(8) a statement in writing by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget that the project is necessary and in conformity with the policy of the President. Such statement by the Director shall be based on budgetary and related considerations and shall not be deemed to constitute approval by the Director of the specific terms or provisions of any proposed agreement or of the selection of any particular contractor or lessor.

Utilization of funds for payments; conditions

(f) Funds now or hereafter available for the payment of rent and related charges for premises, whether appropriated directly to the General Services Administration or to any other agency of the Government and received by said Administration for such purpose, may be utilized by the Administrator of General Services to make payments becoming due from time to time from the United States as current charges in connection with agreements entered into under authority of this section: Provided, That no such funds may be expended for acquisition of title to the property covered by any such agreement prior to the expiration of the contract term specified therein (whether by exercise of option to purchase or otherwise) in the absence of specific appropriation of funds for such acquisition, which appropriations are authorized: Provided further, That the value of any Government real property to be exchanged under any such agreement may be credited at the time of exchange to the payments to be made by the United States thereunder: Provided further, That Government real property to be exchanged may be credited in whole or in part to the purchase price of the property for which it is exchanged, except that where the amount of the credit for the real property to be exchanged exceeds the amount of the purchase price, the amount of the remaining proceeds shall, except as provided in section 905 of Title 39, be covered into the miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury of the United States.

Postal purposes

(g) When requested by the Postmaster General, the Administrator of General Services is authorized to exercise the authority vested in him by this section (1) to acquire property for postal purposes, or (2) to provide space for postal purposes in buildings acquired under this section for other purposes.

State and local taxes

(h) With respect to any interest in real property acquired under the provisions of this section, the same shall be subject to State and local taxes until title to the same shall pass to the Government of the United States.

Separability

(i) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the remainder of this section and the application thereof to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

Applicability of other sections

(j) (1) Section 252(c) of Title 41 and section 175 of Title 50 shall apply to purchase contract agreements entered into under this section, except that any such agreement may be entered into and placed in effect after request for but prior to receipt of an opinion of the Attorney General with respect to the validity of title to the property described therein.

(2) Except as provided by paragraph (1) of this subsection, sections 34, 37a, 259 and 304c of this Title; and sections 12 and 14 of Title 41; and any other provision of law (except applicable labor standards provisions) relating to the acquisition of real property, construction of buildings, or leasing of space, shall not apply to purchase contract agreements executed under this section. June 16, 1949, c. 218, Title IV, § 411, as added July 22, 1954, c. 560, Title I, § 101, 68 Stat. 518, and amended July 9, 1956, c. 525, § 1, 70 Stat. 510.

CHAPTER 10.-MANAGEMENT AND DISPOSAL OF
GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

FEDERAL PROPERTY AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ACT OF 1949

Section 471.

Congressional declaration of policy.

It is the intent of the Congress in enacting this legislation to provide for the Government an economical and efficient system for (a) the procurement and supply of personal property and nonpersonal services, including related functions such as contracting, inspection, storage, issue, specifications, property identification and classification, transportation and traffic management, establishment of pools or systems for transportation of Government personnel and property by motor vehicle within specific areas, management of public utility services, repairing and converting, establishment of inventory levels, establishment of forms and procedures, and representation before Federal and State regulatory bodies; (b) the utilization of available property; (c) the disposal of surplus property; and (d) records management. As amended Sept. 1, 1954, c. 1211, § 1, 68 Stat. 1126.

As used in subchapters I-III of this chapter, chapter 11C of Title 5, chapter 4 of Title 41, and chapter 11 of Title 44—

(a) The term "executive agency" means any executive department or independent establishment in the executive branch of the Government, including any wholly owned Government corporation.

(b) The term "Federal agency" means any executive agency or any establishment in the legislative or judicial branch of the Government (except the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Architect of the Capitol and any activities under his direction).

(c) The term "Administrator" means the Administrator of General Services provided for in chapter 11C of Title 5.

(d) The term "property" means any interest in property except (1) the public domain; lands reserved or dedicated for national forest or national park purposes; minerals in lands or portions of lands withdrawn or reserved from the public domain which the Secretary of the Interior determines are suitable for disposition under the public land mining and mineral leasing laws; and lands withdrawn or reserved from the public domain except lands or portions of lands so withdrawn or reserved which the Secretary of the Interior, with the concurrence of the Administrator, determines are not suitable for return to the public domain for disposition under the general public-land laws because such lands are substantially changed in character by improvements or otherwise; (2) naval vessels of the following categories: Battleships, cruisers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines; and (3) records of the Federal Government.

(e) The term "excess property" means any property under the control of any Federal agency which is not required for its needs and the discharge of its responsibilities, as determined by the head thereof.

(f) The term "foreign excess property" means any excess property located outside the States of the Union, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

(g) The term "surplus property" means any excess property not required for the needs and the discharge of the responsibilities of all Federal agencies, as determined by the Administrator.

(h) The term "care and handling" includes completing, repairing, converting, rehabilitating, operating, preserving, protecting, insuring, packing, storing, handling, conserving, and transporting excess and surplus property, and, in the case of

property which is dangerous to public health or safety, destroying, or rendering innocuous such property.

(i) The term "person" includes any corporation, partnership, firm, association, trust, estate, or other entity.

(j) The term "nonpersonal services" means such contractual services, other than personal and professional services, as the Administrator shall designate.

(k) The term "contractor inventory" means (1) any property acquired by and in the possession of a contractor or subcontractor under a contract pursuant to the terms of which title is vested in the Government, and in excess of the amounts needed to complete full performance under the entire contract; and (2) any property which the Government is obligated or has the option to take over under any type of contract as a result either of any changes in the specifications or plans thereunder or of the termination of such contract (or subcontract thereunder), prior to completion of the work, for the convenience or at the option of the Government.

(1) * * * As Amended July 12, 1952, c. 703, § 1(a), (b), 66 Stat. 593; Sept. 1, 1954, c. 1211, § 4(c), 68 Stat. 1129; Aug. 12, 1955, c. 874, § 2, 69 Stat. 722; Feb. 28, 1958, Pub.L. 85-337, § 5, 72 Stat. 29; as amended June 25, 1959, Pub. L. 86-70, § 30 (a), 73 Stat. 148; as amended July 12, 1960, Pub. L. 86-624, § 27 (a), 74 Stat. 411.

Section 481. Procurement, warehousing, and relating activities. (a) The Administrator shall, in respect of executive agencies, and to the extent that he determines that so doing is advantageous to the Government in terms of economy, efficiency, or service, and with due regard to the program activities of the agencies concerned

(1) prescribe policies and methods of procurement and supply of personal property and nonpersonal services, including related functions such as contracting, inspection, storage, issue, property identification and classification, transportation and traffic management, management of public utility services, and repairing and converting; and

(2) operate, and, after consultation with the executive agencies affected, consolidate, take over, or arrange for the operation by any executive agency of warehouses, supply centers, repair shops, fuel yards, and other similar facilities; and

(3) procure and supply personal property and nonpersonal services for the use of executive agencies in the proper discharge of their responsibilities, and perform functions related to procurement and supply such as those mentioned above in subpara

graph (1) of this subchapter: Provided, That contracts for public utility services may be made for periods not exceeding ten years; and

(4) with respect to transportation and other public utility services for the use of executive agencies, represent such agencies in negotiations with carriers and other public utilities and in proceedings involving carriers or other public utilities before Federal and State regulatory bodies: Provided, That the Secretary of Defense may from time to time, and unless the President shall otherwise direct, exempt the Department of Defense from action taken or which may be taken by the Administrator under clauses (1)-(4) of this subsection whenever he determines such exemption to be in the best interests of national security.

(b) The Administrator shall as far as practicable provide any of the services specified in subsection (a) of this section to any other Federal agency, mixed ownership corporation (as defined in the Government Corporation Control Act), or the District of Columbia, upon its request.

(c) In acquiring personal property, any executive agency, under regulations to be prescribed by the Administrator, may exchange or sell similar items and may apply the exchange allowance or proceeds of sale in such cases in whole or in part payment for the property acquired: Provided, That any transaction carried out under the authority of this subsection shall be evidenced in writing.

(d) In conformity with policies prescribed by the Administrator under subsection (a) of this section, any executive agency may utilize the services, work, materials, and equipment of any other executive agency, with the consent of such other executive agency, for the inspection of personal property incident to the procurement thereof, and notwithstanding section 628 of Title 31 or any other provision of law such other executive agency may furnish such services, work, materials, and equipment for that purpose without reimbursement or transfer of funds. As amended Aug. 27, 1958, Pub.L. 85-781, 72 Stat. 936.

Section 483. Property utilization-Policies and methods.

(a) In order to minimize expenditures for property, the Administrator shall prescribe policies and methods to promote the maximum utilization of excess property by executive agencies, and he shall provide for the transfer of excess property among Federal agencies and to the organizations specified in section 630g (f) of Title 5. The Administrator, with the approval of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, shall prescribe the extent of reimbursement for such transfers of excess property: Provided, That reim