THE BANKHEAD-JONES FARM TENANT ACT
Chapter 517 of the 75th Congress, as amended
THE BANKHEAD-JONES FARM TENANT ACT
ch517
113–287
Statute Compilation
United States House of Representatives
Office of the Legislative Counsel
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EN
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2021-10-15
Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act
1106
75
1937-07-22
THE BANKHEAD-JONES FARM TENANT ACT
[Chapter 517 of the 75th Congress; Approved July 22, 1937]
[As Amended Through P.L. 113–287, Enacted December 19, 2014]
[Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Chapter 517 of the 75th Congress. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/]
[Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]

AN ACT
To create the Farmers' Home Corporation, to promote more secure occupancy of farms and farm homes, to correct the economic instability resulting from some present forms of farm tenancy, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That [7 U.S.C. 1000] this Act may be cited as “The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act”. * * * * * * *
TITLE III—

RETIREMENT OF SUBMARGINAL LAND

program
Sec. 31.
[7 U.S.C. 1010]
The Secretary is authorized and directed to develop a program of land conservation and land utilization, in order thereby to correct maladjustments in land use, and thus assist in controlling soil erosion, reforestation, preserving natural resources, protecting fish and wildlife, developing and protecting recreational facilities, mitigating floods, preventing impairment of dams and reservoirs, developing energy resources, conserving surface and surface moisture, protecting the watersheds of navigable streams, and protecting the public lands, health, safety, and welfare, but not to build industrial parks or establish private industrial or commercial enterprises.1
^1
Section 706(a) of Public Law 94–579 (90 Stat. 2793) provided that section 31 of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act does not authorize the issuance of rights-of-way over, upon, or through the public lands and lands in the National Forest System.

powers under land program
Sec. 32.
[7 U.S.C. 1011]
To effectuate the program provided for in section 31, the Secretary is authorized—
[(a)
-Repealed by P.L. 87–703]
(b)
To protect, improve, develop, and administer any property so acquired and to construct such structures thereon as may be necessary to adapt it to its most beneficial use.
(c)
To sell, exchange, lease, or otherwise dispose of, with or without a consideration, any property so acquired, under such terms and conditions as he deems will best accomplish the purposes of this title, but any sale, exchange, or grant shall be made only to public authorities and agencies and only on condition that the property is used for public purposes.2: Provided, however, That an exchange may be made with private owners and with subdivisions or agencies of State governments in any case where the Secretary of Agriculture finds that such exchange would not conflict with the purposes of the Act, and that the value of the property received in exchange is substantially equal to that of the property conveyed. The Secretary may recommend to the President other Federal, State, or Territorial agencies to administer such property, together with the conditions of use and administration which will best serve the purposes of a land-conservation and land-utilization program, and the President is authorized to transfer such property to such agencies.
^2
Note regarding subsection (c). The period before the colon probably should be stricken.
(d)
With respect to any land, or any interest therein, acquired by, or transferred to, the Secretary for the purposes of this title, to make dedications or grants, in his discretion, for any public purpose, and to grant licenses and easements upon such terms as he deems reasonable.
(e)3
to cooperate with Federal, State, territorial, and other public agencies and local nonprofit organizations in developing plans for a program of land conservation and land utilization or plans for the conservation, development, and utilization of water for aquacultural purposes, to assist in carrying out such plans by means of loans to State and local public agencies and local nonprofit organizations designated by the State legislature or the Governor, to conduct surveys and investigations relating to conditions and factors affecting, and the methods of accomplishing most effectively the purposes of this title, and to disseminate information concerning these activities. As used in this subsection, the term “aquaculture” means the culture or husbandry of aquatic animals or plants. Loans to State and local public agencies and to local nonprofit organizations shall be made only if such plans have been submitted to, and not disapproved within 45 days by, the State agency having supervisory responsibility over such plans, or by the Governor if there is no such State agency. No appropriation shall be made for any single loan under this subsection in excess of $500,000 unless such loan has been approved by resolutions adopted by the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives. A loan under this subsection shall be made under a contract that provides, under such terms and conditions as the Secretary considers appropriate, for the repayment of the loan in not more than 30 years, with interest at a rate not to exceed the current market yield for outstanding municipal obligations with remaining periods to maturity comparable to the average maturity for the loan, adjusted to the nearest ⅛ of 1 percent. Repayment of principal and interest on such loans shall begin within 5 years. In providing assistance for carrying out plans developed under this title, the Secretary shall be authorized to bear such proportionate share of the costs of installing any works of improvement applicable to public water-based fish and wildlife or recreational development as is determined by him to be equitable in consideration of national needs and assistance authorized for similar purposes under other Federal programs: Provided, That all engineering and other technical assistance costs relating to such development may be borne by the Secretary: Provided further, That when a State or other public agency or local nonprofit organization participating in a plan developed under this title agrees to operate and maintain any reservoir or other area included in a plan for public water-based fish and wildlife or recreational development, the Secretary shall be authorized to bear not to exceed one-half of the costs of (a) the land, easements, or rights-of-way acquired or to be acquired by the State or other public agency or local nonprofit organization for such reservoir or other area, and (b) minimum basic facilities needed for public health and safety, access to, and use of such reservoir or other area for such purposes: Provided further, That in no event shall the Secretary share any portion of the cost of installing more than one such work of improvement for each seventy-five thousand acres in any project; and that any such public water-based fish and wildlife or recreational development shall be consistent with any existing comprehensive statewide outdoor recreation plan found adequate for purposes of chapter 2003 of title 54, United States Code; and that such cost-sharing assistance for any such development shall be authorized only if the Secretary determines that it cannot be provided under other existing authority.
^3
So in law. The first letter of subsection (e) should be capitalized.
The Secretary shall also be authorized in providing assistance for carrying out plans developed under this title:
(1)
To provide technical and other assistance, and to pay for any storage of water for present or anticipated future demands or needs for rural community water supply included in any reservoir structure constructed or modified pursuant to such plans: Provided, That the cost of water storage to meet future demands may not exceed 30 per centum of the total estimated cost of such reservoir structure and the public agency or local nonprofit organization shall give reasonable assurances, and there is evidence, that such demands for the use of such storage will be made within a period of time which will permit repayment of the cost of such water supply storage within the life of the reservoir structure: Provided further, That the public agency or local nonprofit organization prior to initiation or construction or modification of any reservoir structure including water supply storage, make provision satisfactory to the Secretary to pay for not less than 50 per centum of the cost of storage for present water supply demands, and all of the cost of storage for anticipated future demands: And provided further, That the cost to be borne by the public agency or local nonprofit organization for anticipated future demands may be repaid within the life of the reservoir structure but in no event to exceed fifty years after the reservoir structure is first used for the storage of water for anticipated future water supply demands except that (1) no payment on account of such cost need be made until such supply is first used, and (2) no interest shall be charged on such cost until such supply is first used, but in no case shall the interest-free period exceed ten years. The interest rate used for purposes of computing the interest on the unpaid balance shall be the average rate, as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, payable by the Treasury upon its marketable public obligations outstanding at the beginning of the fiscal year in which the advancement for such water supply is first made, which are neither due nor callable for redemption for fifteen years from date of issue;
(2)
To provide, for the benefit to rural communities, technical and other assistance and such proportionate share of the costs of installing measures and facilities for water quality management, for the control and abatement of agriculture-related pollution, for the disposal of solid wastes, and for the storage of water in reservoirs, farm ponds, or other impoundments, together with necessary water withdrawal appurtenances, for rural fire protection, as is determined by the Secretary to be equitable in consideration of national needs and assistance authorized for similar purposes under other Federal programs.
(f)
To make such rules and regulations as he deems necessary to prevent trespasses and otherwise regulate the use and occupancy of property acquired by, or transferred to, the Secretary for the purposes of this title, in order to conserve and utilize it or advance the purposes of this title. Any violation of such rules and regulations shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. Any person charged with the violation of such rules and regulations may be tried and sentenced by any United States commissioner4 specially designated for that purpose by the court by which he was appointed, in the same manner and subject to the same conditions as provided for in title 18, United States Code, section 3401, subsections (b), (c), (d), and (e), as amended.
^4
Note regarding subsection (f). Pursuant to section 402(b)(2) of Public Law 90–578 (82 Stat. 1118), every reference to a United States commissioner shall be deemed to be a reference to a United States magistrate.

payments to counties
Sec. 33.
[7 U.S.C. 1012]
As soon as practicable after the end of each calendar year, the Secretary shall pay to the county in which any land is held by the Secretary under this title, 25 per centum of the net revenues received by the Secretary from the use of the land during such year. In case the land is situated in more than one county, the amount to be paid shall be divided equitably among the respective counties. Payments to counties under this section shall be made on the condition that they are used for school or road purposes, or both. This section shall not be construed to apply to amounts received from the sale of land.

appropriation
Sec. 34.
[7 U.S.C. 1013]
To carry out the provisions of this title, there is authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $10,000,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1938, and not to exceed $20,000,000 for each of the two fiscal years thereafter.
Sec. 35.
[7 U.S.C. 1013a]
The provisions of this title shall extend to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In the case of Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, the term “county” as used in this title may be the entire area, or any subdivision thereof as may be determined by the Secretary, and payments under section 33 of this title shall be made to the Governor or to the fiscal agent of such subdivision.