---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 44945"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "44945"
heading: "Disposition of unclaimed money and clothing"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/44945"
units:
  - "Subtitle VII — Aviation Programs"
  - "Part A — Air Commerce and Safety"
  - "Subpart iii — safety"
  - "Chapter 449 — Security"
  - "Subchapter II — Administration and Personnel"
---

# §44945. Disposition of unclaimed money and clothing

- (a) **Disposition of Unclaimed Money.—** Notwithstanding [section 3302 of title 31](/usc/31/3302.md), unclaimed money recovered at any [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) security checkpoint shall be retained by the Transportation Security Administration and shall remain available until expended for the purpose of providing civil aviation security as required in this chapter.
- (b) **Disposition of Unclaimed Clothing.—**
  - (1) **In general.—** In disposing of unclaimed clothing recovered at any [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) security checkpoint, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall make every reasonable effort, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to transfer the clothing to the local [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) authority or other local authorities for donation to charity, including local veterans organizations or other local charitable organizations for distribution to homeless or needy veterans and veteran families.
  - (2) **Agreements.—** In implementing [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration may enter into agreements with [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) authorities.
  - (3) **Other charitable arrangements.—** Nothing in this subsection shall prevent an [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) or the Transportation Security Administration from donating unclaimed clothing to a charitable organization of their choosing.
  - (4) **Limitation.—** Nothing in this subsection shall create a cost to the Government.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–334, title V, § 515(a), Oct. 18, 2004, 118 Stat. 1317; amended Pub. L. 112–271, § 2(a), Jan. 14, 2013, 126 Stat. 2446; Pub. L. 115–254, div. K, title I, § 1991(d)(36), Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3641.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(1), (2). Pub. L. 115–254 substituted “Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration” for “Assistant Secretary”.

2013—Pub. L. 112–271 inserted “and clothing” after “money” in section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Annual Briefing

Pub. L. 108–334, title V, § 515(b), Oct. 18, 2004, 118 Stat. 1318, as amended by Pub. L. 119–86, div. A, title II, § 212, Apr. 30, 2026, 140 Stat. 784, provided that: “Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 18, 2004] and annually thereafter, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall provide the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate; and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, a briefing that contains a detailed description of the amount of unclaimed money recovered in total and at each individual airport, and specifically how the unclaimed money is being used to provide civil aviation security.”