An Act to expand and extend the saline water conversion program being conducted by the Secretary of the Interior
PL 87-295 (H.R.7916), enacted 09/22/1961

628 
PUBLIC LAW 87-295-SEPT. 22, 1961 
[75 S T A T . 
Public Law 87-295 
AN ACT 
September 22, 1961 
[H. R. 7916] 
To expand and extend the saline water conversion program being conducted by 
tlie Secretary of the Interior. 
S a l i n e 
w a t e r 
c o n v e r s i o n pro-
gram. 
E xp a n sion and 
extension. 
"Saline water. 
"United States." 
Administration. 
R e s e a r c h 
and 
development. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and. House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the Act of 
July 3, 1952 (66 Stat. 328), as amended (42 U.S.C. 1951-1958), is 
further amended to read as follows: 
"SECTION 1. In view of the increasing shortage of usable surface 
and ground water in many parts of the Nation and the importance 
of finding new sources of supply to meet its present and future water 
needs, it is the policy of the Congress to provide for the development 
of practicable low-cost means for the large-scale j)roduction of water 
of a quality suitable for municipal, industrial, agricultural, and other 
beneficial consumptive uses from saline water, and for studies and 
research related thereto. 
As used in this Act, the term 'saline water' 
includes sea water, brackish water, and other mineralized or chemi-
cally charged water, and the term 'United States' extends to and in-
cludes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, 
and the territories and possessions of the United States. 
"SEC. 2. In order to accomplish the purposes of this Act, the Secre-
tary of the Interior shall— 
"(a) conduct, encourage, and promote fundamental scientific 
research and basic studies to develop the best and most economical 
processes and methods for converting saline water into water suit-
able for beneficial consumptive purposes; 
"(b) conduct engineering research and technical development 
work to determine, by laboratory and pilot plant testing, the 
results of the research and studies aforesaid in order to develop 
processes and plant designs to the point where they can be dem-
onstrated on a large and practical scale; 
"(c) recommend to the Congress from time to time authoriza-
tion for construction and operation, or for participation in the 
construction and operation, of a demonstration plant for any 
process which he determines, on the basis of subsections (a) and 
(b) above, has great promise of accomplishing the purposes of 
this Act, such recommendation to be accompanied by a report on 
the size, location, and cost of the proposed plant and the engineer-
ing and economic details with respect thereto; 
"(d) study methods for the recovery and marketing of com-
mercially valuable byproducts resulting from the conversion of 
saline water; and 
" (e) undertake economic studies and surveys to determine pres-
ent and prospective costs of producing water for beneficial con-
sumptive purposes in various parts of the United States by the 
leading saline water processes as compared with other standard 
methods. 
"SEC. 3. In carrying out his functions under section 2 of this Act, 
the Secretary may— 
"(a) acquire the services of chemists, physicists, engineers, and 
other personnel by contract or otherwise; 
"(b) enter into contracts with educational institutions, scien-
tific organizations, and industrial and engineering firms; 
"(c) make research and training grants; 
"(d) utilize the facilities of Federal scientific laboratories; 
"(e) establish and operate necessary facilities and test sites at 
which to carry on the continuous research, testing, development, 
and programing necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Act; 
75 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 87-295-SEPT. 22, 1961 
629 
"(f) acquire secret j)rocesses, technical data, inventions, patent 
applications, patents, licenses, land and interests in land (includ-
ing water rights), plants and facilities, and other property or 
rights by purchase, license^ lease, or donation; 
"(g) assemble and maintain pertinent and current scientific 
literature, both domestic and foreign, and issue bibliographical 
data with respect thereto; 
" (h) cause on-site inspections to be made of promising projects, 
domestic and foreign, and, in the case of projects located in the 
United States, cooperate and participate in their development in 
instances in which the purposes of this Act will be served thereby; 
"(i) foster and participate in regional, national, and interna-
tional conferences relating to saline water conversion; 
" (j) coordinate, correlate, and publish information with a view 
to advancing the development of low-cost saline water conversion 
projects; and 
"(k) cooperate with other Federal departments and agencies, 
with State and local departments, agencies, and instrumentalities, 
and with interested persons, firms, institutions, and organizations. 
"SEC. 4. (a) Research and development activities undertaken by 
the Secretary shall be coordinated or conducted jointly with the 
Department of Defense to the end that developments under this Act 
which are primarily of a civil nature will contribute to the defense of 
the Nation and that developments which are primarily of a military 
nature will, to the greatest practicable extent compatible with mili-
tary and security requirements, be available to advance the purposes 
of this Act and to strengthen the civil economy of the Nation. The 
fullest cooperation by and with Atomic Energy Commission, the 
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, the Department of 
State, and other concerned agencies shall also be carried out in the 
interest of achieving the objectives of this Act. 
"(b) All research within the United States contracted for, spon-
sored, cosponsored, or authorized under authority of this Act, shall 
be provided for in such manner that all information, uses, products, 
processes, patents, and other developments resulting from such re-
search developed by Government expenditure will (with such ex-
ceptions and limitations, if any, as the Secretary may find to be neces-
sary in the interest of national defense) be available to the general 
public. This subsection shall not be so construed as to deprive the 
owner of any background patent relating thereto of such rights as 
he may have thereunder. 
"SEC. 5. (a) The Secretary may dispose of water and byproducts 
resulting from his operations under this Act. All moneys received 
from dispositions under this section shall be paid into the Treasury 
as miscellaneous receipts. 
"(b) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to alter existing law 
Avith respect to the ownership and control of water, 
"SEC. 6. The Secretary shall make reports to the President and the 
Congress at the beginning of each regular session of the action taken 
or instituted by him under the provisions of this Act and of prospec-
tive action during the ensuing year. 
"SEC. 7. The Secretary of the Interior may issue rules and regula-
tions to effectuate the purposes of this Act. 
"SEC. 8. There are authorized to be appropriated such sums, to 
remain available until expended, as may be necessary, but not more 
than $75,000,000 in all, (a) to carry out the provisions of this Act 
during the fiscal years 1962 to 1967, 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 
Cooperation with 
Federal agencies. 
Information, etc., 
available to public. 
Water and by-
products, disposal. 
Reports to Presi-
dent and Congress. 
Rules 
lations. and regu-
A p p r o p r i a tion 
authorization. 
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PUBLIC LAW 87-296-SEPT. 22, 1961 
[75 STAT. 
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: Provided^ That 
funds available in any one year for research and development may, 
subject to the approval of the Secretary of State to assure that such 
activities are consistent with the foreign policy objectives of the 
United States, be expended in cooperation with public or private 
agencies in foreign countries in the development of processes useful 
foSgnTgencilLs!^ ^^ ^^® program in the United States: Arid provided further^ Tliat 
every such contract or agreement made with any public or private 
agency in a foreign country shall contain provisions effective to in-
sure that the results or information developed in connection therewith 
shall be available without cost to the United States for the use of the 
United States throughout the world and for the use of the general 
public within the United States." 
SEC. 2. Section 4 of the joint resolution of September 2, 1958 (72 
Stat. 1707; 42 U.S.C. 1958 (d)), is hereby amended to read: 
lantr""^"^"""" 
"The authority of the Secretary of the Interior under this joint 
Teminationof resolutlou to coustruct, Operate, and maintain demonstration plants 
authority. 
sh^U terminate upon the exj)iration of twelve years after the date on 
which this joint resolution is approved. 
Upon the expiration of a 
period deemed adequate for demonstration purposes for each plant, 
but not to exceed such twelve-year period, the Secretary shall proceed 
as promptly as practicable to dispose of any plants so constructed by 
sale to the highest bidder, or as may otherwise be directed by Act 
of Congress. Upon such sale, there shall be returned to any State or 
public agency which has contributed financial assistance under section 
3 of this joint resolution a proper share of the net proceeds of the 
sale." 
Approved September 22, 1961. 
Public Law 87-296 
September 22, 1961 
A N A C T 
*
• 
To further amend Reorganization Plan Numbered 1 of 1958, as amended, in 
order to change the name of the office established under such plan, and for 
other puri)oses. 
'Be it enacted hy the Seriate and House of Representatives 
of the 
n"^"ia° n-^"*'" ^^*^^^ Statss of America in Congress assembled^ That Reorganization 
^Tousc appV2^27i Plan Numbered 1 of 1958, as amended, is further amended by striking 
"°**- 
out "Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization" wherever appearing 
therein and inserting in lieu thereof "Office of Emergency Planning". 
SEC. 2. Any reference in any other law to the Office of Civil and 
Defense Mobilization shall, after the date of this Act, be deemed to 
refer to the Office of Emergency Planning. 
Approved September 22, 1961.