(H. R. 483)

An Act Authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire certain lands within the District of Columbia to be used as sites for public buildings.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That to enable the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire economically and at an early date adequate sites for suitable accommodations in the District of Columbia for the executive departments, and independent establishments of the Government not under any executive department, and suitable grounds, parking, and approaches thereto, the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926, is hereby amended so as to authorize and direct him to acquire, by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, all the lands obtainable with the funds that may be appropriated, including buildings and other structures, included within the triangle bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue and B Street, extending from Fifteenth Street to Sixth Street Northwest, and reservations A, B, C, and D, except property owned by the United States or the District of Columbia as such lands appear in the records of the office of the surveyor of the District of Columbia.

SEC. 2. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated in addition to the amounts authorized in said Act of May 25, 1926, and without regard to the limitations contained in the first paragraph of section 5 of such Act, the sum of $25,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 3. The buildings constructed under said Act approved May 25, 1926, when completed and ready for occupancy shall be turned over to the Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks for care, maintenance, and protection, including the furnishing of heat, gas, and electricity therein, together with all machinery, tools, equipments, and supplies to be used in connection therewith.

SEC. 4. That after title has been vested in the United States to any of the properties herein or heretofore authorized to be acquired or taken within the area embraced in this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury be and he is hereby further authorized to enter into contracts for demolishing the buildings thereon, and for clearing and grading the land at such time and to such extent as he may deem proper, and to enter into contracts for plans and specifications for the architectural landscape treatment of the portion of the lands acquired which he may deem proper, with the approval of the Public Buildings Commission created by the Act of March 1, 1919, to reserve for planting and for open spaces for the proper grouping of the Federal buildings which have heretofore been authorized or may hereafter be authorized to be constructed within the area embraced in this Act, the expenditures on account thereof to be charged to the appropriations authorized under the provisions of this Act.

Approved, January 13, 1928.

[H. R. 278]

An Act To amend section 5 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes,' approved May 25, 1926.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first paragraph of section 5 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926, is amended to read as follows:

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SEC. 5. For the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Act the sum of $250,000,000, in addition to the amount authorized in section 3 hereof, is hereby authorized to be appropriated, but under this authorization and from appropriations (exclusive of appropriations made for 'remodeling and enlarging public buildings'), heretofore made for the acquisition of sites for, or the construction, enlarging, remodeling, or extension of, public buildings under the control of the Treasury Department, not more than $35,000,000 in the aggregate shall be expended annually (except that any part of the balance of such sum of $35,000,000 remaining unexpended at the end of any year may be expended in any subsequent year without reference to this limitation beginning with the fiscal year 1928): Provided, That such amount as is necessary, not to exceed $50,000,000 of the total amount authorized to be expended under the provisions of this Act, shall be available for projects in the District of Columbia, and not more than $10,000,000 thereof shall be expended annually (except that any part of the balance of such sum of $10,000.000 remaining unexpended at the end of any year may be expended in any subsequent year without reference to this limitation): Provided, That at least one-fifth of the expenditures outside of the District of Columbia during the fiscal year 1927 shall be for the buildings heretofore authorized, and at least one-fifth of the expenditures for the fiscal year 1928 and at least one-fifth of the expenditures for the fiscal year 1929 shall be for a like purpose, unless a less amount shall be necessary to complete all of such buildings: Provided further, That expenditures outside the District of Columbia under the provisions of this section shall not exceed the sum of $10,000,000 annually in any one of the States, Territories, or possessions of the United States."

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(b) The last paragraph of such section 5 is amended by striking out $150,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$250,000,000." Approved, February 24, 1928.

[H. R. 6120]

An Act To amend the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926 (Forty-fourth Statutes, page 630); the Act entitled 'An Act to amend section 5 of the Act entitled 'An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes,' approved May 25, 1926," dated February 24, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes, page 137); and the Act entitled "An Act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire certain land within the District of Columbia to be used as space for public buildings," approved January 13, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes, page 51).

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926 (Fortyfourth Statutes, page 630); the Act entitled "An Act to amend section 5 of the Act entitled An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes,' approved May 25, 1926," dated February 24, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes, page 137); and the Act entitled "An Act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire certain land within the District of Columbia to be used as space for public buildings," approved January 13, 1928 (Forty-fifth Statutes, page 51), are hereby amended to provide that for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of said Acts and also for the remodeling, extension, or enlarging of departmental or other Federal buildings in the District of Columbia not under the control of the Treasury Department, the amounts heretofore authorized to be appropriated for public-building projects outside the District of Columbia are extended $115,000,000, and the amounts heretofore authorized to be expended in the District of Columbia are hereby extended $115,000,000, of which amount not to exceed $15,000,000 may be expended within the areas hereinafter specified for land not belonging to the United States or the District of Columbia: Provided, That out of the money appropriated under the authorization contained herein, at least two buildings shall be constructed in each State for post offices with receipts of more than $10,000 during the last preceding year, for which post offices no public buildings have been provided: Provided further, That under this authorization and from appropriations (exclusive of appropriations made for "remodeling and enlarging public buildings ") heretofore made for the acquisition of sites for, or the construction, enlarging, remodeling, or extension of public buildings under the control of the Treasury Department, not more than $50,000,000 in the aggregate shall be expended annually, of which sum not to exceed $15,000,000 may be expended on projects in the District of Columbia (except that any part of the balance of such sum of $50,000,000 remaining unexpended at the end of any fiscal year may be expended in any subsequent year without reference to this limitation beginning with the fiscal year 1928.

(b) The limitation contained in section 1 of the Act of May 25, 1926, defining the area within which sites or additions to sites for public buildings in the District of Columbia may be purchased, is hereby extended, and the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized, empowered, and directed to acquire, for the use of the United States, by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, any land and buildings which he may determine should be acquired within the area bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue and New York Avenue on the north, Virginia Avenue and Maryland Avenue projected in a straight line to Twining Lake on the south, and Delaware Avenue southwest on the east, including properties within said area belonging to the District of Columbia, but excluding those portions of squares 267, 268, and 298 not belonging to the District of Columbia; the square known as south of 463; all of square 493; lots 16, 17, 20, and 21, and 808 in square 536; and lots 16 and 45 in square 635. The Secretary of the Treasury is further authorized, empowered, and directed to acquire the necessary land for the extension of the building known as Treasury Annex Numbered 1, northwardly to H Street northwest.

(c) When deemed by him desirable or advantageous, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to employ, by contract or otherwise, outside professional or technical services of persons, firms, or corporations, to such extent as he may require, without reference to the Classification Act of 1923 as amended, or to section 3709 of the Revised Statutes of the United States.

(d) That in submitting estimates for appropriations under the above authorized extension of the public building program, preference shall be given to those projects where sites have been acquired or authorized to be acquired under the Public Building Act of May 25, 1926, and prior Acts, where the postal receipts have reached the sum of $7,500 annually.

(e) That the provisions of the Act of May 25, 1926 (Forty-fourth Statutes, page 630), and all amendments thereto, shall apply to the Territories in the same manner and to the same extent that they apply to the several States.

Approved, March 31, 1930.

[H. R. 16297]

An Act To amend the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926 (44 Stat. 630), and Acts amendatory thereof.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the construction of certain public buildings, and for other purposes," approved May 25, 1926 (44 Stat. 630), and Acts amendatory thereof, are hereby amended to provide that for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of said Acts and to permit of expediting the public-building program thereby authorized, the amounts heretofore authorized to be appropriated for public-building projects outside the District of Columbia are extended $100,000,000: Provided, That under this authorization and from appropriations (exclusive of appropriations made for remodeling and enlarging public buildings) heretofore made or herein authorized for the acquisition of sites for, or the construction, enlarging, remodeling, or extension of public buildings under the control of the Treasury Department, not more than $65,000,000 in the aggregate, shall be expended annually, of which sum not more than $15,000,000 may be expended on projects in the District of Columbia (except that any part of the balance of such sums remaining unexpended at the end of any fiscal year may be expended for the respective purposes herein authorized in any subsequent fiscal year without reference to this limitation, beginning with the fiscal year 1928).

SEC. 2. That the provisions contained in the Act of May 25, 1926, as amended by the Act of February 24, 1928, limiting the amount that may be expended annually in any one of the States, Territories, or possessions of the United States to $10,000,000 be, and the same are hereby, further amended so as to increase the amount that may be expended in any one of the States, Territories, or possessions of the United States to an amount not to exceed $20,000,000 annually from the date of the passage of this Act until December 31, 1933, after which time the amount which shall be expended in any one of the States, Territories, or possessions of the United States shall not exceed the sum of $15,000,000 annually.

SEC. 3. That in the case of any projects authorized under the provisions of the Public Building Act approved May 25, 1926, hereinbefore mentioned, and the several Acts amendatory thereof, when the bid of the lowest responsible bidder received in response to public advertisement exceeds the amount available under the estimated limit of cost fixed by Congress, the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to enter into contracts for the construction of such buildings in an amount not exceeding 5 per centum in excess of such estimated limit of cost: Provided, That this provision shall not apply to any contract entered into prior to the approval of this Act, nor to any contract entered into after December 31, 1933: Provided, That in the exercise of this discretion the Secretary of the Treasury shall not incur obligations in excess of the amounts heretofore or herein authorized for appropriations.

Approved, February 16, 1931.

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