republic-os/legal/us/code/title-43/chapter-12/section-504.md

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LegalText	43 U.S.C. § 504	Rehabilitation and betterment of Federal reclamation projects, including small reclamation proj­ects; return of costs; interest; definitions; performance of work	us	united_states_code	code_section	43	PUBLIC LANDS	12	RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION OF LANDS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT	504	43 U.S.C. § 504	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc43@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t43/s504	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-43/usc43.xml	57fe906b5c2cf76772862e3ce305df50312195d4aaeb852d3b1a1c13264b6c2a	d46a16361aa9d10bbc4b27ea0561882d240801c965a2700a4b7cf5f02f552a5f	8c2e81de994217660b62e6625009e13deec5fa7415bab36a041e79567241ffd1	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

43 U.S.C. § 504 - Rehabilitation and betterment of Federal reclamation projects, including small reclamation proj­ects; return of costs; interest; definitions; performance of work

Text

Expenditures of funds hereafter specifically appropriated for rehabilitation and betterment of any project constructed under authority of the Small Reclamation Projects Act (Act of August 6, 1956, 70 Stat. 1044, and Acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto) [43 U.S.C. 422a et seq.] and of irrigation systems on projects governed by the Federal reclamation laws (Act of June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 388, and Acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto), shall be made only after the organizations concerned shall have obligated themselves for the return thereof, in installments fixed in accordance with their ability to pay, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior in the light of their outstanding repayment obligations, and which shall, to the fullest practicable extent, be scheduled for return with their construction charge installments or otherwise scheduled as he shall determine: Provided, That repayment of such loans made for small reclamation projects shall include interest in accordance with the provisions of said Small Reclamation Projects Act. No such determination of the Secretary of the Interior shall become effective until the expiration of sixty days after it has been submitted to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; except that, any such determination may become effective prior to the expiration of such sixty days in any case in which each such committee approves an earlier date and notifies the Secretary in writing, of such approval: Provided, That when Congress is not in session the Secretary’s determination, if accompanied by a finding by the Secretary that substantial hardship to the water users concerned or substantial further injury to the project works will result, shall become effective when the chairman and ranking minority member of each such committee shall file with the Secretary their written approval of said findings. The term “rehabilitation and betterment”, as used in this section, shall mean maintenance, including replacements, which cannot be financed currently, as otherwise contemplated by the Federal reclamation laws in the case of operation and maintenance costs, but shall not include construction, the costs of which are returnable, in whole or in part, through “construction charges” as that term is defined in section 485a(d) of this title. Such rehabilitation and betterment work may be performed by contract, by force-account, or, notwithstanding any other law and subject to such reasonable terms and conditions as the Secretary of the Interior shall deem appropriate for the protection of the United States, by contract entered into with the organization concerned whereby such organization shall perform such work.

(Oct. 7, 1949, ch. 650, § 1, 63 Stat. 724; Mar. 3, 1950, ch. 47, 64 Stat. 11; Pub. L. 94–102, Oct. 3, 1975, 89 Stat. 485; Pub. L. 103–437, § 16(c), Nov. 2, 1994, 108 Stat. 4594.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe Small Reclamation Projects Act, referred to in text, probably means the Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956, act Aug. 6, 1956, ch. 972, 70 Stat. 1044, which is classified generally to subchapter IV (§ 422a et seq.) of this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 422k of this title and Tables. Act of June 17, 1902, referred to in text, is popularly known as the Reclamation Act, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 371 of this title and Tables.

Amendments1994—Pub. L. 103–437 substituted “Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House” for “Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Public Lands of the House”. 1975—Pub. L. 94–102 required return of costs for small reclamation projects including interest payments. 1950—Act Mar. 3, 1950, struck out period at end of second sentence and inserted “; except that, any such determination may become effective prior to the expiration of such sixty days in any case in which each such committee approves an earlier date and notifies the Secretary in writing, of such approval: Provided, That when Congress is not in session the Secretary’s determination, if accompanied by a finding by the Secretary that substantial hardship to the water users concerned or substantial further injury to the project works will result, shall become effective when the chairman and ranking minority member of each such committee shall file with the Secretary their written approval of said findings.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short TitleAct Oct. 7, 1949, ch. 650, 63 Stat. 724, which enacted this section and provisions set out below, is popularly known as the “Rehabilitation and Betterment Act of 1949”.

Supplemental to Federal Reclamation LawsAct Oct. 7, 1949, ch. 650, § 2, 63 Stat. 725, provided that: “This Act [enacting this section] shall be deemed a supplement to the Federal reclamation laws.”