the General Schedule, and fix their compensation ac-
cordingly. 
(c) PROPERTY.—In the performance of its functions, 
the Administration is authorized— 
(1) to acquire (by purchase, lease, condemna-
tion, or otherwise), construct, improve, repair, oper-
ate, and maintain laboratories, research and testing 
sites and facilities, aeronautical and space vehicles, 
quarters and related accommodations for employees 
and dependents of employees of the Administration, 
and such other real and personal property (including 
patents), or any interest therein, as the Administra-
tion deems necessary within and outside the conti-
nental United States; 
(2) to acquire by lease or otherwise, through 
the Administrator of General Services, buildings or 
parts of buildings in the District of Columbia for the 
use of the Administration for a period not to exceed 
10 years without regard to section 8141 of title 40; 
(3) to lease to others such real and personal 
property; 
(4) to sell and otherwise dispose of real and 
personal property (including patents and rights 
thereunder) in accordance with the provisions of 
chapters 1 to 11 of title 40 and in accordance with
title III of the Federal Property and Administrative 
Services Act of 1949 (41 U.S.C. 251 et seq.); and 
(5) to provide by contract or otherwise for cafe-
terias and other necessary facilities for the welfare 
of employees of the Administration at its installa-
tions and purchase and maintain equipment there-
for. 
(d) GIFTS.—In the performance of its functions, the 
Administration is authorized to accept unconditional gifts 
or donations of services, money, or property, real, per-
sonal, or mixed, tangible or intangible. 
(e) CONTRACTS, LEASES, AND AGREEMENTS.—In 
the performance of its functions, the Administration is au-
thorized, without regard to subsections (a) and (b) of sec-
tion 3324 of title 31, to enter into and perform such con-
tracts, leases, cooperative agreements, or other trans-
actions as may be necessary in the conduct of its work 
and on such terms as it may deem appropriate, with any 
agency or instrumentality of the United States, or with 
any State, Territory, or possession, or with any political 
subdivision thereof, or with any person, firm, association, 
corporation, or educational institution. To the maximum 
extent practicable and consistent with the accomplishment 
of the purpose of this chapter, such contracts, leases, 
agreements, and other transactions shall be allocated by
the Administrator in a manner which will enable small- 
business concerns to participate equitably and proportion-
ately in the conduct of the work of the Administration. 
(f) COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES AND 
OTHERS.—In the performance of its functions, the Ad-
ministration is authorized to use, with their consent, the 
services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of Federal 
and other agencies with or without reimbursement, and 
on a similar basis to cooperate with other public and pri-
vate agencies and instrumentalities in the use of services, 
equipment, and facilities. Each department and agency of 
the Federal Government shall cooperate fully with the Ad-
ministration in making its services, equipment, personnel, 
and facilities available to the Administration, and any 
such department or agency is authorized, notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, to transfer to or to receive from 
the Administration, without reimbursement, aeronautical 
and space vehicles, and supplies and equipment other than 
administrative supplies or equipment. 
(g) ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—In the performance of 
its functions, the Administration is authorized to appoint 
such advisory committees as may be appropriate for pur-
poses of consultation and advice to the Administration. 
(h) OFFICES AND PROCEDURES.—In the perform-
ance of its functions, the Administration is authorized to
establish within the Administration such offices and proce-
dures as may be appropriate to provide for the greatest 
possible coordination of its activities under this chapter 
with related scientific and other activities being carried on 
by other public and private agencies and organizations. 
(i) TEMPORARY OR INTERMITTENT SERVICES OF EX-
PERTS
OR CONSULTANTS.—In the performance of its 
functions, the Administration is authorized to obtain serv-
ices as provided by section 3109 of title 5, but at rates 
for individuals not to exceed the per diem rate equivalent 
to the maximum rate payable under section 5376 of title 
5. 
(j) ALIENS.—In the performance of its functions, the 
Administration is authorized, when determined by the Ad-
ministrator to be necessary, and subject to such security 
investigations as the Administrator may determine to be 
appropriate, to employ aliens without regard to statutory 
provisions prohibiting payment of compensation to aliens. 
(k) CONCESSIONS FOR VISITORS’ FACILITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the performance of its 
functions, the Administration is authorized to pro-
vide by concession, without regard to section 1302 
of title 40, on such terms as the Administrator may 
deem to be appropriate and necessary to protect the 
concessioner against loss of the concessioner’s in-
vestment in property (but not anticipated profits) re-
sulting from the Administration’s discretionary acts 
and decisions, for the construction, maintenance, 
and operation of all manner of facilities and equip-
ment for visitors to the several installations of the 
Administration and, in connection therewith, to pro-
vide services incident to the dissemination of infor-
mation concerning its activities to such visitors, 
without charge or with a reasonable charge therefor 
(with this authority being in addition to any other 
authority that the Administration may have to pro-
vide facilities, equipment, and services for visitors to 
its installations). 
(2) PUBLIC NOTICE AND DUE CONSIDERATION 
OF PROPOSALS.—A concession agreement under this 
subsection may be negotiated with any qualified pro-
poser following due consideration of all proposals re-
ceived after reasonable public notice of the intention 
to contract. 
(3) REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR PROFIT.— 
The concessioner shall be afforded a reasonable op-
portunity to make a profit commensurate with the 
capital invested and the obligations assumed. The 
consideration paid by the concessioner for the con-
cession shall be based on the probable value of the
opportunity and not on maximizing revenue to the 
United States. 
(4) RECORDS AND ACCESS TO RECORDS.—Each 
concession agreement shall specify the manner in 
which the concessioner’s records are to be main-
tained, and shall provide for access to the records by 
the Administration and the Comptroller General of 
the United States for a period of 5 years after the 
close of the business year to which the records re-
late. 
(5) POSSESSORY
INTERESTS.—A concessioner 
may be accorded a possessory interest, consisting of 
all incidents of ownership except legal title (which 
shall vest in the United States), in any structure, 
fixture, or improvement the concessioner constructs 
or locates upon land owned by the United States. 
With the approval of the Administration, such 
possessory interest may be assigned, transferred, en-
cumbered, or relinquished by the concessioner, and, 
unless otherwise provided by contract, shall not be 
extinguished by the expiration or other termination 
of the concession and may not be taken for public 
use without just compensation. 
(l) DETAILING MEMBERS OF ARMED SERVICES.—In 
the performance of its functions, the Administration is au-
thorized, with the approval of the President, to enter into 
cooperative agreements under which members of the 
Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps may be detailed 
by the appropriate Secretary for services in the perform-
ance of functions under this chapter to the same extent 
as that to which they might be lawfully assigned in the 
Department of Defense. 
(m) CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.—In the 
performance of its functions, the Administration is author-
ized— 
(1) to consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, 
settle, and pay, on behalf of the United States, in 
full satisfaction thereof, any claim for $25,000 or 
less against the United States for bodily injury, 
death, or damage to or loss of real or personal prop-
erty resulting from the conduct of the Administra-
tion’s functions as specified in section 312(a) of this 
title, where such claim is presented to the Adminis-
tration in writing within 2 years after the accident 
or incident out of which the claim arises; and 
(2) if the Administration considers that a claim 
in excess of $25,000 is meritorious and would other-
wise be covered by this subsection, to report the 
facts and circumstances to Congress for its consider-
ation.
§ 314. International cooperation 
The Administration, under the foreign policy guid-
ance of the President, may engage in a program of inter-
national cooperation in work done pursuant to this chap-
ter, and in the peaceful application of the results thereof, 
pursuant to agreements made by the President with the 
advice and consent of the Senate. 
§ 315. Reports to Congress 
(a) PRESIDENTIAL REPORT.—The President shall 
transmit to Congress in May of each year a report, which 
shall include— 
(1) a comprehensive description of the pro-
grammed activities and the accomplishments of all 
agencies of the United States in the field of aero-
nautics and space activities during the preceding fis-
cal year; and 
(2) an evaluation of such activities and accom-
plishments in terms of the attainment of, or the fail-
ure to attain, the objectives described in section 
302(d) of this title. 
(b) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL LEGISLA-
TION.—Any report made under this section shall contain 
such recommendations for additional legislation as the Ad-
ministrator or the President may consider necessary or de-
sirable for the attainment of the objectives described in 
section 302(d) of this title.
(c) CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.—No information that 
has been classified for reasons of national security shall 
be included in any report made under this section, unless 
the information has been declassified by, or pursuant to 
authorization given by, the President. 
§ 316. Disposal of excess land 
Notwithstanding the provisions of this or any other 
law, the Administration may not report to a disposal agen-
cy as excess to the needs of the Administration any land 
having an estimated value in excess of $50,000 that is 
owned by the United States and under the jurisdiction and 
control of the Administration, unless— 
(1) a period of 30 days has passed after the re-
ceipt by the Speaker and the Committee on Science 
of the House of Representatives and the President 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate of a report by the Ad-
ministrator or the Administrator’s designee con-
taining a full and complete statement of the action 
proposed to be taken and the facts and cir-
cumstances relied upon in support of such action; or 
(2) each such committee before the expiration 
of that period has transmitted to the Administrator 
written notice to the effect that the committee has 
no objection to the proposed action.
SUBCHAPTER III—GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE 
PROVISIONS 
§ 331. Public access to information 
(a) PUBLIC INSPECTION.—Information obtained or 
developed by the Administrator in the performance of the 
Administrator’s functions under this chapter shall be 
made available for public inspection, except information— 
(1) authorized or required by Federal statute to 
be withheld; 
(2) classified to protect the national security; or 
(3) described in subsection (b). 
(b) SPECIAL HANDLING OF SECRET OR CONFIDEN-
TIAL INFORMATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator, for a pe-
riod of up to 5 years after the development of infor-
mation described in paragraph (2), may provide ap-
propriate protections against the dissemination of 
such information, including exemption from sub-
chapter II of chapter 5 of title 5. 
(2) INFORMATION
DESCRIBED.—Information 
referred to in paragraph (1) is information that re-
sults from activities conducted under an agreement 
entered into under subsections (e) and (f) of section 
313 of this title, and that would be a trade secret 
or commercial or financial information that is privi-
leged or confidential under the meaning of section 
552(b)(4) of title 5 if the information had been ob-
tained from a non-Federal party participating in 
such an agreement. 
(c) COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.—Nothing in this 
chapter authorizes the withholding of information by the 
Administrator from the duly authorized committees of 
Congress. 
§ 332. Security requirements 
The Administrator shall establish such security re-
quirements, restrictions, and safeguards as the Adminis-
trator deems necessary in the interest of the national secu-
rity. The Administrator may arrange with the Director of 
the Office of Personnel Management for the conduct of 
such security or other personnel investigations of the Ad-
ministration’s officers, employees, and consultants, and its 
contractors and subcontractors and their officers and em-
ployees, actual or prospective, as the Administrator deems 
appropriate. If any such investigation develops any data 
reflecting that the individual who is the subject of the in-
vestigation is of questionable loyalty, the matter shall be 
referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the 
conduct of a full field investigation, the results of which 
shall be furnished to the Administrator.
§ 333. Permission to carry firearms 
As the Administrator deems necessary in the public 
interest, the Administrator may— 
(1) direct officers and employees of the Admin-
istration to carry firearms while in the conduct of 
their official duties; and 
(2) authorize employees of contractors and sub-
contractors of the Administration who are engaged 
in the protection of property owned by the United 
States, and located at facilities owned by or con-
tracted to the United States, to carry firearms while 
in the conduct of their official duties. 
§ 334. Arrest authority 
Under regulations prescribed by the Administrator 
and approved by the Attorney General, employees of the 
Administration and of its contractors and subcontractors 
authorized to carry firearms under section 333 of this title 
may arrest without warrant for any offense against the 
United States committed in their presence, or for any fel-
ony cognizable under the laws of the United States if they 
have reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be 
arrested has committed or is committing such felony. Per-
sons granted authority to make arrests by this section may 
exercise that authority only while guarding and protecting 
property owned or leased by, or under the control of, the 
United States under the administration and control of the