An Act relating to the administration by the Secretary of the Interior of section 9, subsections (d) and (e), of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939
PL 84-643 (H.R.101), enacted 07/02/1956

70 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 6 4 3 - J U L Y 2, 1966 
483 
Public Law 643 
CHAPTER 492 
AN ACT 
juiyj. 19,56 
Relating to the administration by the Secretary of the Interior of section 9, 
[H. R. 101] 
R e e l a m s t i o n 
projects! 
subsections (cl) and (e), of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That, in administer-
ing section 9, subsections (d) and (e) of the Eeclamation Project Act ""AdministraUon 
of 1939 (53 Stat. 1187, 1195), the Secretary of the Interior shall— 
"^Tusc'^sh 
(1) include in any long-term contract hereafter entered into 
under said subsection (e) provision, if the other contracting party 
so requests, for renewal thereof under stated terms and conditions 
mutually agreeable to the parties. 
Such terms and conditions 
shall provide for an increase or decrease in the charges set forth 
in the contract to reflect, among other things, increases or decreases 
in construction, operation, and maintenance costs and improve-
ment or deterioration in the party's repayment capacity. 
Any 
right of renewal shall be exercised within such reasonable time 
prior to the expiration of the contract as the parties shall have 
agreed upon and set forth therein; 
(2) include in any long-term contract hereafter entered into 
under said subsection (e) with a contracting organization provi-
sion, if the organization so requests, for conversion of said con-
tract, under stated terms and conditions mutually agreeable to 
the parties, to a contract under subsection (d) at such time as, 
account being taken of the amount credited to return by the 
organization as hereinafter provided, the remaining amount of 
construction cost which is properly assignable for ultimate return 
by it can probablj^ be repaid to the United States within the term 
of a contract under said subsection (d); 
(3) credit each year to every party which has entered into 
or which shall enter into a long-term contract pursuant to said 
subsection (e) so much of the amount paid by said party on or 
before the due date as is in excess of the share of the operation 
and maintenance costs of the project which the Secretary finds 
is properly chargeable to that party. Credit for payments here-
tofore made under any such contract shall be established by the 
Secretary as soon after the enactment of this Act as it is feasible 
for him to do so. After the sum of such credits is equal to the 
amount which would have been for repayment by the party if a 
repayment contract under subsection (d) had been entered into, 
which amount shall be established by the Secretary upon com-
pletion of the project concerned or as far in advance thereof 
as is feasible, no construction component shall be included in any 
charges made for the furnishing of water to the contracting party 
and any charges theretofore fixed by contract or otherwise shall 
be reduced accordingly; 
(4) provide that the other party to any contract entered into 
pursuant to said subsection (d) or to any long-term contract 
entered into pursuant to said subsection (e) shall, during the 
term of the contract and of any renewal thereof and subject to ful-
fillment of all obligations thereunder, have a first right (to which 
right the rights of the holders of any other type of irrigation 
water contract shall be subordinate) to a stated share or quantity 
of the project's available water supply for beneficial use on the 
irrigable lands within the boundaries of, or owned by, the party 
and a permanent right to such share or quantity upon com-
pletion of payment of the amount assigned for ultimate return 
by the party subject to payment of an appropriate share of such 
484 
PUBLIC LAW 644-JULY 2, 1956 
[70 ST A T . 
Contract amenclk 
mentst 
43 u s e 485h. 
"Long-term con-
tract". 
Effect! vity. 
43USC 371 note. 
costs, if any, as may thereafter be incurred by the United States 
in its operation and maintenance of the project works; and 
(5) provide for payment of rates under any contract entered 
into pursuant to said subsection (e) in advance of delivery of 
water on an annual or semiannual basis as specified in the contract. 
(6) include a reasonable construction component in the rates 
set out in any long-term contract hereafter entered into under 
said subsection (e) prior to amortization of that part of the cost 
of constructing the project which is assigned to be repaid by the 
contracting party. 
SEC. 2. The Secretary is hereby authorized to negotiate amendments 
to existing contracts entered into pursuant to section 9, subsection (e), 
of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to conform said contracts to 
the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 3. As used in this Act, the term "long-term contract" shall mean 
any contract the term of which is more than ten years. 
SEC. 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting or in-
tended to affect or to in any way interfere with the laws of any State 
relating to the control, appropriation, use, or distribution of water 
used in irrigation, or any vested right acquired thereunder, and the 
Secretary in carrying out the provisions of this Act, shall proceed in 
conformity with such laws, and nothing herein shall in any way affect 
any right of any State or of the Federal Government or of any land-
owner, appropriator, or user of water in, to, or from any interstate 
stream or the waters thereof: Provided^ That the right to the use of 
water acquired under the provisions of this Act shall be appurtenant 
to the land irrigated and beneficial use shall be the basis, the measure, 
and the limit of the right. 
SEC. 5. This Act shall be a supplement to the Federal reclamation 
laws (Act of June 17,1902, 32 Stat. 388, and Acts amendatory thereof 
or supplementary thereto). 
Approved July 2, 1956. 
July 2, 1956 
[H. R. 5590] 
Public Law 644 
CHAPTER 493 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act entitled "An Act to recognize the high public service rendered 
by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the 
cause and means of transmission of yellovp fever", approved February 28, 1929, 
by including therein the name of Gustaf E. Lambert. 
Walter Reed* as-
sociates. 
Gustaf E. Lam-
bert* 
Benefits. 
Be it enacted hy the Semite and House of Representatives 
of the 
United /States of Ainerica in Conor ess assembled^ That the Act entitled 
"An Act to recognize the high puolic service rendered by Major Walter 
Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and 
means of transmission of yellow fever", approved February 28, 1929 
(45 Stat. 1409), is hereby amended by inserting after the name of John 
J. Moran, wherever it appears in such Act, the name of Gustaf E. 
I^mbert. 
SEC. 2. No benefits shall be paid by reason of the amendment made 
by this Act for any period prior to the date an application therefor 
is filed with the Veterans' Administration after the date of enactment 
of this Act and payment of any such benefits shall be made by the 
Veterans' Administration. 
Approved July 2, 1956.