Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§277d–1 Authorizations for Mexican treaty projects; acquisition of lands for relocation purposes; contracts and conveyances

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - INTERNATIONAL BUREAUS, CONGRESSES, ETC. › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION › § 277d–1

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

For any project run by the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, the Secretary of State, acting through the U.S. Commissioner, may buy or legally take land or land rights needed to move roads, rail lines, telephone or power lines, or other property when moving them is needed for building, operating, or maintaining the project. The Commission can do the moving work itself or make contracts with property owners to buy land or do the work. It can also trade, give, or grant long-term or permanent rights to use U.S. land it acquired or improved for these moves, whether or not the land has buildings on it. Those transfers are signed by the Secretary of State and do not have to follow the normal public‑land patenting rules.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §277d–1

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of State, acting through the United States Commissioner, International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico (herein referred to as the “Commission”), in connection with any project under the jurisdiction of the United States Section, International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, is authorized: (a) to purchase, or condemn, lands, or interests in lands, for relocation of highways, roadways, railroads, telegraph, telephone, or electric transmission lines, or any other properties whatsoever, the relocation of which, in the judgment of the said Commissioner, is necessitated by the construction or operation and maintenance of any such project, and to perform any or all work involved in said relocations on said lands, or interests in lands, other lands, or interests in lands, owned and held by the United States in connection with the construction or operation and maintenance of any such project, or properties not owned by the United States; (b) to enter into contracts with the owners of the said properties whereby they undertake to acquire any, or all, property needed for said relocation, or to perform any, or all, work involved in said relocations; and (c) for the purpose of effecting completely said relocations, to convey, or exchange Government properties acquired or improved under clause (a) of this section, with or without improvements, or other properties owned and held by the United States in connection with the construction or operation and maintenance of said project, or to grant term or perpetual easements therein or thereover. Grants or conveyances hereunder shall be by instruments executed by the Secretary of State without regard to provisions of law governing the patenting of public lands.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Act Sept. 13, 1950, ch. 948, § 1, 64 Stat. 846, provided that: “This Act [enacting this section and sections 277d–2 to 277d–9 of this title] may be cited as the ‘American-Mexican Treaty Act of 1950’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 277d–1

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73