adjusted to the nearest one-eighth of 1 per centum, less (ii) not to exceed 2 per centum per annum, and the term thereof may be extended for such period as will provide a maturity of not to exceed forty years. The Secretary may authorize a suspension in the payment of principal and interest charges on, and an additional extension in the maturity of, any such loan for a period not to exceed five years if he determines that such action is necessary to avoid severe financial hardship.

(c) Section 1820 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection:

"(f) The Administrator is authorized to refinance any loan made or acquired by the Veterans' Administration when he finds such refinancing necessary because of the loss, destruction, or damage to property securing such loan as the result of a major disaster as determined by the President pursuant to the Act entitled "An Act to authorize Federal assistance to States and local governments in major disasters, and for other purposes", approved September 30, 1950, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1855-1855g). The interest rate on any loan refinanced under this subsection may be reduced to a rate not less than (i) a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury taking into consideration the current average market yield on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States with remaining periods to maturity comparable to the average maturity of such loan, adjusted to the nearest one-eighth of 1 per centum, less (ii) not to exceed 2 per centum per annum, and the term thereof may be extended for such period as will provide a maturity of not to exceed forty years; except that the Administrator may authorize a suspension in the payment of principal and interest charges on, and an additional extension in the maturity of, any such loan for a period not to exceed five years if he determines that such action is necessary to avoid severe financial hardship."

SEC. 4.1 ***

DISASTER WARNINGS

SEC. 5. The Secretary of Defense is authorized to utilize or to make available to other agencies the facilities of the civil defense communications system established and maintained pursuant to section 201 (c) of the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2281 (c)), for the purpose of providing needed warning to governmental authorities and the civilian population in areas endangered by imminent natural disasters.

1 Sec. 4 amended sec. 221, National Housing Act (supra) to authorize housing financed under that section to be made available to families displaced by major disasters under procedures prescribed by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

2 Sec. 6 amended sec. 306, Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act of 1961 (7 U.S.C. 1926) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to make or insure loans for public facilities damaged or destroyed as a result of a major disaster, and to make grants up to 50 percent of the cost of repair, or replacement of waste disposal systems, water systems, and other public facilities damaged or destroyed as a result of a major disaster, where repayment of a loan would require a charge for service which would be beyond the ability of the users to pay.

See sec. 408, Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963, supra.

PRIORITY TO CERTAIN APPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC FACILITY AND PUBLIC HOUSING ASSISTANCE

SEC. 8. In the processing of applications for assistance

(1) under title II of the Housing Amendments of 1955, or any other Act providing assistance for the repair, construction, or extension of public facilities;

(2) under the United States Housing Act of 1937 for the provision of low-rent housing;

(3) under section 702 of the Housing Act of 1954 for assistance in public works planning;

(4) under section 702 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 providing for grants for public facilities; or

(5) under section 306 of the Consolidated Farmers Home Administration Act priority and immediate consideration shall be given, during such period as the President shall by proclamation prescribe, to applications from public bodies situated in major disaster areas.

RESTORATION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES

SEC. 9. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to reimburse not more than 50 per centum of eligible costs incurred to repair, restore, or reconstruct any project of a State, county, municipal, or other local government agency for flood control, navigation, irrigation, reclamation, public power, sewage treatment, water treatment, watershed development, or airport construction which was damaged or destroyed as a result of a major disaster, and of the resulting additional eligible costs incurred to complete any such facility which was in the process of construction when damaged or destroyed as a result of such major disaster. Eligible costs are defined to mean those costs determined by the Director of the Office of Emergency Planning as incurred or to be incurred in (1) restoring a public facility to substantially the same condition as existed prior to the damage resulting from the major disaster, and (2) completing construction not performed prior to the major disaster to the extent the increase of such costs over original construction costs is attributable to changed conditions resulting from the major disaster. Reimbursement under this section shall be made to the State, county, municipal, or other local governmental agency which is constructing the public facility or for which it is being constructed, except that if the economic burden of the eligible costs of repair, restoration, reconstruction or completion is incurred by an individual, partnership, corporation, agency, or other entity (other than an organization engaged in the business of insurance), the State, county, municipality, or other local governmental agency shall reimburse such individual, partnership, corporation, agency, or other entity not to exceed 50 per centum of those costs. Eligible costs shall not include any costs for which reimbursement is received pursuant to insurance contracts or otherwise by the party incurring the economic burden of such costs.

DUPLICATION OF BENEFITS

SEC. 10. The head of each department or agency of the Federal Government administering any program providing financial assistance to persons, business concerns, or other entities suffering losses as the result of a major disaster shall administer such program in a manner which will assure that no such person, concern, or other entity will receive such assistance with respect to any part of such loss as to which he has received financial assistance under any other such program.

EXTENSIONS OF TIME IN PUBLIC LAND MATTERS

SEC. 11. The Secretary of the Interior, upon application therefor, is authorized to grant an extension of time to the holder of any lease, license, permit, contract or entry issued by him in connection with any lands administered by him through the Bureau of Land Management where the Secretary finds that a major disaster has impeded timely fulfillment of requirements and such relief will not prejudice the rights of another party.

COORDINATION OF EFFORT

SEC. 12. The President, acting through the Office of Emergency Planning, shall plan and coordinate all Federal programs providing assistance to persons, business concerns, or other entities suffering losses as the result of a major disaster, and shall conduct periodic reviews (at least annually) of the activities of State and Federal departments or agencies to assure maximum coordination of such programs, and to evaluate progress being made in the development of State and local organizations and plans to cope with major disasters. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to relieve the head of any department or agency of any function, duty, or responsibility vested in him by any provision of law.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE STUDY

SEC. 13. The Director of the Office of Emergency Planning is authorized and directed to make, in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, and other affected Federal and State agencies, a full and complete study and investigation for the purpose of determining what additional or improved air operation facilities are needed to provide immediate effective action to prevent or minimize loss of publicly or privately owned property and personal injury or death which could result from forest fires or grass fires which are or threaten to become major disasters. The study and investigation shall include but not be limited to

(1) the need for new or improved airports, heliports, or helispots at specific locations where present transportation facilities are inadequate to provide for immediate and effective action in case of forest fires or grass fires;

(2) the need for additional or improved material, equipment (including aircraft) and personnel at specific locations to provide for immediate and effective action in case of forest fires or grass fires; and

(3) the estimated cost of providing such new or improved air operation facilities (including additional or improved material, equipment, and personnel) at each specific location.

Not later than six months after the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Emergency Planning shall report the findings of the study and investigation to the Congress together with his recommendations for an action program, including an equitable plan for the sharing of the cost of the program by the Federal, State and local governments and private persons and organizations.

EFFECTIVE DATE

SEC. 14. This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to any major disaster occurring after October 3, 1964. Approved November 6, 1966.

ADMINISTRATION

Executive Order 10427

[18 Fed. Reg. 407 (1953)]

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the act of September 30, 1950, entitled "An Act to authorize Federal assistance to States and local governments in major disasters, and for other purposes", 64 Stat. 1109, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1855 ff.), hereinafter referred to as the Act, and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. The following-described authority and functions shall be exercised or performed by the Director of the Office of Emergency Planning: 1

(a) The authority conferred upon the President by section 3 of the Act to direct Federal agencies to provide assistance in major disasters. (b) The authority conferred upon the President by section 5(a) of the Act to coordinate the activities of Federal agencies in providing disaster assistance, and to direct any Federal agency to utilize its available personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and other resources, in accordance with the authority contained in the Act.

(c) The authority conferred upon the President by section 7 of the Act to reimburse any Federal agency for any of its authorized expenditures made under section 3 of the Act in connection with a major disaster: Provided, however, That such reimbursement shall be made from funds allocated by the President to the Director 1 for use in aid of a specific State under section 2 (e) (2) of the Executive order by which this subsection (c) was added to this order: And provided further, That

1

1 Executive Order 10773, effective July 1, 1958, 23 Fed. Reg. 5061, provided that each reference in any prior Executive Order to the Federal Civil Defense Administrator, and to the Federal Civil Defense Administration was amended to refer to the Director of the Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization and to the Office of Defense and Civilian Mobilization, respectively. Executive Order 10782, effective August 26, 1958, 23 Fed. Reg. 6971, amended Executive Order 10773 by substituting "Civil and Defense Mobilization" for "Defense and Civilian Mobilization".

Executive Order 11051 of September 27, 1962, 27 Fed. Reg. 9683, amended each reference to the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization or to the Director thereof in Executive Order 10427 and other Executive orders to refer to the Office of Emergency Planning and the Director of the Office of Emergency Planning, respectively. Executive Order 11051 also

revoked Executive Orders 10773 and 10782. among other Executive orders. This subsection inserted by sec. 3 of Executive Order 10737, issued October 29, 1957, 22 Fed. Reg. 8799.

Executive Order 10737, infra.

such authority shall be exercised subject to the concurrence of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget.

(d)1 The authority to issue rules and regulations governing such reimbursement, subject to the concurrence of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget.

(e)1 The authority to prescribe such rules and regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry out the provisions of sections 3 and 5 of the Act, as amended.

(f) The preparation of proposed rules and regulations for the consideration of the President and issuance by him under section 5(b) of the Act.

(g) The preparation of the annual and supplemental reports provided for by section 8 of the Act for the consideration of the President and transmittal by him to the Congress.

SEC. 2. In order to further the most effective utilization of the personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and other resources of Federal agencies pursuant to the Act during a major disaster, such agencies shall from time to time make suitable plans and preparations in anticipation of their responsibilities in the event of a major disaster. The Director of the Office of Emergency Planning shall coordinate on behalf of the President such plans and preparations.

SEC. 3. To the extent authorized by the Act, the Director of the Office of Emergency Planning shall foster the development of such State and local organizations and plans as may be necessary to cope with major disasters.

SEC. 4. Nothing in this order shall be construed to prevent any Federal agency from affording such assistance and taking such other action as may accord with the existing policies, practices, or statutory authority of such agency in the event of any disaster which will not permit delay in the commencement of Federal assistance or other Federal action, and pending the determination of the President whether the disaster is a major disaster: Provided, That such assistance and such other action shall be subject to coordination by the Director of the Office of Emergency Planning, acting on behalf of the President.

SEC. 5. The Director of the Office of Emergency Planning may delegate any authority or function delegated or assigned to him by the provisions of this order to any other officer or officers of the Office of Emergency Planning or, with the consent of the head thereof, to any other Federal agency.

SEC. 6. Federal disaster relief provided under the Act shall be deemed to be supplementary to relief afforded by State, local, or private agencies and not in substitution therefor; Federal financial contributions for disaster relief shall be conditioned upon reasonable State and local expenditures for such relief; the limited responsibility of the Federal Government for disaster relief shall be made clear to State and local agencies concerned; and the States shall be encouraged to provide funds which will be available for disaster relief purposes. SEC. 7. As used herein, the terms "major disaster" and "Federal agency" shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Act.

SEC. 8. So much of the records of the Housing and Home Finance Agency relating to the activities delegated by Executive Order No. 10221 as the Housing and Home Finance Administrator and the Director of the Office of Emergency Planning shall jointly determine shall be transferred to the Office of Emergency Planning.

1 This subsection inserted by sec. 3 of Executive Order 10737, issue October 29, 1957, 22 Fed. Reg. 8799.