(a) The Congress finds that (1) certain communities and areas in the Nation are presently burdened by substantial unemployment and underemployment and have failed to share fully in the economic gains of the recovery from the recession of 1960–1961 and (2) action by the Federal Government is necessary, both to provide immediate useful work for the unemployed and underemployed in these communities and to help these communities, through improvement of their facilities, to become more conducive to industrial development and better places in which to live and work. The Nation has a backlog of needed public projects, and an acceleration of these projects now will not only increase employment at a time when jobs are urgently required but will also meet longstanding public needs, improve community services, and enhance the health and welfare of citizens of the Nation.
(b) The Congress further finds that Federal assistance to stimulate public works investment in order to increase employment opportunities is most urgently needed in those areas, both urban and rural, which qualify as redevelopment areas because they suffer from persistent and chronic unemployment and economic underdevelopment, as well as in other areas which have suffered from substantial unemployment for a period of at least twelve months.
(Pub. L. 87–658, §2, Sept. 14, 1962, 76 Stat. 542.)
Section 1 of Pub. L. 87–658 provided: “That this Act [enacting this chapter and amending section 462 of former Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, and section 1492 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Public Works Acceleration Act’.”
For the purposes of this section the term “eligible area” means—
(1) those areas which the Secretary of Labor designates each month as having been areas of substantial unemployment for at least nine of the preceding twelve months; and
(2) those areas which are designated by the Secretary of Commerce under subsections (a) and (b) of section 2504 of this title as “redevelopment areas”.
The President is authorized to initiate and accelerate in eligible areas those Federal public works projects which have been authorized by Congress, and those public works projects of States and local governments for which Federal financial assistance is authorized under provisions of law other than this chapter, by allocating funds appropriated to carry out this section—
(1) to the heads of the departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal Government responsible for the construction of Federal public works projects, and
(2) to the heads of the departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal Government responsible for the administration of laws authorizing Federal financial assistance to public works projects of State and local governments.
All grants-in-aid made from allocations made by the President under this section shall be made by the head of the department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal Government administering the law authorizing such grants, and, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, shall be made in accordance with all of the provisions of such law except (1) provisions requiring allocation of funds among the States, and (2) limitations upon the total amount of such grants for any period. Notwithstanding any provisions of such law requiring the Federal contribution to the State or local government involved to be less than a fixed portion of the cost of a project, grants-in-aid may be made under authority of this section which bring the total of all Federal contributions to such project up to 50 per centum of the cost of such project, or up to 75 per centum of the cost of such project if the State or local government does not have economic and financial capacity to assume all of the additional financial obligations required.
There is authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $900,000,000 to be allocated by the President in accordance with subsection (b) of this section, except that not less than $300,000,000 shall be allocated for public works projects in areas designated by the Secretary of Commerce as redevelopment areas under subsection (b) of section 2504 of this title.
The President shall prescribe rules, regulations, and procedures to carry out this section which will assure that adequate consideration is given to the relative needs of eligible areas. In prescribing such rules, regulations, and procedures the President shall consider among other relevant factors (1) the severity of the rates of unemployment in the eligible areas and the duration of such unemployment and (2) the income levels of families and the extent of underemployment in eligible areas.
Funds allocated by the President under this section shall be available only for projects—
(1) which can be initiated or accelerated within a reasonably short period of time;
(2) which will meet an essential public need;
(3) a substantial portion of which can be completed within twelve months after initiation or acceleration;
(4) which will contribute significantly to the reduction of local unemployment;
(5) which are not inconsistent with locally approved comprehensive plans for the jurisdiction affected, wherever such plans exist.
Not more than 10 per centum of all amounts allocated by the President under this section shall be made available for public works projects within any one State.
The criteria to be used by the Secretary of Labor in determining areas of substantial unemployment for the purposes of paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this section shall be the criteria established in section 6.3 of title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations as in effect May 1, 1962.
(Pub. L. 87–658, §3, Sept. 14, 1962, 76 Stat. 542.)
Section 2504 of this title, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (d), was omitted from the Code.
Ex. Ord. No. 11049, Sept. 14, 1962, 27 F.R. 9203, which provided for implementation of public works acceleration program, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12553, Feb. 25, 1986, 51 F.R. 7237.
(a) No part of any allocation made by the President under this chapter shall be made available during any fiscal year to any State or local government for any public works project, unless the proposed or planned total expenditure (exclusive of Federal funds) of such State or local government during such fiscal year for all its capital improvement projects is increased by an amount approximately equal to the non-Federal funds required to be made available for such public works project.
(b) No part of any allocation made by the President under this chapter shall be made available for any planning or construction, directly or indirectly, of any school or other educational facility.
(Pub. L. 87–658, §4, Sept. 14, 1962, 76 Stat. 543.)