SUBCHAPTER II—NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART

§71. Designation of site

The area bounded by Seventh Street, Constitution Avenue, Fourth Street, and North Mall Drive, Northwest, in the District of Columbia, is appropriated to the Smithsonian Institution as a site for a National Gallery of Art. The Smithsonian Institution is authorized to permit the A. W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust (hereinafter referred to as the donor) to construct on said site for the Smithsonian Institution a building to be designated the National Gallery of Art, and to remove any existing structure and landscape the grounds within said area. The adjoining area bounded by Fourth Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, Third Street, and North Mall Drive, Northwest, in the District of Columbia, is reserved as a site for future additions to the National Gallery of Art. The project shall be in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the Commission of Fine Arts.

(Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, §1, 50 Stat. 51.)

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Pub. L. 106–385, Oct. 27, 2000, 114 Stat. 1463, provided that:

"SECTION 1. RENAMING OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART.

"(a) In General.—The National Museum of American Art, as designated under section 1 of Public Law 96–441 (20 U.S.C. 71 note), shall be known as the 'Smithsonian American Art Museum'.

"(b) References in Law.—Any reference in any law, regulation, document, or paper to the National Museum of American Art shall be considered to be a reference to the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

"SEC. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.

"Section 1 shall take effect on the day after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 27, 2000]."

Pub. L. 96–441, §§1, 3, 4, Oct. 13, 1980, 94 Stat. 1884, provided: "That the bureau of the Smithsonian Institution designated as the National Collection of Fine Arts by section 6(c) of the joint resolution entitled 'Joint Resolution providing for the construction and maintenance of a National Gallery of Art', approved March 24, 1937 (20 U.S.C. 71 note), shall be known as the 'National Museum of American Art'.

"Sec. 3. Any reference in any law, regulation, document, or paper to the National Collection of Fine Arts or the Museum of History and Technology shall on and after the effective date of this Act [Oct. 13, 1980] be considered to be a reference to the National Museum of American Art and the National Museum of American History, respectively.

"Sec. 4. This Act shall take effect on the day after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 13, 1980]."

Act Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, 50 Stat. 51, sections 1 to 5 of which are incorporated as sections 71, 72 to 74, and 75 of this title, provided in section 6(c) that: "The existing bureau of the Smithsonian Institution now designated as a national gallery of art shall hereafter be known as the National Collection of Fine Arts."

General Post Office Building; Transfer to Smithsonian Institution for Use as Art Galleries; Relocation of United States International Trade Commission

Pub. L. 98–523, Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2433, provided: "That at such time as it is declared to be excess property pursuant to section 2(d) of this Act, the Administrator of General Services (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 'Administrator') is authorized to transfer to the Smithsonian Institution, in accordance with section 202 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 483) [now 40 U.S.C. 521–527, 529], without reimbursement, and for use by the Smithsonian Institution for certain art galleries and related functions, the General Post Office Building with any attached underground structures and the site of such building, located between Seventh and Eighth Streets Northwest and E and F Streets Northwest, in the District of Columbia.

"Sec. 2. (a) The Administrator, at the earliest practicable date, shall relocate all operations of the United States International Trade Commission (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 'Commission') to a building in downtown Washington, District of Columbia. The Administrator's determination as to such relocation shall be based on studies and investigations in which the Chairman of the Commission shall have full opportunity to consult and cooperate with the Administrator. Such consultation shall include opportunity for the Chairman to participate jointly with the Administrator in surveys of available buildings and to submit views and recommendations to the Administrator with respect to space suitable for the Commission's operations. The Administrator shall advise the Chairman in writing of the building to which the operations of the Commission are to be relocated. The Administrator's determination of such relocation shall not take effect for a period of at least sixty days after the date such determination is made and the Chairman is advised of the building to which the operations of the Commission are to be relocated. In the event the Chairman disagrees with the Administrator's determination of such relocation, the Chairman, within thirty days after the Chairman is advised of the building to which the operations of the Commission are to be relocated, may make a written request for review of such determination to the Administrator, and the Administrator shall conduct a formal review of such determination.

"(b) The Administrator and the Chairman shall each report separately in writing to the Committees on Environment and Public Works, Finance, Rules and Administration, and Governmental Affairs [now Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs] of the Senate and to the Committees on Public Works and Transportation, Ways and Means, House Administration, and Government Operations [now Committee on Oversight and Accountability] of the House of Representatives not later than sixty days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 19, 1984] and every thirty days thereafter on the status of the relocation required by this section.

"(c) During the period in which the Commission and the United States Postal Service continue to occupy the General Post Office Building referred to in the first section of this Act, the Administrator shall maintain such building in order to prevent its deterioration and to assure that conditions therein are safe and the building is presentable and suitable to the normal operations of the Commission and such Service.

"(d) Upon accomplishment of the relocation required by subsection (a) of this section, the Administrator shall declare the property referred to in the first section of this Act to be excess property as defined in section 3 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 472) [now 40 U.S.C. 102].

"Sec. 3. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution $40,000,000 for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1984, for renovation and repair, after the transfer made under the first section of this Act, of the General Post Office Building referred to in such section. Any portion of the sums appropriated under this section may be transferred to the General Services Administration which, in consultation with the Smithsonian Institution, is authorized to enter into contracts and take such other action, to the extent of the sums so transferred to it, as may be necessary to carry out such renovation and repair. No contract for such renovation or repair shall be advertised or entered into before the end of the period of thirty days of continuous session of Congress beginning on the date the Smithsonian Institution submits to the Committees on Public Works and Transportation and House Administration of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Environment and Public Works and Rules and Administration of the Senate the plans and advanced engineering and design for such renovation and repair. For purposes of this section, continuity of session is broken only by an adjournment of Congress sine die, and the days on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three days to a day certain are excluded in the computation of any period of time in which Congress is in continuous session."

§71a. Additions; payment of construction costs from trust funds

The Trustees of the National Gallery of Art are authorized to construct within the area reserved as a site for future additions by the third sentence of section 71 of this title one or more buildings to serve as additions to the National Gallery of Art. The cost of constructing any such building shall be paid from trust funds administered by such Trustees. The plans and specifications for any such building shall be approved by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission.

(Pub. L. 90–376, §1, July 5, 1968, 82 Stat. 286.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was not enacted as part of act Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, 50 Stat. 51, which comprises this subchapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Transfer of Jurisdiction

Pub. L. 90–376, §4, July 5, 1968, 82 Stat. 286, provided that: "The Commissioner [Mayor] of the District of Columbia is authorized to transfer to the United States such jurisdiction as the District of Columbia may have over any of the property within the area referred to in the first section of this Act [this section]."

Public Utility: Payment of Cost of Relocation or Protection From Trust Funds

Pub. L. 90–376, §5, July 5, 1968, 82 Stat. 286, provided that: "If any public utility (whether privately or publicly owned) located within the area referred to in the first section of this Act [this section] is required to be relocated or protected by reason of the construction within such area of any addition to the National Gallery of Art, the cost of such relocation or protection shall be paid from trust funds administered by the Trustees of the National Gallery of Art."

§71b. Status of completed addition

Any building constructed under authority of section 71a of this title shall, upon completion, be a part of the National Gallery of Art.

(Pub. L. 90–376, §2, July 5, 1968, 82 Stat. 286.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was not enacted as part of act Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, 50 Stat. 51, which comprises this subchapter.

§72. Board of Trustees

(a) Establishment

There is established in the Smithsonian Institution a bureau, which shall be directed by a board to be known as the Trustees of the National Gallery of Art, whose duty it shall be to maintain and administer the National Gallery of Art and site thereof and to execute such other functions as are vested in the board by this subchapter. The board shall be composed as follows: The Chief Justice of the United States, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, ex officio; and five general trustees who shall be citizens of the United States, to be chosen as hereinafter provided. No officer or employee of the Federal Government shall be eligible to be chosen as a general trustee.

(b) Method of selection; term of office

The general trustees first taking office shall be chosen by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, subject to the approval of the donor, and shall have terms expiring one each on July 1 of 1939, 1941, 1943, 1945, and 1947, as designated by the Board of Regents. A successor shall be chosen by a majority vote of the general trustees and shall have a term expiring ten years from the date of the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was chosen, except that a successor chosen to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of such term shall be chosen only for the remainder of such term.

(Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, §2, 50 Stat. 52.)

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Delegation of Functions by Secretary of State to Director of United States Information Agency

Pub. L. 95–426, title II, §205, Oct. 7, 1978, 92 Stat. 975, as amended by Pub. L. 97–241, title III, §303(b), Aug. 24, 1982, 96 Stat. 291, provided that: "The Secretary of State may delegate to the Director of the United States Information Agency, with the consent of the Director, the functions vested in the Secretary by section 2(a) of the joint resolution entitled 'Joint Resolution providing for the construction and maintenance of a National Gallery of Art', approved March 24, 1937 (20 U.S.C. 72(a))."

[For abolition of United States Information Agency (other than Broadcasting Board of Governors and International Broadcasting Bureau), transfer of functions, and treatment of references thereto, see sections 6531, 6532, and 6551 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.]

§73. Acceptance of gift from A. W. Mellon

Upon completion of the National Gallery of Art, the board shall accept for the Smithsonian Institution as a gift from the donor a collection of works of art which shall be housed and exhibited in the National Gallery of Art.

(Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, §3, 50 Stat. 52.)

§74. Maintenance

(a) Pledge of funds for upkeep; authorization of appropriations

The faith of the United States is pledged that, on completion of the National Gallery of Art by the donor in accordance with the terms of this subchapter and the acquisition from the donor of the collection of works of art, the United States will provide such funds as may be necessary for the upkeep of the National Gallery of Art and the administrative expenses and costs of operation thereof, including the protection and care of works of art acquired by the board, so that the National Gallery of Art shall be at all times properly maintained and the works of art contained therein shall be exhibited regularly to the general public free of charge. For these purposes, and to provide, prior to the completion of the National Gallery of Art, for the protection and care of the works of art in said Gallery and for administrative and operating expenses and equipment preparatory to the opening of the Gallery to the public, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary.

(b) Acceptance of gifts and other property; investment of funds

The board is authorized to accept for the Smithsonian Institution and to hold and administer gifts, bequests, or devises of money, securities, or other property of whatsoever character for the benefit of the National Gallery of Art. Unless otherwise restricted by the terms of the gift, bequest, or devise, the board is authorized to sell or exchange and to invest or reinvest in such investments as it may determine from time to time the moneys, securities, or other property composing trust funds given, bequeathed, or devised to or for the benefit of the National Gallery of Art. The income as and when collected shall be placed in such depositaries as the board shall determine and shall be subject to expenditure by the board.

(c) Appointment and compensation of officers and employees

The board shall appoint and fix the compensation and duties of a director, an assistant director, a secretary, and a chief curator of the National Gallery of Art, and of such other officers and employees of the National Gallery of Art as may be necessary for the efficient administration of the functions of the board. Such director, assistant director, secretary, and chief curator shall be compensated from trust funds available to the board for the purpose, and their appointment and salaries shall not be subject to the civil-service laws or chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5. The director, assistant director, secretary, and chief curator shall be well qualified by experience and training to perform the duties of their office and the original appointment to each such office shall be subject to the approval of the donor.

(d) Review of actions of board

The actions of the board, including any payment made or directed to be made by it from any trust funds, shall not be subject to review by any officer or agency other than a court of law.

(Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, §4, 50 Stat. 52; Apr. 13, 1939, ch. 61, 53 Stat. 577; Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, title XI, §1106(a), 63 Stat. 972.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

In subsec. (c), "chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5" substituted for "the Classification Act of 1949, as amended" on authority of Pub. L. 89–554, §7(b), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Amendments

1949—Act Oct. 28, 1949, substituted "Classification Act of 1949" for "Classification Act of 1923".

1939—Subsec. (a). Act Apr. 13, 1939, inserted in last sentence "and to provide, prior to the completion of the National Gallery of Art, for the protection and care of the works of art in said Gallery and for administrative and operating expenses and equipment preparatory to the opening of the Gallery to the public".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Repeals

Act Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, cited as a credit to this section, was repealed (subject to a savings clause) by Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, §8, 80 Stat. 632, 655.

§74a. Permanent loan of funds by Board of Trustees to Treasury; semiannual interest payments to Board

The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to receive into the Treasury from time to time as a permanent loan by the Board of Trustees of the National Gallery of Art to the United States sums in cash of not to exceed $5,000,000 in the aggregate, and to pay interest on the principal amount of such loan at a rate which is the higher of the rate of 4 per centum per annum or a rate which is .25 percentage points less than a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration the current average market yield on outstanding long-term marketable obligations of the United States, adjusted to the nearest one-eighth of 1 per centum, payable semiannually. Such interest is permanently appropriated for payment to the Board of Trustees of the National Gallery of Art.

(Apr. 10, 1943, ch. 46, 57 Stat. 62; Pub. L. 94–418, Sept. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 1278.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was not enacted as part of act Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, 50 Stat. 51, which comprises this subchapter.

Amendments

1976—Pub. L. 94–418 inserted provision authorizing alternate interest rate to existing interest rate of 4 per centum per annum.

§75. Authority and functions of the board

(a) Official seal; bylaws, rules, and regulations; quorum

The board is authorized to adopt an official seal which shall be judicially noticed and to make such bylaws, rules, and regulations, as it deems necessary for the administration of its functions under this subchapter, including, among other matters, bylaws, rules, and regulations relating to the acquisition, exhibition, and loan of works of art, the administration of its trust funds, and the organization and procedure of the board. The board may function notwithstanding vacancies, and three members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(b) Quality of works of art

In order that the collection of the National Gallery of Art shall always be maintained at a high standard and in order to prevent the introduction therein of inferior works of art, no work of art shall be included in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art unless it be of similar high standard of quality to those in the collection acquired from the donor.

(c) Powers and obligations

The board shall have all the usual powers and obligations of a trustee in respect of all trust funds administered by it and all works of art acquired by it.

(d) Annual reports

The board shall submit to the Smithsonian Institution an annual report of its operations under this subchapter, including a detailed statement of all acquisitions and loans of works of art and of all public and private moneys received and disbursed.

(Mar. 24, 1937, ch. 50, §5, 50 Stat. 53.)