---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2557"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2557"
heading: "Excess nonlethal supplies: availability for humanitarian relief, domestic emergency assistance, and homeless veterans assistance"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2557"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 152 — Issue of Supplies, Services, and Facilities"
---

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

- (a)
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may make available for humanitarian relief purposes any nonlethal excess [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense. In addition, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may make nonlethal excess [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) available to support domestic emergency assistance activities.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may make excess clothing, shoes, sleeping bags, and related nonlethal excess [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) available to the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Veterans Affairs for distribution to homeless veterans and [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) assisting homeless veterans. The transfer of nonlethal excess [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) to the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Veterans Affairs under this paragraph shall be without reimbursement.
- (b)
  - (1) Excess [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) 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](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8).
  - (2) Excess [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) made available under this section to support domestic emergency assistance activities shall be transferred to the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Homeland Security. The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may provide assistance in the distribution of such [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8) at the request of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) 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](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, would require a notice to the intelligence committees under title V of the National Security Act of 1947 ([50 U.S.C. 3091](/usc/50/3091.md) et seq.).
- (d) In this section:
  - (1) The term “nonlethal excess [supplies](/usc/10/3011.md?p=8)” means property, other than real property, of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense—
    - (A) that is excess property, as defined in regulations of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) 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.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 99–145, title XIV, § 1454(a), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 761, § 2547; amended Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(k)(2), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 284; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIII, § 1322(a)(10), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1671; Pub. L. 102–88, title VI, § 602(c)(3), Aug. 14, 1991, 105 Stat. 444; renumbered § 2557, Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title X, § 1033(b)(1)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–260; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title III, § 361(a), (b)(1), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1064, 1065; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, § 1074(a), (b)(1), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4368; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(c)(3), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3508.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The National Security Act of 1947, referred to in subsec. (c), is act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, 61 Stat. 495. Title V of the Act is classified generally to subchapter III (§ 3091 et seq.) of chapter 44 of Title 50, War and National Defense. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

### Amendments

2014—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted “(50 U.S.C. 3091 et seq.)” for “(50 U.S.C. 413 et seq.)”.

2011—Pub. L. 111–383, § 1074(b)(1), substituted “Excess nonlethal supplies: availability for humanitarian relief, domestic emergency assistance, and homeless veterans assistance” for “Excess nonlethal supplies: availability for homeless veteran initiatives and humanitarian relief” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1074(a)(1), inserted at end “In addition, the Secretary may make nonlethal excess supplies of the Department available to support domestic emergency assistance activities.”

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–383, § 1074(a)(2), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

2001—Pub. L. 107–107, § 361(b)(1), inserted “availability for homeless veteran initiatives and” before “humanitarian relief” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–107, § 361(a), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

2000—Pub. L. 106–398 renumbered section 2547 of this title as this section.

1991—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–88 struck out par. (1) which read as follows: “a finding under section 662 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2422); or”, struck out par. (2) designation, and substituted “title V of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 413 et seq.)” for “section 501(a)(1) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 413)”.

1990—Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 101–510 redesignated subsec. (e) as (d) and struck out former subsec. (d) which read as follows:

“(1) The Secretary of State shall submit an annual report on the disposition of all excess supplies transferred by the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of State under this section during the preceding year.

“(2) Such reports shall be submitted to the Committees on Armed Services and on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committees on Armed Services and on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

“(3) Such reports shall be submitted not later than June 1 of each year.”

1987—Subsec. (e)(1), (2). Pub. L. 100–26 inserted “The term” after each par. designation and struck out uppercase letter of first word after first quotation marks in each par. and substituted lowercase letter.