10 USC § 3131 - Availability of appropriations

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s3131"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 3131 - Availability of appropriations"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "3131"
section_name: "Availability of appropriations"
chapter_number: 207
chapter_name: "BUDGETING AND APPROPRIATIONS"
part_number: "V"
part_name: "ACQUISITION"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 97–258, § 2(b)(3)(B), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1052, § 2361; renumbered § 2351 and amended Pub. L. 100–370, § 1(g)(1), July 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 846; renumbered § 3131 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §§ 1809(b), 1883(b)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4161, 4294; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(d)(1), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2136.)"
---


# § 3131. Availability of appropriations

**(a)** Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense for research and development remain available for obligation for a period of two consecutive years.

**(b)** Funds appropriated to the Department of Defense for research and development may be used—

**(1)** for the purposes of section 4141 of this title; and

**(2)** for purposes related to research and development for which expenditures are specifically authorized in other appropriations of the Department of Defense.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 97–258, § 2(b)(3)(B), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1052, § 2361; renumbered § 2351 and amended Pub. L. 100–370, § 1(g)(1), July 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 846; renumbered § 3131 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §§ 1809(b), 1883(b)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4161, 4294; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(d)(1), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2136.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2361 | 31:649c(2). | Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, § 40(2), 70A Stat. 636; Nov. 17, 1971, Pub. L. 92–156, § 201(b), 85 Stat. 424. |

The words “Unless otherwise provided in the appropriation Act concerned” are omitted as unnecessary and for consistency. The word “Funds” is substituted for “moneys” for consistency in title 10.

### 1988 Act

Subsection (a) is based on .

Subsection (b) is based on , , , 1205.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021—, renumbered  as this section.

Subsec. (b)(1). , which directed the substitution of “section 4141” for “section 2353”, could not be executed because of the intervening amendment by . See note below.

, substituted “section 4141” for “section 2353”.

1988— renumbered  as section 2351, designated such provisions as subsec. (a), and added subsec. (b).

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2021 Amendment

Amendment by  to take effect immediately after the amendments made by title XVIII of  have taken effect, see , set out in a note preceding  and note below.

Amendment by  effective , with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see , set out as a note preceding .