Joint resolution approving the constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico which was adopted by the people of Puerto Rico on March 3, 1952
PL 82-447 (H.J.Res.430), enacted 07/03/1952

66 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 447-JULY 3, 1952 
327 
Public Law 447 
CHAPTER 567 
JOINT RESOLUTION 
j ^ , ^ 3 ^^^^ 
Approving the constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico which was 
[H.j.Res. 430] 
adopted by the people of Puerto Rico on March 3, 1952. 
Whereas the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the organization of 
a constitutional government by the people of Puerto Rico", approved 
July 3, 1950. was adopted by the Congress as a compact with the 
people of Puerto Rico, to become operative upon its approval by 
the people of Puerto Rico: and 
AVhereas the people of Puerto Rico overwhelmingly approved such 
Act in a referendum held on June 4.1951, and a constitution for the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was drafted by a constitutional con-
vention held as provided by such Act from September 17, 1951, to 
February 6, 1952; and 
Whereas such constitution was adopted by the people of Puerto Rico, 
by a vote of three hundred seventy-four thousand six hundred and 
forty-nine to eighty-two thousand nine hundred and twenty-three, 
in a referendum held on March 3,1952; and 
Whereas the President of the United States has declared that the con-
stitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico conforms fully with 
the applicable provisions of such Act of July 3, 1950, and of the 
Constitution of the United States, that it contains a bill of rights, 
and provides for a republican form of government, and has trans-
mitted the constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to the 
Congress for its approval; and 
Whereas the Congress has considered the constitution of the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico and has found it duly to conform to the above 
requirements: Therefore be it 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled^ That the constitution of 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico which was drafted by the selected 
delegates to the Constitutional Convention of Puerto Rico and 
adopted by the people of Puerto Rico in a referendum of March 
3, 1952, in accordance with the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the 
organization of a constitutional government by the people of Puerto 
Rico", approved July 3, 1950 (64 Stat. 319; 48 U. S. C, sees. 731b^ 
73 le), is hereby approved by the Congress of the United States, 
except section 20 of article I I of said constitution: Provided^ That sec-
tion 5 of article I I thereof shall have no force and effect until amended 
by the people of Puerto Rico under the procedure prescribed by article 
VII of the constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico by add-
ing to such section 5 the following declaration: "Compulsory attend-
ance at elementary public schools to the extent permitted by the facili-
ties of the state as herein provided shall not be construed as applicable 
to those who receive elementary education in schools established under 
n.ongovernmental auspices": Provided 
further^ That except for the 
purpose of adopting the amendments to section 5 of article II and to 
section 3 of article VII as herein provided, article VII of said con-
stitution likewise shall have no force and effect until amended by the 
people of Puerto Rico under the terms of gaid article by adding to 
section 3 of article VII the following new sentence: "Any amendment 
or revision of this constitution shall be consistent with the resolution 
enacted by the Congress of the United States approving this constitu-
tion, with the applicable provisions of the Constitution of the United 
States, with the Puerto Rican Federal Relations Act, and with Public 
39 stat. 951. 
Law 600, Eighty-first Congress, adopted in the nature of a compact": 
48use'731 note, 
And provided further^ That the constitution of the Commonwealth 
73ib.73ie. 
of Puerto Rico hereby approved shall become effective when the Con-
Puerto Rico. 
328 
PUBLIC LAW 448-JULY 3, 1952 
[66 S T A T . 
stittitional Convention of Puerto Rico shall have declared in a formal 
resolution its acceptance in the name of the people of Puerto Rico of 
the conditions of approval herein contained, and when the Governor 
of Puerto Rico, being duly notified by the proper officials of the Con-
stitutional Convention of Puerto Rico that such resolution of accept-
ance has been formally adopted, shall issue a proclamation to that 
effect. 
Approved July 3, 1952. 
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: i 
July 3. 1952 
[H. R. 6578] 
Public Law 448 
CHAPTER 568 
AN ACT 
To provide for research into and development of practical means for the econom-
ical production, from sea or other saline waters, of water suitable for agri-
cultural, industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses, and 
for other purposes. 
Water research 
and development. 
Authority of Sec-
retary of Interior. 
Be it encLcted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America m Congress assembled, That, in view of 
the acute shortage of water in the arid areas of the Nation and 
elsewhere and the excessive use of underground waters throughout 
the Nation, it is the policy of the Congress to provide for the develop-
ment of practicable low-cost means of producing from sea water, or 
from other saline waters, water of a quality suitable for agriculture, 
industrial, municipal, and other beneficial consumptive uses on a 
scale sufficient to determine the feasibility of the development of such 
production and distribution on a large-scale basis, for the purpose of 
conserving and increasing the water resources of the Nation. 
SEC. 2. In order to carry out the purposes of this Act, the Secre-
tary of the Interior, acting through such agencies of the Department 
of the Interior as he may deem appropriate, is authorized— 
(a) by means of research grants and contracts as set forth in 
subsection (d) of this section to conduct research and technical 
development work, to make careful engineering studies to ascer-
tain the lowest investment and operating costs, and to determine 
the best plant designs and conditions of operation; 
(b) to study methods for the recovery and marketing of byprod-
ucts resulting from and incident to the production of water as 
herein provided for the purpose of ascertaining the possibilities 
of offsetting the costs of water production in any area by the 
commercial utilization of such products; 
(c) to acquire, by purchase, license, lease, or donation, secret 
processes, technical data, inventions, patent applications, patents, 
licenses, land and any interest in land (including water rights, 
easements, and leasehold interests), plants and facilities, and other 
property or rights: Provided, That the land or other property 
acquired hereunder shall not exceed that necessary to carry on 
the experiments and demonstrations for the purposes herein 
provided; 
(d) to engage, by noncompetitive contract or otherwise, chem-
^ 
ists, physicists, engineers, and such other personnel as may be 
deemed necessary, knd any educational institution, scientific 
' 
organization, or industrial or engineering firm deemed suitable to 
do any part of the research or other work, and to the extent appro-
, 
priate to correlate and coordinate the research and development 
work of such educational institutions, scientific organizations and 
industrial and engineering firms; and