(a) Definition of qualified item of personal property

In this section, the term “qualified item of personal property” means—

(1) an animal;

(2) an animal product;

(3) a plant; or

(4) a plant product.

(b) General authority

Terms Used In 7 USC 2241a

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.

Except as provided in subsection (c), notwithstanding chapter 5 of subtitle I of title 40, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, in managing personal property for the purpose of carrying out the research functions of the Department, may exchange, sell, or otherwise dispose of any qualified item of personal property, including by way of public auction, and may retain and apply the sale or other proceeds, without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation, in whole or in partial payment—

(1) to acquire any qualified item of personal property; or

(2) to offset costs related to the maintenance, care, or feeding of any qualified item of personal property.

(c) Exception

Subsection (b) does not apply to the free dissemination of new varieties of seeds and germplasm in accordance with section 2201 of this title.