INTERNATIONAL CENTER ACT Public Law 90–553, as amended 82 Stat. 958, as amended INTERNATIONAL CENTER ACT 553 110–249 Statute Compilation United States House of Representatives Office of the Legislative Counsel text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. GPO Statute Compilations USLM converter, version 20210527.1 2021-10-15 International Center Act 302 90 1968-10-08 INTERNATIONAL CENTER ACT [Public Law 90–553; 82 Stat. 958] [As Amended Through P.L. 110–249, Enacted June 26, 2008] [Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Public Law 90-553. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/] [Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]
AN ACTTo authorize the transfer, conveyance, lease, and improvement of, and construction on, certain property in the District of Columbia, for use as a headquarters site for the Organization of American States, as sites for governments of foreign countries, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That (a) in order to facilitate the conduct of foreign relations by the Department of State in Washington, District of Columbia, through the creation of a more propitious atmosphere for the establishment of foreign government and international organization offices and other facilities, the Secretary of State is authorized to develop in coordination with the Administrator of General Services for, or to sell, exchange, or lease to foreign governments and international organizations property owned by the United States in the Northwest section of the District of Columbia bounded by Connecticut Avenue, Yuma Street, 36th Street, Reno Road, and Tilden Street, except that portion of lot 802 in square 1964, the jurisdiction over which was transferred to the District of Columbia for use as an educational facility, upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe. Every lease, contract of sale, deed, and other document of transfer shall provide (1) that the foreign government shall devote the property transferred to use for legation purposes, or (2) sthat the international organization shall devote the property transferred to its official uses. (b) There is established in the Treasury of the United States an account into which may be deposited funds provided as advance payments pursuant to subsection (a). (c) The Secretary of State may request the Secretary of the Treasury to invest such portion of the funds deposited in that account as is not, in the judgment of the Secretary of State, required to meet the current needs of the account. Such investments shall be made by the Secretary of the Treasury in public debt securities with maturities suitable to the needs of the account, as determined by the Secretary of State, and bearing interest at a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration the current market yields on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States of comparable maturity. Notwithstanding the foregoing limitations, the property identified by the District of Columbia as tax lots 803, 804, 805, and 806 within the area described in this section may be leased or subleased to an entity other than a foreign government or international organization, so long as the Secretary maintains the right to approve the occupant and the intended use of the property.
Sec. 2. Upon the request of any foreign government or international organization and with funds provided by such government or organization in advance, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services, is authorized to design, construct, and equip a headquarters building or legation building or related facilities on property described in the first section of this Act.
Sec. 3. The Act of June 20, 1938 (D.C. Code, secs. 5–413 to 5–428), shall not apply to buildings constructed on property transferred or conveyed pursuant to this Act including section 3 of this Act as in effect January 1, 1980. Plans showing the location, height, bulk, number of stories, and size of, and the provisions for open spaceand offstreet parking in and around, such buildings shall be approved by the National Capital Planning Commission, and plans showing the height and appearance, color, and texture of the materials of exterior construction of such buildings shall be approved by the Commission of Fine Arts prior to the construction thereof.
Sec. 4. (a) The demolition or removal of existing structures, site preparation, and the construction, reconstruction, rebuilding of (1) public streets and sidewalks, (2) public sewers and their appurtenances, (3) water mains, fire hydrants, and other parts of the public water supply and distribution system, (4) the fire alarm system, (5) other utilities, (6) facilities for security and maintenance, and (7) related improvements necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Act, which are within or contiguous to the area described in section 1 of this Act and which are occasioned in carrying out the provisions of this Act, shall be provided by the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of General Services and the government of the District of Columbia. (b) The Secretary of State shall periodically advise the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Public Works and Transportation of the House of Repesentatives1 and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate on construction of facilities for security or maintenance under this section.1

Section 1 of Public Law 104–14 (109 Stat. 163) provides as follows:

SECTION 1. REFERENCES IN LAW TO COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(a) References to Committees With New Names.—Except as provided in subsection (c), any reference in any provision of law enacted before January 4, 1995, to—

(1) * * *

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(5) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives shall be treated as referring to the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives;

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(9) the Committee on Public Works and Transportation of the House of Representatives shall be treated as referring to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; and

* * * * * * * (c)(1)(A) The Department of State is authorized to require the payment of a fee by other executive agencies of the United States for the lease or use of facilities located at the International Center which are used for the purposes of security and maintenance. Any payments received for lease or use of such facilities shall be credited to the account entitled “International Center, Washington, District of Columbia” and shall be available, without fiscal year limitation, to cover the operation and maintenance expenses of such facilities, including administration, maintenance, utilities, repairs, and alterations. (B) The authority of subparagraph (A) shall be exercised only to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in advance in an appropriation Act. (2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term “Executive agencies” is used within the meaning of section 105 of title 5, United States Code.
Sec. 5. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, without fiscal year limitation, not to exceed $2,200,000 to carry out the purposes of section 5 of this Act: Provided, That such sums as may be appropriated hereunder shall be reimbursed to the Treasury from proceeds of the sale, exchange, or lease of property to foreign governments and international organizations as provided for in the first section of this Act. All proceeds received from such sales, exchanges, or leases shall, notwithstanding the provisions of section 3617 of the Revised Statutes (31 U.S.C. 484) or any other law, be paid into a special account with the Treasurer of the United States, such account to be administered by the Secretary of State for the purposes set out in section 5 of this Act. All sums remaining in such special account after completion of the projects authorized in section 5 shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. The Secretary may retain therefrom a reserve for maintenance and security of those public improvements authorized by this Act which have not been conveyed to a government or international organization under the first section of this Act, and for surveys and plans related to development of additional areas within the Nation's Capital for chancery and diplomatic purposes. Amounts in the reserve will be available only to the extent and in such amounts as provided in advance in appropriations Acts.
Sec. 6. This Act may be cited as the “International Center Act”.