Public Law 77–349

That in order to expedite the settlement of claims and accounts incident to the agricultural adjustment programs in effect prior to January 6, 1936, under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 (48 Stat. 31),

7 U. S. C., ch. 26.

Ante, p. 85.

Time limit for filing.

amendments thereto, and related legislation, no claim shall he considered or paid from the appropriation “Payments for Agricultural Adjustment” made by the Supplemental Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1936 (49 Stat. 1116), as amended, unless presented to the Secretary of Agriculture within one hundred and twenty calendar days

Disposition of unobligated balance.

from the date of approval of this Act, and the unobligated balance remaining in said appropriation one hundred and eighty calendar days after the date of approval of this Act shall be covered into the surplus

Proviso.

Administrative expenses.

fund of the Treasury: Provided, That not to exceed $25,000 of such unobligated balance shall remain available thereafter for not more than one calendar year for administrative expenses incident to carrying out the purposes of this Act.

Sec. 2.

That with respect to payments made in connection with any program (1) under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 or amendments thereto or other legislation relating to programs inaugurated prior to January 6, 1936, which were administered through the Agricultural Adjustment Administration; (2) under the appropriation

49 Stat. 1116.

“Payments for Agricultural Adjustment” as made in the Supplemental Appropriation Act, fiscal year 1936, as amended; or

7 U. S. C. §§ 1401–1407.

(3) under title IV of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (52 Stat. 70), amendments thereto and related legislation, the Comptroller General of the United States is hereby authorized to allow credit in the accounts of the disbursing officers who made the payments and no charge shall be raised against the certifying officers who

Proviso.

Payments made in good faith.

certified the vouchers: Provided, That the Secretary of Agriculture certifies that such payments were made in good faith and without fraud or collusion on the part of such disbursing officers or certifying officers.

Sec. 3.

That where it appears payments mentioned in section 2 hereof have been made in excess of the amounts to which the persons to whom such payments were made were entitled, without fraud on their part, no action shall be taken by the United States to recover such excess payments if the Secretary of Agriculture, after such investigation as he deems appropriate, certifies that, considering the contribution made in good faith by any such person to agricultural adjustment compared with the contributions of other persons somewhat similarly situated, it would be inequitable to require refund of the excessive payments; or certifies that appropriate efforts to obtain such refunds have failed and there is no reasonable prospect of later obtaining such refunds.