---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 182a"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "182a"
heading: "Center for Excellence in Environmental Security"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/182a"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 7 — Boards, Councils, and Committees"
---

# §182a. Center for Excellence in Environmental Security

- (a) **Establishment.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may operate a Center for Excellence in Environmental Security (in this section referred to as the “Center”).
- (b) **Missions.—**
  - (1) The Center shall be used to provide and facilitate education, [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9), and research in civil-[military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) operations, particularly operations that require international assistance and operations that require coordination between the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense and other Federal [agencies](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3).
  - (2) The Center shall be used to provide and facilitate education, [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9), interagency coordination, and research on the following additional matters:
    - (A) Management of the consequences of environmental insecurity with respect to—
      - (i) access to water, food, and energy;
      - (ii) related health matters; and
      - (iii) matters relating to when, how, and why environmental stresses to human safety, health, water, energy, and food will cascade to economic, social, political, or [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) events.
    - (B) Appropriate roles for the [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [components](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) in [response](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) to environmental insecurity resulting from natural disasters.
    - (C) Meeting requirements for information in connection with regional and global disasters, including through the use of advanced communications technology as a virtual library.
  - (3) The Center shall perform such other missions as the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may specify.
  - (4) To assist the Center in carrying out the missions under this subsection, upon request of the Center, the head of any Federal [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) may grant to the Center access to the data, archives, and other physical resources (including [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2)) of that [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3), and may detail any personnel of that [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) to the Center, for the purpose of enabling the development of global environmental indicators.
- (c) **Joint Operation With Educational Institution Authorized.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may enter into an agreement with appropriate officials of an [institution of higher education](/usc/10/2199.md?p=2) to provide for the operation of the Center. Any such agreement shall provide for the institution to furnish necessary administrative services for the Center, including by directly providing such services or providing the funds for such services.
- (d) **Acceptance of Donations.—**
  - (1) Except as provided in [paragraph (2)](#d-2), the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may accept, on behalf of the Center, donations to be used to defray the costs of the Center or to enhance the operation of the Center. Such donations may be accepted from any [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) of the Federal Government, any [State](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4) or [local government](/usc/10/4951.md?p=4), any foreign government, any foundation or other charitable organization (including any that is organized or operates under the laws of a foreign country), or any other private source in the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) or a foreign country.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may not accept a donation under [paragraph (1)](#d-1) if the acceptance of the donation would compromise or appear to compromise—
    - (A) the ability of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, any employee of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6), or any member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4), to carry out any responsibility or duty of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) or the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) in a fair and objective manner; or
    - (B) the integrity of any [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense or of any [person](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) involved in such a [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
  - (3) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall prescribe written guidance setting forth the criteria to be used in determining whether or not the acceptance of a foreign donation under [paragraph (1)](#d-1) would have a result described in [paragraph (2)](#d-2).
  - (4) Funds accepted by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) under [paragraph (1)](#d-1) as a donation on behalf of the Center shall be credited to appropriations available to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense for the Center. Funds so credited shall be merged with the appropriations to which credited and shall be available for the Center for the same purposes and the same period as the appropriations with which merged.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title III, § 311, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2501.)