Title 43, Public LandsRelease 119-110
§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
Summary
Money given to the Bureau of Reclamation, on and after October 2, 1992, must be available to pay injury, death, or property-damage claims that come from Bureau activities, up to $5,000,000 for each event that causes the claims. The money may also pay compensation and expenses for Bureau employees who represent the United States in interstate compact work, pay certain services authorized by section 3109 of Title 5 up to $500,000 a year, pay rewards for tips about crimes involving Bureau property, support operation and maintenance administration work, produce and share information like photos and recordings, study recreational use of reservoirs, and handle archaeological and paleontological work as allowed under the cited parts of Title 54. After October 2, 1992, funds may not be used for general expenses except for specific project costs, “General Administrative Expenses,” plan-formulation investigations under “General Investigations,” and science and technology under “Construction Program.” Money spent for reimbursable Bureau functions must be returned as the law allows. Any appropriation that represents money earned under a contract but not yet paid cannot be used for other purposes; violating that rule is a breach of 31 U.S.C. 1341. Also, after October 2, 1992, surveying and mapping contracts advertised after this Act must be awarded under Title IX of the Federal Property and Administrative Service 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 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 are awarded in accordance with title IX of the Federal Property and Administrative Service Act of 1949.
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
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110