declaration of taking has been filed, and a deposit of the amount estimated to be just compensation has been made, under the first section of the Act of February 26, 1931 (46 Stat. 1421), providing for such declarations. Unless title is in dispute, the courts, upon application, shall promptly pay to the owner at least 75 per centum of the amount so deposited, but such payment shall be made without prejudice to any party to the proceeding. Property acquired under this section may be occupied, used, and improved for the purposes of this section prior to the approval of title by the Attorney General as required by section 355 of the Revised Statutes, as amended.

SEC. 5. Whenever the Secretary of the Army, Navy, or Air Force determines that it is necessary to lease any land held by the United States on or near a ́military reservation or installation to effectuate the purposes of this Act, he may lease such land upon such terms and conditions as will, in his opinion, best serve the national interest.

SEC. 6. The Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force or their designees are authorized to assign quarters in any housing acquired under this Act to military personnel in the same manner and to te same extent as other public quarters are so assigned.

SEC. 7. The Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force are authorized, upon a determination that such action is necessary in order to effectuate the purposes of this Act, to procure by negotiation or otherwise the services of experts and consultants (including architects and engineers), or organizations thereof under such arrangements as they may deem desirable without regard to the civil service and classification laws, to compensate any individuals so procured at rates not in excess of $50 per day, and to pay travel expenses of such individuals, including actual transportation costs and per diem allowances in lieu of subsistence while traveling to and from their respective homes or places of business and the official duty station as may be authorized in travel orders or letters of appointment. Such services may include the development of plans, drawings, and specifications for housing and related facilities under the authority of this Act and for other services in connection therewith, including inspection of construction.

(b) The procurement of services in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section may include provisions for advances or progress payments, for payment by third parties, for payment by the Government of any such compensation as is not paid for by third parties. Provision may be made for reimbursement by third parties or from mortgage funds to the Government pursuant to this section, and other provisions may be made for compensation. All reimbursement paid to the Government on account of payments made pursuant to this section, or other sections of this Act, shall be credited to the appropriations or funds against which such payments were charged. Any public works appropriations now or hereafter available to the Departments of the Army, Navy, or Air Force may be obligated by the respective Departments for these purposes.

SEC. 8. (a) There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of sections 3 through 7 of this Act. (b) Any funds heretofore or hereafter authorized to be expended by any of the military departments for the payment of allowances for quarters for military personnel may be used for the purposes specified in subsection (a) above.

[S. 1524, 84th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To authorize the extension of credit to assist municipalities, or other political subdivisions of States, to finance vitally needed public works

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SHORT TITLE

SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Public Facilities Loan Act of 1955".

DECLARATION OF POLICY

SEC. 2. It has been the policy of the Congress to assist wherever possible the States and their political subdivisions to provide the services and facilities essential to the health and welfare of the people of the United States.

62736-55——2

The Congress finds that in many instances municipalities, or other political subdivisions of States, which seek to provide essential public works or facilities, are unable to raise the necessary funds at reasonable interest rates.

It is the purpose of this Act to authorize the extension of credit to assist in the provision of certain essential public works or facilities by municipalities, or other political subdivisions of States, where such credit is not otherwse available on reasonable terms and conditions.

CREATION OF CORPORATION

SEC. 3 There is hereby created a body corporate to be known as the Public Facilities Credit Corporation (hereinafter referred to as the "Corporation"). The principal office of the Corporation shall be located in the District of Columbia, but the Corporation may establish branch offices in places other than the District of Columbia.

MANAGEMENT OF CORPORATION

SEC. 4. (a) The Housing and Home Finance Administrator (hereinafter referred to as the "Administrator") shall serve as Administrator of the Corporation.

(b) To assist the Administrator in the execution of the functions vested in the Corporation, there shall be a Deputy Administrator who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and who shall receive compensation at a rate per annum of $1,000 in excess of the highest rate payable under the Classification Act of 1949, as amended. The Deputy Administrator shall perform such duties as the Administrator may from time to time designate, and shall be acting Administrator and perform the functions of the Administrator during the absence or disability of the Administrator or in the event of a vacancy in the office of the Administrator.

FUNCTIONS OF CORPORATION

SEC. 5. (a) The Corporation is authorized to purchase the securities and obligations of, or make loans to, municipalities and other political subdivisions of States, public agencies, and instrumentalities of one or more municipalities or other political subdivisions of States, and public corporations, boards, and commissions established under the laws of any State, to finance specific public projects under State or municipal law. No such purchase or loan shall be made for payment of ordinary governmental or nonproject operating expenses.

(b) The powers granted in subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to the following restrictions and limitations:

(1) No financial assistance shall be extended under this section unless the financial assistance applied for is not otherwise available on reasonable terms, and all securities and obligations purchased and all loans made under this section shall be of such sound value or so secured as reasonably to assure retirement or repayment, and such loans may be made either directly or in cooperation with banks or other lending institutions through agreements to participate or by the purchase of participations or otherwise.

(2) No securities or obligations shall be purchased, and no loans shall be made, including renewals or extensions thereof, which have maturity dates in excess of forty years.

(c) In the processing of applications for financial assistance under this section the Administrator shall give priority to applications of smaller municipalities for assistance in the construction of basic public works (including works for the storage, treatment, purification, or distribution of water; sewage, sewage treatment, and sewer facilities; and gas distribution systems) for which there is an urgent and vital public need. As used in this section, a "smaller municipality" means an incorporated or unincorporated town, or other political subdivision of a State, which had a population of less than ten thousand inhabitants at the time of the last Federal census.

FINANCING

SEC. 6. (a) The Corporation shall have capital stock of $100,000,000 subscribed by the United States. Payment for such capital stock shall be subject to call at any time in whole or in part by the Administrator and, for the purpose of making such payment, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to use as a

public debt transaction the proceeds from the sale of any securities issued under the Second Liberty Bond Act, as amended, and the purposes for which securities may be issued under such Act are extended to include purchases of the Corporation's capital stock issued hereunder. Certificates evidencing stock ownership by the United States shall be issued by the Corporation to the President of the United States or to such other person or persons as he may designate from time to time. Net earnings of the Corporation after reasonable provision for possible losses shall be used for payment of dividends on capital stock. Any such dividends shall be deposited into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. (b) In order to finance its activities, the Corporation is authorized and empowered to issue to the Secretary of the Treasury, from time to time and to have outstanding at any one time, in an amount not exceeding $500,000,000, its notes, debentures, bonds, or other obligations. Such obligations shall have maturities agreed upon by the corporation and the Secretary of the Treasury, not in excess of fifty years. Such obligations may be redeemable at the option of the Corporation before maturity in such manner as may be stipulated in such obligations, but the obligations thus redeemable shall not be refinanced by the Corporation. Each such obligation shall bear interest at a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration the current average rate of current marketable obligations of the United States of comparable maturities as of the last day of the month preceding the issuance of the obligation of the corporation. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to purchase any obligations of the Corporation to be issued hereunder and for such purpose the Secretary of the Treasury is authoribed to use as a public debt transaction the proceeds from the sale of any securities issued under the Second Liberty Bond Act, as amended, and the purposes for which securities may be issued under such Act are extended to include purchases of the Corporation's obligations issued hereunder. (c) The proceeds of the sale of its capital stock and any funds borrowed by it under this Act shall constitute a revoling fund which may be used by the Corporation in the exercise of its functions.

(d) Section 101 of the Government Corporation Control Act, as amended (31 U. S. C. 846), is amended by inserting after "Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation;" the words "Public Facilities Credit Corporation".

CORPORATE POWERS

SEC. 7. (a) For the purpose of carrying out its functions under this Act the Corporation—

(1) shall have succession in its corporate name;

(2) may adopt and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noticed; (3) may sue and be sued in its corporate name;

(4) may adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws, rules, and regulations governing the manner in which its business may be conducted and the powers vested in it may be exercised;

(5) may make and carry out such contracts and agreements as are necessary or advisable in the conduct of its business;

(6) may appoint and fix the compensation, in accordance with the provisions of the civil-service laws and the Classification Act of 1949, of such officers, attorneys, and employees as may be necessary for the conduct of its business, define their authority and duties, delegate to them such of the powers vested in the Corporation as the Administrator may determine, require bonds of such of them as the Administrator may designate, and fix the penalties and pay the premiums on such bonds;

(7) may assign or sell at public or private sale, or otherwise dispose of for cash or credit, upon such terms and conditions as the Administrator shall determine to be reasonable, any evidence of debt, contract, claim, personal property, or security held by the Corporation in connection with the payment of loans or other obligations, and collect or compromise all obligations held by the Corporation;

(8) may acquire by purchase, lease, or donation such real property or any interest therein, and may sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of such real property, as the Administrator deems necessary for the conduct of its business;

(9) shall determine the character of and the necessity of its obligations and expenditures, and the manner in which they shall be incurred, allowed, and paid, subject to provisions of law specifically applicable to Government corporations; and

(10) shall be entitled to the use of the United States mails in the same manner and upon the same conditions as the executive departments of the United States Government.

(b) The enumeration of powers in subsection (a) of this section shall not be deemed to exclude other powers necessary to the achievement of the objects and purposes of the Corporation.

CONTRIBUTIONS BY THE CORPORATION

SEC. 8. The Corporation shall contribute to the civil-service retirement and disability fund, on the basis of annual billings, as determined by the Civil Service Commission, for the Government's share of the cost of the civil-service retirement system applicable to the Corporation's employees and their beneficiaries. The Corporation shall also contribute to the employee's compensation fund, on the basis of annual billings as determined by the Secretary of Labor, for the benefit payments made from such fund on account of the Corporation's employees. The annual billings shall also include a statement of the fair portion of the cost of the administration of the respective funds, which shall be paid by the Corporation into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts.

MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS

SEC. 9. (a) All general penal statutes relating to the larceny, embezzlement, or conversion of public moneys or property of the United States shall apply to the moneys and property of the Corporation.

(b) Any person who, with intent to defraud the Corporation, or to deceive any officer, or employee of the Corporation or any officer or employee of the United States, (1) makes any false entry in any book of the Corporation, or (2) makes any false report or statement for the Corporation, shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(c) Any person who shall receive any compensation, rebate, or reward, or shall enter into any conspiracy, collusion, or agreement, express or implied, with intent to defraud the Corporation or wrongfully and unlawfully to defeat its purposes, shall, on conviction thereof, be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

REPORTS TO CONGRESS

SEC. 10. The Corporation shall submit to the President for transmission to the Congress at the beginning of each regular session an annual report of its operations under this Act.

REPEALER

SEC. 11. Section 108 of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Liquidation Act (67 Stat. 230), as amended, is hereby repealed.

SEPARABILITY OF PROVISIONS

SEC. 12. If any provision of this Act or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances shall be held invalid, the remainder of the Act and the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid shall not be affected thereby.

[S. 1565, 84th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To amend the National Housing Act by adding a new title thereto providing authority for technical research and studies on problems of air pollution generally and establishing a loan program to aid in the installation of air pollution prevention equipment

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the National Housing Act, as amended, is amended by adding at the end thereof a new title as follows:

"TITLE X-SMOKE ELIMINATION AND AIR POLLUTION PREVENTION "SEC. 1001. The Congress hereby declares that smoke elimination and air pollution prevention are important factors in the prevention and rehabilitation of slums and blighted areas and in the conservation of the health and property

of the people of the United States. It is the objective of this title to assist in smoke elimination and air pollution prevention by providing for research and loans.

"SEC. 1002. (a) The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (hereinafter sometimes referred to in this title as the Secretary) shall undertake and conduct a program of technical research and studies concerned with (a) causes of air pollution and excessive smoke, (b) devices, structures, machinery, equipment, and methods (including methods of selecting and using fuels) for the prevention or elimination of excessive smoke and air pollution or the collection of atmospheric contaminants, and (c) guidance and assistance to local communities in smoke abatement and air pollution prevention and control.

"(b) Contracts may be made by the Secretary for technical research and studies authorized by this section for work to continue not more than four years from the date of any such contract. Any unexpended balances of appropriations properly obligated by such contracting.may remain upon the books of the Treasury for not more than five fiscal years before being carried to the surplus fund and covered into the Treasury. All contracts made by the Secretary for technical research and studies authorized by this or any other Act shall contain requirements making the results of such research or studies available to the public through dedication, assignment to the Government, or such other means as the Secretary shall determine. The Secretary shall disseminate, and without regard to the provisions of title 39, United States Code, section 321n, the results of such research and studies in such form as may be most useful to industry and to the general public.

"(c) In carrying out research and studies under this title, the Secretary shall utilize, to the fullest extent feasible, the available facilities of existing bureaus and offices within the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, other departments, independent establishments, and agencies of the Federal Government, and shall consult with, and make recommendations to, such other departments, independent establishments, and agencies, with respect to such action as may be necessary and desirable to overcome existing gaps and deficiencies in available data with respect to excessive smoke and air pollution causes, prevention, and control or in the facilities available for the collection of such data. For the purposes of this title, the Secretary is further authorized to undertake research and studies cooperatively with agencies of State or local governments, and educational institutions, and other nonprofit organizations, and may, in addition to and not in derogation of any powers and authorities conferred under any other Act

"(1) with the consent of the agency or organization concerned, accept and utilize equipment, facilities, or the services of employees of any State or local public agency or instrumentality, educational institution, or nonprofit agency or organization and, in connection with the utilization of such services, may make payments for transportation while away from their homes or regular places of business and per diem in lieu of subsistence en route and at place of such service, in accordance with the provisions of title 5, United States Code, section 73b-2;

"(2) utilize, contract with, and act through, without regard to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes, any Federal, State, or local public agency or instrumentality, educational institution, or nonprofit agency or organization with its consent, and any funds available to the Secretary for carrying out his functions, powers, and duties under this section shall be available to reimburse or pay any such agency, instrumentality, institution, or organization; and, whenever necessary in the judgment of the Secretary, he may make advance, progress, or other payments with respect to such contracts without regard to the provisions of section 3648 of the Revised Statutes; and

"(3) make expenditures for all necessary expenses, including preparation, mounting, shipping, and installation of exhibits; purchase and exchange of technical apparatus; and such other expenses as may, from time to time, be found necessary in carrying out the Secretary's functions, powers, and duties under this title.

"(d) There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this section, such sums, not in exces of $3,000,000, as may be necessary therefor. "SEC. 1003. (a) The Housing and Home Finance Administrator (hereinafter sometimes referred to in this title as the Administrator) within the limits hereinafter provided, is authorized to purchase the obligations of, and to make loans