20 U.S. Code § 91 - Literary and scientific collections accessible to investigators and students

The facilities for study, research and illustration in the Government departments and in the following and any other governmental collections now existing or hereafter to be established in the city of Washington for the promotion of knowledge shall be accessible, under such rules and restrictions as the officers in charge of each department or collection may prescribe, subject to such authority as is now or may hereafter be permitted by law, to the scientific investigators and to duly qualified individuals, students and graduates of any institution of learning in the several States and Territories and the District of Columbia, to wit:

One. Of the Library of Congress.

Two. Of the National Museum.

Three. Of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Four. Of the Department of Education.

Five. Of the Bureau of Ethnology.

Six. Of the Army Medical Museum.

Seven. Of the Department of Agriculture.

Eight. Of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Nine. Of the Botanic Gardens.

Ten. Of the National Ocean Survey.

Eleven. Of the United States Geological Survey.

Twelve. Of the Naval Observatory.

Thirteen. Of the Zoological Park.

Fourteen. Of the Government Publishing Office.

(Apr. 12, 1892, No. 8, 27 Stat. 395; Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 831, § 1, 31 Stat. 1039; May 14, 1928, ch. 551, § 1, 45 Stat. 531; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, § 4(e), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1433; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. III, § 3, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2108, 54 Stat. 1232; Aug. 8, 1956, ch. 1036, § 3, 70 Stat. 1120; 1965 Reorg. Plan No. 2, eff. July 13, 1965, 30 F.R. 8819, 79 Stat. 1318; 1970 Reorg. Plan No. 4, eff. Oct. 3, 1970, 35 F.R. 15627, 84 Stat. 2090; Pub. L. 96–88, title III, § 301(b)(2), title V, § 507, Oct. 17, 1979, 93 Stat. 678, 692; Pub. L. 102–154, title I, Nov. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1000; Pub. L. 106–113, div. B, § 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4732(b)(10)], Nov. 29, 1999, 113 Stat. 1536, 1501A–584; Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, § 1301(b), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2537.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section is from a resolution adopted Apr. 12, 1892, the Deficiencies Appropriation Act of Mar. 3, 1901, and the Legislative Appropriations Act of May 14, 1928, providing that facilities for study and research be afforded to investigators, students, etc., in the several States and Territories as well as in the District of Columbia.

Amendments

1999—Pub. L. 106–113 substituted “United States Patent and Trademark Office” for “Patent Office” in par. Three.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“Government Publishing Office” substituted for “Government Printing Office” in par. Fourteen on authority of section 1301(b) of Pub. L. 113–235, set out as a note preceding section 301 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.

“United States Geological Survey” substituted for “Geological Survey” in par. Eleven pursuant to provision of title I of Pub. L. 102–154, set out as a note under section 31 of Title 43, Public Lands.

Effective Date of 1999 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 106–113 effective 4 months after Nov. 29, 1999, see section 1000(a)(9) [title IV, § 4731] of Pub. L. 106–113, set out as a note under section 1 of Title 35, Patents.

Transfer of Functions

“Department of Education” substituted in text for “Office of Education” pursuant to sections 301(b)(2) and 507 of Pub. L. 96–88, which are classified to sections 3441(b)(2) and 3507 of this title and which transferred Office of Education to Department of Education.

Office of Education created and placed in Department of the Interior by act of July 20, 1868, ch. 176, 15 Stat. 106, which abolished Department of Education. In appropriation act of July 12, 1870, ch. 251, 16 Stat. 242, the Office was designated Bureau of Education. This designation was retained until the act of May 14, 1930, ch. 273, 46 Stat. 281, 319, which made appropriations for “Office of Education”.

National Museum

National Museum was not created by any express statutory provision for that purpose. It was first mentioned in an appropriation for postage for “the National Museum in the Smithsonian Institution,” contained in act June 20, 1874, ch. 328, § 1, 18 Stat. 103. An appropriation for a building for the use of the National Museum was made by act Mar. 3, 1879, ch. 182, § 1, 20 Stat. 397, and annual appropriations have continuously been made for expenses of heating, etc., such building.

Executive Documents

Change of Name

Coast and Geodetic Survey consolidated with National Weather Bureau in 1965 to form Environmental Science Services Administration by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1965, eff. July 13, 1965, 30 F.R. 8819, 79 Stat. 1318. Environmental Science Services Administration abolished in 1970 and its personnel, property, records, etc., transferred to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration by Reorg. Plan No. 4 of 1970, eff. Oct. 3, 1970, 35 F.R. 15627, 84 Stat. 2090. By order of Acting Associate Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 35 F.R. 19249, Dec. 19, 1970, Coast and Geodetic Survey redesignated National Ocean Survey. See notes set out under section 311 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Transfer of Functions

Functions of all other officers of Department of Commerce and functions of all agencies and employees of such Department, with a few exceptions, transferred to Secretary of Commerce, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 5 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. United States Patents and Trademark Office, and National Ocean Survey, referred to in this section, are agencies within Department of Commerce.

Functions of all other officers of Department of the Interior and functions of all agencies and employees of such Department, with two exceptions, transferred to Secretary of the Interior, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.

Fish and Wildlife Service, created by Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2107, 54 Stat. 1231, succeeded by United States Fish and Wildlife Service established by act Aug. 8, 1956, ch. 1036, § 3, 70 Stat. 1120, which is classified to section 742b of Title 16, Conservation.

Bureau of Fisheries consolidated with Bureau of Biological Survey into Fish and Wildlife Service in Department of the Interior by Reorg. Plan No. III of 1940, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. The Bureau had been previously transferred to Department of the Interior by Reorg. Plan No. II of 1939, § 4(e), also set out in the Appendix to Title 5.

For transfer of certain personal property and functions, insofar as they pertain to the Air Force, from Secretary of the Army and Department of the Army, to Secretary of the Air Force and Department of the Air Force, see Secretary of Defense Transfer Order Nos. 6, eff. Jan. 15, 1948; 39, May 18, 1949; 40 [App. B(69)], July 22, 1949.

Functions of Federal Security Administrator transferred to Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and all agencies of Federal Security Agency transferred to Department of Health, Education, and Welfare by section 5 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953, eff. Apr. 11, 1953, 18 F.R. 2053, 67 Stat. 631, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Federal Security Agency and office of Administrator abolished by section 8 of Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1953.

Office of Education transferred to Federal Security Agency by Reorg. Plan No. I of 1939, §§ 201, 204, eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2728, 53 Stat. 1424, set out in the Appendix to Title 5.