiel: loan, gift, or exchange
- [§ 2573. Repealed.
- § 2574. Armament: sale of individual pieces
- § 2575. Disposition of unclaimed property
- § 2576. Surplus military equipment: sale to State and local law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, and emergency management agencies
- § 2576a. Excess personal property: sale or donation for law enforcement activities
- § 2576b. Excess personal property: sale or donation to assist firefighting agencies
- § 2577. Disposal of recyclable materials
- § 2578. Vessels: transfer between departments
- § 2579. War booty: procedures for handling and retaining battlefield objects
- § 2580. Donation of excess chapel property
- § 2581. Excess UH–1 Huey and AH–1 Cobra helicopters: requirements for transfer to foreign countries
- [§ 2582. Repealed.
- § 2583. Military animals: transfer and adoption
§ 2571. Interchange of supplies and services
(a) If either of the Secretaries concerned requests it and the other approves, supplies may be transferred, without compensation, from one armed force to another.
(b)
(1) If its head approves, a department or organization within the Department of Defense may, upon request, perform work and services for, or furnish supplies to, any other of those departments or organizations, with or without reimbursement or transfer of funds.
(2) Use of the authority under this section for reimbursable support is limited to support for the purpose of providing assistance to a foreign partner pursuant to section 333 and section 345 of this title.
(c) If military or civilian personnel of a department or organization within the Department of Defense are assigned or detailed to another of those departments or organizations, and if the head of the department or organization to which they are transferred approves, their pay and allowances and the cost of transporting their dependents and household goods may be charged to an appropriation that is otherwise available for those purposes to that department or organization.
(d) No agency or official of the executive branch of the Federal Government may establish any regulation, program, or policy or take any other action which precludes, directly or indirectly, the Secretaries concerned from exercising the authority provided in this section.
(e)
(1) An order placed by a department or organization on a reimbursable basis pursuant to subsection (b) shall be considered to be an obligation in the same manner as an order placed under section 6307 of title 41.
(2) Amounts received as reimbursement shall be credited in accordance with section 2205 of this title to the appropriation of the supporting department or organization used in incurring the obligation in the year or years that support is provided.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 143; Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(49), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1459; Pub. L. 99–167, title VIII, § 821, Dec. 3, 1985, 99 Stat. 991; Pub. L. 109–364, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2825(c)(1), (d)(1)(A), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2477; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XII, § 1202, Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1958.)
§ 2572. Documents, historical artifacts, and condemned or obsolete combat materiel: loan, gift, or exchange
(a) The Secretary concerned may lend or give items described in subsection (c) that are not needed by the military department concerned (or by the Coast Guard, in the case of the Secretary of Homeland Security), to any of the following:
(1) A municipal corporation, county, or other political subdivision of a State.
(2) A servicemen’s monument association.
(3) A museum, historical society, or historical institution of a State or a foreign nation or a nonprofit military aviation heritage foundation or association incorporated in a State.
(4) An incorporated museum or memorial that is operated and maintained for educational purposes only and the charter of which denies it the right to operate for profit.
(5) A post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States or of the American Legion or a unit of any other recognized war veterans’ association.
(6) A local or national unit of any war veterans’ association of a foreign nation which is recognized by the national government of that nation (or by the government of one of the principal political subdivisions of that nation).
(7) A post of the Sons of Veterans Reserve.
(b)
(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary concerned may exchange items described in subsection (c) that are not needed by the armed forces for any of the following items or services if such items or services directly benefit the historical collection of the armed forces:
(A) Similar items held by any individual, organization, institution, agency, or nation.
(B) Conservation supplies, equipment, facilities, or systems.
(C) Search, salvage, or transportation services.
(D) Restoration, conservation, or preservation services.
(E) Educational programs.
(2) The Secretary concerned may not make an exchange under paragraph (1) unless the monetary value of property transferred, or services provided, to the United States under the exchange is not less than the value of the property transferred by the United States. The Secretary concerned may waive the limitation in the preceding sentence in the case of an exchange of property for property in any case in which the Secretary determines that the item to be received by the United States in the exchange will significantly enhance the historical collection of the property administered by the Secretary.
(c) This section applies to the following types of property held by a military department or the Coast Guard: books, manuscripts, works of art, historical artifacts, drawings, plans, models, and condemned or obsolete combat materiel.
(d)
(1) A loan or gift made under this section shall be subject to regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned and to regulations under section 121 of title 40. The Secretary concerned shall ensure that an item authorized to be donated under this section is demilitarized in the interest of public safety, as determined necessary by the Secretary or the Secretary’s delegee.
(2)
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the United States may not incur any expense in connection with a loan or gift under subsection (a), including any expense associated with demilitarizing an item under paragraph (1), for which the recipient of the item shall be responsible.
(B) The Secretary concerned may, without cost to the recipient, demilitarize, prepare, and transport in the continental United States for donation to a recognized war veterans’ association an item authorized to be donated under this section if the Secretary determines the demilitarization, preparation, and transportation can be accomplished as a training mission without additional budgetary requirements for the unit involved.
(e)
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (3), and notwithstanding this section or any other provision of law, the President may not transfer a veterans memorial object to a foreign country or an entity controlled by a foreign government, or otherwise transfer or convey such an object to any person or entity for purposes of the ultimate transfer or conveyance of the object to a foreign country or entity controlled by a foreign government.
(2) In this subsection:
(A) The term “entity controlled by a foreign government” has the meaning given that term in section 4874(c)(1) of this title.
(B) The term “veterans memorial object” means any object, including a physical structure or portion thereof, that—
(i) is located at a cemetery of the National Cemetery System, war memorial, or military installation in the United States;
(ii) is dedicated to, or otherwise memorializes, the death in combat or combat-related duties of members of the armed forces; and
(iii) was brought to the United States from abroad before 1907 as a memorial of combat abroad.
(3) The prohibition imposed by paragraph (1) does not apply to a transfer of a veterans memorial object if—
(A) the transfer of that veterans memorial object is specifically authorized by law; or
(B) the transfer is made after September 30, 2022.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 143; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 511(82), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2927; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title III, § 324(a), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 1954; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title III, § 325, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1531; Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title III, § 373, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2385; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title X, § 1071, Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2859; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title III, § 372, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 280; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title X, § 1043(d), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1219; Pub. L. 107–217, § 3(b)(9), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1296; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(b)(1), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314; Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title III, § 369, Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2524; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title III, § 352, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4425; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title III, § 355(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1702; Pub. L. 115–91, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2864(a), (b), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1869; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1870(d)(4), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4286; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(t)(4), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2150.)
[§ 2573. Repealed. Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 511(83)(A), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2927]
§ 2574. Armament: sale of individual pieces
A piece of armament that can be advantageously replaced, and that is not needed for its historical value, may be sold by the military department having jurisdiction over it for not less than cost, if the Secretary concerned considers that there are adequate sentimental reasons for the sale.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 144.)
§ 2575. Disposition of unclaimed property
(a) The Secretary of any military department, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, under such regulations as they may respectively prescribe, may each by public or private sale or otherwise, dispose of all lost, abandoned, or unclaimed personal property that comes into the custody or control of the Secretary’s department, other than property subject to section 7712, 8392, or 9712 of this title or subject to subsection (c). However, property may not be disposed of until diligent effort has been made to find the owner (or the heirs, next of kin, or legal representative of the owner). The diligent effort to find the owner (or the heirs, next of kin, or legal representative of the owner) shall begin, to the maximum extent practicable, not later than seven days after the date on which the property comes into the custody or control of the Secretary. The period for which that effort is continued may not exceed 45 days. If the owner (or the heirs, next of kin, or legal representative of the owner) is determined but not found, the property may not be disposed of until the expiration of 45 days after the date when notice, giving the time and place of the intended sale or other disposition, has been sent by certified or registered mail to that person at his last known address. When diligent effort to determine the owner (or heirs, next of kin, or legal representative of the owner) is unsuccessful, the property may be disposed of without delay, except that if it has a fair market value of more than $300, the Secretary may not dispose of the property until 45 days after the date it is received at a storage point designated by the Secretary.
(b)
(1) In the case of lost, abandoned, or unclaimed personal property found on a military installation, the proceeds from the sale of the property under this section shall be credited to the operation and maintenance account of that installation and used—
(A) to reimburse the installation for any costs incurred by the installation to collect, transport, store, protect, or sell the property; and
(B) to the extent that the amount of the proceeds exceeds the amount necessary for reimbursing all such costs, to support morale, welfare, and recreation activities under the jurisdiction of the armed forces that are conducted for the comfort, pleasure, contentment, or physical or mental improvement of members of the armed forces at such installation.
(2) The net proceeds from the sale of other property under this section shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.
(c) No property covered by this section may be delivered to the Armed Forces Retirement Home by the Secretary of a military department, except papers of value, sabers, insignia, decorations, medals, watches, trinkets, manuscripts, and other articles valuable chiefly as keepsakes.
(d)
(1) The owner (or heirs, next of kin, or legal representative of the owner) of personal property the proceeds of which are credited to a military installation under subsection (b)(1) may file a claim with the Secretary of Defense for the amount equal to the proceeds (less costs referred to in subparagraph (A) of such subsection). Amounts to pay the claim shall be drawn from the morale, welfare, and recreation account for the installation that received the proceeds.
(2) The owner (or heirs, next of kin, or legal representative of the owner) may file a claim with the Secretary of Defense for proceeds covered into the Treasury under subsection (b)(2).
(3) Unless a claim is filed under this subsection within 5 years after the date of the disposal of the property to which the claim relates, the claim may not be considered by a court, the Secretary of Defense (in the case of a claim filed under paragraph (1)), or the Secretary of Defense (in the case of a claim filed under paragraph (2)).
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 144; Pub. L. 89–143, Aug. 28, 1965, 79 Stat. 581; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 511(84), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2927; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title III, § 322(a), (b), title XVI, § 1622(f)(1), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1413, 1605; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XV, § 1533(a)(2), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1733; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title III, § 374(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 281; Pub. L. 104–316, title II, § 202(d), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3842; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(b)(1), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 809(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1840.)
§ 2576. Surplus military equipment: sale to State and local law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, and emergency management agencies
(a) The Secretary of Defense, under regulations prescribed by him, may sell to State and local law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, and emergency management agencies, at fair market value, pistols, revolvers, shotguns, rifles of a caliber not exceeding .30, ammunition for such firearms, gas masks, personal protective equipment, and other appropriate equipment which (1) are suitable for use by such agencies in carrying out law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, and emergency management activities, and (2) have been determined to be surplus property under subtitle I of title 40 and division C (except sections 3302, 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41.
(b) Such surplus military equipment shall not be sold under the provisions of this section to a State or local law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, or emergency management agency unless request therefor is made by such agency, in such form and manner as the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe, and such request, with respect to the type and amount of equipment so requested, is certified as being necessary and suitable for the operation of such agency by the Governor (or such State official as he may designate) of the State in which such agency is located. Equipment sold to a State or local law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, or emergency management agency under this section shall not exceed, in quantity, the amount requested and certified for such agency and shall be for the exclusive use of such agency. Such equipment may not be sold, or otherwise transferred, by such agency to any individual or public or private organization or agency.
(Added Pub. L. 90–500, title IV, § 403(a) Sept. 20, 1968, 82 Stat. 851; amended Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 511(85), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2927; Pub. L. 107–217, § 3(b)(10), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1296; Pub. L. 111–350, § 5(b)(42), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3846; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1072(a)–(c)(1), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4366.)
§ 2576a. Excess personal property: sale or donation for law enforcement activities
(a)Transfer Authorized.—
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense may transfer to Federal and State agencies personal property of the Department of Defense, including small arms and ammunition, that the Secretary determines is—
(A) suitable for use by the agencies in law enforcement activities, including counterdrug, counterterrorism, disaster-related emergency preparedness, and border security activities; and
(B) excess to the needs of the Department of Defense.
(2) The Secretary shall carry out this section in consultation with the Attorney General, the Director of National Drug Control Policy, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate.
(b)Conditions for Transfer.—The Secretary of Defense may transfer personal property under this section only if—
(1) the property is drawn from existing stocks of the Department of Defense;
(2) the recipient accepts the property on an as-is, where-is basis;
(3) the transfer is made without the expenditure of any funds available to the Department of Defense for the procurement of defense equipment;
(4) all costs incurred subsequent to the transfer of the property are borne or reimbursed by the recipient;
(5) the recipient, on an annual basis, and with the authorization of the relevant local governing body or authority, certifies that it has adopted publicly available protocols for the appropriate use of controlled property, the supervision of such use, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of such use, including auditing and accountability policies; and
(6) after the completion of the assessment required by section 1051(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, the recipient, on an annual basis, certifies that it provides annual training to relevant personnel on the maintenance, sustainment, and appropriate use of controlled property, including respect for the rights of citizens under the Constitution of the United States and de-escalation of force.
(c)Consideration.—Subject to subsection (b)(4), the Secretary may transfer personal property under this section without charge to the recipient agency.
(d)Preference for Certain Transfers.—In considering applications for the transfer of personal property under this section, the Secretary shall give a preference to applications indicating that the transferred property will be used in the counterdrug, counterterrorism, disaster-related emergency preparedness, or border security activities of the recipient agency. Applications that request vehicles used for disaster-related emergency preparedness, such as high-water rescue vehicles, should receive the highest preference.
(e)Property Not Transferrable.—The Secretary may not transfer to a Tribal, State, or local law enforcement agency under this section the following:
(1) Bayonets.
(2) Grenades (other than stun and flash-bang grenades).
(3) Weaponized tracked combat vehicles.
(4) Weaponized drones.
(f)Publicly Accessible Website.—
(1) The Secretary shall create and maintain a publicly available Internet website that provides information on the controlled property transferred under this section and the recipients of such property.
(2) The contents of the Internet website required under paragraph (1) shall include all publicly accessible unclassified information pertaining to the request, transfer, denial, and repossession of controlled property under this section, including—
(A) a current inventory of all controlled property transferred to Federal and State agencies under this section, listed by the name of the recipient and the year of the transfer;
(B) all pending requests for transfers of controlled property under this section, including the information submitted by the Federal and State agencies requesting such transfers; and
(C) all reports required to be submitted to the Secretary under this section by Federal and State agencies that receive controlled property under this section.
(g)Controlled Property.—In this section, the term “controlled property” means any item assigned a demilitarization code of B, C, D, E, G, or Q under Department of Defense Manual 4160.21–M, “Defense Materiel Disposition Manual”, or any successor document.
(Added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title X, § 1033(a)(1), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2639; amended Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title X, §§ 1051(a)–(c), 1052, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 979–981; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, § 1081(a)(43), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1596; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title X, § 1053, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3850.)
§ 2576b. Excess personal property: sale or donation to assist firefighting agencies
(a)Transfer Authorized.—Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall transfer to a firefighting agency in a State any personal property of the Department of Defense that the Secretary determines is—
(1) excess to the needs of the Department of Defense; and
(2) suitable for use in providing fire and emergency medical services, including personal protective equipment and equipment for communication and monitoring.
(b)Conditions for Transfer.—The Secretary of Defense shall transfer personal property under this section only if—
(1) the property is drawn from existing stocks of the Department of Defense;
(2) the recipient firefighting agency accepts the property on an as-is, where-is basis;
(3) the transfer is made without the expenditure of any funds available to the Department of Defense for the procurement of defense equipment; and
(4) all costs incurred subsequent to the transfer of the property are borne or reimbursed by the recipient.
(c)Consideration.—Subject to subsection (b)(4), the Secretary may transfer personal property under this section without charge to the recipient firefighting agency.
(d)Definitions.—In this section:
(1)State.—The term “State” includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any territory or possession of the United States.
(2)Firefighting agency.—The term “firefighting agency” means any volunteer, paid, or combined departments that provide fire and emergency medical services.
(Added Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title XVII, § 1706(a)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–367; amended Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title III, § 354, Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1861.)
§ 2577. Disposal of recyclable materials
(a)
(1) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to provide for the sale of recyclable materials held by a military department or defense agency and for the operation of recycling programs at military installations. Such regulations shall include procedures for the designation by the Secretary of a military department (or by the Secretary of Defense with respect to facilities of a defense agency) of military installations that have established a qualifying recycling program for the purposes of subsection (b)(2).
(2) Any sale of recyclable materials by the Secretary of Defense or Secretary of a military department shall be in accordance with the procedures in sections 541–555 of title 40 for the sale of surplus property.
(3) In this section, the term “recyclable materials” may include any quality recyclable material provided to the Department by a State or local government entity, if such material is authorized by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and identified in the regulations prescribed under paragraph (1).
(b)
(1) Proceeds from the sale of recyclable materials at an installation shall be credited to funds available for operations and maintenance at that installation in amounts sufficient to cover the costs of operations, maintenance, and overhead for processing recyclable materials at the installation (including the cost of any equipment purchased for recycling purposes).
(2) If after such funds are credited a balance remains available to a military installation and such installation has a qualifying recycling program (as determined by the Secretary of the military department concerned or the Secretary of Defense), not more than 50 percent of that balance may be used at the installation for projects for pollution abatement, energy conservation, and occupational safety and health activities. A project may not be carried out under the preceding sentence for an amount greater than 50 percent of the amount established by law as the maximum amount for a minor construction project.
(3) The remaining balance available to a military installation may be transferred to the nonappropriated morale and welfare account of the installation to be used for any morale or welfare activity.
(c) If the balance available to a military installation under this section at the end of any fiscal year is in excess of $10,000,000, the amount of that excess shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.
(Added Pub. L. 97–214, § 6(b)(1), July 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 172; amended Pub. L. 98–525, title XIV, § 1405(37), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2624; Pub. L. 107–217, § 3(b)(11), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1296; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title III, §§ 313, 314, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1303.)
§ 2578. Vessels: transfer between departments
A vessel under the jurisdiction of a military department may be transferred or otherwise made available without reimbursement to another military department or to the Department of Homeland Security, and a vessel under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security may be transferred or otherwise made available without reimbursement to a military department. Any such transfer may be made only upon the request of the Secretary of the military department concerned or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as the case may be, and with the approval of the Secretary of the department having jurisdiction of the vessel.
(Added Pub. L. 100–370, § 1(k)(1), July 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 848; amended Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(b)(1), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314.)
§ 2579. War booty: procedures for handling and retaining battlefield objects
(a)Policy.—The United States recognizes that battlefield souvenirs have traditionally provided military personnel with a valued memento of service in a national cause. At the same time, it is the policy and tradition of the United States that the desire for souvenirs in a combat theater not blemish the conduct of combat operations or result in the mistreatment of enemy personnel, the dishonoring of the dead, distraction from the conduct of operations, or other unbecoming activities.
(b)Regulations.—
(1) The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations for the handling of battlefield objects that are consistent with the policies expressed in subsection (a) and the requirements of this section.
(2) When forces of the United States are operating in a theater of operations, enemy material captured or found abandoned shall be turned over to appropriate United States or allied military personnel except as otherwise provided in such regulations. A member of the armed forces (or other person under the authority of the armed forces in a theater of operations) may not (except in accordance with such regulations) take from a theater of operations as a souvenir an object formerly in the possession of the enemy.
(3) Such regulations shall provide that a member of the armed forces who wishes to retain as a souvenir an object covered by paragraph (2) may so request at the time the object is turned over pursuant to paragraph (2).
(4) Such regulations shall provide for an officer to be designated to review requests under paragraph (3). If the officer determines that the object may be appropriately retained as a war souvenir, the object shall be turned over to the member who requested the right to retain it.
(5) Such regulations shall provide for captured weaponry to be retained as souvenirs, as follows:
(A) The only weapons that may be retained are those in categories to be agreed upon jointly by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Treasury.
(B) Before a weapon is turned over to a member, the weapon shall be rendered unserviceable.
(C) A charge may be assessed in connection with each weapon in an amount sufficient to cover the full cost of rendering the weapon unserviceable.
(Added Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title XI, § 1171(a)(1), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1765.)
§ 2580. Donation of excess chapel property
(a)Authority To Donate.—The Secretary of a military department may donate personal property specified in subsection (b) to an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that is a religious organization in order to assist the organization in restoring or replacing property of the organization that has been damaged or destroyed as a result of an act of arson or terrorism, as determined pursuant to procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
(b)Property Covered.—
(1) The property authorized to be donated under subsection (a) is furniture and other personal property that—
(A) is in, or was formerly in, a chapel under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of a military department and closed or being closed; and
(B) is determined by the Secretary to be excess to the requirements of the armed forces.
(2) No real property may be donated under this section.
(c)Donees Not To Be Charged.—No charge may be imposed by the Secretary of a military department on a donee of property under this section in connection with the donation. However, the donee shall agree to defray any expense for shipping or other transportation of property donated under this section from the location of the property when donated to any other location.
(Added Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title X, § 1063(a), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1892.)
§ 2581. Excess UH–1 Huey and AH–1 Cobra helicopters: requirements for transfer to foreign countries
(a)Requirements.—
(1) Before an excess UH–1 Huey helicopter or AH–1 Cobra helicopter is transferred on a grant or sales basis to a foreign country for the purpose of flight operations by that country, the Secretary of Defense shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that the helicopter receives, to the extent necessary, maintenance and repair equivalent to the depot-level maintenance and repair (as defined in section 2460 of this title) that the helicopter would need were the helicopter to remain in operational use with the armed forces. Any such maintenance and repair work shall be performed at no cost to the Department of Defense.
(2) The Secretary shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that maintenance and repair work described in paragraph (1) is performed in the United States.
(b)Exception.—Subsection (a) does not apply with respect to salvage helicopters provided to the foreign country solely as a source for spare parts.
(Added Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title XII, § 1234(a), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2156.)
[§ 2582. Repealed. Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title X, § 1061(19)(A), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1584]
§ 2583. Military animals: transfer and adoption
(a)Availability for Transfer or Adoption.—The Secretary of the military department concerned shall make a military animal of such military department available for transfer or adoption by a person or entity referred to in subsection (c), unless the animal has been determined to be unsuitable for transfer or adoption under subsection (b), under circumstances as follows:
(1) At the end of the animal’s useful life.
(2) Before the end of the animal’s useful life, if such Secretary, in such Secretary’s discretion, determines that unusual or extraordinary circumstances, including circumstances under which the handler of a military working dog is killed in action, dies of wounds received in action, or is medically retired as a result of injuries received in action, justify making the animal available for transfer or adoption before that time.
(3) When the animal is otherwise excess to the needs of such military department.
(b)Suitability for Transfer or Adoption.—The decision whether a particular military animal is suitable or unsuitable for transfer or adoption under this section shall be made by the commander of the last unit to which the animal is assigned before being declared excess. The unit commander shall consider the recommendations of the unit’s veterinarian in making the decision regarding the transferability or adoptability of the animal.
(c)Authorized Recipients.—
(1) A military animal shall be made available for transfer or adoption under this section, in order of recommended priority, by—
(A) adoption by former handlers of the animal;
(B) adoption by other persons or organizations capable of humanely caring for the animal; and
(C) transfer to law enforcement agencies.
(2) If the Secretary of the military department concerned determines that an adoption is justified under subsection (a)(2) under circumstances under which the handler of a military working dog is wounded in action, the dog shall be made available for adoption only by the handler. If the Secretary of the military department concerned determines that such an adoption is justified under circumstances under which the handler of a military working dog is killed in action or dies of wounds received in action, the military working dog shall be made available for adoption only by a parent, child, spouse, or sibling of the deceased handler.
(d)Consideration.—The transfer of a military animal under this section shall be without charge to the recipient.
(e)Limitations on Liability for Transferred or Adopted Animals.—
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the United States shall not be subject to any suit, claim, demand or action, liability, judgment, cost, or other fee arising out of any claim for personal injury or property damage (including death, illness, or loss of or damage to property or other economic loss) that results from, or is in any manner predicated upon, the act or omission of a former military animal transferred or adopted under this section, including any training provided to the animal while a military animal.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the United States shall not be liable for any veterinary expense associated with a military animal transferred or adopted under this section for a condition of the military animal before transfer or adoption under this section, whether or not such condition is known at the time of transfer or adoption under this section.
(f)Veterinary Screening and Care for Military Working Dogs To Be Retired.—
(1)
(A) If the Secretary of the military department concerned determines that a military working dog should be retired, such Secretary shall transport the dog to the Veterinary Treatment Facility at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.
(B) In the case of a contract working dog to be retired, transportation required by subparagraph (A) is satisfied by the transfer of the dog to the 341st Training Squadron at the end of the dog’s service life as required by section 2387 of this title and assignment of the dog to the Veterinary Treatment Facility referred to in that subparagraph.
(2)
(A) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that each dog transported as described in paragraph (1) to the Veterinary Treatment Facility referred to in that paragraph is provided with a full veterinary screening, and necessary veterinary care (including surgery for any mental, dental, or stress-related illness), before transportation of the dog in accordance with subsection (g).
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, stress-related illness includes illness in connection with post-traumatic stress, anxiety that manifests in a physical ailment, obsessive compulsive behavior, and any other stress-related ailment.
(3) Transportation is not required under paragraph (1), and screening and care is not required under paragraph (2), for a military working dog located outside the United States if the Secretary of the military department concerned determines that transportation of the dog to the United States would not be in the best interests of the dog for medical reasons.
(g)Transportation of Retiring Military Working Dogs.—Upon completion of veterinary screening and care for a military working dog to be retired pursuant to subsection (f), the Secretary of the military department concerned shall—
(1) if the dog was at a location outside the United States immediately prior to transportation for such screening and care and a United States citizen or member of the armed forces living abroad agrees to adopt the dog, transport the dog to such location for adoption; or
(2) for any other dog, transport the dog—
(A) to the 341st Training Squadron; or
(B) to another location within the United States for transfer or adoption under this section.
(h)Preference in Adoption of Retired Military Working Dogs for Former Handlers.—
(1) In providing for the adoption under this section of a retired military working dog described in paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection (a), the Secretary of the military department concerned shall accord a preference to the former handler of the dog unless the Secretary determines that adoption of the dog by the former handler would not be in the best interests of the dog.
(2) In the case of a dog covered by paragraph (1) with more than one former handler seeking adoption of the dog at the time of adoption, the Secretary shall provide for the adoption of the dog by such former handler whose adoption of the dog will best serve the interests of the dog and such former handlers. The Secretary shall make any determination required by this paragraph with respect to a dog following consultation with the kennel master of the unit at which the dog was last located before adoption under this section.
(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as altering, revising, or overriding any policy of a military department for the transfer of military working dogs to law enforcement agencies before the end of the dogs’ useful working lives.
(i)Military Animal Defined.—In this section, the term “military animal” means the following:
(1) A military working dog, which may include a contract working dog (as such term is defined in section 2387) that has been transferred to the 341st Training Squadron.
(2) An equid (horse, mule, or donkey) owned by the Department of Defense.
(Added Pub. L. 106–446, § 1(a), Nov. 6, 2000, 114 Stat. 1932, § 2582; renumbered § 2583, Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title X, § 1048(a)(25), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1224; amended Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title V, § 599, Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3284; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title III, § 352(a), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2160; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title X, § 1063(a)(13), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 322; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title III, § 351, title X, § 1061(20), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1375, 1584; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title III, § 371(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1706; Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title X, § 1091(b)(2), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 876; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title III, § 342, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 793; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title III, § 342(b), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2082; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title III, § 352, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1731; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title III, § 372(a)–(e), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1330, 1331; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title X, § 1081(a)(42), title XVIII, § 1883(b)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3873, 4294; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title III, § 373(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1667.)