An Act to provide for the construction of distribution systems on authorized Federal reclamation projects by irrigation districts and other public agencies
PL 84-130 (H.R.103), enacted 07/04/1955

244 
PUBLIC LAW 129-JULY 1, 1955 
[69 ST A T . 
C 
ontribut ions. 
Assistance a n d 
advice> 
Pay; expenses. 
Expenditures. 
Appropriation. 
(3) endeavor particularly to formulate a method of tinancing 
the project on a self-liquidating basis; and 
(4) make a report to the President and to the Congress, to-
gether with its recommendations, by February 1,1956. 
(d) The Commission is authorized to accept in its discretion from 
any source, public or private, money and property to be used in carry-
ing out its functions under this Act. 
(e) The Commission is authorized to avail itself of the assistance 
and advice of the Commission of Fine Arts, the National Capital 
Planning Commission, the National Capital Regional Planning Coun-
cil, the Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia, the 
District of Columbia Recreation Board, and the District of Columbia 
Redevelopment Land Agency, which shall upon request render such 
assistance and advice. 
SEC. 2. (a) The members of the (Commission shall serve without 
compensation; but travel, subsistence, and other necessary expenses 
incurred by them in connection with the work of the Commission may 
be paid from any funds available for expenditure by the (Commission. 
(b) The Commission is authorized, within the limits of funds avail-
able to it, to employ and fix the compensation of such officers, experts, 
and other employees as may be necessary to carry out its functions, 
and to make such other expenditures as it may deem advisable in 
carrying out its functions. 
SEC. 3. Theie are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums, 
not to exceed $'25,000, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions 
of this Act. 
Approved July 1, 1955. 
July 1, 1955 
[H. R. 
" 
Public Law 129 
CHAPTER 261 
AN ACT 
^^^^•* 
To authorize certain sums to be appropriated immediately for the completion of 
the construction of the Inter-American Highway. 
Int e r-American 
Highway. 
Appropriation. 
68 Stat. 73. 
Post, 
p. 452. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of .Representatives of the 
United States 
of America 
in Congress assembled, That the sum 
authorized in section 7 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1954 
(68 Stat. 70) for the Inter-American Highway for each of the fiscal 
years ending June 30, 1957, 1958, and 1959, is hereby authorized for 
appropriation immediately, to be available until expended, and the 
additional sum of $25,730,0()() is hereby authorized for appropriation 
immediately, to be available until expended, for the purposes of and 
in accordance with the provisions of said section 7. 
Approved July 1, 1955. 
July 4, 1955 
[H.R. 103] 
Public Law 130 
CHAPTER271 
AN ACT 
To provide for the construction of distribution systems on authorized Federal 
reclamation projects by irrigation districts and other public agencies. 
Irrigation distri-
bution systems. 
43 u s e 371. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and Hmise of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That irrigation dis-
tribution systems avithorized to be constructed under the Federal 
reclamation laws may, in lieu of construction by the Secretary of the 
Interior (referred to in this Act as the "Secretary"), be constructed 
by irrigation districts or other public agencies according to plans and 
specifications approved by the Secretary as provided in this Act. 
69 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 130-JULY 4, 1955 
245 
SEC. 2. To assist financially in the construction of the aforesaid 
local irrigation distribution systems by irrigation districts and other 
public agencies the Secretary is authorized, on application therefor 
by such irrigation districts or other public agencies, to make funds 
available on a loan basis from moneys appropriated for the construc-
tion of such distribution systems to any irrigation district or other 
public agency in an amount equal to the estimated construction cost 
of such system, contingent upon a finding by the Secretary that the 
loan can be returned to the United States in accordance with the 
general repayment provisions of sections 2 (d) and 9 (d) of the 
Reclamation Project Act of August 4, 1939, and upon a showing that 
such district or agency already holds or can acquire all lands and 
interests in land (except public and other lands or interests in land 
owned by the United States which are within the administrative 
jurisdiction of the Secretary and subject to disposition by him) neces-
sary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the project. 
The Secretary shall, upon approval of the loan, enter into a repay-
ment contract which includes such provisions as the Secretary shall 
deem necessary and proper to provide assurance of prompt repay-
ment of the loan. 
The term "irrigation district or other public 
agency" shall for the purposes of this Act mean any conservancy 
district, irrigation district, w^ater users' organization, or other organ-
ization, which is organized under State law and which has capacity 
to enter into contracts with the United States pursuant to the Federal 
reclamation laws. 
SEC. 3. The Secretary shall require as a condition to any such loan, 
that the water users' organization contribute in money or materials, 
labor, lands, or interests in land, computed at their reasonable value, 
a portion, not in excess of ten per centum, of the construction cost of 
such project (including all costs of acquiring lands, and interests in 
land), and that the plans for the distribution system are in accord with 
sound engineering practices and will achieve the purposes for which 
the system was authorized. Organizations contracting for repayment 
of the loans shall operate and maintain such works in conformity with 
reasonable contractual requirements determined to be appropriate for 
the protection of the United States, and when full repayment has 
been made to the United States, the Secretary shall relinquish all 
claims under said contracts. Title to distribution works constructed 
pursuant to this Act shall at all times be in the contracting water users' 
organizations. In addition to any other authority the Secretary may 
have to grant rights-of-way, easements, flowage rights, or other inter-
ests in lands for project purposes, the Secretary or the head of any 
other executive department may sell and convey to any irrigation dis-
trict or other public agency at fair value lands and rights-of-way 
owned by the United States (other than lands being administered for 
national park, national monument, or wildlife purposes) which are 
reasonablv necessary to the construction, operation, and maintenance 
of an irrigation distribution system under the provFsions of this Act. 
No benefits or privileges under reclamation laws including repayment 
provisions shall be denied an irrigation distribution system because 
such system has been constructed pursuant to this Act. The provisions 
of this Act shall apply only to irrigation purposes, including inci-
dental domestic and stock water, and loans hereunder shall be interest 
free. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to repeal or limit the pro-
cedural and substantive requirements of section 8 of the Act of June 
17,1902. 
SEC. 4. Except as herein otherwise provided, the provisions of the 
Federal reclamation laws, and Acts amendatory thereto, are continued 
in full force and effect. 
Approved July 4, 1955. 
L o a n s for con-
struction. 
5 3 S t a t . 
1187,, 
1195. 
4 3 u s e 
4 8 5 a , 
485h. 
Conditions, 
32 Stat. 390. 
43 u s e 372,383. 
43 u s e 371.