An Act to provide for the disposal of federally owned property at obsolescent canalized waterways, and for other purposes
PL 84-996 (H.R.7596), enacted 08/06/1956

1062 
PUBLIC LAW 996-AUG. 6, 1956 
[70 STAT. 
Public Law 996 
CHAPTER 984 
August 6, 1956 
AN ACT 
[H. R. 7596] 
To provide for the disposal of federally owned property at obsolescent canalize^ 
waterways and for other purposes. 
Waterways, ca-
nalized. 
Disposition. 
Appropriations. 
Conveyance to 
local interests. 
Preference. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That, (a) whenever 
the Secretary of the Army, upon recommendation of the Chief of 
Engineers, determines that any of the following listed Federal project 
structures and appurtenances, including real property acquired there-
for, no longer economically serve the purpose for which they were 
constructed or acquired, such property may be disposed of in accord-
ance with the provisions of existing law: Upper White River, Arkan-
sas (three locks and dams); Big Sandy River, Kentucky (five locks 
and dams); Rough River, Kentucky (one lock and dam); Osage 
River, Missouri (one lock and dam); Muskingum River, Ohio (eleven 
locks and dams); Yamhill River, Oregon (one lock and dam); Con-
garee River, South Carolina (one lock and dam); Little Kanawha 
River, West Virginia (five locks and dams): Provided, That the pro-
visions of this section shall not be elffective with respect to the J3ig 
Sandy River, Kentucky, and the Rough River, Kentucky, pending 
and until a determination has been made by the Secretary of the Army 
that the project structures and appurtenances including real prop-
erty will not be required in connection with any improvements for 
navigation or other allied purposes under consideration in surveys ol 
the Big Sandy River and Rough River now authorized. 
(b) If any of the project structures and appurtenances (including 
real property) listed in subsection (a) will be rendered inoperable 
by flooding caused by current construction by the United States, dis-
posal of such structures and appurtenances under this Act shall be 
deferred so long as local interests defray the costs of maintenance and 
operation of such project structures and appurtenances (including 
real property) under arrangements satisfactory to the Secretary of 
the Army. 
SEC. 2. There is hereby authorized to be expended from appropria-
tions heretofore or hereafter made for civil functions administered 
by the Department of the Army, such funds as may be necessary to 
restore drainage and otherwise prepare the project structures for 
abandonment with a minimum of adverse effect on adjacent areas: 
Provided, That in lieu of preparing dam numbered 3 on the Big 
Sandy River for abandoning such funds may be expended for modi-
fication of the lock and restoration for said dam either as a movable 
or fixed type dam but not to (exceed $50,000, contingent upon local 
interests furnishing such additional funds as may be necessary and 
agreeing to accept the property and take over operation and mainte-
nance of the said structure. 
SEC. 3. The Administrator of General Services is hereby authorized 
to transfer or to convey by quitclaim deed to local interests defraying 
the cost (in whole or in part) of maintaining and operating such proj-
ect structures and appurtenances (including real property). States, 
political subdivisions thereof, adjacent property owners, or others, 
all or any part of the right, title, and interest of the United States 
in and to such property upon such terms and conditions as the Admin-
istrator may determine to be in the public interest, after making allow-
ance for any capital investment which local interests maintaining and 
operating such project structures and appurtenances (including real 
property) may nave made, regardless of any other provision of law: 
Provided, however, That preference shall be given first, to local inter-
ests who, on the date of enactment of this Act, are defraying the cost (in 
70 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 997-AUG. 6, 1956 
1063 
whole or in part) of maintaining and operating such project sti'uctures 
and appurtenances (including real property), and second to State or 
local governmental agencies, to acquire property not transferred to 
other Federal agencies. Providing that the provisions of this Act, 
relating to the Palestine Dam (lock and dam numbered 4) on the 
Little Kanawha River in West Virginia, be inoperative until such time 
as the Federal Government has reimbursed the State of West Virginia 
through its Conservation Commission, the sum of $20,000 to cover the 
cost of damage to the State-owned fish hatchery near Palestine, which 
was damaged by the failure of the Government to keep the dam in 
proper repair. 
Approved August 6, 1956. 
Palestine Dain. 
Public Law 997 
CHAPTER 985 
AN ACT 
To amend section 7 of the War Claims Act of 1948, with respect to claims of 
certain religious organizations functioning in the Philippine Islands. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 7 of 
the War Claims Act of 1948 (50 App. U. S. C, sec. 2006) is amended 
by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: 
"(h) (1) Any religious organization functioning in the Philippines 
and of the same denomination as a religious organization functioning 
in the United States which furnished relief (as described, and during 
the period designated, in subsection (a) of this section) in the Philip-
pines to members of the Armed Forces of the United States or to 
civilian American citizens shall be compensated from the War Claims 
Fund (A) for expenditures incurred, or for payment of the fair value 
of supplies used by such organization, for the purpose of furnishing 
such relief and (B) for loss and damage sustained as a consequence 
of the war to its schools, colleges, universities, scientific observatories, 
hospitals, dispensaries, orphanages, and other property or facilities 
connected with its educational, medical, or welfare work. 
No pay-
ments shall be made to any organization under this subsection if such 
organization has received an award under subsection (a) or (b) of 
this section, and no payments shall be made to any organization pur-
suant to clause (B) of this paragraph unless such organization has 
received an award for war damages from the Philippine War Damage 
Commission under the provisions of the Philippine Rehabilitation 
Act of 1946, as amended. 
"(2) The Commission is authorized to receive, determine accord-
ing to law, and provide for the payment of claims filed under this sub-
section. 
Each claim allowed by the Commission under this subsection 
shall be certified to the Secretary of the Treasury for payment out of 
the War Claims Fund. 
All payments under this subsection shall be 
made to an organization or individual in the United States designated 
by the claimant, and, in the case of claims under clause (B) of para-
graph (1) of this subsection such payments shall be used for the pur-
pose of restoring the educational, medical, and welfare facilities de-
scribed in such clause. 
"(3) Claims for benefits under this subsection must be filed within 
six months after the date of enactment of this subsection. 
The Com-
mission shall complete its determination with respect to each claim 
filed under this subsection at the earliest practicable date, but in no 
event later than one year after the date on which such claim was filed. 
August 6,1956 
[H. R. 6586] 
War Claims Act 
of 19 4 8, amend-
ments. 
62 Stat. 1245. 
R e l i g i o u s 
or-
ganizations In the 
Philippines. 
Cortq>ensation.. 
60 Stat. 128. 
5 0 u s e 
app. 
1751 note.