section and proceeds from that property must be used, as nearly as possible, under the terms of the gift. (b) The Department has a fund in the Treasury. Disbursements from the fund are made on order of the Secretary. The fund consists of (1) gifts of money; (2) income from property accepted under this section and proceeds from the sale of that property; and (3) income from securities under subsection (c) of this section. (c) On request of the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of the Treasury may invest and reinvest amounts in the fund in securities of, or in securities whose principal and interest is guaranteed by, the United States Government. (d) Property accepted under this section is a gift to or for the use of the Government under the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (26 U.S.C. 1 et seq.). § 327. Administrative working capital fund (a) The Department of Transportation has an administrative working capital fund. Amounts in the fund are available for expenses of operating and maintaining common administrative services the Secretary of Transportation decides are desirable for the efficiency and economy of the Department. The services may include (1) a central supply service for stationery and other supplies and equipment through which adequate stocks may be maintained to meet the requirements of the Department; (2) central messenger, mail, telephone, and other communications services; (3) office space; (4) central services for document reproduction, and for graphics and visual aids; and (5) a central library service. (b) Amounts in the fund are available without regard to fiscal year limitation. Amounts may be appropriated to the fund. (c) The fund consists of (1) amounts appropriated to the fund; (2) the reasonable value of stocks of supplies, equipment, and other assets and inventories on order that the Secretary transfers to the fund, less the related liabilities and unpaid obligations; (3) amounts received from the sale or exchange of prop erty; and (4) payments received for loss or damage to property of the fund. (d) The fund shall be reimbursed, in advance, from amounts available to the Department or from other sources, for supplies and services at rates that will approximate the expenses of operation, including the accrual of annual leave and the depreciation of equipment. Amounts in the fund, in excess of amounts transferred or appropriated to maintain the fund, shall be deposited in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. All assets, liabilities, and prior losses are considered in determining the amount of the excess. § 328. Transportation Systems Center working capital fund (a) The Department of Transportation has a Transportation Systems Center working capital fund. Amounts in the fund are available for financing the activities of the Center, including research, development, testing, evaluation, analysis, and related activities the Secretary of Transportation approves, for the Department, other agencies, State and local governments, other public authorities, private organizations, and foreign countries. (b) Amounts in the fund are available without regard to fiscal year limitation. Amounts may be appropriated to the fund. (c) The capital of the fund consists of (1) amounts appropriated to the fund; (2) net assets of the Center as of October 1, 1980, including unexpended advances made to the Center for which valid obligations were incurred before October 1, 1980; (3) the reasonable value of property and other assets transferred to the fund after September 30, 1980, less the related liabilities and unpaid obligations; and (4) the reasonable value of property and other assets donated to the fund. (d) The fund shall be reimbursed or credited with (1) advance payments from applicable funds or appropriations of the Department and other agencies, and with advance payments from other sources, the Secretary authorizes, for (A) services at rates that will recover the expenses of operation, including the accrual of annual leave and overhead; and (B) acquiring property and equipment under regulations the Secretary prescribes; and (2) receipts from the sale or exchange of property or in payment for loss or damage of property held by the fund. (e) The Secretary shall deposit at the end of each fiscal year, in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts, amounts accruing in the fund that the Secretary decides are in excess of the needs of the fund. § 329. Transportation information (a) The Secretary of Transportation may collect and collate transportation information the Secretary decides will contribute to the improvement of the transportation system of the United States. To the greatest practical extent, the Secretary shall use information available from departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States Government and other sources. To the extent practical, the Secretary shall make available to other Government departments, agencies, and instrumentalities and to the public the information collected under this subsection. (b) The Secretary shall (1) collect and disseminate information on civil aeronautics (other than that collected and disseminated by the National Transportation Safety Board under chapter 11 of this title) including at a minimum, information on (A) the origin and destination of passengers in interstate air transportation (as that term is used in part A of subtitle VII of this title), and (B) the number of passengers traveling by air between any two points in interstate air transportation; except that in no case shall the Secretary require an air carrier to provide information on the number of passengers or the amount of cargo on a specific flight if the flight and the flight number under which such flight operates are used solely for interstate air transportation and are not used for providing essential air transportation under subchapter II of chapter 417 of this title; (2) study the possibilities of developing air commerce and the aeronautical industry; and (3) exchange information on civil aeronautics with governments of foreign countries through appropriate departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Government. (c)(1) On the written request of a person, a State, territory, or possession of the United States, or a political subdivision of a State, territory, or possession, the Secretary may— (A) make special statistical studies on foreign and domestic transportation; (B) make special studies on other matters related to duties and powers of the Secretary; (C) prepare, from records of the Department of Transportation, special statistical compilations; and (D) provide transcripts of studies, tables, and other records of the Department. (2) The person or governmental authority requesting information under paragraph (1) of this subsection must pay the actual cost of preparing the information. Payments shall be deposited in the Treasury in an account that the Secretary shall administer. The Secretary may use amounts in the account for the ordinary expenses incidental to getting and providing the information. (d) To assist in carrying out duties and powers under part A of subtitle VII of this title, the Secretary of Transportation shall maintain separate cooperative agreements with the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for the timely exchange of information on their programs, policies, and requirements directly related to carrying out that part. § 330. Research contracts (a) The Secretary of Transportation may make contracts with educational institutions, public and private agencies and organizations, and persons for scientific or technological research into a problem related to programs carried out by the Secretary. Before making a contract, the Secretary must require the institution, agency, organization, or person to show that it is able to carry out the contract. (b) In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall (1) give advice and assistance the Secretary believes will best carry out the duties and powers of the Secretary; (2) participate in coordinating all research started under this section; (3) indicate the lines of inquiry most important to the Secretary; and (4) encourage and assist in establishing and maintaining cooperation by and between contractors and between them and other research organizations, the Department of Transpor tation, and other departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States Government. (c) The Secretary may distribute publications containing information the Secretary considers relevant to research carried out under this section. § 331. Service, supplies, and facilities at remote places (a) When necessary and not otherwise available, the Secretary of Transportation may provide for, construct, or maintain the following for officers and employees of the Department of Transportation and their dependents stationed in remote places: (1) emergency medical services and supplies. (2) food and other subsistence supplies. (3) messing facilities. (4) motion picture equipment and film for recreation and training. (5) living and working quarters and facilities. (6) reimbursement for food, clothing, medicine, and other supplies provided by an officer or employee in an emergency for the temporary relief of individuals in distress. (b) The Secretary shall prescribe reasonable charges for medical treatment provided under subsection (a)(1) of this section and for supplies and services provided under subsection (a)(2) and (3) of this section. Amounts received under this subsection shall be credited to the appropriation from which the expenditure was made. (c) When appropriations for a fiscal year for aviation duties and powers have not been made before June 1 immediately before the beginning of the fiscal year, the Secretary may designate an officer, and authorize that officer, to incur obligations to buy and transport supplies to carry out those duties and powers at installations outside the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia. The amount obligated under this subsection in a fiscal year may be not more than 75 percent of the amount available for buying and transporting supplies to those installations for the then current fiscal year. Payment of obligations under this subsection shall be made from appropriations for the next fiscal year when available. |