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[PUBLIC LAW 138-77TH CONGRESS]

[CHAPTER 261-1ST SESSION]
[H. R. 4693]

AN ACT

To amend the National Housing Act, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first sentence of subsection (a) of section 2 of the National Housing Act, as amended, is hereby amended by striking out "July 1, 1941" and inserting in lieu thereof "July 1, 1943".

SEC. 2. The last sentence of subsection (a) of section 2 of such Act, as amended, is hereby amended by (1) inserting "and other sources" after the word "premiums," and (2) striking out "$100,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$165,000,000".

SEC. 3. Subsection (b) of section 2 of such Act, as amended, is hereby amended by (1) striking out "exceeds $2,500" and inserting in lieu thereof "made for the purpose of financing the alteration, repair, or improvement of existing structures exceeds $2,500 (or in the case of the alteration, repair, or improvement of an existing dwelling designed or to be designed for more than one family, exceeds $5,000), or for the purpose of financing the construction of new structures exceeds $3,000;", (2) striking out the word "unless" in clause (2) of such subsection and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "where the loan, advance of credit, or purchase does not exceed $2,500, or has a maturity in excess of five years and thirty-two days, where the loan, advance of credit, or purchase exceeds $2,500 but does not exceed $5,000; except that such maturity limitations shall not apply if", and (3) striking out the period at the end thereof and inserting ": Provided, That any obligation with respect to which insurance is granted under this section on or after July 1, 1939, may be refinanced and extended in accordance with such terms and conditions as the Administrator may prescribe, but in no event for an additional amount or term in excess of the maximum provided for in this subsection."

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SEC. 4. Subsection (c) of section 2 of such Act, as amended, is hereby amended by (1) inserting after the letter "(c)" the figure "(1)", (2) inserting before the word "property" the word "personal", and (3) adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph:

"(2) The Administrator is authorized and empowered (a) to deal with, complete, rent, renovate, modernize, insure, or sell for cash or credit, in his discretion, and upon such terms and conditions and for such consideration as the Administrator shall determine to be reasonable, any real property conveyed to or otherwise acquired by him in connection with the payment of insurance heretofore or hereafter granted under this title and (b) to pursue to final collection, by way of compromise or otherwise, all claims against mortgagors assigned by mortgagees to the Administrator in connection with such real property by way of deficiency or otherwise: Provided, That

section 3709 of the Revised Statutes shall not be construed to apply to any contract of hazard insurance or to any purchase or contract for services or supplies on account of such property if the amount thereof does not exceed $1,000. The power to convey and to execute in the name of the Administrator deeds of conveyance, deeds of release, assignments and satisfactions of mortgages, and any other written instrument relating to real property or any interest therein heretofore or hereafter acquired by the Administrator pursuant to the provisions of this title may be exercised by the Administrator or by any Assistant Administrator appointed by him without the execution of any express delegation of power or power of attorney: Provided, That nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent the Administrator from delegating such power by order or by power of attorney, in his discretion, to any officer or agent he may appoint."

SEC. 5. The last sentence of subsection (f) of section 2 of such Act, as amended, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "charges' the following: "and all moneys collected by the Administrator as fees of any kind in connection with the granting of insurance as provided in this section, and all moneys derived from the sale, collection, disposition, or compromise of any evidence of debt, contract, claim, property, or security assigned to or held by the Administrator as provided in subsection (c) of this section with respect to insurance granted on and after July 1, 1939".

SEC. 6. Effective on July 1, 1941, the first sentence of section 1 of the National Housing Act, as amended, is hereby amended by striking out "$10,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$12,000".

SEC. 7. Title I of such Act, as amended, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following new section:

"SEC. 7. Nothing in this title shall be construed to exempt any real property acquired and held by the Administrator in connection with the payment of insurance heretofore or hereafter granted under this title from taxation by any State or political subdivision thereof, to the same extent, according to its value, as other real property is taxed."

SEC. 8. Subsection (a) of section 203 of such Act, as amended, is hereby amended by (1) striking out "$3,000,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$4,000,000,000"; (2) striking out "$4,000,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$5,000,000,000"; (3) striking out of the second proviso "the effective date of this amendment and outstanding at any one time, shall not exceed 25 per centum of the total amount of the principal obligations of mortgages with respect to which insurance may be granted under this title after such effective date" and inserting in lieu thereof "June 3, 1939, and outstanding at any one time shall not exceed 35 per centum of the total amount of the principal obligations of mortgages with respect to which insurance may be granted under this title after such date"; and (4) striking out of the third proviso "July 1, 1941" and inserting in lieu thereof "July 1, 1944".

SEC. 9. The last sentence of subsection (a) of section 204 of such Act, as amended, is hereby amended by striking out "July 1, 1941" and inserting in lieu thereof "July 1, 1944".

SEC. 10. The first sentence of subsection (d) of section 512 of such Act, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "No individual, association, partnership, or corporation shall hereafter, while the Federal Housing Administration exists, use the combination of

letters 'FHA', the words 'Federal Housing' or 'National Housing', or any combination or variation of such letters or words alone or with other letters or words as the name under which he or it shall do business, for the purpose of trade, or by way of advertisement to induce the sale of any article or product whatsoever, which use shall have the effect of leading the public to believe that any such individual, association, partnership, or corporation, or any article or product so offered for sale, has any connection with, approval of, or authorization from, the Federal Housing Administration, the Government of the United States, or any instrumentality thereof where such connection, approval, or authorization does not, in fact, exist."

Approved, June 28, 1941.

[PUBLIC NO. 849-76TH CONGRESS]

[CHAPTER 862-3D SESSION]

[H. R. 10412]

AN ACT

To expedite the provision of housing in connection with national defense, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. In order to provide housing for persons engaged in national-defense activities, and their families, in those areas or localities in which the President shall find that an acute shortage of housing exists or impends which would impede national-defense activities and that such housing would not be provided by private capital when needed, the Federal Works Administrator (hereinafter referred to as the "Administrator") is authorized:

(a) To acquire prior to the approval of title by the Attorney General (without regard to sections 1136, as amended, and 3709 of the Revised Statutes) improved or unimproved lands or interests in lands by purchase, donation, exchange, lease (without regard to section 322 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (47 Stat. 412), as amended, the Act of March 3, 1877 (19 Stat. 370), or any time limit on the availability of funds for the payment of rent), or condemnation (including proceedings under the Acts of August 1, 1888 (25 Stat. 357), March 1, 1929 (45 Stat. 1415), and February 26, 1931 (46 Stat. 1421)).

(b) By contract or otherwise (without regard to sections 1136, as amended, and 3709 of the Revised Statutes, section 322 of the Act of June 30, 1932 (47 Stat. 412), or any Federal, State, or municipal laws, ordinances, rules, or regulations relating to plans and specifications or forms of contract, the approval thereof or the submission of estimates therefor) prior to the approval of title by the Attorney General to make surveys and investigations, plan, design, construct, remodel, extend, repair, or demolish structures, buildings, improvements, and community facilities, on lands or interests in lands acquired under the provisions of subsection (a) hereof or on other lands of the United States which may be available (transfers of which for this purpose by the Federal agency having jurisdiction thereof are hereby authorized notwithstanding any other provisions of law), provide proper approaches thereto, utilities, and transportation facilities, and procure necessary materials, supplies, articles, equipment, machinery, and do all things necessary in connection therewith to carry out the purposes of this Act: Provided, That the cost-plus-a-percentage-ofcost system of contracting shall not be used, but this proviso shall not be construed to prevent the use of the cost-plus-a-fixed-fee form of contract: Provided, That the cost per family dwelling unit shall not exceed an average of $3,000 for those units located within the continental United States nor an average of $4,000 for those located elsewhere, and the cost of no family dwelling unit shall exceed $3,950

within the continental United States or $4,750 elsewhere, exclusive of expenses of administration, land acquisition, public utilities, and community facilities, and the aggregate cost of community facilities shall not exceed 3 per centum of the total cost of all projects.

SEC. 2. As used in this Act (a) the term "persons engaged in nationaldefense activities" shall include (1) enlisted men in the naval or military services of the United States; (2) employees of the United States in the Navy and War Departments assigned to duty at naval or military reservations, posts, or bases; (3) workers engaged or to be engaged in industries connected with and essential to the national defense; (b) the term "Federal agency" means any executive department or office (including the President), independent establishment, commission, board, bureau, division, or office in the executive branch of the United States Government, or other agency of the United States, including corporations in which the United States owns all or a majority of the stock, directly or indirectly.

SEC. 3. The sum of $150,000,000, to remain available until expended, is hereby authorized to be appropriated to carry out the purposes of this Act in accordance with the authority therein contained and for administrative expenses in connection therewith: Provided, however, That the Administrator is authorized to reimburse, from funds which may be appropriated pursuant to the authority of this Act, the sum of $3,300,000 to the emergency funds made available to the President under the Act of June 11, 1940, entitled "An Act making appropriations for the Navy Department and the naval service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1941, and for other purposes" (Public, Numbered 588), and the sum of $6,700,000 to the emergency funds made available to the President under the Military Appropriation Act, 1941, approved June 13, 1940 (Public, Numbered 611).

SEC. 4. When the President shall have declared that the emergency declared by him on September 8, 1939, to exist, has ceased to exist (a) the authority contained in section 1 hereof shall terminate except with respect to contracts on projects previously entered into or undertaken and court proceedings then pending, and (b) property acquired or constructed under this Act shall be disposed of as promptly as may be advantageous under the circumstances and in the public interest.

SEC. 5. Where any Federal agency has funds for the provision of housing in connection with national-defense activities it may, in its discretion, make transfers of those funds, in whole or in part, to the Administrator, and the funds so transferred shall be available for, but only for, any or all of the objects and purposes of and in accordance with all the authority and limitations contained in this Act, and for administrative expenses in connection therewith.

SEC. 6. Moneys derived from rental or operation of property acquired or constructed under the provisions of this Act shall be returned to the appropriation authorized by this Act and shall be available for expenses of operation and maintenance including administrative expenses in connection therewith, and the unobligated balance of the moneys so deposited shall be covered into the Treasury at the end of each fiscal year as miscellaneous receipts.

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