10 U.S.C. § 427 — Conflict Records Research Center

(a) Center Authorized. The Secretary of Defense may set up a "Conflict Records Research Center." (b) Purposes. The Center exists to: (1) build a digital research database, including translations, of records captured from countries, organizations, and people who are or were hostile to the United States, respecting academic freedom and integrity; (2) make a significant share of these records available to researchers as quickly and responsibly as possible — while protecting national security information, personal information, and intelligence sources and methods, and considering the academic process and risks to innocent people or third parties; (3) conduct and share research and analysis to improve understanding of international relations, counterterrorism, and warfare, and ultimately strengthen national security; and (4) work with academic and national security communities, both in the U.S. and abroad, on research, conferences, seminars, and other exchanges to identify topics important to U.S. leaders and scholars. (c) Concurrence of the Director of National Intelligence. Whenever the Center's work involves the entities described in (b)(4), the Secretary of Defense must seek the Director of National Intelligence's agreement. (d) Support From Other United States Government Departments or Agencies. The head of any non-Defense-Department federal agency may provide services, including staff support, to help run the Center, and may transfer funds to the Secretary of Defense to support the Center. (e) Acceptance of Gifts and Donations. Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary of Defense may accept gifts or donations to help pay for or improve the Center's work, from: a state or local government; a foreign government; a foundation or charity, including a foreign one; or any private-sector source, U.S. or foreign. The Secretary may not accept a gift or donation if doing so would compromise, or appear to compromise, the Defense Department's, an employee's, or a service member's ability to do their job fairly and objectively, or the integrity of any Department program or person involved in it. The Secretary must issue written guidance on how to apply that rule to any proposed gift or donation. (f) Crediting of Funds Transferred or Accepted. Money transferred to, or accepted by, the Secretary of Defense under this section is credited to the Defense Department's appropriations for the Center and can be used for the same purposes, and under the same conditions and limits, as the funds it's merged with. Any such funds stay available until spent. (g) Definitions. A "captured record" means a document, audio file, video file, or other material captured during combat operations from countries, organizations, or people who are or were hostile to the United States. A "gift or donation" means any gift or donation of money, materials (including research materials), real or personal property, or services, including lecture and faculty services.