---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 U.S.C. § 3715"
title: "50"
title_heading: "War and National Defense"
number: "3715"
heading: "Use of contributions to Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/3715"
units:
  - "Chapter 48 — Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction"
  - "Subchapter I — Program Authorities"
---

# §3715. Use of contributions to Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Program

- (a) **Authority to enter into agreements—**
  - (1) **Authority—** Subject to [paragraph (2)](#a-2), the Secretary of Defense may enter into one or more agreements with any person (including a foreign government, international organization, multinational entity, or any other entity) that the Secretary considers appropriate under which the person contributes funds for activities conducted under the [Program](/usc/50/3701.md?p=3).
  - (2) **Concurrence by Secretary of State—** The Secretary may enter into an agreement under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) only with the concurrence of the Secretary of State.
- (b) **Retention and use of funds—** Notwithstanding [section 3302 of title 31](/usc/31/3302.md) and subject to subsections [(c)](#c) and [(d)](#d), the Secretary of Defense may retain and obligate or expend funds contributed pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) for purposes of the [Program](/usc/50/3701.md?p=3). Funds so contributed shall be retained in a separate fund established in the Treasury for such purposes and shall be available to be obligated or expended without further appropriation.
- (c) **Return of funds not obligated or expended within three years—** If the Secretary does not obligate or expend funds contributed pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) by the date that is three years after the date on which the contribution was made, the Secretary shall return the amount to the person who made the contribution.
- (d) **Notice—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not later than 30 days after receiving funds contributed pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a), the Secretary shall submit to the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/50/3352.md?p=1) a notice—
    - (A) specifying the value of the contribution and the purpose for which the contribution was made; and
    - (B) identifying the person who made the contribution.
  - (2) **Limitation on use of amounts—** The Secretary may not obligate funds contributed pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) until a period of 15 days elapses following the date on which the Secretary submits the notice under [paragraph (1)](#d-1).
- (e) **Implementation plan—** The Secretary shall submit to the [congressional defense committees](/usc/50/3701.md?p=1)—
  - (1) an implementation plan for the authority provided under this section prior to obligating or expending any funds contributed pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a); and
  - (2) any updates to such plan that the Secretary considers appropriate.
- (f) **Appropriate congressional committees defined—** In this section, the term “[appropriate congressional committees](/usc/50/3352.md?p=1)” means the following:
  - (1) The [congressional defense committees](/usc/50/3701.md?p=1).
  - (2) The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title XIII, § 1325, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3600; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, § 1051(t)(6), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1566.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2017—Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 115–91 redesignated subsecs. (f) and (g) as (e) and (f), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (e) which required annual reports on contributions.