This chapter provides guidance for the handling of lost and found articles, including monies, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The policy in this chapter applies to all NIH owned and leased facilities.

Articles lost and found on the NIH Campus located at 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, Maryland are handled in accordance with 45 CFR, Part 3, Conduct of Persons and Traffic on the National Institutes of Health Federal Enclave. Articles lost and found on all other NIH owned and leased facilities are handled in accordance with 41 CFR, Part 102-41, Disposition of Seized, Forfeited, Voluntarily Abandoned, and Unclaimed Personal Property.

It is the policy of the NIH to handle lost and found articles, including monies (U.S. and Foreign currency), in accordance with Federal regulations outlined in 45 CFR, Part 3 and 41 CFR, Part 102-41.

1. Division of Police (DP) – The DP, located within the Office of Research Services (ORS), is responsible for ensuring Police Officers handle lost and found articles in compliance with 45 CFR, Part 3.
2. Employees – People who work at NIH owned or leased facilities are responsible for turning over found articles to the appropriate security official(s) on NIH owned or leased facilities.
3. Facility Manager – This role exists at off campus buildings and is responsible for notifying occupants about articles found and the location of the main guard station for pick up.
4. Police Officers/Contract Security Officers – Police Officers at NIH owned facilities and Contract Security Officers at leased facilities are responsible for the proper handling of lost and found articles.
5. Project Officer – The individual responsible for ensuring contract security personnel handle lost and found articles in compliance with 41 CFR, Part 102-41.
6. Property Custodian – The individual responsible for maintaining records of incoming and outgoing property. The DP Property Custodian tracks the time that found items are held and determines which unclaimed items can be disposed of in accordance with the General Services Administration (GSA) regulations.

1. Submitting Lost/Found Articles and Monies
   1. Campus
      1. Lost/Found articles may be kept on-site for up to 30 days by the appointed person for the building, Institute or Center. After 30 days, or if there is no one appointed to handle them in the location where found, the articles must be turned over to the Division of Police (DP).
      2. Lost monies should be reported and turned into the DP immediately.
      3. The DP can be contacted at 301-496-5685. The central location for Lost/Found articles is Building 31, Room B3B17.
   2. Non-Campus Facilities/Non-GSA Leased
      1. If the facility has established local lost and found procedures, those procedures should be followed. For those facilities that do not have such established procedures, found articles should be reported to the building's Contract Security Officer, if available. If neither established procedures are in place, nor a contract security officer is available, the Campus Emergency Communications Center (ECC) should be contacted (301-496-5685). The ECC will dispatch an NIH police officer who will retrieve, log, and submit the found item(s) according to the above procedures. Attempts to locate and notify property owners, along with the disposal of unclaimed property, will be handled consistent with normal on- campus procedures.
   3. Non-Campus Facilities/GSA-Leased
      1. Security services at all General Services Administration (GSA) leased facilities are provided by the Federal Protective Services (FPS). Responsibilities include the collection and management of any lost and found items at these facilities. All NIH personnel at GSA leased facilities should contact the FPS office at your facility for proper procedures concerning lost and found items.
2. Claiming Articles and Monies
   1. Campus
      1. Lost articles and monies can be claimed at the building, Institute or Center if they have not been turned into the DP. If the lost articles or monies have been turned into the DP, the police can be contacted by going to Building 31, Room B3B17 or by calling 301-496-5685. Claimants will be required to properly identify the article and themselves to the officer on duty.  Usually security/police/official business transactions require a Government-issued ID with photo such as, driver’s license, Federal Government ID/employee badge, etc.
   2. Non-Campus Facilities/Non-GSA-Leased
      1. Lost articles can be claimed at the established location stated in the local lost and found procedures. If these procedures do not exist for your facility, please contact the Contract Security Office, who will hold the items for up to 30 days, or the DP on Campus if there is no Contract Security Office. After 30 days, or if there are no local procedures or a Contract Security Officer, the article can be claimed at the main office for the NIH Division of Police (Building 31, Room B3B17, 301-496-5685). Lost monies can be claimed on-site, on the day the monies were lost. After the first day, monies can be claimed at the main office for the NIH Division of Police (Building 31, Room B3B17, 301-496-5685).  Claimants will be required to properly identify the article and themselves to the officer or guard on duty.  Usually security/police/official business transactions require a Government-issued ID with photo such as, driver’s license, Federal Government ID/employee badge, etc.
   3. Non-Campus Facilities/GSA-Leased
      1. Security services at all GSA- leased facilities are provided by the Federal Protective Services (FPS). Their responsibilities include the collection and management of any lost and found items at these facilities. All NIH personnel at GSA leased facilities should contact the FPS office to understand the lost and found procedures.
3. Retention and Disposition of Lost and Found Articles and Monies
   1. Campus
      1. All articles (except monies) will be held for a total of one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the date the item was turned in. The DP Property Custodian will review his or her records to determine which found items can be disposed of in accordance with the GSA regulations.  A final attempt will be made to contact the owner to retrieve his/her property prior to disposal.  Unclaimed items will be handled in accordance with GSA regulations (41 CFR 102-410).
      2. Monies (U.S. and Foreign Currency) will be held by the DP for a period of seven (7) days. If not claimed within seven (7) days, the DP will turn over to the Cashier Branch, Commercial Accounts Branch (CAB), Financial Operations Division (FOD), Office of Financial Management (OFM), Building 10, Room 1-1608 MSC2056, phone 301-496-2654. The NIH Cashier will accept these funds and give a receipt to the DP Property Custodian.
      3. No claims can be accepted after the DP turns the lost monies over to the Cashier Branch, CAB, FOD, OFM. 
      4. Note: Unclaimed lost/found funds that are delivered to the cashier by the DP are deposited to the U.S. Treasury via the U.S. Department of the Treasury online system, and are classified/processed as a Miscellaneous Receipt to the US Treasury General Account.
   2. Non-Campus Facilities/Non-GSA Leased
      1. If the articles are not claimed within 30 days of being turned in, they will be transferred to the DP at the Bethesda campus. All lost and found articles (except monies) will be held for a total of one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days from the date that the items were turned in. The DP Property Custodian will review the records to determine which found items can be disposed of in accordance with the General Services Administration (GSA) regulations. A final attempt will be made to contact the owner to retrieve his/her property prior to disposal.
      2. Unclaimed items will be disposed of in accordance with GSA regulations (41 CFR 102-41).
      3. Monies (U.S. and Foreign Currency), if found or turned in as lost property, will be held by the DP for a period of seven (7) days. If not claimed by the owner within seven (7) days, money will be turned over to the Cashier Branch, CAB, FOD, OFM, Building 31, B1B23 MSC 2056, phone 301-496-1407. The NIH Cashier will accept these funds and give a receipt to the DP Property Custodian. No claims can be accepted after the DP turns the lost monies over to the Cashier Branch.
      4. Note: Unclaimed lost/found funds that are delivered to the cashier by the DP are deposited to the U.S. Treasury via the U.S. Department of the Treasury online system, and are classified/processed as a Miscellaneous Receipt to the US Treasury General Account.
   3. Non-Campus Facilities/GSA-Leased
      1. Security services at all General Services Administration (GSA) leased facilities are provided by the Federal Protective Services (FPS). This includes the collection and management of any lost and found items at these facilities. All NIH personnel at GSA leased facilities should contact the FPS office for proper procedures concerning retention and disposition of items.

1. 45 CFR, Part 3, Conduct of Persons and Traffic on the National Institutes of Health Federal Enclave
2. 41 CFR, Part 102-41, Disposition of Seized, Forfeited, Voluntarily Abandoned, and Unclaimed Personal Property
3. NIH Manual Chapter 1743, Keeping and Destroying Records, Appendix 1, NIH Records Control Schedule

1. Campus - Synonym of ‘enclave’ as defined in H.3: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) “Campus” comprised of 318 acres of Federal property located in Bethesda, Maryland.
2. Contract Security Officer - Individual(s) whose law enforcement services are secured by contract.
3. Enclave - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) “Campus” comprised of 318 acres of Federal property located in Bethesda, Maryland.
4. Facility Managers - Individuals who manage day to day operations of NIH buildings and serve as liaisons between landlords and tenants, as well as ICs and service providers. They ensure that service level agreements are met and that occupant concerns are addressed.
5. Non-Campus Facilities/Non-GSA Leased - NIH owned or leased facilities not located at 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda Maryland.
6. Non-Campus Facilities/GSA Leased - Facilities used by NIH that are leased through or by the GSA. Security at all of these facilities is provided and managed by the GSA through the FPS.
7. Police Officer - Uniformed or non-uniformed individual(s) appointed by the NIH Director under Title 40 United States Code section 1315; any other Federal law enforcement officer; or any other individual appointed upon request or deputization from a State or local law enforcement agency.
8. Project Officer - The individual responsible for monitoring compliance with security services contract specifications.
9. Property Custodian - The individual responsible for maintaining records of incoming and outgoing property.
10. Security Officials - Anyone responsible for security (police or guards) at an NIH owned or leased location.