Making appropriations for the Executive Office and sundry independent executive bureaus, boards, commissions, corporations, agencies, and offices, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1954, and for other purposes. All 67 Stat. 305. 60 Stat. 810. 60 Stat. 808. 63 Stat. 439. 12 USC 1701h. 63 Stat. 414. 42 USC 14511460. 64 Stat. 77. 12 USC 174917490. 55 Stat. 361. 42 USC 15311535. 65 Stat. 762; 66 Stat. 108. HOUSING AND HOME FINANCE AGENCY OFFICE OF THE ADMINISTRATOR Salaries and expenses: For necessary expenses of the Office of the Administrator, including rent in the District of Columbia; services as authorized by section 15 of the Act of August 2, 1946 (5 U. S. C. 55a); not to exceed $193,550 for expenses of travel; expenses of attendance at meetings of organizations concerned with the work of the agency; and transportation expenses and not to exceed $25 per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5 of the Act of August 2, 1946 (5 U. S. C. 73b-2), for persons serving without compensation as members of any advisory committee established pursuant to title VI of the Housing Act of 1949; $3,215,550, of which not to exceed $125,000 shall be available for liquidation of the housing research program not later than April 30, 1954: Provided, That necessary expenses of inspections and of providing representatives at the site of projects being undertaken by local public agencies pursuant to title I of the Housing Act of 1949 and of projects financed through loans to educational institutions authorized by title IV of the Housing Act of 1950, shall be compensated by such agencies or institutions by the payment of fixed fees which in the aggregate will cover the costs of rendering such services, and expenses for such purpose shall be considered nonadministrative; and for the purpose of providing such inspections, the Administrator may utilize any agency and such agency may accept reimbursement or payment for such services from such institutions or the Administrator, and shall credit such amounts to the appropriations or funds against which such charges have been made, but such nonadministrative expenses shall not exceed $500,000: Provided further, That the Administrator is authorized without regard to any other provisions of law to transfer without reimbursement any project or facility, or part thereof, constructed or provided under title II of the Act of October 14, 1940, as amended (including any personal property related to such project or facility), to any other department or agency, whenever the head of such department or agency so requests after determining that such project or facility is required for the continued operation of or is an integral part of a project or facility under the jurisdiction of such department or agency. Defense Community Facilities and Services: During the current fiscal year not to exceed $112,500 of the appropriations granted under this head in the Second and Third Supplemental Appropriation Acts, 1952, shall be available for administrative expenses in connection with the construction of facilities under such appropriations. Capital grants for slum clearance and urban redevelopment: For an additional amount for payment of capital grants as authorized by title I of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended (42 U. S. C. 1453, 1456), $20,000,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, 63 Stat. 416, That before approving any local slum clearance program under title I 417. of the Housing Act of 1949, the Administrator shall give consideration 42 USC 1451to the efforts of the locality to enforce local codes and regulations 1460. relating to adequate standards of health, sanitation, and safety for dwellings and to the feasibility of achieving slum clearance objectives through rehabilitation of existing dwellings and areas: Provided further, That the authority under title I of the National Housing Act shall be used to the utmost in connection with slum rehabilitation needs. All 67 Stat. 306. PUBLIC HOUSING ADMINISTRATION Administrative expenses: For administrative expenses of the Public Housing Administration, $6,950,000, to be merged with and expended under the authorization for such expenses contained in title II of this Act. Annual contributions: For the payment of annual contributions to public housing agencies in accordance with section 10 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended (42 U. S. C. 1410), $32,500,000: 50 Stat. 891. Provided, That except for payments required on contracts entered into prior to April 18, 1940, no part of this appropriation shall be available for payment to any public housing agency for expenditure in connection with any low-rent housing project, unless the public housing agency shall have adopted regulations prohibiting as a tenant of any such project by rental or occupancy any person other than a citizen of the United States, but such prohibition shall not be applicable in the case of a family of any serviceman or the family of any veteran who has been discharged (other than dishonorably) from, or the family of any serviceman who died in, the Armed Forces of the United States within four years prior to the date of application for admission to such housing: Provided further, That all expenditures of this appropriation shall be subject to audit and final settlement by the Comptroller General of the United States under the provisions of the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, as amended: 42 Stat. 20. Provided further, That unless the governing body of the locality 31 USC 1. agrees to its completion, no housing shall be authorized by the Public Housing Administration, or, if under construction continue to be constructed, in any community where the people of that community, by their duly elected representatives, or by referendum, have indicated they do not want it, and such community shall negotiate with the Federal Government for the completion of such housing, or its abandonment, in whole or in part, and shall agree to repay to the Government the moneys expended prior to the vote or other formal action whereby the community rejected such housing project for any such projects not to be completed plus such amount as may be required to pay all costs and liquidate all obligations lawfully incurred by the local housing authority prior to such rejection in connection with any project not to be completed: Provided further, That, in any case where the Public Housing Administration (after the approvals on the part of the governing body of the locality required by law) has entered into a financial assistance contract with a local housing authority covering any low-rent housing projects to be constructed in such locality and, (a) thereafter but prior to the effective date of this Act, a majority of the members of the governing body of the locality, and the people of the locality have voted against any such low-rent housing projects, and (b) the local housing authority and the governing body of the locality agree to a modification of the agreement providing the required local cooperation in connection with such low-rent housing projects, the preceding proviso shall not be applicable and: (1) the Public Housing Administration shall not, unless the governing body of the locality shall, by resolution, request such action, (a) authorize the award of any contract for the construction of any such low-rent housing project, or (b) make any further advance of funds on account of any such project for which the main construction contract has not heretofore been awarded, excepting only such funds as may be required by the local housing authority (i) to pay all costs and liquidate all obligations heretofore properly incurred by it in connection with any such project which pursuant to such modification is to be terminated and (ii) to pay costs in connection with the liquidation (including the sale of land or other assets) of any such terminated project; (2) in All 67 Stat. 307. 50 Stat. 898. 42 USC 1420. 42 USC 1430. the liquidation of any such terminated project no claim shall be made by the local housing authority or the Public Housing Administration against the locality or its governing body on account of such termination; (3) the Public Housing Administration shall absorb as a loss, and shall release the local housing authority from, all claims, if any, of said Administration in connection with such terminated project in excess of the net amount realized from the sale by the local housing authority of all land (which if sold to other than a public agency shall be after public advertisement to the highest responsible bidder but if sold to a public agency may be at a price equal to the purchase price of the land, exclusive of improvements, as approved by the Public Housing Commissioner) and other assets acquired and held in connection with such terminated project; and (4) the Secretary of the Treasury shall credit as a payment upon the note or notes of the Public Housing Administration executed and delivered in connection with funds obtained pursuant to section 20 of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, an amount equal to such loss as certified by the Public Housing Commissioner: Provided further, That the record of expenditure of the Public Housing Administration and of the local housing authority on any public housing project shall be open to examination by the responsible authorities of any community in which such project is located, or by the local public housing authority, or by any firm of public accountants retained by either of the foregoing: Provided further, That no housing unit constructed under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, shall be occupied by a person who is a member of an organization designated as subversive by the Attorney General: Provided further, That the foregoing prohibition shall be enforced by the local housing authority, and that such prohibition shall not impair or affect the powers or obligations of the Public Housing Administration with respect to the making of loans and annual contributions under the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended: Provided further, That notwithstanding the provisions of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended, the Public Housing Administration shall not, with respect to projects initiated after March 1, 1949, (1) authorize during the fiscal year 1954 the commencement of construction of in excess of twenty thousand dwelling units or (2) after the date of approval of this Act, enter into any new agreements, contracts, or other arrangements, preliminary or otherwise, which will ultimately bind the Public Housing Administration during fiscal year 1954 or for any future years with respect to loans or annual contributions for any additional dwelling units or projects unless hereafter authorized by the Congress to do so, and during the fiscal year 1954 the Housing and Home Finance Administrator shall make a complete analysis and study of the low-rent public housing program and, on or before February 1, 1954, shall transmit to the Appropriations Committees of the House and Senate his recommendations with respect to such low-rent public housing program. SEC. 304. This Act may be cited as the "First Independent Offices Short title. Appropriation Act, 1954". Approved July 31, 1953. Public Law 305 83d Congress AN ACT All 68 Stat. 26. To permit a first preference for former owners of certain dwellings being sold under Lanham War Housing Act. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 607 (b) War housing. of the Act entitled "An Act to expedite the provision of housing in Purchase connection with national defense, and for other purposes", approved preference. October 14, 1940, as amended, is amended by inserting after the first 64 Stat. 70. sentence of the last paragraph of that subsection the following sen- 42 USC 1587(b). tence: "In the disposition of any dwellings under this section which were acquired by the United States from persons occupying the dwellings at the time of such acquisition, the Administrator may, notwithstanding the order of preference provided in this section, grant a first preference to such persons in the purchase of any of these dwellings for such period and under such conditions as he may determine to be appropriate and in the public interest." Approved March 10, 1954. Chapter 410 2d Session S. J. Res. 167 JOINT RESOLUTION All 68 Stat. 320. To amend the National Housing Act, as amended, and for other purposes. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the National Housing Act, as amended, is hereby amended (1) by striking "July 1" in paragraph (1) (G) of section 301 65 Stat. 315; (a) and inserting "August 1"; and 66 Stat. 602. (2) by striking "July 1" in section 803 (a) and inserting "July 12 USC 1716. 65 Stat. 313. 31". 12 USC 1748b(a). SEC. 2. (a) Section 10 of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Act, as amended, is hereby amended by striking therefrom the words 61 Stat. 206. "at the expiration of the succession of the Corporation" and inserting 15 USC 609. in lieu thereof the words "by the close of business on June 30, 1954”. (b) Subsection (a) of section 102 of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Liquidation Act is amended to read as follows: 67 Stat. 230. "(a) The first sentence of section 3 (a) of the Reconstruction 15 USC 603(a). Finance Corporation Act, as amended (15 U. S. C. 603 (a)), is 62 Stat. 262. amended to read: "The Corporation shall have succession until it is dissolved pursuant to the provisions of section 10 of this Act'." 15 USC 609. (c) Section 105 of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Liquidation Act is amended by striking the words "termination of succes- 15 USC 603 sion" wherever they appear therein and inserting in lieu thereof the note. word "dissolution". (d) Subsection (a) of section 106 of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation Liquidation Act is amended to read as follows: 15 USC 603 "(a) Promptly after June 30, 1954, the Administrator of the Recon- note. struction Finance Corporation shall make a full report to the Report. Congress." SEC. 3. Section 104 of the Defense Housing and Community Facili ties and Services Act of 1951, as amended, is hereby amended by strik- 67 Stat. 125. ing out "June 30, 1954" and inserting "July 31, 1954". SEC. 4. The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, as amended, is hereby amended 42 USC 15910. (1) by striking “June 30" in clause (C) of section 512 (b) and 64 Stat. 76. inserting "July 31"; 38 USC 6941. (2) by striking "June 30" in the first sentence of section 513 65 Stat. 317. (a) and inserting "July 31"; and 38 USC 694m. (3) by striking "June 30" in the first sentence of section 513 66 Stat. 64. (d) and inserting "July 31". SEC. 5. Title V of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended, is hereby amended as follows: (a) In the first sentence of section 511 immediately following the 66 Stat. 604. phrase "July 1, 1952," strike the word "and", and insert at the end of 42 USC 1481. the sentence just before the period a comma and the language "and an additional $8,500,000 on and after July 1, 1954”. (b) In section 512, (i) strike "and 1953" and insert "1953, and 66 Stat. 604. 1954", and (ii) strike "and $2,000,000" and insert "$2,000,000, and 42 USC 1482. $170,000". (c) In section 513, strike "and $10,000,000 on July 1 of each of the 66 Stat. 604. years 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1953" and insert "$10,000,000, and $850,000 42 USC 1483. on July 1 of each of the years 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1954". Approved June 29, 1954. |