---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 9632"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "9632"
heading: "Corporate powers"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/9632"
units:
  - "Chapter 103 — Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development"
  - "Subchapter III — Administrative and General Provisions"
---

# §9632. Corporate powers

- (a) **In general—** The [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6)—
  - (1) may adopt, alter, and use a seal, to include an identifiable symbol of the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1);
  - (2) may make and perform such contracts, including no-cost contracts (as defined by the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6)), grants, and other [agreements](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7) notwithstanding division C of subtitle I of [title 41](/usc/41.md), with any person or government however designated and wherever situated, as may be necessary for carrying out the functions of the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6);
  - (3) may lease, purchase, or otherwise acquire, improve, and use such real property wherever situated, as may be necessary for carrying out the functions of the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6), except that, if the real property is for the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6)’s own occupancy, the lease, purchase, acquisition, improvement, or use of the real property shall be entered into or conducted in consultation with the [Administrator](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=1) of General Services;
  - (4) may accept cash gifts or donations of services or of property (real, personal, or mixed), tangible or intangible, for the purpose of carrying out the functions of the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6);
  - (5) may use the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) mails in the same manner and on the same conditions as the Executive departments (as defined in [section 101 of title 5](/usc/5/101.md));
  - (6) may contract with individuals for personal services, who shall not be considered Federal [employees](/usc/22/4341.md?p=1) for any provision of law administered by the Director of the [Office](/usc/22/2214a.md?p=9) of Personnel Management;
  - (7) may hire or obtain passenger motor vehicles;
  - (8) may sue and be sued in its corporate name;
  - (9) may acquire, hold, or dispose of, upon such terms and conditions as the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6) may determine, any property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest in such property, except that, in the case of real property that is for the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6)’s own occupancy, the acquisition, holding, or disposition of the real property shall be conducted in consultation with the [Administrator](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=1) of General Services;
  - (10) may lease [office](/usc/22/2214a.md?p=9) space for the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6)’s own use, with the obligation of amounts for such lease limited to the current fiscal year for which payments are due;
  - (11) may indemnify directors, officers, [employees](/usc/22/4341.md?p=1), and agents of the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6) for liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with their activities on behalf of the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6);
  - (12) notwithstanding any other provision of law, may represent itself or contract for representation in any legal or arbitral proceeding;
  - (13) may exercise any priority of the Government of the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) in collecting debts from bankrupt, insolvent, or decedents’ estates;
  - (14) may collect, notwithstanding [section 3711(g)(1) of title 31](/usc/31/3711.md?p=g-1), or compromise any obligations assigned to or held by the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6), including any legal or equitable rights accruing to the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6);
  - (15) may make arrangements with [foreign](/usc/22/3146.md?p=1) governments (including agencies, instrumentalities, or political subdivisions of such governments) or with multilateral organizations or institutions for sharing liabilities;
  - (16) may sell [direct investments](/usc/22/3146.md?p=1) of the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6) to private investors upon such terms and conditions as the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6) may determine; and
  - (17) shall have such other powers as may be necessary and incident to carrying out the functions of the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6).
- (b) **Treatment of property—** Notwithstanding any other provision of law relating to the acquisition, handling, or disposal of property by the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1), the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6) shall have the right in its discretion to complete, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, maintain, operate, or sell any property acquired by the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6) pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, except that, in the case of real property that is for the [Corporation](/usc/22/7702.md?p=6)’s own occupancy, the completion, reconditioning, reconstruction, renovation, repair, maintenance, operation, or sale of the real property shall be conducted in consultation with the [Administrator](/usc/22/277d–43.md?p=1) of General Services.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 115–254, div. F, title III, § 1432, Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3500; Pub. L. 119–60, div. H, title LXXXVII, § 8752, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1964.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this division”, meaning division F of Pub. L. 115–254, Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3485, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of division F to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 9601 of this title and Tables.

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a)(10). Pub. L. 119–60 struck out “until the expiration of the current lease under predecessor authority, as of the day before October 5, 2018” after “payments are due”.