Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 53 Part 2.djvu/85

 76TH CONG. , 1ST SESS.-CH. 36-APR. 3, 1939 [CHAPTER 36] AN ACT To provide for reorganizing agencies of the Government, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Reorganization Act of 1939". TITLE I-REORGANIZATION PART I SECTION 1. (a) The Congress hereby declares that by reason of continued national deficits beginning in 1931 it is desirable to reduce substantially Government expenditures and that such reduction may be accomplished in some measure by proceeding immediately under the provisions of this Act. The President shall investigate the organization of all agencies of the Government and shall determine what changes therein are necessary to accomplish the following purposes: (1) To reduce expenditures to the fullest extent consistent with the efficient operation of the Government; (2) To increase the efficiency of the operations of the Government to the fullest extent practicable within the revenues; (3) To group, coordinate, and consolidate agencies of the Govern- ment, as nearly as may be, according to major purposes; (4) To reduce the number of agencies by consolidating those hav- ing similar functions under a single head, and to abolish such agencies as may not be necessary for the efficient conduct of the Government; and (5) To eliminate overlapping and duplication of effort. (b) The Congress declares that the public interest demands the carrying out of the purposes specified in subsection (a) and that such purposes may be accomplished in great measure by proceeding imme- diately under the provisions of this title, and can be accomplished more speedily thereby than by the enactment of specific legislation. SEC. 2. When used in this title, the term "agency" means any exec- utive department, commission, independent estabilislment, corpora- tion owned or controlled by the United States, board, bureau, divi- sion, service, office, authority, or administration, in the executive branch of the Government. SEC. 3. No reorganization plan under section 4 shall provide- (a) For the abolition or transfer of an executive department or all the functions thereof or for the establishment of any new execu- tive department; (b) In the case of the following agencies, for the transfer, con- solidation, or abolition of the whole or any part of such agency or of its head, or of all or any of the functions of such agency or of its head: Civil Service Commission, Coast Guard, Engineer Corps of the United States Army, Mississippi River Commission, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Power Commission, Federal Trade Commission, General Accounting Office, Interstate Commerce Commission, National Labor Relations Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, Board of Tax Appeals, United States Employees' Compensation Commission, United States Maritime Com- mission. United States Tariff Commission, Veterans' Administration, National Mediation Board, National Railroad Adjustment Board, Railroad Retirement Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corpo- ration, or the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; or April 3, 1939 [H. R. 44251 [Public, No. 19] Reorganization Act of 1939. Post, pp. 1423, 1431. Declaration by the Congress. Investigation by President and deter- mination of changes necessary to accom- plish designated pur- poses. Reduction of ex- penditures. Increase in effi- ciency. Grouping, etc., of agencies. Reduction of num- ber of agencies. Elimination of over- lapping and duplica- tion of effort. Purposes declared to be in public interest. "Agency" defined. Provisions prohib- ited in reorganization plans. Abolition or trans- fer of an executive de- partment, etc. Transfer, abolition, etc., of designated agencies. 53 STAT.] 561

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