1997 U.S. Code
Title 23 - HIGHWAYS
CHAPTER 3 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 323 - Donations

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§323. Donations

(a) Donations of Property Being Acquired.—Nothing in this title, or in any other provision of law, shall be construed to prevent a person whose real property is being acquired in connection with a project under this title, after he has been fully informed of his right to receive just compensation for the acquisition of his property, from making a gift or donation of such property, or any part thereof, or of any of the compensation paid therefor, to a Federal agency, a State or a State agency, or a political subdivision of a State, as said person shall determine.

(b) Credit for Donated Lands.—

(1) General rule.—Notwithstanding any provision of this title, the State matching share for a project with respect to which Federal assistance is provided out of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) may be credited by the fair market value of land incorporated into the project and lawfully donated to the State after the date of the enactment of this subsection.

(2) Establishment of fair market value.—The fair market value of the donated land shall be established as determined by the Secretary. Fair market value shall not include increases and decreases in the value of donated property caused by the project. For purposes of this subsection, the fair market value of donated land shall be established as of the date the donation becomes effective or when equitable title to the land vests in the State, whichever is earlier.

(3) Limitation on applicability.—This subsection shall not apply to donations made by an agency of a Federal, State, or local government.

(4) Limitation on amount of credit.—The credit received by a State pursuant to this subsection may not exceed the State's matching share for the project to which the donation is applied.

(c) Credit for Donations of Funds, Materials, or Services.—Nothing in this title or any other law shall prevent a person from offering to donate funds, materials, or services in connection with a project eligible for assistance under this title. In the case of such a project with respect to which the Federal Government and the State share in paying the cost, any donated funds, or the fair market value of any donated materials or services, that are accepted and incorporated into the project by the State highway department shall be credited against the State share.

(d) Procedures.—A gift or donation in accordance with subsection (a) may be made at any time during the development of a project. Any document executed as part of such donation prior to the approval of an environmental document prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 shall clearly indicate that—

(1) all alternatives to a proposed alignment will be studied and considered pursuant to such Act;

(2) acquisition of property under this section shall not influence the environmental assessment of a project including the decision relative to the need to construct the project or the selection of a specific location; and

(3) any property acquired by gift or donation shall be revested in the grantor or successors in interest if such property is not required for the alignment chosen after public hearings, if required, and completion of the environmental document.

(Added Pub. L. 93–87, title I, §145(a), Aug. 13, 1973, 87 Stat. 273; amended Pub. L. 93–643, §112, Jan. 4, 1975, 88 Stat. 2285; Pub. L. 100–17, title I, §146(a), Apr. 2, 1987, 101 Stat. 179; Pub. L. 104–59, title III, §322, Nov. 28, 1995, 109 Stat. 591.)

References in Text

The date of the enactment of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 100–17, which was approved Apr. 2, 1987.

The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, referred to in subsec. (d), is Pub. L. 91–190, Jan. 1, 1970, 83 Stat. 852, as amended, which is classified generally to chapter 55 (§4321 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4321 of Title 42 and Tables.

Amendments

1995—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 104–59 added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d).

1987—Pub. L. 100–17 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsecs. (b) and (c).

1975—Pub. L. 93–643 substituted “after he has been fully informed of his right to receive just compensation for the acquisition of his property” for “after he has been tendered the full amount of the estimated just compensation as established by an approved appraisal of the fair market value of the subject real property”.