U.S. CODE

U.S. Code

§ 2557. Excess nonlethal supplies: availability for humanitarian relief, domestic emergency assistance, and homeless veterans assistance

(a)

(1) The Secretary of Defense may make available for humanitarian relief purposes any nonlethal excess supplies of the Department of Defense. In addition, the Secretary may make nonlethal excess supplies of the Department available to support domestic emergency assistance activities.

(2) The Secretary of Defense may make excess clothing, shoes, sleeping bags, and related nonlethal excess supplies available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for distribution to homeless veterans and programs assisting homeless veterans. The transfer of nonlethal excess supplies to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs under this paragraph shall be without reimbursement.

(b)

(1) Excess supplies made available for humanitarian relief purposes under this section shall be transferred to the Secretary of State, who shall be responsible for the distribution of such supplies.

(2) Excess supplies made available under this section to support domestic emergency assistance activities shall be transferred to the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Secretary of Defense may provide assistance in the distribution of such supplies at the request of the Secretary of Homeland Security.

(c) This section does not constitute authority to conduct any activity which, if carried out as an intelligence activity by the Department of Defense, would require a notice to the intelligence committees under title V of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 413 et seq.).

(d) In this section:

(1) The term “nonlethal excess supplies” means property, other than real property, of the Department of Defense—

(A) that is excess property, as defined in regulations of the Department of Defense; and

(B) that is not a weapon, ammunition, or other equipment or material that is designed to inflict serious bodily harm or death.

(2) The term “intelligence committees” means the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.

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