An Act to amend the reclamation laws to provide that excess lands acquired by foreclosure or inheritance may receive water temporarily for 5 years
PL 84-690 (H.R.6643), enacted 07/11/1956

524 
PUBLIC LAW 690-JULY 11, 1956 
[70 S T A T . 
Report to C o n -
gress. 
Auditing and ac-
counting. 
for which an appropriation is made, such appropriation to be dis-
persed on voucher to be approved by the Chairman of the House 
delegation and the Chairman of the Senate delegation. 
SEC. 3. The United States Group of the North Atlantic Treaty 
Parliamentary Conference shall submit to the Congress a report for 
each fiscal year for which an appropriation is made, including its 
expenditures under such appropriation. 
SEC. 4. The certificate of the Chairman of the House delegation and 
the Senate delegation of the North Atlantic Treaty Parliamentary 
Conference shall hereafter be final and conclusive upon the accounting 
officers in the auditing of the accounts of the United States Group 
of the North Atlantic Treaty Parliamentary Conference. 
Approved July 11, 1956. 
July 11, 1956 
[H. R. 6643] 
Public Law 690 
CHAPTER 563 
AN ACT 
To amend the reclamation laws to provide that excess lands acquired by fore-
closure or inheritance may receive water temporarily for five years. 
Excess lands. 
Receipt of water 
temporarily. 
43 u s e 423e. 
43 u s e 371 note. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of AmeHca in Congress assembled^ That section 46 of 
the Omnibus Adjustment Act of May 25,1926 (44 Stat. 649; 48 U. S. C. 
423 (e)) is amended by adding thereto after the words "land involved 
in such fraudulent sales:" and before the words ^''Provided 
further'' 
the following: '"''Promded^ hoioever^ That if excess land is acquired by 
foreclosure or other process of law, by conveyance in satisfaction of 
mortgages, by inheritance, or by devise, water therefor may be fur-
nished temporarily for a period not exceeding five years from the effec-
tive date of such acquisition, delivery of water thereafter ceasing until 
the transfer thereof to a landowner duly qualified to secure water 
therefor:". 
SEC. 2. Section 3 of the Act of August 9, 1912 (37 Stat. 266; 43 
U. S. C. 544), is amended by deleting that portion reading "but any 
such excess land acquired at any time in good faith by descent, by w^ill, 
or hy foreclosure of any lien may be held for two years and no longer 
after its acquisition;" and adding in lieu thereof "but any such excess 
land acquired by foreclosure or other process of law, by conveyance 
in satisfaction of mortgages, by inheritance, or by devise, may be held 
for five years and no longer after its acquisition, and water may be 
temporarily furnished during that time;". 
SEC. 3. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized, upon request 
of any holder of an existing contract under the Federal reclamation 
laws (Act of June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 388, and Acts amendatory thereof 
or supplementary thereto), to amend the contract to conform to the 
provisions of sections 1 and 2 of this Act. 
Approved July 11, 1956. 
Public Law 691 
CHAPTER 564 
July 11,1956 
AN ACT 
[H. R. 6850] 
^^ create an academic advisory board for the United States Merchant Marine 
Academy. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
i?ld'em°"* Marine United States of America in Congress assembled^ That Public Law 
'^?..^I"^i.. w_-.^ 
214, Eightieth Congress (61 Stat. 401), be amended to read as follows: 
"The Secretary of Commerce may appoint an advisory board to the 
Ac 
Advisory board, 
46 u s e 1126d. 
70 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 692-JULY 11, 1956 
525 
United States Merchant Marine Academy consisting of not more than 
seven persons of distinction in education and other fields relating to 
the purposes of the academy, who shall serve without pay. 
Members 
of the advisory board shall be appointed for terms of not to exceed 
three years and may be reappointed. 
The Secretary of Commerce 
shall, in June of each year, appoint one of the members to serve as 
chairman. 
The members so appointed shall visit the academy at least 
once during the academic year on the call of the chairman and may 
convene once each year in Washington, at the call of the Maritime 
Administrator, for the purpose of examining the course of instruction 
and the management of the academy and advising the Maritime Ad-
ministrator, with a copy of such advice to the superintendent, relative 
thereto. The expenses of the board while engaged in these duties, 
E-^penses. 
including the expense of travel, shall be defrayed under Government 
travel regulations from any appropriation for the authorized work 
of the Maritime Administration." 
Approved July 11, 1956. 
Public Law 692 
CHAPTER 565 
AN ACT 
July 11. 1956 
To transfer certain responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior to the Public 
'
^ 
^ 
Housing Commissioner and the Secretary of Agriculture, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemoled, That the authority, 
xl-^mi'fer of re-
functions, obligations, and documents relating to Puerto Rican hur- fponsibiiities ire-
ricane relief loans to individual coffee planters, coconut planters, RICO."^ *° "'*'*'' 
fruitgrowers, or other agriculturists (45 Stat. 1067, and 45 Stat. 1627, 
as modified by 49 Stat. 926 and 49 Stat. 928), heretofore transferred 
to the Division of Territories and Island Possessions, Department of 
the Interior, pursuant to the public resolution of June 3, 1935 (49 
Stat. 320), and to the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to Reorgani-
zation Plan Numbered 3 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1262), are hereby trans-
ferred to the Secretary of Agriculture. 
The authority of the Secre-
tary of Agriculture described in the Act of December 20, 1944, and 
f 
| ^ | ^ ^^^^Q ^^ 
in section 41 (g) of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, as seg. 
amended (7 U. S. C, sec. 1015 (g)), is hereby extended, as additional 
^«""' P- ^O^. 
authority, to apply to the obligations and documents transferred by 
this section. 
SEC. 2. The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized to sell to ^io^n^s!Pu°rtoRII^ 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico the obligations and documents 
transferred to him by section 1 hereof, for such consideration as may 
be consistent with the purposes of the resolution of Congress creating 
the Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Commission. 
SEC. 3. There are hereby transferred to the Public Housing Com- Ap^aAments! ^ ' * ° 
missioner all right, title, and interest, including contractual rights and 
reversionary interests, held by the Federal Government in and with 
respect to the apartment development in San Juan, Puerto Rico, known 
as the Falansterio Apartments, heretofore administered by the Secre-
tary of the Interior. All of the powers, duties, and responsibilities of co^n!i?iVs'io"e"f'"^ 
the Secretary of the Interior under the private sales contract executed 
Powers, etc." 
on July 1, 1948, by the United States, represented by the Assistant 
Administrator of the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration, and 
the Cooperative Association of the Falansterio, and transferred to the 
Secretary of the Interior pursuant to Reorganization Plan Numbered 
3 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1262), are hereby transferred to the Public Housing 
Commissioner. 
If, under the terms of the private sales contract or