(a) Definitions.—In this section—

(1) Agency.—The term “agency” includes any executive department, independent establishment, board, commission, bureau, service, or division of the Federal Government, and any corporation in which the Government owns at least a majority of the stock.

(2) Property.—The term “property” means all personal property, including vessels, vehicles, and aircraft.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(b) Voluntarily Abandoned Property.—Property voluntarily abandoned to any agency in a way that vests title to the property in the Government may be retained by the agency and devoted to official use only. If the agency does not desire to retain the property, the head of the agency immediately shall notify the Administrator of General Services to that effect, and the Administrator, within a reasonable time, shall—

(1) order the agency to deliver the property to another agency that requests the property and that the Administrator believes should be given the property; or

(2) order disposal of the property as otherwise provided by law.

(c) Forfeited Property.—

(1) Agency retains property.—An agency that seizes property that has been forfeited to the Government other than by court decree may retain the property and devote it only to official use instead of disposing of the property as otherwise provided by law if competent authority does not order the property returned to any claimant.

(2) Agency does not desire to retain property.—If the agency does not desire to retain the property, the head of the agency immediately shall notify the Administrator to that effect, and the property—

(A) if not ordered by competent authority to be returned to any claimant, or disposed of as otherwise provided by law, shall be delivered by the agency, on order of the Administrator given within a reasonable time, to another agency that requests the property and that the Administrator believes should be given the property; or

(B) on order of the Administrator given within a reasonable time, shall be disposed of as otherwise provided by law.

(d) Property Subject to Court Proceeding for Forfeiture.—

(1) Notification of administrator.—If a proceeding has begun for the forfeiture of any property by court decree, the agency that seized the property immediately shall notify the Administrator and at the same time may file with the Administrator a request for the property for its official use.

(2) Application for court order to deliver property.—

(A) In general.—Before entry of a decree, the Administrator shall apply to the court to order delivery of the property in accordance with this paragraph.

(B) Delivery to seizing agency.—If the agency that seized the property files a request for the property under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall apply to the court to order delivery of the property to the agency that seized the property.

(C) Delivery to other requesting agency.—If the agency that seized the property does not file a request for the property under paragraph (1) but another agency requests the property, the Administrator shall apply to the court to order delivery of the property to the requesting agency if the Administrator believes that the requesting agency should be given the property.

(D) Delivery to seizing agency for temporary holding.—If application to the court cannot be made under subparagraph (B) or (C) and the Administrator believes the property may later become necessary to any agency for official use, the Administrator shall apply to the court to order delivery of the property to the agency that seized the property, to be retained in its custody. Within a reasonable time, the Administrator shall order the agency to—

(i) deliver the property to another agency that requests the property and that the Administrator believes should be given the property; or

(ii) dispose of the property as otherwise provided by law.

(3) Forfeiture decreed.—If forfeiture is decreed and the property is not ordered by competent authority to be returned to any claimant, the court shall order delivery as provided in paragraph (2).

(4) When no application made.—The court shall dispose of property for which no application is made in accordance with law.

(e) Retention or Delivery of Property Deemed Sale.—Retention or delivery of forfeited or abandoned property under this section is deemed to be a sale of the property for the purpose of laws providing for informer’s fees or remission or mitigation of a forfeiture. Property acquired under this section when no longer needed for official use shall be disposed of in the same manner as other surplus property.

(f) Payment of Costs Related to Property.—

(1) Availability of appropriations.—The appropriation available to an agency for the purchase, hire, operation, maintenance, and repair of any property is available for—

(A) the payment of expenses of operation, maintenance, and repair of property of the same kind the agency receives under this section for official use;

(B) the payment of a lien recognized and allowed under law;

(C) the payment of amounts found to be due a person on the authorized remission or mitigation of a forfeiture; and

(D) reimbursement of other agencies as provided in paragraph (2).

(2) Payment and reimbursement of certain costs.—The agency that receives property under this section shall pay the cost of hauling, transporting, towing, and storing the property. If the property is later delivered to another agency for official use under this section, the agency to which the property is delivered shall make reimbursement for all of those costs incurred prior to the date the property is delivered.

(g) Report.—With the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Administrator may require an agency to make a report of all property abandoned to it or seized and the disposal of the property.

(h) Administrative.—

(1) Regulations.—With the approval of the Secretary, the Administrator may prescribe regulations necessary to carry out this section.

(2) Other laws not repealed.—This section does not repeal any other laws relating to the disposition of forfeited or abandoned property, except provisions of those laws directly in conflict with this section which were enacted prior to August 27, 1935.

(3) Property not subject to allocation under this section.—The following classes of property are not subject to allocation under this section, but shall be disposed of in the manner otherwise provided by law:

(A) narcotic drugs, as defined in the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.).

(B) firearms, as defined in section 5845 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 5845).

(C) other classes or kinds of property the disposal of which the Administrator, with the approval of the Secretary, may consider in the public interest, and may by regulation provide.