An Act to extend the Renegotiation Act of 1951 for 2 years
PL 84-216 (H.R.4904), enacted 08/03/1955

69 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 216-AUG. 3, 1955 
44T 
expended, as the Secretary may direct, for payment of expenses 
incident to the function toward the administration of which the 
contributions were made and for refunds to contributors of amounts 
contributed by them in excess of their appropriate share of such 
expenses, as determined by the Secretary. 
SEC. 7. The Secretary of the Interior may issue such regulations as 
may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this 
Act, including regulations providing for the protection of the surface 
and other nonmineral values of lands disposed of under this Act 
whenever any mineral rights reserved to the United States are exer-
cised by it or under its authority. 
SEO. 8. All moneys realized under the provisions of this Act, except 
moneys received under the provisions of section 6, shall be deposited 
in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. 
Approved August 3, 1955. 
Regulations. 
Public Law 216 
CHAPTER 499 
AN ACT 
To extend the Renegotiation Act of 1951 for two years. 
August 3, 1955 
[H. R. 4904] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That subsection (a) 
of section 102 of the Renegotiation Act of 1951 (50 U. S. C, App., 
sec. 1212 (a)) is hereby amended by striking out "December 31, 1954" 
and inserting in lieu thereof "December 31, 1956". 
SEC. 2. (a) Subsection (d) of section 102 of the Renegotiation Act 
of 1951 (50 U. S. C, App., sec. 1212 (d)) is hereby amended by 
inserting after "title" each place it appears "or would be subject to 
this title except for the provisions of section 106 (a) (8)". 
(b) The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to con-
tracts with the Departments and subcontracts only to the extent of 
the amounts received or accrued by a contractor or subcontractor after 
December 31,1953. 
SEC. 3. (a) Section 106 (a) (8) of such Act (50 U. S. C, App., sec. 
1216 (a) (8)) is hereby amended as follows: 
(1) By inserting after "a standard commercial article" in the first 
sentence thereof "or a standard commercial service"; 
(2) By inserting after "such article" each place it appears in the 
first and second sentences thereof "or such service"; 
(3) By striking out "and" at the end of subparagraph (C) ; 
(4) By redesignating subparagraph (D) to be subparagraph (G); 
and 
(5) By inserting after subparagraph (C) the following: 
"(D) the term 'service' means any processing or other operation 
performed by chemical, electrical, physical, or mechanical methods 
directly on materials owned by another person; 
"(E) the term 'standard commercial service' means a service which 
is customarily performed by more than two persons for general 
civilian industrial or commercial requirements, or is reasonably com-
parable with a service so performed; 
"(F) the term 'reasonably comparable' means of the same or a 
similar kind, performed with the same or similar materials, and 
having the same or a similar result, without necessarily involving 
identical operations; and". 
(b) The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to con-
tracts with the Departments and subcontracts only to the extent of 
R e n e g o t iation 
Act of 1951, exten-
sion. 
68 Stat. 1116. 
65 Stat. 8. 
68 Stat. 1117. 
448 
PUBLIC LAW 217-AUG. 3, 1955 
[69 S T A T , 
63 Stat. 570. 
12 u s e 
1748 et 
10. 
u s e 
apP-
65 Stat 
5 0 
1213. 
Joint eommittee 
o n Internal 
R e v-
enue Taxation. 
study. 
Report. 
6 8 A Stat. 
928. 
2 6 u s e 
8023. 
the amounts received or accrued by a contractor or subcontractor after 
December 31,1953. 
SEC. 4. (a) Section 106 (a) of such Act (50 U. S. C , App., sec. 
1216 (a)) is hereby amended— 
(1) by striking out the period at the end of paragraph (8) 
and inserting in lieu thereof "; or"; and 
(2) by adding at the end thereof a new paragraph as follows: 
"(9) any contract, awarded as a result of competitive bidding, 
for the construction of any building, structure, improvement, or 
facility, other than a contract for the construction of housing 
financed with a mortgage or mortgages insured under the pro-
visions of title VIII of the National Housing Act, as now or here-
after amended." 
(b) The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply only to 
contracts with the Departments made after December 31, 1954. 
SEC. 5. (a) Section 106 (c) (2) of such Act (50 U. S. C, App., 
sec. 1216 (c) (2)) is hereby amended to read as follows: 
•'(2) DEFINITIONS.—For the purpose of this subsection, the term 
'durable productive equipment' means machinery, tools, or other pro-
ductive equipment, which has an average useful life of more than 
five years." 
(b) The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply only with 
respect to fiscal years (as defined in section 103 (h) of the Renegotia-
tion Act of 1951) ending on or after June 30, 1953. 
SEC. 6. (a) The Joint Committee on Internal Revenue Taxation, 
or any duly authorized subcommittee thereof, is hereby authorized 
and directed to make a complete study in order to determine— 
(1) whether there is any necessity of extending the Renegoti-
ation Act of 1951 beyond December 31, 1956; and 
(2) if any such further extension is found necessary, the extent 
to which renegotiation of Government contracts should apply 
after such date. 
(b) The Joint Committee shall, not later than May 31, 1956, report 
to the Senate and the House of Representatives the results of the 
study conducted pursuant to this section, together with such recom-
mendations as it deems necessary or desirable. 
(c) For the purpose of making the study and report required by 
this section, the Joint Committee, and the Chief of Staff of the Joint 
Committee, may exercise any of the powers conferred upon the Joint 
Committee and the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee by sections 
9 2 7, 8021 and 8023 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. The provisions 
8021, of section 8023 (b) of such Code shall apply to requests made under 
the authority of this subsection to the same extent as in the case of 
other requests made under the authority of section 8023 (a) of such 
Code. 
Approved August 3, 1955. 
Public Law 217 
CHAPTER 500 
August 3, 1955 
^N ACT 
[H. R. 6980] 
Providing for tlie conveyance of tlie Old Colony project to the Boston Housing 
Authority. 
Old Colony proj-
ect, Boston, Mass. 
Conveyance. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America 
in Congress assembled^ That, notwith-
standing the provisions of any other law, the Housing and Home 
Finance Administrator is authorized and directed to sell and convey 
all right, title, and interest of the United States (including any off-site