40 USC § 3174 - Operation of public utility communications services serving governmental activities

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t40/s3174"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "40 USC § 3174 - Operation of public utility communications services serving governmental activities"
title_number: 40
title_name: "PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PROPERTY, AND WORKS"
section_number: "3174"
section_name: "Operation of public utility communications services serving governmental activities"
chapter_number: 31
chapter_name: "GENERAL"
subchapter_number: "VI"
subchapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS"
part_number: "A"
part_name: "GENERAL"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1155.)"
---


# § 3174. Operation of public utility communications services serving governmental activities

The Administrator of General Services may provide and operate public utility communications services serving any governmental activity when the services are economical and in the interest of the Federal Government. This section does not apply to communications systems for handling messages of a confidential or secret nature, the operation of cryptographic equipment or transmission of secret, security, or coded messages, or buildings operated or occupied by the United States Postal Service, except on request of the department or agency concerned.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1155.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3174 | 40:295. | June 14, 1946, ch. 404, § 7, 60 Stat. 258. |

The words “Administrator of General Services” are substituted for “Commissioner of Public Buildings” because of section 103(a) of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (ch. 288, ), which is restated as section 303(c) [303(b)] of the revised title. The words “in and outside the District of Columbia” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “United States Postal Service” are substituted for “Post Office Department” because of section 6() of the Postal Reorganization Act (, ).