Exchange or sale authority

In this section, the term “qualified item of personal property” means— Except as provided in subsection (c), notwithstanding chapter 5 of subtitle I of title 40, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, in managing personal property for the purpose of carrying out the research functions of the Department, may exchange, sell, or otherwise dispose of any qualified item of personal property, including by way of public auction, and may retain and apply the sale or other proceeds, without further appropriation and without fiscal year limitation, in whole or in partial payment— Subsection (b) does not apply to the free dissemination of new varieties of seeds and germplasm in accordance with section 2201 of this title.