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Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73not60

§377b Availability of Appropriations for Bureau of Reclamation

Title 43 › Chapter 12— RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION OF LANDS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT › Subchapter I— GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 377b

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Money given to the Bureau of Reclamation in this Act or later Energy and Water Development Appropriations Acts may, on and after October 2, 1992, be used to pay claims for damage to property, injuries, or death caused by Bureau activities, up to $5,000,000 for each event. The funds may also pay people on the Bureau’s payroll who are legally assigned to represent the United States in interstate-compact work without requiring reimbursement; pay for certain hired services under 5 U.S.C. 3109 up to $500,000 a year; pay rewards for tips about crimes involving Bureau property; cover operation and maintenance administration functions; produce and share informational materials (like recordings and photos); fund studies of reservoir recreation; and support recovery of archaeological and paleontological remains as allowed under chapters 3125 and 3201 of title 54. Also, on and after October 2, 1992, money may not be used under the April 19, 1945 Act for costs that are not tied to specific reclamation projects, except for General Administrative Expenses, plan formulation investigations under “General Investigations,” and science and technology under “Construction Program.” Funds spent for reimbursable Bureau work must be returned as the law requires. Any money earned under a contract but not yet paid must not be spent for other things; doing so violates 31 U.S.C. 1341. Finally, on and after October 2, 1992, Bureau funds cannot pay for surveying and mapping contracts unless contracts solicited after the date of this Act are awarded under title IX of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §377b

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Appropriations for the Bureau of Reclamation in this Act or in subsequent Energy and Water Development Appropriations Acts shall on and after October 2, 1992, be available for payment of claims for damages to or loss of property, personal injury, or death arising out of activities of the Bureau of Reclamation, not to exceed $5,000,000 for each causal event giving rise to a claim or claims; payment, except as otherwise provided for, of compensation and expenses of persons on the rolls of the Bureau of Reclamation appointed as authorized by law to represent the United States in the negotiations and administration of interstate compacts without reimbursement or return under the reclamation laws; services as authorized by section 3109 of title 5, in total not to exceed $500,000 per year; rewards for information or evidence concerning violations of law involving property under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Reclamation; performance of the functions specified under the head “Operation and Maintenance Administration”, Bureau of Reclamation, in the Interior Department Appropriations Act 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma. 1945; preparation and dissemination of useful information including recordings, photographs, and photographic prints; and studies of recreational uses of reservoir areas, and investigation and recovery of archeological and paleontological remains in such areas in the same manner as provided for in chapters 3125 and 3201 of title 54: Provided, That on and after October 2, 1992, no part of any appropriation made in this Act or in subsequent Energy and Water Development Appropriations Acts shall be available pursuant to the Act of April 19, 1945 (43 U.S.C. 377), for expenses other than those incurred on behalf of specific reclamation projects except “General Administrative Expenses”, amounts provided for plan formulation investigations under the head “General Investigations”, and amounts provided for science and technology under the head “Construction Program”. Sums appropriated in this Act or in subsequent Energy and Water Development Appropriations Acts which are expended in the performance of reimbursable functions of the Bureau of Reclamation shall be returnable to the extent and in the manner provided by law. No part of any appropriation for the Bureau of Reclamation, contained in this Act, in any prior Act, or in subsequent Energy and Water Development Appropriations Acts which represents amounts earned under the terms of a contract but remaining unpaid, shall be obligated for any other purpose, regardless of when such amounts are to be paid: Provided, That the incurring of any obligation prohibited by this paragraph shall be deemed a violation of section 1341 of title 31. None of the funds made available by this or any other Act or by any subsequent Act shall on and after October 2, 1992, be used by the Bureau of Reclamation for contracts for surveying and mapping services unless such contracts for which a solicitation is issued after the date of this Act 22 See References in Text note below. are awarded in accordance with title IX of the Federal Property and Administrative Service 33 So in original. Probably should be “Services”. Act of 1949.2

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Interior Department Appropriations Act 1945, referred to in text, is act
June 28, 1944, ch. 298, 58 Stat. 463, which is not classified to the Code. The heading “Operation and maintenance administration” appears at 58 Stat. 487 following the heading “Bureau of Reclamation” which appears at 58 Stat. 486. Act of
April 19, 1945 (43 U.S.C. 377), referred to in text, is act
April 19, 1945, ch. 80, 59 Stat. 54, which amended section 377 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. The date of this Act, referred to in text, probably means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 102–377, which enacted this section, and which was approved Oct. 2, 1992. The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, referred to in text, is act
June 30, 1949, ch. 288, 63 Stat. 377. Title IX of the Act, which was classified generally to subchapter VI (§ 541 et seq.) of chapter 10 of former Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, was repealed and reenacted by Pub. L. 107–217, §§ 1, 6(b), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1062, 1304, as chapter 11 (§ 1101 et seq.) of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works. For disposition of sections of former Title 40 to revised Title 40, see Table preceding section 101 of Title 40. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section is comprised of the second, third, fourth, and sixth undesignated pars. under headings “Bureau of Reclamation” and “administrative provisions” in title II of Pub. L. 102–377, Oct. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 1330, 1331.

Amendments

2014—Pub. L. 113–287, which directed that the second paragraph under the heading “administrative provisions” under the heading “Bureau of Reclamation” (43 U.S.C. 377b), be amended by substituting “chapters 3125 and 3201 of title 54” for “the Acts of
August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461–467) and June 27 1960 (16 U.S.C. 469)” without specifying a public law, was executed by making the substitution for “the Acts of
August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461–467) and
June 27, 1960 (16 U.S.C. 469)” in the first paragraph of this section, which is the second undesignated par. under the headings “Bureau of Reclamation” and “administrative provisions” in title II of Pub. L. 102–377, Oct. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 1330, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See Codification note above. 2003—Pub. L. 108–137 inserted in first par. “, not to exceed $5,000,000 for each causal event giving rise to a claim or claims” after “activities of the Bureau of Reclamation”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Operations and Maintenance Costs of Certain Bureau of Reclamation Dams and Dikes Pub. L. 115–270, title IV, § 4309, Oct. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 3889, as amended by Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LIX, § 5944, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3472, provided that: “(a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law (including

Regulations

), effective during the one-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 [Dec. 23, 2022], the Federal share of the dam safety modifications costs of a dam or dike described in subsection (b), including repairing or replacing a gate or ancillary gate components, shall be 100 percent. “(b) Description of Dams and Dikes.—A dam or dike referred to in subsection (a) is a dam or dike—“(1) that is owned by the Bureau of Reclamation on the date of enactment of this section [Oct. 23, 2018]; “(2) the

Construction

of which was completed not later than
December 31, 1948; “(3) a corrective action study for which was completed not later than
December 31, 2015; and “(4) the

Construction

of which was authorized by the Act of June 28, 1938 (52 Stat. 1215, chapter 795).”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 377b

Title 43 — Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60