53STAT.] 76TH CONG. , 1 ST SESS.-CH. 418 -AUG. 4 , 1939 ductive, and of those lands which are considered to be of greater or lesser productivity than indicated by existing classifications, if any, made pursuant to the Federal reclamation laws, and shall furnish also such data relating thereto as the Secretary by regulation may require. (d) Upon receipt of any such request the Secretary shall make a preliminary determination whether the requested land classification or reclassification probably is justified by reason of the conditions of the lands involved and other pertinent conditions of the project, including its contractual relations with the United States. (e) If the Secretary finds probable justification and if the advance to the United States hereinafter required is made, he shall undertake as soon as practicable the classification or reclassification of the lands listed in the request, and of any other lands which have been, are, or may be included within the project involved and which in his judg- ment should be classified or reclassified. (f) As soon as practicable after completion of the classification work undertaken pursuant to this section, or from time to time, the Secretary shall report to Congress on the classifications and reclassi- fications made and shall include in his report, as to each project involved, his recommendations, if any, for remedial legislation. (g) One-half of the expense involved in any classification work undertaken pursuant to this section shall be charged to operation and maintenance administration nonreimbursable; and one-half shall be paid in advance by the organization involved. On determining probable justification for the requested classification or reclassifi- cation as provided in this section, the Secretary shall estimate the cost of the work involved and shall submit a statement of the estimated cost to said organization. Said organization, before commencement of the work, shall advance to the United States one-half of the amount set forth in said statement and also shall advance one-half of the amount of supplementary estimates of costs which the Secretary may find it necessary to make from time to time during the progress of the work; and said amounts shall be and remain available for expenditure by the Secretary for the pur- poses for which they are advanced, until the work is comllpleted or abandoned. After completion or abandonment of the work, the Secretary, shall determine the actual costs thereof; and said organi- zation shall pay any additional amount required to make its total payments hereunder equal to one-half of the actual cost or shall be credited with any amount by which advances made by it exceed one-half of said actual cost, as the case may be. (h) If in the judgment of the Secretary a classification or reclassifi- cation pursuant to the provisions of this section is a necessary prelimi- nary to entering into a contract under section 3 or 4 of this Act, he may require the same as a condition precedent to entering into such a contract. (i) No modification of any existing obligation to pay construction charges on any project shall be made by reason of any classification or reclassification undertaken pursuant to this section without express authority therefor granted by Congress upon recommendations of the Secretary made in a report under subsection (f) of this section. SEC. 9 . (a) No expenditures for the construction of any new project, new division of a project, or new supplemental works on a project shall be made, nor shall estimates be submitted therefor, by the Secre- tary until after he has made an investigation thereof and has sub- mitted to the President and to the Congress his report and find- ings on- (1) the engineering feasibility of the proposed construction; (2) the estimated cost of the proposed construction; 1193 Preliminary deter- mination. Classification if deemed justifiable. Report to Congress. Division of expense. Advance payment. Determination of nctunl costs: payment by organization. Classification or re- classification if neces- sary. Modification of ex- isting obligation to pay charges, limita- tion. Preliminary inves- tigations of new proj- ects. Report and find- ings.
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