The Secretary of the Navy may lend or give, without expense to the United States, items described in subsection (b) that are not needed by the Department of the Navy to any of the following:

(1) A State, Commonwealth, or possession of the United States, or political subdivision or municipal corporation thereof.

(2) The District of Columbia.

(3) A library.

(4) A historical society.

(5) An educational institution whose graduates or students fought in a foreign war.

(6) A servicemen’s monument association.

(7) A State museum.

(8) A museum or memorial operated and maintained for educational purposes only, whose charter denies it the right to operate for profit.

(9) A post of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

(10) A post of the American Legion.

(11) Any other recognized war veterans’ association.

(12) A post of the Sons of Veterans Reserve.

This section applies to the following types of property held by the Department of the Navy:

(1) Captured, condemned, or obsolete ordnance material.

(2) Captured, condemned, or obsolete combat or shipboard material.

A loan or gift made under this section shall be subject to regulations prescribed by the Secretary and to regulations under section 121 of title 40.

Records of the Government as defined in section 3301 of title 44 may not be disposed of under this section.

If any disposition is authorized by this section and section 2572 of this title, the Secretary may make the gift or loan under either section.

The Secretary may lend, give, or otherwise transfer any portion of the hull or superstructure of a vessel stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and designated for scrapping to a qualified organization specified in subsection (a). The terms and conditions of an agreement for the transfer of a portion of a vessel under this section shall include a requirement that the transferee will maintain the material conveyed in a condition that will not diminish the historical value of the material or bring discredit upon the Navy.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 466, § 7545; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 513(39), (40), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2934, 2935; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, § 1061(i), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 443; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title X, § 1043(a)–(c), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1218, 1219; Pub. L. 107–217, § 3(b)(34), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1298; Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title X, § 1062(e)(2), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2651; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1057(a)(3), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3440; renumbered § 8765, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(d)(8), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1836.)