§ 301. Establishment

The General Services Administration is an agency in the executive branch of the Federal Government.

§ 302. Administrator and Deputy Administrator

• (a) The Administrator of General Services is the head of the General Services Administration. The Administrator is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Administrator shall perform functions subject to the direction and control of the President.
• (b) The Administrator shall appoint a Deputy Administrator of General Services. The Deputy Administrator shall perform functions designated by the Administrator. The Deputy Administrator is Acting Administrator of General Services during the absence or disability of the Administrator and, unless the President designates another officer of the Federal Government, when the office of Administrator is vacant.

§ 303. Federal Acquisition Service

• (a) There is established in the General Services Administration a Federal Acquisition Service. The Administrator of General Services shall appoint a Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, who shall be the head of the Federal Acquisition Service.
• (b) Subject to the direction and control of the Administrator of General Services, the Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service shall be responsible for carrying out functions related to the uses for which the Acquisition Services Fund is authorized under section 321 of this title , including any functions that were carried out by the entities known as the Federal Supply Service and the Federal Technology Service and such other related functions as the Administrator considers appropriate.
• (c) The Administrator may appoint Regional Executives in the Federal Acquisition Service, to carry out such functions within the Federal Acquisition Service as the Administrator considers appropriate.

§ 304. Federal information centers

The Administrator of General Services may establish within the General Services Administration a nationwide network of federal information centers for the purpose of providing the public with information about the programs and procedures of the Federal Government and for other appropriate and related purposes.

§ 305. Electronic Government and information technologies

The Administrator of General Services shall consult with the Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government on programs undertaken by the General Services Administration to promote electronic Government and the efficient use of information technologies by Federal agencies.

§ 311. Personnel

• (a) The Administrator of General Services, subject to chapters 33 and 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, may appoint and fix the compensation of personnel necessary to carry out chapters 1, 3, and 5 of this title and division C (except sections 3302, 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41.
• (b) The Administrator may procure the temporary or intermittent services of experts or consultants under section 3109 of title 5 to the extent the Administrator finds necessary to carry out chapters 1, 3, and 5 of this title and division C (except sections 3302, 3501(b), 3509, 3906, 4710, and 4711) of subtitle I of title 41.
• (c) Notwithstanding section 973 of title 10 or any other law, in carrying out functions under this subtitle the Administrator may use the services of personnel (including armed services personnel) from an executive agency other than the General Services Administration with the consent of the head of the agency.
• (d) The Administrator, in the Administrator’s discretion, may detail field personnel of the Administration to the District of Columbia for temporary duty for a period of not more than 30 days in any one case. Subsistence or similar expenses may not be allowed for an employee on temporary duty in the District of Columbia under this paragraph.

§ 313. Tests of materials

• (a) This section applies to any article or commodity tendered by a producer or vendor for sale or lease to the General Services Administration or to any procurement authority acting under the direction and control of the Administrator of General Services pursuant to this subtitle.
• (b) The Administrator, in the Administrator’s discretion and with the consent of the producer or vendor, may have tests conducted, in a manner the Administrator specifies, to—
  • (1) determine whether an article or commodity conforms to prescribed specifications and standards; or
  • (2) aid in the development of specifications and standards.
• (c)
  • (1) The Administrator shall charge the producer or vendor a fee for the tests.
  • (2) If the Administrator determines that conducting the tests predominantly serves the interest of the producer or vendor, the Administrator shall fix the fee in an amount that will recover the costs of conducting the tests, including all components of the costs, determined in accordance with accepted accounting principles.
  • (3) If the Administrator determines that conducting the tests does not predominantly serve the interest of the producer or vendor, the Administrator shall fix the fee in an amount the Administrator determines is reasonable for furnishing the testing service.

§ 321. Acquisition Services Fund

• (a) The Acquisition Services Fund is a special fund in the Treasury.
• (b)
  • (1) The Fund is composed of amounts authorized to be transferred to the Fund or otherwise made available to the Fund.
  • (2) The Fund shall be credited with all reimbursements, advances, and refunds or recoveries relating to personal property or services procured through the Fund, including—
    • (A) the net proceeds of disposal of surplus personal property; and
    • (B) receipts from carriers and others for loss of, or damage to, personal property; and
    • (C) receipts from agencies charged fees pursuant to rates established by the Administrator.
  • (3) The Administrator shall determine the cost and capital requirements of the Fund for each fiscal year and shall develop a plan concerning such requirements in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer of the General Services Administration. Any change to the cost and capital requirements of the Fund for a fiscal year shall be approved by the Administrator. The Administrator shall establish rates to be charged agencies provided, or to be provided, supply of personal property and non-personal services through the Fund, in accordance with the plan.
  • (4) Fees collected by the Administrator under section 313 of this title may be deposited in the Fund to be used for the purposes of the Fund.
• (c)
  • (1) The Fund is available for use by or under the direction and control of the Administrator for—
    • (A) procuring, for the use of federal agencies in the proper discharge of their responsibilities—
      • (i) personal property (including the purchase from or through the Director of the Government Publishing Office, for warehouse issue, of standard forms, blankbook work, standard specifications, and other printed material in common use by federal agencies and not available through the Superintendent of Documents);
      • (ii) nonpersonal services; and
      • (iii) personal services related to the provision of information technology (as defined in section 11101(6) of this title );
    • (B) paying the purchase price, cost of transportation of personal property and services, and cost of personal services employed directly in the repair, rehabilitation, and conversion of personal property; and
    • (C) paying other direct costs of, and indirect costs that are reasonably related to, contracting, procurement, inspection, storage, management, distribution, and accountability of property and nonpersonal services provided by the General Services Administration or by special order through the Administration.
  • (2) The Fund may be used for the procurement of personal property and nonpersonal services authorized to be acquired by—
    • (A) mixed-ownership Government corporations;
    • (B) the municipal government of the District of Columbia; or
    • (C) a requisitioning non-federal agency when the function of a federal agency authorized to procure for it is transferred to the Administration.
• (d)
  • (1) For property or services procured through the Fund for requisitioning agencies, the agencies shall pay prices the Administrator fixes under this subsection.
  • (2) The Administrator shall fix prices at levels sufficient to recover—
    • (A) so far as practicable—
      • (i) the purchase price;
      • (ii) the transportation cost;
      • (iii) inventory losses;
      • (iv) the cost of personal services employed directly in the repair, rehabilitation, and conversion of personal property;
      • (v) the cost of personal services employed directly in providing information technology (as defined in section 11101(6) of this title ); and
      • (vi) the cost of amortization and repair of equipment used for lease or rent to executive agencies; and
    • (B) properly allocable costs payable by the Fund under subsection (c)(1)(C).
  • (3)
    • (A) A requisitioning agency shall pay in advance when the Administrator determines that there is insufficient capital otherwise available in the Fund. Payment in advance may also be made under an agreement between a requisitioning agency and the Administrator.
    • (B) If payment is not made in advance, the Administration shall be reimbursed promptly out of amounts of the requisitioning agency in accordance with accounting procedures approved by the Comptroller General.
    • (C) The Administrator may obtain reimbursement by the issuance of transfer and counterwarrants, or other lawful transfer documents, supported by itemized invoices, if payment is not made by a requisitioning agency within 45 days after the later of—
      • (i) the date of billing by the Administrator; or
      • (ii) the date on which actual liability for personal property or services is incurred by the Administrator.
• (e) The Administrator may accept periodic reimbursement from the Senate and from the House of Representatives for the cost of any equipment purchased for the Senate or the House of Representatives with money from the Fund. The amount of each periodic reimbursement shall be computed by amortizing the total cost of each item of equipment over the useful life of the equipment, as determined by the Administrator, in consultation with the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, as appropriate.
• (f) Following the close of each fiscal year, after making provision for a sufficient level of inventory of personal property to meet the needs of Federal agencies, the replacement cost of motor vehicles, and other anticipated operating needs reflected in the cost and capital plan developed under subsection (b), the uncommitted balance of any funds remaining in the Fund shall be transferred to the general fund of the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.
• (g) The Comptroller General shall audit the Fund in accordance with the provisions of chapter 35 of title 31 and report the results of the audits.

§ 323. Consumer Information Center Fund 1 1 So in original. Probably should be “Federal Citizen Services Fund”.

• (a) There is in the Treasury a Federal Citizen Services Fund, General Services Administration, for the purpose of disseminating Federal Government information to the public and for other related purposes.
• (b) Money shall be deposited into the Fund from—
  • (1) appropriations from the Treasury for Federal Citizen Services activities;
  • (2) user fees from the public;
  • (3) reimbursements from other federal agencies for costs of distributing publications; and
  • (4) any other income incident to Center 2 2 So in original. See 2009 Amendment notes below. activities.
• (c) Money deposited into the Fund is available for expenditure for Center 2 activities in amounts specified in appropriation laws. The Fund shall assume all liabilities, obligations, and commitments of the Center 2 account.
• (d) Any unobligated balances at the end of a fiscal year remain in the Fund and are available for authorization in appropriation laws for subsequent fiscal years.
• (e) The Center 2 may accept and deposit to this account gifts for purposes of defraying the costs of printing, publishing, and distributing consumer information and educational materials and undertaking other consumer information activities. In addition to amounts appropriated or otherwise made available, the Center 2 may expend the gifts for these purposes and any balance remains available for expenditure.