596

AMENDMENT TO OIL LEASING ACT

qualifications provided in section 1 of this Act, to the extent of the ground occupied by the said pipe line and twenty-five feet on each side of the same under such regulations and conditions as to survey, location, application, and use as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior and upon the express condition that such pipe lines shall be constructed, operated, and maintained as common carriers and shall accept, convey, transport, or purchase without discrimination, oil or natural gas produced from Government lands in the vicinity of the pipe line in such proportionate amounts as the Secretary of the Interior may, after a full hearing with due notice thereof to the interested parties and a proper finding of facts, determine to be reasonable: Provided, That the Government shall in express terms reserve and shall provide in every lease of oil lands hereunder that the lessee, assignee, or beneficiary, if owner, or operator or owner of a controlling interest in any pipe line or of any company operating the same which may be operated accessible to the oil derived from lands under such lease, shall at reasonable rates and without discrimination accept and convey the oil of the Government or of any cititzen or company not the owner of any pipe line, operating a lease or purchasing gas or oil under the provisions of this Act: Provided further, That no right-of-way shall hereafter be granted over said lands for the transportation of oil or natural gas except under and subject to the provisions, limitations, and conditions of this section. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section or the regulations and conditions prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior shall be ground for forfeiture of the grant by the United States district court for the district in which the property, or some part thereof, is located in an appropriate proceeding."

Textual note.- -Codified as section 185, title 30, of the United States Code.

SEC. 2. (a) [New leases in lieu of old—no limitation of acreage unless provided under law under which old lease issued-Amendatory act not to affect validity of leases previously issued.]—That the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to issue new leases to lessees holding oil or gas leases under any of the provisions of this Act at the time this amendatory Act becomes effective, such new leases to be in lieu of the leases then held by such lessees and to be at a royalty rate of not less than 122 per centum in amount or value of the production and upon such other terms and conditions as the Secretary of the Interior shall by general rule prescribe: Provided, That no limitation of acreage not provided for under the law or regulations under which any such old lease was issued shall be applicable to any such new lease. (49 Stat. 679.)

(b) Nothing contained in this amendatory Act shall be construed to affect the validity of oil and gas prospecting permits or leases previously issued under the authority of the said Act of February 25, 1920, as amended, and in existence at the time this amendatory Act becomes effective, or impair any rights or privileges which have accrued under such permits or leases.

Textual note.-Codified as section 223a, title 30, United States Code.

AMENDMENT TO OIL LEASING ACT

597

SEC. 3. That nothing in this amendatory Act shall be construed as affecting any lands within the borders of the naval petroleum reserves and naval oil-shale reserves or agreements concerning operations thereunder or in relation to the same, but the Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized, with the consent of the President, to enter into agreements such as those provided for under the Act of March 4, 1931 (46 Stat. 1523), which agreement shall not, unless expressed therein, operate to extend the terms of any lease affected thereby.

Textual note.-Codified as section 236a, title 30, United States Code.

PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS ON UNITED STATES

CONTRACTS

An act requiring contracts for the construction, alteration, and repair of any public building or public work of the United States to be accompanied by a performance bond protecting the United States and by an additional bond for the protection of persons furnishing material and labor for the construction, alteration, or repair of said public buildings or public work. (Act of Aug. 24, 1935, c. 642, 49 Stat. 793)

SEC. 1. [Performance bonds on contracts exceeding $2,000-Payment bond for labor and materials-Amount of bond-Bonds may be waived for work performed in foreign country.]-That (a) before any contract, exceeding $2,000 in amount, for the construction, alteration, or repair of any public building or public work of the United States is awarded to any person, such person shall furnish to the United States the following bonds, which shall become binding upon the award of the contract to such person, who is hereinafter designated as "contractor":

(1) A performance bond with a surety or sureties satisfactory to the officer awarding such contract, and in such amount as he shall deem adequate, for the protection of the United States.

(2) A payment bond with a surety or sureties satisfactory to such officer for the protection of all persons supplying labor and material in the prosecution of the work provided for in said contract for the use of each such person. Whenever the total amount payable by the terms of the contract shall be not more than $1,000,000 the said payment bond shall be in a sum of one-half the total amount payable by the terms of the contract. Whenever the total amount payable by the terms of the contract shall be more than $1.000.000 and not more than $5,000,000, the said payment bond shall be in a sum of 40 per centum of the total amount payable by the terms of the contract. Whenever the total amount payable by the terms of the contract shall be more than $5,000,000 the said payment bond shall be in the sum of $2.500,000.

(b) The contracting officer in respect of any contract is authorized to waive the requirement of a performance bond and payment bond for so much of the work under such contract as is to be performed in a foreign country if he finds that it is impracticable for the contractor to furnish such bonds.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of any contracting officer to require a performance bond or other security in addition to those, or in cases other than the cases specified in subsection (a) of this section. (49 Stat. 793.)

SEC. 2. [Labor or material men may sue on the payment bond-Limitation of one year in which to commence suit.]-(a) Every person who has furnished labor or material in the prosecution of the work provided for in such contract, in respect of which a payment bond is furnished under this Act and who has not been paid in full therefor before the expiration of a period of ninety days after the day on which the last of the labor was done or performed by him or material was furnished or supplied by him for which such claim is made, shall have the right to sue on such payment bond for the amount, or the balance thereof, unpaid at the time of institution of such suit and to

PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT BONDS

599

prosecute said action to final execution and judgment for the sum or sums justly due him: Provided, however, That any person having direct contractual relationship with a subcontractor but no contractual relationship express or implied with the contractor furnishing said payment bond shall have a right of action upon the said payment bond upon giving written notice to said contractor within ninety days from the date on which such person did or performed the last of the labor or furnished or supplied the last of the material for which such claim is made, stating with substantial accuracy the amount claimed and the name of the party to whom the material was furnished or supplied or for whom the labor was done or performed. Such notice shall be served by mailing the same by registered mail, postage prepaid, in an envelop addressed to the contractor at any place he maintains an office or conducts his business, or his residence, or in any manner in which the United States marshal of the district in which the public improvement is situated is authorized by law to serve summons.

(b) Every suit instituted under this section shall be brought in the name of the United States for the use of the person suing, in the United States District Court for any district in which the contract was to be performed and executed and not elsewhere, irrespective of the amount in controversy in such suit, but no such suit shall be commenced after the expiration of one year after the date of final settlement of such contract. The United States shall not be liable for the payment of any costs or expenses of any such suit.

SEC. 3. [Comptroller General to furnish certified copies of bond and contract or date of final settlement.]-The Comptroller General is authorized and directed to furnish, to any person making application therefor who submits an affidavit that he has supplied labor or materials for such work and payment therefor has not been made or that he is being sued on any such bond. a certified copy of such bond and the contract for which it was given, which copy shall be prima facie evidence of the contents, execution, and delivery of the original, and, in case final settlement of such contract has been made, a certified statement of the date of such settlement, which shall be conclusive as to such date upon the parties. Applicants shall pay for such certified copies and certified statements such fees as the Comptroller General fixes to cover the cost of preparation thereof. SEC. 4. The term "person" and the masculine pronoun as used throughout this Act shall include all persons whether individuals, associations, copartnerships, or corporations.

SEC. 5. [Effective date of act.1-This act shall take effect upon the expiration of sixty days after the date of its enactment, but shall not apply to any contract awarded pursuant to any invitation for bids issued on or before the date it takes effect, or to any persons or bonds in respect of any such contract. The Act entitled "An Act for the protection of persons furnishing materials and labor for the construction of public works", approved August 13, 1894, as amended (U. S. C., title 40, sec. 270), is repealed, except that such Act shall remain in force with respect to contracts for which invitations for bids have been issued on or before the date this Act takes effect, and to persons or bonds in respect of such contracts. (49 Stat. 794.)

AMENDMENTS TO FEDERAL WATER POWER ACT

[Extracts from] An Act to provide for control and regulation of public utility holding companies, and for other purposes. (Act of Aug. 26, 1935, c. 687, 49 Stat. 803, 838)

SEC. 202. Section 4 of the Federal Water Power Act, as amended, is amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 4. The Commission is hereby authorized and empowered— "(a) To make investigations and to collect and record data concerning the utilization of the water resources of any region to be developed, the water-power industry and its relation to other industries and to interstate or foreign commerce, and concerning the location, capacity, development costs, and relation to markets of power sites, and whether the power from Government dams can be advantageously used by the United States for its public purposes, and what is a fair value of such power, to the extent the Commission may deem necessary or useful for the purposes of this Act. (49 Stat. 839.)

"(b) To determine the actual legitimate original cost of and the net investment in a licensed project, and to aid the Commission in such determinations, each licensee shall, upon oath, within a reasonable period of time to be fixed by the Commission, after the construction of the original project or any addition thereto or betterment thereof, file with the Commission in such detail as the Commission may require, a statement in duplicate showing the actual legitimate original cost of construction of such project, addition, or betterment, and of the price paid for water rights, rights-of-way, lands, or interest in lands. The licensee shall grant to the Commission or to its duly authorized agent or agents, at all reasonable times, free access to such project, addition, or betterment, and to all maps, profiles, contracts, reports of engineers, accounts, books, records, and all other papers and documents relating thereto. The statement of actual legitimate original cost of said project, and revisions thereof as determined by the Commission, shall be filed with the Secretary of the Treasury.

"(c) To cooperate with the executive departments and other agencies of State or National Governments, in such investigations; and for such purpose the several departments and agencies of the National Government are authorized and directed upon the request of the Commission to furnish such records, papers, and information in their possession as may be requested by the Commission, and temporarily to detail to the Commission such officers or experts as may be necessary in such investigations. (49 Stat. 840.)

i