(B) CONTROLLING
REGULATION.—Policies and methods pre-
scribed by the Administrator of General Services under this para-
graph are subject to regulations prescribed by the Administrator for
Federal Procurement Policy under the Office of Federal Procure-
ment Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 401 et seq.).
(c) REPRESENTATION.—For transportation and other public utility services
used by executive agencies, the Administrator of General Services shall rep-
resent the agencies—
(1) in negotiations with carriers and other public utilities; and
(2) in proceedings involving carriers or other public utilities before
federal and state regulatory bodies.
(d) FACILITIES.—The Administrator of General Services shall operate, for
executive agencies, warehouses, supply centers, repair shops, fuel yards, and
other similar facilities. After consultation with the executive agencies affected,
the Administrator of General Services shall consolidate, take over, or arrange
for executive agencies to operate the facilities.
§ 502. Services for other entities
(a) FEDERAL AGENCIES, MIXED-OWNERSHIP GOVERNMENT CORPORATIONS,
AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.—On request, the Administrator of General
Services shall provide, to the extent practicable, any of the services specified
in section 501 of this title to—
(1) a federal agency;
(2) a mixed-ownership Government corporation (as defined in section
9101 of title 31); or
(3) the District of Columbia.
(b) QUALIFIED NONPROFIT AGENCIES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—On request, the Administrator may provide, to the
extent practicable, any of the services specified in section 501 of this title
to an agency that is—
(A)(i) a qualified nonprofit agency for the blind (as defined in
section 5(3) of the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 48b(3))); or
(ii) a qualified nonprofit agency for other severely handicapped
(as defined in section 5(4) of the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (41
U.S.C. 48b(4))); and
(B) providing a commodity or service to the Federal Government
under the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 46 et seq.).
(2) USE OF SERVICES.—A nonprofit agency receiving services under
this subsection shall use the services directly in making or providing to
the Government a commodity or service that has been determined by the
Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Dis-
abled under section 2 of the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act (41 U.S.C. 47) to
be suitable for procurement by the Government.
§ 503. Exchange or sale of similar items
(a) AUTHORITY OF EXECUTIVE AGENCIES.—In acquiring personal prop-
erty, an executive agency may exchange or sell similar items and may apply
the exchange allowance or proceeds of sale in whole or in part payment for
the property acquired.
(b) APPLICABLE REGULATION AND LAW.—
(1) REGULATIONS PRESCRIBED BY ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERV-
ICES.—A transaction under subsection (a) must be carried out in accord-
ance with regulations the Administrator of General Services prescribes,
subject to regulations prescribed by the Administrator for Federal Pro-
curement Policy under the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41
U.S.C. 401 et seq.).
(2) IN WRITING.—A transaction under subsection (a) must be evi-
denced in writing.
(3) SECTION 3709 OF REVISED STATUTES.—Section 3709 of the Revised
Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5) applies to a sale of property under subsection (a),
except that fixed price sales may be conducted in the same manner and
subject to the same conditions as are applicable to the sale of property
under section 545(d) of this title.
§ 504. Agency cooperation for inspection
(a) RECEIVING ASSISTANCE.—An executive agency may use the services,
work, materials, and equipment of another executive agency, with the consent
of the other executive agency, to inspect personal property incident to pro-
curing the property.
(b) PROVIDING ASSISTANCE.—Notwithstanding section 1301(a) of title 31
or any other law, an executive agency may provide services, work, materials,
and equipment for purposes of this section without reimbursement or transfer
of amounts.
(c) POLICIES AND METHODS.—The use or provision of services, work, mate-
rials, and equipment under this section must be in conformity with policies
and methods the Administrator of General Services prescribes under section
501 of this title.
§ 505. Exchange or transfer of medical supplies
(a) EXCESS PROPERTY DETERMINATION.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Medical materials or supplies an executive agency
holds for national emergency purposes are considered excess property for
purposes of subchapter II when the head of the agency determines that—
(A) the remaining storage or shelf life is too short to justify con-
tinued retention for national emergency purposes; and
(B) transfer or other disposal is in the national interest.
(2) TIMING.—To the greatest extent practicable, the head of the agency
shall make the determination in sufficient time to allow for the transfer
or other disposal and use of medical materials or supplies before their
shelf life expires and they are rendered unfit for human use.
(b) TRANSFER OR EXCHANGE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with regulations the Administrator
of General Services prescribes, medical materials or supplies considered
excess property may be transferred to another federal agency or ex-
changed with another federal agency for other medical materials or sup-
plies.
(2) USE OF PROCEEDS.—Any proceeds derived from a transfer under
this section may be credited to the current applicable appropriation or
fund of the transferor agency and shall be available only to purchase
medical materials or supplies to be held for national emergency purposes.
(3) DISPOSAL AS SURPLUS PROPERTY.—If the materials or supplies
are not transferred to or exchanged with another federal agency, they
shall be disposed of as surplus property.
§ 506. Inventory controls and systems
(a) ACTIVITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR OF GENERAL SERVICES.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), and after adequate ad-
vance notice to affected executive agencies, the Administrator of General
Services may undertake the following activities as necessary to carry out
functions under this chapter:
(A) SURVEYS AND REPORTS.—Survey and obtain executive agen-
cy reports on Federal Government property and property manage-
ment practices.
(B) INVENTORY LEVELS.—Cooperate with executive agencies to es-
tablish reasonable inventory levels for property stocked by them, and
report any excessive inventory levels to Congress and to the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget.
(C) FEDERAL SUPPLY CATALOG SYSTEM.—Establish and main-
tain a uniform federal supply catalog system that is appropriate to
identify and classify personal property under the control of federal
agencies.
(D) STANDARD
PURCHASE
SPECIFICATIONS
AND
STANDARD
FORMS AND PROCEDURES.—Prescribe standard purchase specifica-
tions and standard forms and procedures (except forms and proce-
dures that the Comptroller General prescribes by law) subject to reg-
ulations the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy pre-
scribes under the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41
U.S.C. 401 et seq.).
(2) SPECIAL
CONSIDERATIONS
REGARDING
DEPARTMENT
OF
DE-
FENSE.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of General Services shall
carry out activities under paragraph (1) with due regard to the re-
quirements of the Department of Defense, as determined by the Sec-
retary of Defense.
(B) FEDERAL SUPPLY CATALOG SYSTEM.—In establishing and
maintaining a uniform federal supply catalog system under para-
graph (1)(C), the Administrator of General Services and the Sec-
retary shall coordinate to avoid unnecessary duplication.
(b) ACTIVITIES OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Each federal agency shall use the
uniformed federal supply catalog system, the standard purchase specifications,
and the standard forms and procedures established under subsection (a), ex-
cept as the Administrator of General Services, considering efficiency, econ-
omy, or other interests of the Government, may otherwise provide.
(c) AUDIT OF PROPERTY ACCOUNTS.—The Comptroller General shall audit
all types of property accounts and transactions. Audits shall be conducted at
the time and in the manner the Comptroller General decides and as far as
practicable at the place where the property or records of the executive agencies
are kept. Audits shall include an evaluation of the effectiveness of internal
controls and audits, and a general audit of the discharge of accountability
for Government-owned or controlled property, based on generally accepted
principles of auditing.
SUBCHAPTER II—USE OF PROPERTY
§ 521. Policies and methods
Subject to section 523 of this title, in order to minimize expenditures for
property, the Administrator of General Services shall—
(1) prescribe policies and methods to promote the maximum use of ex-
cess property by executive agencies; and
(2) provide for the transfer of excess property—
(A) among federal agencies; and
(B) to the organizations specified in section 321(c)(2) of this title.
§ 522. Reimbursement for transfer of excess property
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the Ad-
ministrator of General Services, with the approval of the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget, shall prescribe the amount of reimbursement re-
quired for a transfer of excess property.