Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary of the Navy may charge a person a fee for providing the person with information from the United States Naval Historical Center or the Marine Corps Historical Center that is requested by that person.

A fee may not be charged under this section—

(1) to a person for information that the person requests to carry out a duty as a member of the armed forces or an officer or employee of the United States; or

(2) for a release of information under section 552 of title 5.

A fee charged for providing information under this section may not exceed the cost of providing the information.

Amounts received under subsection (a) for providing information from the United States Naval Historical Center or the Marine Corps Historical Center in any fiscal year shall be credited to the appropriation or appropriations charged the costs of providing information to the public from that historical center during that fiscal year.

In this section:

(1) The term “United States Naval Historical Center” means the archive for historical records and materials of the Navy that the Secretary of the Navy designates as the primary archive for such records and materials.

(2) The term “Marine Corps Historical Center” means the archive for historical records and materials of the Marine Corps that the Secretary of the Navy designates as the primary archive for such records and materials.

(3) The terms “officer of the United States” and “employee of the United States” have the meanings given the terms “officer” and “employee”, respectively, in sections 2104 and 2105, respectively, of title 5.

(Added Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title X, § 1085(b)(1)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–288, § 7582; renumbered § 8782, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(d)(9), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1837.)