An Act to authorize works for development and furnishing of water supplies for waterfowl management, Central Valley project, Calif., and for other purposes
PL 83-674 (H.R.4213), enacted 08/27/1954

68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 674-AUG. 27, 1954 
879 
SEC. 2. No money paid to Indians under this Act shall be subject 
to any lien or claim of attorneys or other persons. Before any pay-
ment is made under this Act, the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians 
of Minnesota shall, in such manner as may be prescribed by the Secre-
tary of the Interior, ratify and accept the provisions of this Act. 
SEC. 3. Payments made under this Act shall not be held to be "other 
income and resources" as that term is used in sections 2 (a) (7), 402 
(a) (7), and 1002 (a) (8) of the Social Security Act, as amended 
(U. S. C, 1946 edition, title 42, sees. 302 (a) (7), 602 (a) (7), and 
1202 (a) (8)). 
Appiroved August 27, 1954. 
49Stat. 620, 627. 
64 Stat. 553. 
Public Law 674 
CHAPTER 1012 
AN ACT 
To authorize works for development and furnishing of water supplies for 
waterfowl management, Central Valley project, California, and for other 
purposes! 
August 27, 1954 
[H. R. 4213] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep'resentatives of the 
United Staten of America in Congress assembled^ That the entire 
Central Valley project, California, heretofore authorized under the 
Act of August 26, 1937 (50 Stat. 844, 850), and reauthorized under 
the Act of October 17, 1940 (54 Stat. 1198, 1199), the Act of October 
14, 1949 (63 Stat. 852), and the Act of September 26, 1950 (64 Stat. 
1036), is hereby reauthorized and declared to be for the purposes set 
forth in said Acts, and also for the use of the waters thereof for fish 
and wildlife purposes, subject to such priorities as are applicable 
under said Acts. 
SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to construct, 
operate, and maintain such works on waterfowl management areas 
and refuges owned and operated by the State of California or the 
United States as may be necessary or desirable for the development 
of a water supply by means of wells and the recovery of drainage, 
and to furnish water available from such works, and water available 
from Central Valley project sources, for wildlife management pur-
poses substantially in accordance with the recommendations set forth 
in the report of the United States Department of the Interior entitled 
"Waterfowl Conservation in the Low^er San Joaquin Valley, Its 
Relation to the Grasslands and the Central Valley Project," dated 
October 1950, and such works should be developed in cooperation 
with the State of California. 
SEC. 3. The cost of investigation, planning, and construction of 
the works and the delivery of water as authorized in section 2 of 
this Act shall not be reimbursable or returnable under the Federal 
reclamation laws (Act of June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 388, and the Acts 
amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto). 
SEC. 4. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such funds, 
not to exceed $400,000, for construction of necessary works to supply 
water for State and federally owned and operated waterfowl man-
agement areas in the San Joaquin Valley to carry out the purposes of 
this Act. 
SEC. 5. Works constructed under the authorization of section 2, for 
the purpose of supplying State wildlife management areas with 
water, shall become the property of the State of California when 
constructed. 
SEC. 6. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to contract for 
the delivery of water to public organizations or agencies for use 
within the boundaries of such organizations or agencies for water-
Central V a l l e y 
project, Calif. 
R e author 
iz at 
ion., 
Water supply de^' 
velopment works. 
43 u s e 371. 
Appropri atioiu 
Ownership. 
Water contracts. 
880 
PUBLIC LAW 675-AUG. 27, 1954 
[68 ST AT. 
California law. 
fowl purposes in the Grasslands area of the San Joaquin Valley. If 
and when available, such water shall be delivered from the Central 
Valley project at a charge not to exceed the prevailing charge for 
class 2 water. 
SEC. 7. The use of all water furnished by the Secretary of the 
Interior under section 2 and section 6 of this Act shall be subject to 
and not inconsistent with the laws of the State of California relating 
to priorities of deliveries and use of water. Nothing contained in 
this Act shall be construed as an allocation of water. 
Approved August 27, 1954. 
August 27, 1954 
[H. R. 4690] 
Public Law 675 
CHAPTER 1013 
AN ACT 
To provide for the erection of appropriate marlters in national cemeteries to 
honor the memory of members of the Armed Forces missing in action. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congriess assembled. That the Secretary 
of the Interior and the Secretary of the Army shall set aside, when 
available, suitable plots in the national cemeteries under their juris-
diction to honor the memory of members of the Armed Forces missing 
in action, and shall, under regulations to be jointly prescribed by 
them, permit the erection of appropriate markers thereon in honor 
of any such member or group of members. 
Approved August 27, 1954. 
Public Law 676 
CHAPTER 1014 
August 27, 1954 
[H. R. 6223] 
AN ACT 
To amend section 87 of the National Defense Act of June 3, 1916, as amended 
(32 U. S. C. 47), to relieve the States from accountability and pecuniary liability 
for property lost, damaged, or destroyed except in cases where it shall appear 
that the loss, damage, or destruction of the property was due to carelessness 
or negligence or could have been avoided by the exercise of reasonable care. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
3
^
9 statf 2^4.*"** United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 87 of 
the National Defense Act of June 3, 1916, as amended (32 U. S. C. 
47), is amended to read as follows: 
"DISPOSITION A N D REPLACEMENT OF DAMAGED PROPERTY, AND SO FORTH 
"SEC. 87. All military property issued to the National Guard and Air 
National Guard as herein provided shall remain the property of the 
United States. Whenever any such property issued to the National 
Guard or Air National Guard in any State, Territory, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia shall have been 
lost, damaged, or destroyed, or become unserviceable or unsuitable by 
use in service or from any other cause, it shall be examined by a dis-
interested surveying officer of the United States Army, United States 
Air Force, or the National Guard or Air National Guard detailed by 
the appropriate Secretary, and the report of such surveying officer 
shall be forwarded to the appropriate Secretary or to such officer as 
he shall designate to receive such reports. 
The appropriate Secretary 
or his designated representative is hereby authorized to relieve the 
State, Territory, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the District 
of Columbia from further accountability and pecuniary liability for