Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 79.djvu/288

 248

PUBLIC LAW 89-80-JULY 22, 1965

[79 STAT.

waters of the area, river basin, or group of river basins for which the river basin commission is established. ORGANIZATION OF COMMISSIONS

Disposition of records.

Vacancies,

Chairmen, final authority.

SEC. 203. (a) Each river basin commission shall organize for the performance of its functions within ninety days after the President shall have declared the establishment of such commission, subject to the availability of funds for carrying on its work. A commission shall terminate upon decision of the Council or agreement of a majority of the States composing the commission. Upon such termination, all property, assets, and records of the commission shall thereafter be turned over to such agencies of the United States and the participating States as shall be appropriate in the circumstances: Provided, That studies, data, and other materials useful in water and related land resources planning to any of the participants shall be kept freely available to all such participants. (b) State members of each commission shall elect a vice chairman, who shall serve also as chairman and coordinating officer of the State members of the commission and who shall represent the State governments in Federal-State relations on the commission. (c) Vacancies in a commission shall not affect its powers but shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointments were made: Provided, That the chairman and vice chairman may designate alternates to act for them during temporary absences. (d) In the work of the commission every reasonable endeavor shall be made to arrive at a consensus of all members on all issues; but failing this, full opportunity shall be afforded each member for the presentation and report of individual views: Provided, That at any time the commission fails to act by reason 'of absence of consensus, the position of the chairman, acting in behalf of the Federal members, and the vice chairman, acting upon instructions of the State members, shall be set forth in the record: Provided further, That the chairman, in consultation with the vice chairman, shall have the final authority, in the absence of an applicable bylaw adopted by the commission or in the absence of a consensus, to fix the times and places for meetings, to set deadlines for the submission of annual and other reports, to establish subcommittees, and to decide such other procedural questions as may be necessary for the commission to perform its functions. DUTIES OF THE COMMISSIONS

Report to President and Congress.

Joint plan, transmission.

SEC. 204. Each river basin commission shall— (1) engage in such activities and make such studies and investigations as are necessary and desirable in carrying out the policy set forth in section 2 of this Act and in accomplishing the purposes set forth in section 201(b) of this Act; (2) submit to the Council and the Governor of each participating State a report on its work at least once each year. Such report shall be transmitted through the President to the Congress. After such transmission, copies of any such report shall be sent to the heads of such Federal, State, interstate, and international agencies as the President or the Governors of the participating States may direct; (3) submit to the Council for transmission to the President and by him to the Congress, and the Governors and the legislatures of the participating States a comprehensive, coordinated, joint plan, or any major portion thereof or necessary revisions thereof, for

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