I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4010
To provide that certain Federal property be made available to States for
State use before being made available to other entities, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 5, 1998
Mr. REDMOND introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Government Reform and Oversight, and in addition to the
Committees on National Security, International Relations, Small Busi-
ness, and Science, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide that certain Federal property be made available
to States for State use before being made available to
other entities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Surplus Prop-
erty Improvement Act of 1998’’.
SEC. 2. PRIORITY FOR STATES REGARDING THE TRANSFER
OF NONLETHAL EXCESS SUPPLIES OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
Section 2547 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended—
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘The Sec-
retary of Defense’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to sub-
section (d), the Secretary of Defense’’;
(2) by redesignating subsection (d) as sub-
section (e); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (c), the follow-
ing:
‘‘(d) Nonlethal excess supplies of the Department of
Defense shall be made available to a State, a local govern-
ment of a State, or a possession, upon the request of the
State, local government, or possession pursuant to author-
ity provided in another provision of law, before such sup-
plies are made available for humanitarian relief purposes
under this section. The President may make such supplies
available for humanitarian purposes before such supplies
are made available to a State, local government, or posses-
sion under this subsection in order to respond to an emer-
gency precipitated by a natural disaster.’’.
SEC. 3. TRANSFERS OF PROPERTY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Section 607 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961
(22 U.S.C. 2357(d)) is amended—
(1) in subsection (d)—
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2),
and (3) as subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), re-
spectively;
(B) by striking ‘‘(d) The’’ and inserting
‘‘(d)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (3),
the’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(2) No property may be transferred under
paragraph (1) unless the Administrator of General
Services determines that there is no Federal or State
use requirements for the property under any other
provision of law.’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(e) Nothing in this section shall prohibit the transfer
of confiscated property to foreign countries.’’.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS ACT.
Section 7(j)(13)(F) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 636(j)(13)(F)) is amended—
(1) by striking the third sentence; and
(2) by adding at the end the following: ‘‘This
subparagraph shall be carried out with the oversight
of the Administrator of General Services in consulta-
tion with State agencies responsible for the distribu-
tion of surplus property.’’.
SEC. 5. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SCIENCE EDUCATION EN-
HANCEMENT ACT AMENDMENT.
Section 3166(b) of the Department of Energy
Science 
Education 
Enhancement 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C.
7381c(b)) is amended—
(1) by striking paragraph (2); and
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through
(6) as paragraphs (2) through (5), respectively.
SEC. 6. REPORT ON DISPOSAL AND DONATION OF SURPLUS
PERSONAL PROPERTY.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Administrator of General Services
shall review all statutes relating to the disposal and dona-
tion of surplus personal property and submit to Congress
a report on such statutes including—
(1) the effectiveness of programs administered
under such statutes (except for any program that
grants access to personal property by local commu-
nities impacted by the closure of a military base),
and the amount and type of property administered
under each such program during fiscal years 1997
and 1998; and
(2) legislative recommendations to integrate
and consolidate all such programs to be adminis-
tered by a single Federal authority working with
State agencies while accomplishing the purposes of
such programs.
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