§2241. Availability of appropriations for certain purposes

(a) Operation and Maintenance Appropriations.-Amounts appropriated to the Department of Defense for operation and maintenance of the active forces may be used for the following purposes:

(1) Morale, welfare, and recreation.

(2) Modification of personal property.

(3) Design of vessels.

(4) Industrial mobilization.

(5) Military communications facilities on merchant vessels.

(6) Acquisition of services, special clothing, supplies, and equipment.

(7) Expenses for the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and other units at educational institutions.

(b) Necessary Expenses.-Amounts appropriated to the Department of Defense may be used for all necessary expenses, at the seat of the Government or elsewhere, in connection with communication and other services and supplies that may be necessary for the national defense.

(Added Pub. L. 100–370, §1(e)(1), July 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 844 .)

Historical and Revision Notes

Subsection (a) of this section and sections 2253(b) and 2661(a) of this title are based on Pub. L. 98–212, title VII, §735, Dec. 8, 1983, 97 Stat. 1444 , as amended by Pub. L. 98–525, title XIV, §§1403(a)(2), 1404, Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2621 .

In two instances, the source section for provisions to be codified provides that defense appropriations may be used for "welfare and recreation" or "welfare and recreational" purposes. (Section 735 of Public Law 98–212 and section 8006(b) of Public Law 99–190, to be codified as 10 U.S.C. 2241(a)(1) and 2490(2), respectively). The committee added the term "morale" in both of these two instances to conform to the usual "MWR" usage for morale, welfare, and recreation activities.

Subsection (b) of this section and sections 2242(1), (4) and 2253(a)(1) of this title are based on Pub. L. 98–212, title VII, §705, Dec. 8, 1983, 97 Stat. 1437 .

Section 705 of Public Law 98–212, to be codified as 10 U.S.C. 2241(b), provides that defense appropriations may be used in connection with certain services and supplies "as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act". The reference to "this Act" means Public Law 98–212, the FY84 Defense Appropriations Act. Language similar to section 705 had been enacted as part of the annual defense appropriation Act for many years. In the FY84 Act, section 705 was enacted as a permanent provision. The quoted phrase above was not, however, revised from the traditional annual wording as the provision had appeared in annual appropriations Acts in order to give it effect beyond the fiscal year concerned. Since the general purpose of a defense appropriations Act is to provide funds for national defense purposes, the committee, in codifying this provision, revised the quoted phrase so as to read "that may be necessary for the national defense". No change in meaning is intended.

Interagency Courier Service

Pub. L. 103–335, title VIII, §8119, Sept. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 2649 , provided that: "During the current fiscal year and hereafter, the Department of State and the Department of Defense are authorized to provide interagency courier service on a non-reimbursable basis."

Restrictions on Procurements From Outside of United States

Pub. L. 102–396, title IX, §9005, Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1900 , as amended by Pub. L. 103–139, title VIII, §8005, Nov. 11, 1993, 107 Stat. 1438 ; Pub. L. 103–355, title IV, §4401(e), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3348 , provided that: "During the current fiscal year and hereafter, no part of any appropriation or any other funds available to the Department of Defense, except for purchases for amounts not greater than the simplified acquisition threshold covered by section 2304(g) of title 10, United States Code, shall be available for the procurement of any article or item of food, clothing, tents, tarpaulins, covers, cotton and other natural fiber products, woven silk or woven silk blends, spun silk yarn for cartridge cloth, synthetic fabric or coated synthetic fabric, canvas products, or wool (whether in the form of fiber or yarn or contained in fabrics, materials, or manufactured articles), or any item of individual equipment manufactured from or containing such fibers, yarns, fabrics, or materials, or specialty metals including stainless steel flatware, or hand or measuring tools, not grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States or its possessions, except to the extent that the Secretary of the Department concerned shall determine that satisfactory quality and sufficient quantity of any articles or items of food, individual equipment, tents, tarpaulins, covers, or clothing or any form of cotton or other natural fiber products, woven silk and woven silk blends, spun silk yarn for cartridge cloth, synthetic fabric or coated synthetic fabric, canvas products, wool, or specialty metals including stainless steel flatware, grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States or its possessions cannot be procured as and when needed at United States market prices and except procurements outside the United States in support of combat operations, procurements by vessels in foreign waters, and emergency procurements or procurements of perishable foods by establishments located outside the United States for the personnel attached thereto: Provided, That nothing herein shall preclude the procurement of specialty metals or chemical warfare protective clothing produced outside the United States or its possessions when such procurement is necessary to comply with agreements with foreign governments requiring the United States to purchase supplies from foreign sources for the purposes of offsetting sales made by the United States Government or United States firms under approved programs serving defense requirements or where such procurement is necessary in furtherance of agreements with foreign governments in which both governments agree to remove barriers to purchases of supplies produced in the other country or services performed by sources of the other country, so long as such agreements with foreign governments comply, where applicable, with the requirements of section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act [22 U.S.C. 2776] and with section 2457 of title 10, United States Code: Provided further, That nothing herein shall preclude the procurement of foods manufactured or processed in the United States or its possessions."

Prohibition on Use of Funds To Purchase Dogs or Cats for Medical Training

Pub. L. 101–511, title VIII, §8019, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1879 , provided that: "None of the funds appropriated by this Act [see Tables for classification] or hereafter shall be used to purchase dogs or cats or otherwise fund the use of dogs or cats for the purpose of training Department of Defense students or other personnel in surgical or other medical treatment of wounds produced by any type of weapon: Provided, That the standards of such training with respect to the treatment of animals shall adhere to the Federal Animal Welfare Law and to those prevailing in the civilian medical community."

Restoration, Cancellation, or Closure of Certain Department of Defense Appropriation Account Balances

Pub. L. 101–511, title VIII, §8080, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1893 , provided that:

"(a) Upon the date of enactment of this Act [Nov. 5, 1990], the balances of any unobligated amount of an appropriation of the Department of Defense which has been withdrawn under the provisions of section 1552(a)(2) of title 31, United States Code, the obligated balance of which has not been transferred pursuant to the provisions of section 1552(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code, shall be restored to that appropriation. Thirty days following enactment of this Act all balances of unobligated funds withdrawn from any account of the Department of Defense under the provisions of section 1552(a)(2) of title 31, United States Code, prior to the enactment of this Act, (other than those restored pursuant to the provisions of this subsection) are cancelled.

"(b) During the current fiscal year and thereafter-

"(1) on the 3rd September 30th after enactment of this section [Nov. 5, 1990], all obligated balances transferred under section 1552(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code;

"(2) on September 30th of the 5th fiscal year after the period of availability of an appropriation account of the Department of Defense available for obligation for a definite period ends or has ended, with respect to those accounts which, upon the date of enactment of this section have expired for obligation but whose obligated balances have not been transferred pursuant to the provisions of section 1552(a)(1) of title 31, United States Code; and

"(3) with respect to any appropriation account made available to the Department of Defense for an indefinite period against which no obligations have been made for two consecutive years and upon a determination by the Secretary of Defense or the President that the purposes of such indefinite appropriation have been carried out,

any remaining obligated or unobligated balance of such accounts are closed and thereafter shall not be available for obligation or expenditure for any purpose: Provided, That collections authorized to be credited to an account which were not credited to the account before it was closed shall be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts: Provided further, That, without prior action by the Comptroller General but without relieving the Comptroller General of the duty to make decisions under any law or to settle claims and accounts, when an account is closed (including accounts covered by subsection (a) of this section) and currently applicable appropriations of the Department of Defense are not chargeable, obligations and adjustments to obligations that would have been chargeable to an account prior to closing, may be chargeable to currently applicable appropriations of the Department of Defense available for the same purpose in amounts equal to one percent of the total appropriation for the current account or the amount of the original appropriation, whichever is less: Provided further, That after the end of the period of availability of an appropriation account available for a definite period and before closing of that account under this section such account shall be available for recording, adjusting, and liquidating obligations properly chargeable to such account in amounts not to exceed the unobligated expired balances of such appropriation: Provided further, That with respect to a change to a contract under which the contractor is required to perform additional work, other than adjustments to pay claims or increases under an escalation clause (hereinafter referred to as a contract change), if such a charge for such a contract change with respect to a program, project or activity would cause the total amount of such obligations to exceed $4,000,000 in any single fiscal year for a program, project, or activity, the obligation may only be made if the obligation is approved by the Secretary of Defense or, if such a change would cause the total amount of such obligations to exceed $25,000,000 in any single fiscal year for a program, project or activity, the obligation may be made only after 30 days have elapsed after the Secretary of Defense submits to the Committees on Appropriations and Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives [Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives now Committee on National Security] a notice of the intention to obligate such funds, together with the legal basis and the policy reasons for making such an obligation.

"(c) The provisions of this section shall apply to any appropriation account now or hereafter made unless the appropriation Act for that account specifically provides for an extension of the availability of such account and provides an exception to the five year period of availability for recording, adjusting and liquidating obligations properly chargeable to that account."

Availability of Appropriations

The following general provisions, that had been repeated as fiscal year provisions in prior appropriation acts, were enacted as permanent law in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1990, Pub. L. 101–165, title IX, §§9002, 9006, 9020, 9025, 9030, 9079, Nov. 21, 1989, 103 Stat. 1129 , 1130, 1133-1135, 1147:

"Sec. 9002. [Authorized Secretaries of Defense, Army, Navy, and Air Force to procure services in accordance with section 3109 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, and to pay in connection therewith travel expenses of individuals while traveling from their homes or places of business to official duty stations and return; and was repealed and restated in section 129b of this title by Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, §1481(b)(1), (3), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1704 , 1705.]

"Sec. 9006. [Provided that no appropriations available to the Department of Defense could be used for operating aircraft under the jurisdiction of the armed forces for the purpose of proficiency flying, as defined in Department of Defense Directive 1340.4, except in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense; and was repealed and restated in section 2245 of this title by Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, §1481(e)(1), (3), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1706 .]

"Sec. 9020. [Provided that no funds available to the Department of Defense could be used to provide medical care in the United States on an inpatient basis to foreign military and diplomatic personnel or their dependents unless the Department is reimbursed for the costs of providing such care; and was repealed and restated in section 2549 of this title by Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, §1481(f)(1), (3), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1707 .]

"Sec. 9025. [Provided that no funds available to the Department of Defense could be used to lease to non-Federal agencies in the United States aircraft or vehicles owned or operated by the Department when suitable aircraft or vehicles are commercially available in the private sector; and was repealed and restated in section 2550 of this title by Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, §1481(g)(1), (4), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1707 .]

"Sec. 9030. [Provided that funds available to the Department of Defense could be used by the Department for helicopters and motorized equipment at Defense installations for removal of feral burros and horses; and was repealed and restated in section 2678 of this title by Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, §1481(h)(1), (3), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1708 .]

"Sec. 9079. None of the funds appropriated by this Act or hereafter shall be obligated for the second career training program authorized by Public Law 96–347 [amending sections 2109, 3307, 3381 to 3385, and 8335 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees]."

The following general provision, that had been repeated as fiscal year provision in prior appropriation acts, was enacted as permanent law in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 1989, Pub. L. 100–463, title VIII, §8098, Oct. 1, 1988, 102 Stat. 2270–35 , which provided that appropriations available to the Department of Defense for operation and maintenance could be used to pay claims authorized by law to be paid by the Department (except for civil functions), was repealed and restated in section 2732 of this title by Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, §1481(j)(1), (3), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1708 , 1709.