§ 50. — Reception and arrangement of specimens and objects of art.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 20USC50]
TITLE 20--EDUCATION
CHAPTER 3--SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, NATIONAL MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES
SUBCHAPTER I--CHARTER PROVISIONS
Sec. 50. Reception and arrangement of specimens and objects of
art
Whenever suitable arrangements can be made from time to time for
their reception, all objects of art and of foreign and curious research,
and all objects of natural history, plants, and geological and
mineralogical specimens belonging to the United States, which may be in
the city of Washington, in whosesoever custody they may be, shall be
delivered to such persons as may be authorized by the Board of Regents
to receive them, and shall be so arranged and classified in the building
erected for the institution as best to facilitate the examination and
study of them; and whenever new specimens in natural history, geology,
or mineralogy are obtained for the museum of the institution, by
exchanges of duplicate specimens, which the Regents may in their
discretion make, or by donation, which they may receive, or otherwise,
the Regents shall cause such new specimens to be appropriately classed
and arranged. The minerals, books, manuscripts, and other property of
James Smithson, which have been received by the Government of the United
States, shall be preserved separate and apart from other property of the
institution.
(R.S. Sec. 5586.)
Codification
R.S. Sec. 5586 derived from act Aug. 10, 1846, ch. 178, Sec. 6, 9
Stat. 105.
Collection and Preservation of Artifacts Relating to September 11th
Attacks
Pub. L. 107-117, div. B, Sec. 701, Jan. 10, 2002, 115 Stat. 2311,
provided that:
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
shall collect and preserve in the National Museum of American History
artifacts relating to the September 11th attacks on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon.
``(b) Types of Artifacts.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution shall consider collecting and
preserving--
``(1) pieces of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon;
``(2) still and video images made by private individuals and the
media;
``(3) personal narratives of survivors, rescuers, and government
officials; and
``(4) other artifacts, recordings, and testimonials that the
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution determines have lasting
historical significance.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the Smithsonian Institution $5,000,000 to carry out this
section.''
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory Submillimeter Array; Authorization
of Construction and Appropriations
Pub. L. 106-383, Oct. 27, 2000, 114 Stat. 1459, provided that:
``SECTION 1. FACILITY AUTHORIZED.
``The Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution is authorized
to plan, design, construct, and equip laboratory, administrative, and
support space to house base operations for the Smithsonian Astrophysical
Observatory Submillimeter Array located on Mauna Kea at Hilo, Hawaii.
``SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to the Board of Regents of
the Smithsonian Institution to carry out this Act, $2,000,000 for fiscal
year 2001, and $2,500,000 for fiscal year 2002, which shall remain
available until expended.''
Smithsonian Institution Transportation Program
Pub. L. 105-178, title I, Sec. 1214(b), June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 204,
provided that:
``(1) In general.--The Secretary [of Transportation] shall allocate
amounts made available by this subsection for obligation at the
discretion of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, in
consultation with the Secretary, to carry out projects and activities
described in paragraph (2).
``(2) Eligible uses.--Amounts allocated under paragraph (1) may be
obligated only--
``(A) for transportation-related exhibitions, exhibits, and
educational outreach programs;
``(B) to enhance the care and protection of the Nation's
collection of transportation-related artifacts;
``(C) to acquire historically significant transportation-related
artifacts; and
``(D) to support research programs within the Smithsonian
Institution that document the history and evolution of
transportation, in cooperation with other museums in the United
States.
``(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit
Account) $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1998 through 2003 to carry
out this subsection.
``(4) Applicability of title 23.--Funds authorized by this
subsection shall be available for obligation in the same manner as if
such funds were apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United States
Code; except that the Federal share of the cost of any project or
activity under this subsection shall be 100 percent and such funds shall
remain available until expended.''
National Health Museum
Pub. L. 105-78, title VII, Nov. 13, 1997, 111 Stat. 1524, known as
the National Health Museum Development Act, which provided that the
National Health Museum would be located on or near the Mall, established
the National Health Museum Commission and its duties, including
submission of a report to the President and Congress, provided that all
Commission activities would be administered in accordance with the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, provided for compensation of Commission
members who were not officers or employees of the U.S., appropriated
funds, and specified the Commission would terminate 60 days after
submission of the report, was repealed, except for section 702, by Pub.
L. 107-303, title III, Sec. 303, Nov. 27, 2002, 116 Stat. 2361. Section
702 of Pub. L. 105-78 amended section 1067 of Pub. L. 103-337, set out
as a note under section 176 of Title 10, Armed Forces.
West Court of National Museum of Natural History Building
Pub. L. 103-151, Nov. 24, 1993, 107 Stat. 1515, provided that:
``SECTION 1. PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION OF WEST COURT OF
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY BUILDING.
``The Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution is authorized
to plan, design, and construct the West Court of the National Museum of
Natural History building.
``SEC. 2. FUNDING.
``No appropriated funds may be used to pay any expense of the
planning, design, and construction authorized by section 1.''
East Court of National Museum of Natural History Building
Pub. L. 101-455, Oct. 24, 1990, 104 Stat. 1067, as amended by Pub.
L. 103-98, Sec. 1(a), Oct. 6, 1993, 107 Stat. 1015, provided that:
``SECTION 1. ADDITIONAL SPACE IN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.
``The Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution is authorized
to plan, design, construct, and equip approximately 80,000 square feet
of space in the East Court of the National Museum of Natural History
building.
``SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There is authorized to be appropriated to the Smithsonian
Institution for fiscal year 1991 and succeeding fiscal years not to
exceed $30,000,000 to carry out this Act.''
[Section 1(b) of Pub. L. 103-98 provided that: ``The amendment made
by subsection (a) [amending section 2 of Pub. L. 101-455, set out above]
shall take effect as of October 24, 1990.'']
Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. Laboratory for Environmental Research
Pub. L. 99-617, Sec. 1, Nov. 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 3488, provided that:
``(a) Construction Authorization.--The Board of Regents of the
Smithsonian Institution is authorized to construct the Charles McC.
Mathias, Jr. Laboratory for Environmental Research.
``(b) Location.--The Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. Laboratory for
Environmental Research shall be located at the Smithsonian Environmental
Research Center, a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution, located at
Edgewater, Maryland.
``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--Effective October 1, 1986,
there is authorized to be appropriated to the Board of Regents of the
Smithsonian Institution $1,000,000 to carry out the purposes of this
section.
``(d) Transfer of Funds.--Any portion of the sums appropriated to
carry out the purposes of this section may be transferred to the General
Services Administration which, in consultation with the Smithsonian
Institution, is authorized to enter into contracts and take such other
action, to the extent of the sums so transferred to it, as may be
necessary to carry out such purposes.''
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute; Authorization of Construction and Appropriations
Pub. L. 99-423, Sept. 30, 1986, 100 Stat. 963, provided: ``That the
Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution is authorized to plan
and construct facilities for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
``Sec. 2. Effective October 1, 1986, there is authorized to be
appropriated to the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution:
``(a) $4,500,000 for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory;
and
``(b) $11,100,000 for the Smithsonian Tropical Research
Institute.
``Sec. 3. Any portion of the sums appropriated to carry out the
purposes of this Act may be transferred to the General Services
Administration which, in consultation with the Smithsonian Institution,
is authorized to enter into contracts and take such other action, to the
extent of the sums so transferred to it, as may be necessary to carry
out such purposes.''
Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory; Purchase of Land
Pub. L. 98-73, Aug. 11, 1983, 97 Stat. 406, provided: ``That the
Smithsonian Institution is authorized to purchase land in Santa Cruz
County, Arizona, for the permanent headquarters of the Fred Lawrence
Whipple Observatory.
``Sec. 2. Effective October 1, 1984, there is authorized to be
appropriated $150,000 to carry out the purposes of this Act.''
Construction of National Museum of African Art, Center for Eastern Art,
and Structures for Related Educational Facilities
Pub. L. 97-203, June 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 129, provided: ``That the
Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution is authorized to
construct a building for the National Museum of African Art and a center
for Eastern art together with structures for related educational
activities in the area south of the original Smithsonian Institution
Building adjacent to Independence Avenue at Tenth Street Southwest, in
the city of Washington.
``Sec. 2. Effective October 1, 1982, there is authorized to be
appropriated to the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
$36,500,000 to carry out the purposes of this Act [this note]. Except
for funds obligated or expended for planning, administration, and
management expenses, and architectural or other consulting services, no
funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall be obligated or
expended until such time as there is available to such Board, from
private donations or from other non-Federal sources, a sum which, when
combined with the funds so appropriated, is sufficient to carry out the
purposes of this Act.
``Sec. 3. Any portion of the sums appropriated to carry out the
purposes of this Act [this note] may be transferred to the General
Services Administration which, in consultation with the Smithsonian
Institution, is authorized to enter into contracts and take such other
action, to the extent of the sums so transferred to it, as may be
necessary to carry out such purposes.''
Smithsonian Institution; Development of Property Adjacent to Original
Building
Pub. L. 96-36, July 20, 1979, 93 Stat. 94, provided: ``That the
Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution is authorized to plan
for the development of the area south of the original Smithsonian
Institution Building adjacent to Independence Avenue at Tenth Street,
Southwest, in the city of Washington.
``Sec. 2. Effective October 1, 1979, there is authorized to be
appropriated to the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
$500,000 to carry out the purposes of this Act.
``Sec. 3. Any portion of the sums appropriated to carry out the
purposes of this Act may be transferred to the General Services
Administration which, in consultation with the Smithsonian Institution,
is authorized to enter into contracts and take such other action, to the
extent of the sums so transferred to it, as may be necessary to carry
out such purposes.''
Smithsonian Institution Plans for and Construction of Museum Support
Facilities; Approval of Plans and Specifications; Situs; Transfer of
Land; Appropriations; Contracts by General Services Administration
Pub. L. 94-98, Sept. 19, 1975, 89 Stat. 480, as amended by Pub. L.
95-569, Nov. 2, 1978, 92 Stat. 2444, provided: ``The Regents of the
Smithsonian Institution are authorized to prepare plans for, and to
construct, museum support facilities to be used for (1) the care,
curation, conservation, deposit, preparation, and study of the national
collections of scientific, historic, and artistic objects, specimens,
and artifacts; (2) the related documentation of such collections of the
Smithsonian Institution; and (3) the training of museum conservators. No
appropriation shall be made to construct the facilities authorized by
this Act until the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration
of the Senate, by resolution approve the final plans and specifications
of such facilities.
``Sec. 2. The museum support facilities referred to in section 1
shall be located on federally owned land within the metropolitan area of
Washington, District of Columbia. Any Federal agency is authorized to
transfer land under its jurisdiction to the Smithsonian Institution for
such purposes without reimbursement.
``Sec. 3. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Smithsonian
Institution $21,500,000 to carry out the purposes of this Act. Any
portion of the sums appropriated for such purposes may be transferred to
the General Services Administration which, in consultation with the
Smithsonian Institution, is authorized to enter into contracts and take
such other action, to the extent of the sums so transferred to it, as
may be necessary to carry out such purposes.''
[Amendment of section 3 of this Act effective Oct. 1, 1979.]
National Museum
The National Museum was not created by any express statutory
provision for that purpose. It was first mentioned in an appropriation
for postage for ``the National Museum in the Smithsonian Institution,''
contained in act June 20, 1874, ch. 328, Sec. 1, 18 Stat. 103. An
appropriation for a building for the use of the National Museum was made
by act Mar. 3, 1879, ch. 182, Sec. 1, 20 Stat. 397, and annual
appropriations have continuously been made for expenses of heating,
etc., such building.
National Museum Exhibit
Res. Feb. 28, 1922, ch. 86, 42 Stat. 399, authorized Secretary of
State to transfer to custody of Secretary of Institution for safekeeping
and exhibition in National Museum the sword of George Washington and the
staff of Benjamin Franklin, presented by Samuel T. Washington, and the
sword of Andrew Jackson, presented by family of General Robert
Armstrong.
Transportation of Property
Quartermaster-General and his officers were required to receive and
transport property for National Museum by a provision of act July 5,
1884, ch. 217, 23 Stat. 107.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in sections 57, 67 of this title.
