54 U.S.C. § 306101 — Assumption of responsibility for preservation of historic property

(a) In General. (1) Agency head responsibility. The head of each federal agency is responsible for preserving any historic property the agency owns or controls. (2) Use of available historic property. Before buying, building, or leasing a building for its work, a federal agency must, as much as it reasonably can, use historic property it already has available, following Executive Order No. 13006. (3) Necessary preservation. Each federal agency must do whatever preservation work is needed to carry out this chapter, in a way that fits with preserving historic property, the agency's mission, and the professional standards described in subsection (c). (b) Guidelines for Federal Agency Responsibility for Agency-Owned Historic Property. Working with the Council, the Secretary must issue guidelines spelling out federal agencies' responsibilities under this subchapter — except for section 306108. (c) Professional Standards for Preservation of Federally Owned or Controlled Historic Property. The Secretary, working with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Defense, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Administrator of General Services, must set professional standards for preserving historic property that the federal government owns or controls.