Chapter 1021—Privileges and Leases 
Sec. 
102101.
General provisions. 
102102.
Authority of Secretary to enter into lease for buildings and associated property. 
§ 102101. General provisions 
(a) LIMITATION.— 
(1) NO LEASE OR GRANT OF A PRIVILEGE THAT INTERFERES WITH 
FREE ACCESS.—No natural curiosity, wonder, or object of interest shall 
be leased or granted to anyone on such terms as to interfere with free 
access by the public to any System unit. 
(2) EXCEPTION FOR GRAZING LIVESTOCK.—The Secretary, under 
such regulations and on such terms as the Secretary may prescribe, 
may grant the privilege to graze livestock within a System unit when, 
in the Secretary’s judgment, the use is not detrimental to the primary 
purpose for which the System unit was created. This paragraph does 
not apply to Yellowstone National Park. 
(b) ADVERTISING AND COMPETITIVE BIDS NOT REQUIRED.—The Sec-
retary may grant privileges and enter into leases described in subsection (a), 
and enter into related contracts with responsible persons, firms, or corpora-
tions, without advertising and without securing competitive bids. 
(c) ASSIGNMENT OR TRANSFER.— No contract, lease, or privilege de-
scribed in subsection (a) or (b) that is entered into or granted shall be as-
signed or transferred by the grantee, lessee, or licensee without the prior 
written approval of the Secretary. 
§ 102102. Authority of Secretary to enter into lease for 
buildings and associated property 
(a) IN GENERAL.—To facilitate the administration of the System, the 
Secretary, under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may consider 
advisable, and except as provided in subsection (b) and subject to subsection 
(c), may enter into a lease with any person or government entity for the 
use of buildings and associated property administered by the Secretary as 
part of the System. 
(b) PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES.—The Secretary may not use a lease under 
subsection (a) to authorize the lessee to engage in activities that are subject 
to authorization by the Secretary through a concession contract, commercial 
use authorization, or similar instrument. 
(c) USE.—Buildings and associated property leased under subsection 
(a)— 
(1) shall be used for an activity that is consistent with the purposes 
established by law for the System unit in which the building is located; 
(2) shall not result in degradation of the purposes and values of the 
System unit; and 
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(3) shall be compatible with Service programs. 
(d) RENTAL AMOUNTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to a lease under subsection (a)— 
(A) payment of fair market value rental shall be required; and 
(B) section 1302 of title 40 shall not apply. 
(2) ADJUSTMENT.—The Secretary may adjust the rental amount as 
appropriate to take into account any amounts to be expended by the 
lessee for preservation, maintenance, restoration, improvement, or re-
pair and related expenses. 
(e) SPECIAL ACCOUNT.— 
(1) DEPOSITS.—Rental payments under a lease under subsection (a) 
shall be deposited in a special account in the Treasury. 
(2) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts in the special account shall be avail-
able until expended, without further appropriation, for infrastructure 
needs at System units, including— 
(A) facility refurbishment; 
(B) repair and replacement; 
(C) infrastructure projects associated with System unit resource 
protection; and 
(D) direct maintenance of the leased buildings and associated 
property. 
(3) ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESULTS.—The Secretary shall develop 
procedures for the use of the special account that ensure accountability 
and demonstrated results consistent with this section and sections 
100101(b), 100502, 100507, 100751(b), 100754, 100901(b) and (c), 
100906(a) and (d), 101302(b)(1) and (c) to (e), 101306, 101702(b) 
and (c), 101901, 102701, and 102702 of this title. 
(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe regulations imple-
menting this section that include provisions to encourage and facilitate com-
petition in the leasing process and provide for timely and adequate public 
comment. 
Chapter 1023—Programs and 
Organizations 
Sec. 
102301.
Volunteers in parks program. 
102302.
National Capital region arts and cultural affairs. 
102303.
National Park System Advisory Board. 
102304.
National Park Service Advisory Council. 
§ 102301. Volunteers in parks program 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary may recruit, train, and accept, 
without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5 
or regulations prescribed under that chapter or subchapter, the services of 
individuals without compensation as volunteers for or in aid of interpretive 
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functions or other visitor services or activities in and related to System units 
and related areas. In accepting those services, the Secretary shall not permit 
the use of volunteers in hazardous duty or law enforcement work or in pol-
icymaking processes, or to displace any employee. The services of individuals 
whom the Secretary determines are skilled in performing hazardous activi-
ties may be accepted. 
(b) INCIDENTAL EXPENSES.—The Secretary may provide for incidental 
expenses of volunteers, such as transportation, uniforms, lodging, and sub-
sistence. 
(c) FEDERAL EMPLOYEE STATUS FOR VOLUNTEERS.— 
(1) EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF VOLUNTEERS.—Except as otherwise 
provided in this section, a volunteer shall not be deemed a Federal em-
ployee and shall not be subject to the provisions of law relating to Fed-
eral employment, including those relating to hours of work, rates of 
compensation, leave, unemployment compensation, and Federal em-
ployee benefits. 
(2) TORT
CLAIMS.—For the purpose of sections 1346(b) and 
2401(b) and chapter 171 of title 28, a volunteer under this chapter 
shall be deemed a Federal employee. 
(3) VOLUNTEERS DEEMED CIVIL EMPLOYEES.—For the purposes of 
subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, volunteers under this chapter 
shall be deemed civil employees of the United States within the mean-
ing of the term ‘‘employee’’ as defined in section 8101 of title 5, and 
subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5 shall apply. 
(4) COMPENSATION FOR LOSSES AND DAMAGES.—For the purpose of 
claims relating to damage to, or loss of, personal property of a volun-
teer incident to volunteer service, a volunteer under this chapter shall 
be deemed a Federal employee, and section 3721 of title 31 shall apply. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to carry out this section not more than $3,500,000 for each fis-
cal year. 
§ 102302. National Capital region arts and cultural affairs 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is under the direction of the Service a pro-
gram to support and enhance artistic and cultural activities in the National 
Capital region. 
(b) GRANT ELIGIBILITY.— 
(1) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.—Eligibility for grants shall be lim-
ited to organizations— 
(A) that are of demonstrated national significance; and 
(B) that meet at least 2 of the criteria stated in paragraph (2). 
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(2) CRITERIA.—The criteria referred to in paragraph (1) are the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The organization has an annual operating budget in excess 
of $1,000,000. 
(B) The organization has an annual audience or visitation of at 
least 200,000 people. 
(C) The organization has a paid staff of at least 100 individ-
uals. 
(D) The organization is eligible under section 320102(f) of this 
title. 
(3) ORGANIZATIONS NOT ELIGIBLE.—Public or private colleges and 
universities are not eligible for grants under the program under this 
section. 
(c) USE OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded under this section may be used 
to support general operations and maintenance, security, or special projects. 
No organization may receive a grant in excess of $500,000 in a single year. 
(d) RESPONSBILITIES OF DIRECTOR.—The Director shall— 
(1) establish an application process; 
(2) appoint a review panel of 5 qualified individuals, at least a ma-
jority of whom reside in the National Capital region; and 
(3) develop other program guidelines and definitions as required. 
(e) FORD’S THEATER AND WOLF TRAP NATIONAL PARK FOR THE PER-
FORMING ARTS.—The contractual amounts required for the support of 
Ford’s Theater and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts shall 
be available within the amount provided in this section without regard to 
any other provision of this section. 
§ 102303. National Park System Advisory Board 
(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘Board’’ means the National 
Park System Advisory Board established under subsection (b). 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.—There is established a National 
Park System Advisory Board, whose purpose is to advise the Director on 
matters relating to the Service, the System, and programs administered by 
the Service. The Board shall advise the Director on matters submitted to 
the Board by the Director as well as any other issues identified by the 
Board. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE.—Members of the Board 
shall be appointed on a staggered term basis by the Secretary for a 
term not to exceed 4 years and shall serve at the pleasure of the Sec-
retary. 
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