Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 69.djvu/685

 69 S T A T. ]

PUBLIC LAW 345-AUG. 11, 1955

643

such credit is not otherwise available on reasonable terms and conditions. FEDERAL LOANS

SEC. 202. (a) The Housing and Home Finance Administrator, acting through the Community Facilities Administration, is authorized to purchase the securities and obligations of, or make loans to, States, municipalities and other political subdivisions of States, public agencies, and instrumentalities of one or more States, municipalities and political subdivisions of States, and public corporations, boards, and commissions established under the laws of any State, to finance specific public projects under State or municipal law. No such purchase or loan shall be made for payment of ordinary governmental or nonproject operating expenses. (b) The powders granted in subsection (a) of this section shall be subject to the following restrictions and limitations: (1) No financial assistance shall be extended under this section unless the financial assistance applied for is not otherwise available on reasonable terms, and all securities and obligations purchased and all loans made under this section shall be of such sound value or so secured as reasonably to assure retirement or repayment, and such loans may be made either directly or in cooperation with banks or other lending institutions through agreements to participate or by the purchase of participations or otherwise. (2) No securities or obligations shall be purchased, and no loans shall be made, including renewals or extensions thereof, which have maturity dates in excess of forty years. (c) In the processing of applications for financial assistance under this section the Administrator shall give priority to applications of smaller municipalities for assistance in the construction of basic public works (including works for the storage, treatment, purification, or distribution of water; sewage, sewage treatment, and sewer facilities; and gas distribution systems) for which there is an urgent and vital public need. As used in this section, a "smaller municipality" means an incorporated or unincorporated town, or other political subdivision of a State, which had a population of less than ten thousand inhabitants at the time of the last Federal census. FINANCING

SEC. 203. (a) In order to finance activities under this title, the Administrator is authorized and empowered to issue to the Secretary of the Treasury, from time to time and to have outstanding at any one time, in an amount not exceeding $100,000,000, notes and other obligations. Such obligations shall be in such forms and denominations, have such maturities and be subject to such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Administrator, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury. Such notes or other obligations shall bear interest at a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration the current average rate on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States of comparable maturities as of the last day of the month preceding the issuance of such notes or other obligations. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to purchase any notes and other obligations of the Administrator to be issued hereunder and for such purpose the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to use as a public debt transaction the proceeds from the sale of any securities issued under the Second Liberty Bond Act, as amended, and the purposes for which securities may

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