An Act to authorize appropriations for the saline water conversion program for fiscal year 1969, and for other purposes.
PL 90-297 (S.2912), enacted 04/29/1968

110 
PUBLIC LAW 90-297-APR. 29, 1968 
[82 STAT. 
Panel circuit 
and district 
judges. 
Judicial review. 
62 Stat. 944. 
Rules of con-
duct. 
28 u s e app. 
Exemption. 
"Antitrust 
laws." 
and conclusions of law based upon such record. Orders of transfer and 
such other orders as the panel may make thereafter shall be filed in the 
office of the clerk of the district court of the transferee district and shall 
be effective when thus filed. The clerk of the transferee district court 
shall forthwith transmit a certified copy of the panel's order to transfer 
to the clerk of the district court from which the action is being trans-
ferred. An order denying transfer shall be filed in each district wherein 
there is a case pending in which the motion for transfer has been made. 
"(d) The judicial panel on multidisitrict litigation shall consist of 
seven circuit and district judges designated from time to time by the 
Chief Justice of the United States, no two of whom shall be from the 
same circuit. The concurrence of four members shall be necessary to 
anv action by the panel. 
(e) No proceedings for review of any order of the panel may be 
j)ermitted except by extraordinary writ pursuant to the provisions of 
title 28, section 1651, United States Code. Petitions for an extraordinary 
writ to review an order of the panel to set a transfer hearing and 
other orders of the panel issued prior to the order either directing or 
denying transfer shall be filed only in the court of appeals having 
jurisdiction over the district in which a hearing is to be or has been 
held. Petitions for an extraordinary writ to review an order to transfer 
or orders subsequent to transfer shall be filed onl^ in the court of 
appeals having jurisdiction over the transferee district. There shall be 
no appeal or review of an order of the panel denying a motion to 
transfer for consolidated or coordinated proceedings. 
"(f) The panel may prescribe rules for the conduct of its business 
not inconsistent with Acts of Congress and the Federal Rules of Civil 
Procedure. 
"(g) Nothing in this section shall apply to any action in which the 
United States is a complainant arising under the antitrust laws. 'Anti-
trust laws' as used herein include those acts referred to in the Act of 
October 15, 1914, as amended (38 Stat. 730; 15 U.S.C. 12), and also 
include the Act of June 19,1936 (49 Stat. 1526; 15 U.S.C. 13,13a, and 
13b) and the Act of September 26,1914, as added March 21, 1938 (52 
Stat. 116, 117; 15 U.S.C. 56); but shall not include section 4A of the 
Act of October 15,1914, as added July 7,1955 (69 Stat. 282; 15 U.S.C. 
15a)." 
SEC. 2. The analysis to chapter 87 of title 28, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting the following new section: 
"1407. Multidistrict litigation." 
after 
"1406. Cure or waiver of defects." 
Approved April 29, 1968. 
April 29, 1968 
[S.2912] 
Saline water 
conversion pro-
gram. 
Appropriations. 
75 Stat. 629; 
81 Stat. 78. 
Public Law 90-297 
AN ACT 
To autliorize appropriations for the saline water conversion program for fiscal 
year 1960, and for other purixtses. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of RepTesentatiees 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 8 of the 
Saline Water Conversion Act (66 Stat. 328), as amended (42 U.S.C. 
1951 et seq.) is further amended to read as follows: 
"SE(^. 8. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums, to 
remain available until expended, as may be specified in annual appro-
82 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 90-298-APR. 29, 1968 
111 
priation authorization acts (a) to carry out the provisions of this Act 
during the fiscal years 1962 to 1972, inclusive; (b) to finance, for not 
more than two years beyond the end of said period, such grants, con-
tracts, cooperative agreements, and studies as may theretofore have 
been undertaken pursuant to this act; and (c) to finance, for not more 
than three years beyond the end of said period, such activities as are 
required to correlate, coordinate, and round out the results of studies 
and research undertaken pursuant to this Act. Effective July 1, 1968, 
Foreign commit-
no new commitments shall be made under authority of this Act for ^onl^' '"^^*""' 
cooperation with public or private agencies in foreign countries which 
require the expenditure of funds appropriated pursuant to this Act, 
but funds so appropriated shall be available to carry out commitments 
made before said date." 
SEC. 2. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the pro-
visions of the Saline Water Conversion Act (66 Stat. 328), as amended 
(42 U.S.C. 1951 et seq.), during fiscal year 1969 the sum of $24,556,000 
as follows: 
(a) Research and development operating expenses, not more than 
$17,274,000; 
(b) Design, construction, acquisition, modification, operation, and 
maintenance of saline water conversion test beds and test facilities, not 
more than $4,292,000; 
(c) Design, construction, acquisition, modification, operation, and 
maintenance of saline water conversion modules, not more than 
$1,175,000; and 
(d) Administration and coordination, not more than $1,815,000: 
Provided^ That expenditures and obligations under any of these items 
except the last may be increased by not more than ten per centum if 
such increase is accompanied by an equal decrease in expenditures and 
obligations under one or more of the other items, including the last. 
SEC, 3. In addition to the sums authorized to be appropriated by this 
Act, the Secretary may utilize any funds previously appropriated for 
this program which are not obligated on June 30, 1968, subject to the 
dollar limitations applicable to the fiscal year 1968 program. 
Approved April 29, 1968. 
Public Law 90-298 
AN ACT 
April 29, 1968 
To amend provisions of the Shipping Act, 1916, to authorize the Federal Maritime 
[H. R. 9473] 
Commission to permit a common carrier by water in foreign commerce or con-
ference of such carriers to refund a ix»rti<>n of the freight charges. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 18(b) 
vesseu 
of the Shipping Act, 1916 (46 U.S.C. 817 (b)), is amended by changing 
the period at the end of subsection (3) thereof to a colon and adding 
the following proviso: '"''Provided^ however^ That the Federal Maritime 
Commission may in its discretion and for good cause shown permit 
a common carrier by water in foreign commerce or conference of such 
carriers to refund a portion of freight charges collected from a shipper 
or waive the collection of a portion of the charges from a shipper where 
it appears that there is an error in a tariff of a clerical or administrative 
nature or an error due to inadvertence in failing to file a new^ tariff and 
that such refund or waiver will not result in discrimination among 
shippers: Provided 
further^ That the common carrier by water in 
foreign commerce or conference of such carriers has, prior to applying 
for authority to make refund, filed a new tariff with the Federal Mari-
time Commission which sets forth the rate on which such refund or 
Freight charges 
75 Stat. 754.