
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 42USC1870]

 
                 TITLE 42--THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
 
                 CHAPTER 16--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
 
Sec. 1870. General authority of Foundation

    The Foundation shall have the authority, within the limits of 
available appropriations, to do all things necessary to carry out the 
provisions of this chapter, including, but without being limited 
thereto, the authority--
        (a) to prescribe such rules and regulations as it deems 
    necessary governing the manner of its operations and its 
    organization and personnel;
        (b) to make such expenditures as may be necessary for 
    administering the provisions of this chapter;
        (c) to enter into contracts or other arrangements, or 
    modifications thereof, for the carrying on, by organizations or 
    individuals in the United States and foreign countries, including 
    other government agencies of the United States and of foreign 
    countries, of such scientific or engineering activities as the 
    Foundation deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this 
    chapter, and, at the request of the Secretary of State or Secretary 
    of Defense, specific scientific or engineering activities in 
    connection with matters relating to international cooperation or 
    national security, and, when deemed appropriate by the Foundation, 
    such contracts or other arrangements, or modifications thereof may 
    be entered into without legal consideration, without performance or 
    other bonds, and without regard to section 5 of title 41;
        (d) to make advance, progress, and other payments which relate 
    to scientific or engineering activities without regard to the 
    provisions of section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31;
        (e) to acquire by purchase, lease, loan, gift, or condemnation, 
    and to hold and dispose of by grant, sale, lease, or loan, real and 
    personal property of all kinds necessary for, or resulting from, the 
    exercise of authority granted by this chapter;
        (f) to receive and use funds donated by others, if such funds 
    are donated without restriction other than that they be used in 
    furtherance of one or more of the general purposes of the 
    Foundation;
        (g) to publish or arrange for the publication of scientific and 
    engineering information so as to further the full dissemination of 
    information of scientific or engineering value consistent with the 
    national interest, without regard to the provisions of section 501 
    of title 44;
        (h) to accept and utilize the services of voluntary and 
    uncompensated personnel and to provide transportation and 
    subsistence as authorized by section 5703 of title 5 for persons 
    serving without compensation;
        (i) to prescribe, with the approval of the Comptroller General 
    of the United States, the extent to which vouchers for funds 
    expended under contracts for scientific or engineering research 
    shall be subject to itemization or substantiation prior to payment, 
    without regard to the limitations of other laws relating to the 
    expenditure of public funds and accounting therefor;
        (j) to arrange with and reimburse the heads of other Federal 
    agencies for the performance of any activity which the Foundation is 
    authorized to conduct; and
        (k) during the 5-year period beginning on August 21, 1986, to 
    indemnify grantees, contractors, and subcontractors associated with 
    the Ocean Drilling Program under the provisions of section 2354 of 
    title 10 with all approvals and certifications required by such 
    indemnification made by the Director.

(May 10, 1950, ch. 171, Sec. 11, 64 Stat. 153; Pub. L. 86-232, Sec. 6, 
Sept. 8, 1959, 73 Stat. 468; Pub. L. 90-407, Sec. 9, July 18, 1968, 82 
Stat. 365; Pub. L. 99-159, title I, Sec. 110(a)(14), Nov. 22, 1985, 99 
Stat. 891; Pub. L. 99-383, Sec. 7(d), Aug. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 814.)

                          Codification

    In subsec. (d), ``section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31'' substituted 
for ``section 3648 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C., sec. 529)'' on 
authority of Pub. L. 97-258, Sec. 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, 
the first section of which enacted Title 31, Money and Finance.
    In subsec. (g), ``section 501 of title 44'' substituted for 
``section 87 of the Act of January 12, 1895 (28 Stat. 622), and section 
11 of the Act of March 1, 1919 (40 Stat. 1270; 44 U.S.C., sec. 111)'' on 
authority of Pub. L. 90-620, Sec. 2(b), Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1305, 
the first section of which enacted Title 44, Public Printing and 
Documents.


                               Amendments

    1986--Subsec. (k). Pub. L. 99-383 added subsec. (k).
    1985--Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 99-159, Sec. 110(a)(14)(A), 
inserted references to engineering.
    Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 99-159, Sec. 110(a)(14)(B), (C), substituted 
``engineering'' for ``technical'' and inserted reference to engineering 
value.
    Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 99-159, Sec. 110(a)(14)(A), inserted 
applicability to engineering.
    1968--Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 90-407, Sec. 9(a), substituted 
``scientific activities'' for ``basic scientific research activities'' 
and ``scientific research activities'', ``international cooperation or 
national security'' for ``national defense'', and inserted ``Secretary 
of State'' after ``at the request of the''.
    Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 90-407, Sec. 9(b), substituted ``activities'' 
for ``research''.
    Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 90-407, Sec. 9(c), substituted ``section 5703 
of title 5'' for ``section 5 of the Act of August 2, 1946 (5 U.S.C. 73b-
2)''.
    Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 90-407, Sec. 9(d), added subsec. (j).
    1959--Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 86-232 included acquisition of property 
by condemnation.


 Continuation of Existing Offices, Procedures, and Organization of the 
                       National Science Foundation

    Amendment by Pub. L. 90-407 intended to continue in effect the 
existing offices, procedures, and organization of the Foundation, see 
section 16 of Pub. L. 90-407, set out as a note under section 1862 of 
this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 1864, 1874 of this title; 
title 40 section 483.
