Public Law 643.

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70 Stat. 483 Public Law 643 chapter 492 AN ACT Relating to the administration by the Secretary of the Interior of section 9, subsections

(d)and (e), of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. July 2, 1956[[H. R. 101](/us/bill/84/hr/101)] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, That, in administering Reclamation projects. Administration of contracts. [43 USC 485h](/us/usc/t43/s485h). section 9 subsections

(d)and

(e)of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (53 Stat. 1187, 1195), the Secretary of the Interior shall—

(1)include in any long-term contract hereafter entered into under said subsection

(e)provision, if the other contracting party so requests, for renewal thereof under stated terms and conditions mutually agreeable to the parties. Such terms and conditions shall provide for an increase or decrease in the charges set forth in the contract to reflect, among other things, increases or decreases in construction, operation, and maintenance costs and improvement or deterioration in the party’s repayment capacity. Any right of renewal shall be exercised within such reasonable time prior to the expiration of the contract as the parties shall have agreed upon and set forth therein;

(2)include in any long-term contract hereafter entered into under said subsection

(e)with a contracting organization provision, if the organization so requests for conversion of said contract, under stated terms and conditions mutually agreeable to the parties, to a contract under subsection

(d)at such time as, account being taken of the amount credited to return by the organization as hereinafter provided, the remaining amount of construction cost which is properly assignable for ultimate return by it can probably be repaid to the United States within the term of a contract under said subsection (d);

(3)credit each year to every party which has entered into or which shall enter into a long-term contract pursuant to said subsection

(e)so much of the amount paid by said party on or before the due date as is in excess of the share of the operation and maintenance costs of the project which the Secretary finds is properly chargeable to that party. Credit for payments heretofore made under any such contract shall be established by the Secretary as soon after the enactment of this Act as it is feasible for him to do so. After the sum of such credits is equal to the amount which would have been for repayment by the party if a repayment contract under subsection

(d)had been entered into, which amount shall be established by the Secretary upon completion of the project concerned or as far in advance thereof as is feasible, no construction component shall be included in any charges made for the furnishing of water to the contracting party and any charges theretofore fixed by contract or otherwise shall be reduced accordingly;

(4)provide that the other party to any contract entered into pursuant to said subsection

(d)or to any long-term contract entered into pursuant to said subsection

(e)shall, during the term of the contract and of any renewal thereof and subject to fulfillment of all obligations thereunder, have a first right (to which right the rights of the holders of any other type of irrigation water contract shall be subordinate) to a stated share or quantity of the project’s available water supply for beneficial use on the irrigable lands within the boundaries of, or owned by, the party and a permanent right to such share or quantity upon completion of payment of the amount assigned for ultimate return by the party subject to payment of an appropriate share of such 70 Stat. 484 costs, if any, as may thereafter be incurred by the United States in its operation and maintenance of the project works; and

(5)provide for payment of rates under any contract entered into pursuant to said subsection

(e)in advance of delivery of water on an annual or semiannual basis as specified in the contract.

(6)include a reasonable construction component in the rates set out in any long-term contract hereafter entered into under said subsection

(e)prior to amortization of that part of the cost of constructing the project which is assigned to be repaid by the contracting party. Sec. 2. Contract amendments. The Secretary is hereby authorized to negotiate amendments to existing contracts entered into pursuant to section 9, subsection (e), [43 USC 485h](/us/usc/t43/s485h). of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939 to conform said contracts to the provisions of this Act. Sec. 3. “Long-term contract”. As used in this Act, the term “long-term contract” shall mean any contract the term of which is more than ten years. Sec. 4. Effectivity. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as affecting or intended to affect or to in any way interfere with the laws of any State relating to the control, appropriation, use, or distribution of water used in irrigation, or any vested right acquired thereunder, and the Secretary in carrying out the provisions of this Act, shall proceed in conformity with such laws, and nothing herein shall in any way affect any right of any State or of the Federal Government or of any landowner, appropriator, or user of water in to, or from any interstate stream or the waters thereof: *Provided*, That the right to the use of water acquired under the provisions of this Act shall be appurtenant to the land irrigated and beneficial use shall be the basis, the measure, and the limit of the right. Sec. 5. This Act shall be a supplement to the Federal reclamation [43 USC 371 note](/us/usc/t43/s371). laws (Act of June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 388, and Acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto). Approved July 2, 1956. Public Law 644: To amend the Act entitled “An Act to recognize the high public service rendered by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and means of transmission of yellow fever”, approved February 28, 1929, by including therein the name of Gustaf E. Lambert. Public Law 644 Public Law 644 70 Stat. 484 1956-07-02 United States Government Publishing Office text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2026-02-10 84 2 public Public Law 644 chapter 493 AN ACT To amend the Act entitled “An Act to recognize the high public service rendered by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and means of transmission of yellow fever”, approved February 28, 1929, by including therein the name of Gustaf E. Lambert. July 2, 1956[[H. R. 5590](/us/bill/84/hr/5590)] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*, Walter Reed, associates. Gustaf E. Lambert. That the Act entitled “An Act to recognize the high public service rendered by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and means of transmission of yellow fever”, approved February 28, 1929 (45 Stat. 1409), is hereby amended by inserting after the name of John J. Moran, wherever it appears in such Act, the name of Gustaf E. Lambert. Sec. 2. Benefits. No benefits shall be paid by reason of the amendment made by this Act for any period prior to the date an application therefor is filed with the Veterans’ Administration after the date of enactment of this Act and payment of any such benefits shall be made by the Veterans’ Administration. Approved July 2, 1956. Public Law 645: To amend title IX of the District of Columbia Revenue Act of 1937, as amended. Public Law 645 Public Law 645 70 Stat. 485 1956-07-02 United States Government Publishing Office text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Digitization Vendor 2026-02-10 84 2 public

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