---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2610"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2610"
heading: "Competitions for excellence: acceptance of monetary awards"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2610"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 155 — Acceptance of Gifts and Services"
---

# §2610. Competitions for excellence: acceptance of monetary awards

- (a) **Acceptance Authorized.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may accept a monetary award given to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense by a nongovernmental entity as a result of the participation of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) in a competition carried out to recognize excellence or innovation in providing services or administering [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1).
- (b) **Disposition of Awards.—** A monetary award accepted under [subsection (a)](#a) shall be credited to one or more nonappropriated fund accounts supporting morale, welfare, and recreation activities for the command, installation, or other activity that is recognized for the award. Amounts so credited may be expended only for such activities.
- (c) **Incidental Expenses.—** Subject to such limitations as may be provided in appropriation Acts, appropriations available to the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense may be used to [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) incidental expenses incurred by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) to participate in a competition described in [subsection (a)](#a) or to accept a monetary award under this section.
- (d) **Regulations and Reporting.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall prescribe regulations to determine the disposition of monetary awards accepted under this section and the payment of incidental expenses under [subsection (c)](#c).
  - (2) At the end of each year, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall submit to Congress a report for that year describing the disposition of monetary awards accepted under this section and the payment of incidental expenses under [subsection (c)](#c).
- (e) **Termination.—** The authority of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) under this section shall expire on February 10, 1998.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title III, § 377(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 283; amended Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title X, § 1074(a)(16), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2659.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–201 substituted “on February 10, 1998” for “two years after the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996”.