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Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73not60

§1325 National Study Commission

Title 33 › Chapter 26— WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL › Subchapter III— STANDARDS AND ENFORCEMENT › § 1325

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a National Study Commission to investigate all technical, economic, social, and environmental effects of meeting—or not meeting—the effluent limits set for 1983 in section 1311(b)(2). The Commission must have 15 members: five Senators from the Environment and Public Works Committee (named by the President of the Senate), five House members from the Public Works and Transportation Committee (named by the Speaker), and five members of the public (named by the President). The Commission may hire or contract with groups like the National Academies, the National Institute of Ecology, the Brookings Institution, and others. Federal departments and agencies must cooperate and give information. A report with recommendations must be sent to Congress not later than three years after October 18, 1972. Non‑federal Commission members may be paid up to the top General Schedule rate for Grade GS–18 and get travel pay when serving at the Chairman’s request. The Commission can hire staff under federal pay rules and can contract for administrative or technical personnel who are not federal employees but must follow Congressional employee standards (Senate rule 41 and House rule 43). Up to $17,250,000 is authorized to carry out this work.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §1325

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)There is established a National Study Commission, which shall make a full and complete investigation and study of all of the technological aspects of achieving, and all aspects of the total economic, social, and environmental effects of achieving or not achieving, the effluent limitations and goals set forth for 1983 in section 1311(b)(2) of this title.
(b)Such Commission shall be composed of fifteen members, including five members of the Senate, who are members of the Environment and Public Works committee, appointed by the President of the Senate, five members of the House, who are members of the Public Works and Transportation committee, appointed by the Speaker of the House, and five members of the public appointed by the President. The Chairman of such Commission shall be elected from among its members.
(c)In the conduct of such study, the Commission is authorized to contract with the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering (acting through the National Research Council), the National Institute of Ecology, Brookings Institution, and other nongovernmental entities, for the investigation of matters within their competence.
(d)The heads of the departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the executive branch of the Federal Government shall cooperate with the Commission in carrying out the requirements of this section, and shall furnish to the Commission such information as the Commission deems necessary to carry out this section.
(e)A report shall be submitted to the Congress of the results of such investigation and study, together with recommendations, not later than three years after October 18, 1972.
(f)The members of the Commission who are not officers or employees of the United States, while attending conferences or meetings of the Commission or while otherwise serving at the request of the Chairman shall be entitled to receive compensation at a rate not in excess of the maximum rate of pay for Grade GS–18, as provided in the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5, including traveltime and while away from their homes or regular places of business they may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence as authorized by law for persons in the Government service employed intermittently.
(g)In addition to authority to appoint personnel subject to the provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive service, and to pay such personnel in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates, the Commission shall have authority to enter into contracts with private or public organizations who shall furnish the Commission with such administrative and technical personnel as may be necessary to carry out the purpose of this section. Personnel furnished by such organizations under this subsection are not, and shall not be considered to be, Federal employees for any purposes, but in the performance of their duties shall be guided by the standards which apply to employees of the legislative branches under rules 41 and 43 11 See References in Text note below. of the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
(h)There is authorized to be appropriated, for use in carrying out this section, not to exceed $17,250,000.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence as authorized by law, referred to subsec. (f), probably refers to the allowances authorized by section 5703 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. The General Schedule, referred to in subsec. (g), is set out under section 5332 of Title 5. The Rules of the House of Representatives for the One Hundred Sixth Congress were adopted and amended generally by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 6, 1999. Provisions formerly appearing in rule 43, referred to in subsec. (g), were contained in rule XXIV, which was subsequently renumbered Rule XXIII by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.

Amendments

1976—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 94–238 substituted “$17,250,000” for “$17,000,000”. 1975—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 93–592 substituted “$17,000,000” for “$15,000,000”. 1973—Subsecs. (g), (h). Pub. L. 93–207 added subsec. (g) and redesignated former subsec. (g) as (h).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Public Works of Senate abolished and replaced by Committee on Environment and Public Works of Senate, effective Feb. 11, 1977. See Rule XXV of Standing Rules of Senate, as amended by Senate Resolution No. 4 (popularly cited as the “Committee System Reorganization

Amendments

of 1977”), approved Feb. 4, 1977. Committee on Public Works of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Public Works and Transportation of House of Representatives, effective Jan. 3, 1975, by House Resolution No. 988, 93d Congress. Committee on Public Works and Transportation of House of Representatives treated as referring to Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of House of Representatives by section 1(a) of Pub. L. 104–14, set out as a note preceding section 21 of Title 2, The Congress. References in Other Laws to GS–16, 17, or 18 Pay RatesReferences in laws to the rates of pay for GS–16, 17, or 18, or to maximum rates of pay under the General Schedule, to be considered references to rates payable under specified sections of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, see section 529 [title I, § 101(c)(1)] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out in a note under section 5376 of Title 5.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 1325

Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60