Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§2179 Prototype desalting plant

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 32— - FOREIGN ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT › Part Part II— - Other Programs › Subpart subpart ii— - american schools and hospitals abroad; prototype desalting plants › § 2179

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President may help fund and support building a large-scale prototype water treatment and desalting plant in Israel that is part of a combined power-and-desalting project, if he finds it feasible. The help can include money, technical support, and other aid for study, design, construction, and for up to a five-year demonstration period, for operation and maintenance. The President can make contracts with public or private groups and use staff, services, and facilities of any federal agency, and he may waive some procurement rules when doing so. Any agreement must let the United States use the information, products, processes, patents, and other results worldwide at no extra cost, and must give U.S. officials permanent rights to review data and visit the plant to observe operations. The owner keeps any background patent rights. U.S. costs (not counting administrative costs) for capital and for operation and maintenance during the demo must not exceed 50% of those costs or $20,000,000, whichever is less. Money may be appropriated as needed and kept until spent. Funds provided to the Office of Water Research and Technology under the Act of July 11, 1969, or earlier laws, may not be used for this project.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §2179

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In furtherance of the purposes of subchapter I of this chapter and for the purpose of improving existing, and developing and advancing new, technology and experience in the design, construction, and operation of large-scale desalting plants of advanced concepts which will contribute materially to low-cost desalination in all countries, including the United States, the President, if he determines it to be feasible, is authorized to participate in the development of a large-scale water treatment and desalting prototype plant and necessary appurtenances to be constructed in Israel as an integral part of a dual-purpose power generating and desalting project. Such participation shall include financial, technical, and such other assistance as the President deems appropriate to provide for the study, design, construction, and, for a limited demonstration period of not to exceed five years, operation and maintenance of the water treatment and desalting facilities of the dual-purpose project.
(b)Any agreement entered into under subsection (a) of this section shall include such terms and conditions as the President deems appropriate to insure, among other things, that all information, products, uses, processes, patents, and other developments obtained or utilized in the development of this prototype plant will be available without further cost to the United States for the use and benefit of the United States throughout the world, and to insure that the United States, its officers, and employees have a permanent right to review data and have access to such plant for the purpose of observing its operations and improving science and technology in the field of desalination.
(c)In carrying out the provisions of this section, the President may enter into contracts with public or private agencies and with any person without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 6101 of title 41.
(d)Nothing in this section shall be construed as intending to deprive the owner of any background patent or any right which such owner may have under that patent.
(e)In carrying out the provisions of this section, the President may utilize the personnel, services, and facilities of any Federal agency.
(f)The United States costs, other than its administrative costs, for the study, design, construction, and operation of a prototype plant under this section shall not exceed either 50 per centum of the total capital costs of the facilities associated with the production of water, and 50 per centum of the operation and maintenance costs for the demonstration period, or $20,000,000, whichever is less. There are authorized to be appropriated, subject to the limitations of this subsection, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section, including administrative costs thereof. Such sums are authorized to remain available until expended.
(g)No funds appropriated for the Office of Water Research and Technology pursuant to the appropriation authorized by the Act of July 11, 1969 (83 Stat. 45, Public Law 91–43), or prior authorization Acts, shall be used to carry out the purposes of this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Act of
July 11, 1969, referred to in subsec. (g), is Pub. L. 91–43,
July 11, 1969, 83 Stat. 45, which is not classified to the Code. Codification In subsec. (c), “section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 6101 of title 41” substituted for “section 3648 and 3709 of the Revised Statutes of the United States (31 U.S.C. 529 and 41 U.S.C. 5)” on authority of Pub. L. 97–258, § 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1067, which Act enacted Title 31, Money and Finance, and Pub. L. 111–350, § 6(c), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3854, which Act enacted Title 41, Public Contracts.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

References to Subchapter I Deemed To Include Certain Parts of Subchapter IIReferences to subchapter I of this chapter are deemed to include parts IV (§ 2346 et seq.), VI (§ 2348 et seq.), and VIII (§ 2349aa et seq.) of subchapter II of this chapter, and references to subchapter II are deemed to exclude such parts. See section 202(b) of Pub. L. 92–226, set out as a note under section 2346 of this title, and section 2348c and 2349aa–5 of this title.

Executive Documents

Change of Name

Office of Water Research and Technology formed through merger of Office of Saline Water and Office of Water Resources Research by order of Secretary of the Interior, Ord. No. 2966, July 26, 1974. Delegation of Functions For delegation of functions of President under this section, see Ex. Ord. No. 12163, Sept. 29, 1979, 44 F.R. 56673, as amended, set out as a note under section 2381 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 2179

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73