Sec.

(ii) a significant potential benefit from the project in at least one area of the region outside the designated county.

(B) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.-The Commission shall submit to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives an annual report describing each waiver granted under subparagraph (A) during the period covered by the report.

CHAPTER 147-MISCELLANEOUS

§ 14701. Applicable labor standards

All laborers and mechanics employed by contractors or subcontractors in the construction, alteration, or repair, including painting and decorating, of projects, buildings, and works which are financially assisted through federal amounts authorized under this subtitle shall be paid wages at rates not less than those prevailing on similar construction in the locality as the Secretary of Labor determines in accordance with sections 3141-3144, 3146, and 3147 of this title. With respect to those labor standards, the Secretary has the authority and functions set forth in Reorganization Plan Numbered 14 of 1950 (eff. May 24, 1950, 64 Stat. 1267) and section 3145 of this title.

§ 14702. Nondiscrimination

An individual in the United States shall not, because of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, a program or activity receiving federal financial assistance under this subtitle.

§ 14703. Authorization of appropriations

(a) IN GENERAL.-In addition to amounts authorized by section 14501 of this title and other amounts made available for the Appalachian development highway system program, the following amounts may be appropriated to the Appalachian Regional Commission to carry out this subtitle:

(1) $88,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2002-2004.

(2) $90,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.

(3) $92,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.

(b) TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE.-Of the amounts made available under subsection (a), the following amounts are available to carry out section 14504 of this title:

(1) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.

(2) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2003.

(3) $5,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004-2006.

(c) AVAILABILITY.-Amounts made available under subsection (a) remain available until expended.

§ 14704. Termination

This subtitle, except sections 14102(a)(1) and (b) and 14501, ceases to be in effect on October 1, 2006.

SUBTITLE V-MISCELLANEOUS

CHAPTER

171.

173.

SAFETY STANDARDS FOR MOTOR VEHICLES
GOVERNMENT LOSSES IN SHIPMENT

175. FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE EXPENDITURE CONTROL

177. ALASKA COMMUNICATIONS DISPOSAL

179. ALASKA FEDERAL-CIVILIAN ENERGY EFFICIENCY SWAP

Sec.

17101

17301

17501

17701

17901

181. TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACCESSIBILITY FOR HEARING-IM- 18101 PAIRED AND SPEECH-IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS.

183. NATIONAL CAPITAL AREA INTEREST ARBITRATION STAND- 18301 ARDS.

CHAPTER 171-SAFETY STANDARDS FOR MOTOR

VEHICLES

Sec.

17101. Definitions.

17102. Prohibition on acquisition or purchase of motor vehicles by Federal Govern

ment.

17103. Commercial standards for passenger safety devices.

§ 17101. Definitions

In this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.-The term "Federal Government" includes the government of the District of Columbia.

(2) MOTOR VEHICLE.-The term "motor vehicle" means a vehicle, self-propelled or drawn by mechanical power, designed for use on the highways principally for the transportation of passengers, except a vehicle designed or used for military field training, combat, or tactical purposes.

§ 17102. Prohibition on acquisition or purchase of motor vehicles by Federal Government

The Federal Government shall not purchase a motor vehicle for use by the Government unless that motor vehicle is equipped with reasonable passenger safety devices that the Administrator of General Services requires. Those devices shall conform with standards the Administrator prescribes under section 17103 of this title.

§ 17103. Commercial standards for passenger safety devices The Administrator of General Services shall prescribe and publish in the Federal Register commercial standards for passenger safety devices the Administrator requires under section 17102 of this title. Changes in the standards take effect one year and 90 days after the publication of the standards in the Federal Register. CHAPTER 173-GOVERNMENT LOSSES IN SHIPMENT

17304. Claim for replacement.

17305. Replacing lost, destroyed, or damaged stamps, securities, obligations, or

money.

17306. Agreements of indemnity.

17307. Purchase of insurance.

17308. Presumption of lawful conduct.

17309. Rules and regulations.

§ 17301. Definitions

In this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(1) REPLACEMENT.-The term "replacement" means payment, reimbursement, replacement, or duplication or the expenses incident to payment, reimbursement, replacement, or duplication.

(2) SHIPMENT.-The term "shipment”—

(A) means the transportation, or the effecting of transportation, of valuables, without limitation as to the means or facilities used or by which the transportation is effected or the person to whom it is made; and

(B) includes shipments made to any executive department, independent establishment, agency, wholly owned or mixed-ownership Government corporation, officer, or employee of the Federal Government, or any person acting on behalf of, or at the direction of, the executive department, independent establishment, agency, wholly or partly owned Government corporation, officer, or employee. (3) VALUABLES.

(A) DEFINITION.-The term "valuables" means any articles or things or representatives of value

(i) in which the Government, its executive departments, independent establishments, and agencies, including wholly owned Government corporations, and officers and employees of the Government or its executive departments, independent establishments, and agencies while acting in their official capacity, have any interest, or in connection with which they have any obligation or responsibility; and

(ii) which the Secretary of the Treasury declares to be valuables within the meaning of this chapter. (B) REQUIREMENT FOR DECLARING ARTICLES OR THINGS VALUABLE.-The Secretary shall not declare articles or things that are lost, destroyed, or damaged in the course of shipment to be valuables unless the Secretary determines that replacement of the articles or things in accordance with the procedure established in this chapter would be in the public interest.

(4) WHOLLY OWNED GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.-The term "wholly owned Government corporation"

(A) means any corporation, regardless of the law under which it is incorporated, the capital of which is entirely owned by the Government; and

(B) includes the authorized officers, employees, and agents of the corporation.

§ 17302. Compliance

(a) PRESCRIBING REGULATIONS.-With the approval of the President, the Secretary of the Treasury and the United States Postal Service jointly shall prescribe regulations governing the shipment of valuables by an executive department, independent establishment, agency, wholly owned Government corporation, officer, or employee of the Federal Government, with a view to minimizing the risk of loss and destruction of, and damage to, valuables in shipment.

(b) COMPLIANCE.-Each executive department, independent establishment, agency, wholly owned Government corporation,

officer, and employee of the Government, and each person acting for, or at the direction of, the executive department, independent establishment, agency, wholly owned Government corporation, officer, or employee, must comply with the regulations when making any shipment of valuables.

§ 17303. Fund for the payment of Government losses in shipment

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.-There is a revolving fund in the Treasury known as "the fund for the payment of Government losses in shipment".

(b) USE.-The fund shall be used for the replacement of valuables, or the value of valuables, lost, destroyed, or damaged while being shipped in accordance with regulations prescribed under section 17302 of this title.

(c) UNAVAILABILITY.-The fund is not available with respect to any loss, destruction, or damage affecting valuables

(1) that relates to property of the United States Postal Service that is chargeable to its officers or employees; or

(2) of which shipment shall have been made at the risk of persons other than the Federal Government and the executive departments, independent establishments, agencies, wholly owned Government corporations, officers and employees of the Government.

(d) CREDITING OF RECOVERIES AND REPAYMENTS.-All recoveries and repayments on account of loss, destruction, or damage to valuables for which replacement is made out of the fund shall be credited to it and are available for the purposes of the fund. (e) APPROPRIATIONS.-Necessary amounts are appropriated for the fund.

§ 17304. Claim for replacement

(a) PRESENTATION OF CLAIM.-When valuables that have been shipped in accordance with regulations prescribed under section 17302 of this title are lost, destroyed, or damaged, a claim in writing for replacement shall be made on the Secretary of the Treasury.

(b) DECISION OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY.—

(1) REPLACEMENT MADE FROM FUND.-If the Secretary is satisfied that the loss, destruction, or damage has occurred and that shipment was made substantially in accordance with the regulations, the Secretary shall have replacement be made out of the fund described in section 17303 of this title through an officer the Secretary designates.

(2) REPLACEMENT MADE BY CREDIT.-When the Secretary decides that any part of the replacement can be made, without actual or ultimate injury to the Federal Government, by a credit in the accounts of the executive department, independent establishment, agency, officer, employee, or other accountable person making the claim, the Secretary shall

(A) certify the decision to the Comptroller General who, on receiving the certification, shall make the credit in the settlement of accounts in the General Accounting Office; and

(B) use the fund only to the extent that the replacement cannot be made by the credit.

(c) DECISION OF SECRETARY NOT REVIEWABLE.-The decision of the Secretary that a loss, destruction, or damage has occurred or that a shipment was made substantially in accordance with regulations is final and conclusive and is not subject to review by any other officer of the Government.

§ 17305. Replacing lost, destroyed, or damaged stamps, securities, obligations, or money

Stamps, securities, or other obligations of the Federal Government, or money lost, destroyed, or damaged while in the custody or possession of, or charged to, the United States Postal Service while it is acting as agent for, or on behalf of, the Secretary of the Treasury for the sale of the stamps, securities, or obligations and for the collection of the money, shall be replaced out of the fund described in section 17303 of this title under regulations the Secretary may prescribe, regardless of how the loss, destruction, or damage occurs.

§ 17306. Agreements of indemnity

(a) DEFINITION.-In this section, the term "Federal Government" includes wholly owned Government corporations, and officers and employees of the Government or its executive departments, independent establishments, and agencies while acting in their official capacity.

(b) AUTHORITY TO MAKE AGREEMENT.-The Secretary of the Treasury may make and deliver, on behalf of the Federal Government, a binding agreement of indemnity the Secretary considers necessary and proper to enable the Government to obtain the replacement of any instrument or document

(1) received by the Government or an agent of the Government in the agent's official capacity; and

(2) which, after having been received, is lost, destroyed, or so mutilated as to impair its value.

(c) WHEN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NOT OBLIGATED.-The Government is not obligated under an agreement of indemnity if the obligee named in the agreement makes a payment or delivery not required by law on the original of the instrument or document covered by the agreement.

(d) USE OF FUND FOR THE PAYMENT OF GOVERNMENT LOSSES IN SHIPMENT.-The fund described in section 17303 of this title is available to pay any obligation arising out of an agreement the Secretary makes under this section.

§ 17307. Purchase of insurance

An executive department, independent establishment, agency, wholly owned Government corporation, officer, or employee may expend money, or incur an obligation, for insurance, or for the payment of premiums on insurance, against loss, destruction, or damage in the shipment of valuables only as specifically authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Secretary may give the authorization if the Secretary finds that the risk of loss, destruction, or damage in the shipment cannot be guarded against adequately by the facilities of the Federal Government or that adequate replacement cannot be provided under this chapter.