SECTION 709-FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ACT OF 1965

(Public Law 89-321)

PURCHASE OF DAIRY PRODUCTS

SEC. 709. The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized to use funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation to purchase sufficient supplies of dairy products at market prices to meet the requirements of any programs for the schools (other than fluid milk in the case of schools), domestic relief distribution, community action, and such other programs as are authorized by law, when there are insufficient stocks of dairy products in the hands of Commodity Credit Corporation available for these purposes. (7 U.S.C. 1446a-1.)

[NOTE.-Pub. L. 89-321, 79 Stat. 1212, approved November 3, 1965, amended by Pub. L. 89-808, 80 Stat. 1538, approved November 11, 1966. The words "foreign distribution" appearing after the words "Community action" were deleted by Pub. L. 89-808.

Title II of P.L. 83-690, P.L. 84-465, P.L. 85-478, and P.L. 87-128 directly relate to the use of dairy products. For current legislation refer to section 3 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 as amended.]

COMMODITIES FOR SUMMER CAMPS

Act of June 28, 1937, as Amended 2

AN ACT To extend the time for purchase and distribution of surplus agricultural commodities for relief purposes and to continue the Federal Surplus Commodities Corporation.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in carrying out the provisions of clause (2) of section 32 of the Act approved August 24, 1935 (49 State 77), as amended, the Secretary of Agriculture may transfer to the Federal Surplus Commodities Corporation 2 which Corporation is continued, until June 30, 1945, as an agency of the United States under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture, such funds, appropriated by said section, as may be necessary for the purpose of effectuating clause (2) of said section: Provided, That such transferred funds, together with other funds of the Corporation, may be used for purchasing, exchanging, processing, distributing, disposing, transporting, sorting, and handling of agricultural commodities and products thereof and inspection costs, commissions, and other incidental costs and expenses, without regard to the provisions of existing law governing the expenditure of public funds and for administrative expenses, including rent, printing and binding, and the employment of persons and means, in the District of Columbia, and elsewhere, such employment of persons to be in accordance with the provisions applicable to the employment of persons by the Agriculture Adjustment Administration.

In carrying out clause (2) of section 32, the funds appropriated by said section may be used for the purchase, without regard to the

2 The functions of the Federal Surplus Commodities Corporation have been transferred to the Secretary of Agriculture (7 U.S.C. 612a, note) and the Corporation has been dissolved.

provisions of existing law governing the expenditure of public funds of agricultural commodities and products thereof and such commodities as well as agricultural commodities and products thereof purchased under the preceding paragraph of this section, may be donated for relief purposes and for use in nonprofit summer camps for children,3 (15 U.S.C. 713c.)

3 The last nine words were added by the Act of July 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 286.

Metric Conversion Act of 1975

(Public Law 94-168)1

AN ACT To declare a national policy of coordinating the increasing use of the metric system in the United States, and to establish a United States Metric Board to coordinate the voluntary conversion to the metric system.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Metric Conversion Act of 1975".

SEC. 2. The Congress finds as follows:

(1) The United States was an original signatory party to the 1875 Treaty of the Meter (20 Stat. 709), which established the General Conference of Weights and Measures, the International Committee of Weights and Measures and the International Bureau of Weights and Measures.

(2) Although the use of metric measurement standards in the United States has been authorized by law since 1866 (Act of July 28, 1866; 14 Stat. 339), this Nation today is the only industrially developed nation which has not established a national policy of committing itself and taking steps to facilitate conversion to the metric system.

SEC. 3. It is therefore declared that the policy of the United States shall be to coordinate and plan the increasing use of the metric system in the United States and to establish a United States Metric Board to coordinate the voluntary conversion to the metric system.

SEC. 4. As used in this Act, the term

(1) "Board" means the United States Metric Board, established under section 5 of this Act;

(2) "engineering standard" means a standard which prescribes (A) a concise set of conditions and requirements that must be satisfied by a material, product, process, procedure, convention, or test method; and (B) the physical, functional, performance and/or conformance characteristics thereof;

(3) "international standard or recommendation" means an engineering standard or recommendation which is (A) formulated and promulgated by an international organization and (B) recommended for adoption by individual nations as a national standard; and

(4) "metric system of measurement" means the International System of Units as established by the General Conference of Weights and Measures in 1960 and as interpreted or modified for the United States by the Secretary of Commerce.

SEC. 5. (a) There is established, in accordance with this section, an independent instrumentality to be known as a United States Metric Board.

(b) The Board shall consist of 17 individuals, as follows:

(1) the Chairman, a qualified individual who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate;

1(15 U.S.C. 205a), Enacted December 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1007.

(2) sixteen members who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, on the following basis

(A) one to be selected from lists of qualified individuals recommended by engineers and organizations representative of engineering interests;

(B) one to be selected from lists of qualified individuals recommended by scientists, the scientific and technical community, and organizations of scientists and technicians;

(C) one to be selected from a list of qualified individuals recommended by the National Association of Manufacturers or its successor;

(D) one to be selected from lists of qualified individuals recommended by the United States Chamber of Commerce, or its successor, retailers, and other commercial organizations;

(E) two to be selected from lists of qualified individuals recommended by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations or its successor, who are representative of workers directly affected by metric conversion, and by other organizations representing labor; (F) one to be selected from a list of qualified individuals recommended by the National Governors Conference, the National Council of State Legislatures, and organizations representative of State and local government;

(G) two to be selected from lists of qualified individuals recommended by organizations representative of small business;

(H) one to be selected from lists of qualified individuals representative of the construction industry;

(I) one to be selected from a list of qualified individuals recommended by the National Conference on Weights and Measures and standards making organizations;

(J) one to be selected from lists of qualified individuals recommended by educators, the educational community, and organizations representative of educational interests; and

(K) four at-large members to represent consumers and other interests deemed suitable by the President and who shall be qualified individuals.

As used in this subsection, each "list" shall include the names of at least three individuals for each applicable vacancy. The terms of office of the Board first taking office shall expire as designated by the President at the time of nomination; five at the end of the 2d year; five at the end of the 4th year; and six at the end of the 6th year. The term of office of the Chairman of such Board shall be 6 years. Members, including the Chairman, may be appointed to an additional term of 6 years, in the same manner as the original appointment. Successors to members of such Board shall be appointed in the same manner as the original members and shall have terms of office expiring 6 years from the date of expiration of the terms for which their predecessors were appointed. Any individual appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of any term of office shall be appointed for the remainder of that term.

Beginning 45 days after the date of incorporation of the Board, six members of such Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any function of the Board.

(c) Unless otherwise provided by the Congress, the Board shall have no compulsory powers.

(d) The Board shall cease to exist when the Congress, by law, determines that its mission has been accomplished.

SEC. 6. It shall be the function of the Board to devise and carry out a broad program of planning, coordination, and public education, consistent with other national policy and interests, with the aim of implementing the policy set forth in this Act. In carrying out this program, the Board shall

(1) consult with and take into account the interests, views, and conversion costs of United States commerce and industry, including small business; science; engineering; labor; education; consumers; government agencies at the Federal, State, and local level; nationally recognized standards developing and coordinating organizations; metric conversion planning and coordinating groups; and such other individuals or groups as are considered appropriate by the Board to the carrying out of the purpose of this Act. The Board shall take into account activities underway in the private and public sectors, so as not to duplicate unneccessarily such activities;

(2) provide for appropriate procedures whereby various groups, under the auspices of the Board, may formulate, and recommend or suggest, to the Board specific programs for coordinating_conversion in each industry and segment thereof and specific dimensions and configurations in the metric system and in other measurements for general use. Such programs, dimensions, and configurations shall be consistent with (A) the needs, interest, and capabilities of manufacturers (large and small), suppliers, labor, consumers, educators, and other interested groups, and (B) the national interest;

(3) publicize, in an appropriate manner, proposed programs and provide an opportunity for interested groups or individuals to submit comments on such programs. At the request of interested parties, the Board, in its discretion, may hold hearings with regard to such programs. Such comments and hearings may be considerd by the Board;

(4) encourage activities of standardization organizations to develop or revise, as rapidly as practicable, engineering standards on a metric measurement basis, and to take advantage of opportunities to promote (A) rationalization or simplification of relationships, (B) improvements of design, (C) reduction of size variations, (D) increases in economy, and (E) where feasible, the efficient use of energy and the conservation of natural resources;

(5) encourage the retention, in new metric language standards, or those United States engineering designs, practices, and conventions that are internationally accepted or that embody superior technology;

(6) consult and cooperate with foreign governments, and intergovernmental organizations, in collaboration with the Department of State, and, through appropriate member bodies, with private international organizations, which are or become