JOINT RESOLUTION Providing for membership and participation by the United States in the International Refugee Organization and authorizing an appropriation therefor

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is hereby authorized to accept membership for the United States in the International Refugee Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "Organization"), the constitution of which was approved in New York on December 15, 1946, by the General Assembly of the United Nations, and deposited in the archives of the United Nations: Provided, however, That this authority is granted and the approval of the Congress of the acceptance of membership of the United States in the International Refugee Organization is given upon condition and with the reservation that no agreement shall be concluded on behalf of the United States and no action shall be taken by any officer, agency, or any other person and acceptance of the constitution of the Organization by or on behalf of the Government of the United States shall not constitute or authorize action (1) whereby any person shall be admitted to or settled or resettled in the United States or any of its Territories or possessions without prior approval thereof by the Congress, and this joint resolution shall not be construed as such prior approval, or (2) which will have the effect of abrogating, suspending, modifying, adding to or superseding any of the immigration laws or any other laws of the United States.

SEC. 2. The President shall designate from time to time a representative of the United States and not to exceed two alternates to attend a specified session or specified sessions of the general council of the Organization. Whenever the United States is elected to membership on the executive committee, the President shall designate from time to time, either from among the aforesaid representative and alternates or otherwise, a representative of the United States and not to exceed one alternate to attend sessions of the executive committee. Such representative or representatives shall each be entitled to receive compensation at a rate not to exceed $12,000 per annum, and any such alternate shall be entitled to receive compensation at a rate not to exceed $10,000 per annum, for such period or periods as the President may specify, except that no Member of the Senate or House of Representatives or officer of the United States who is designated as such a representative shall be entitled to receive such compensation.

SEC. 3. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually to the Department of State --

(a) such sums, not to exceed $73,325,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1947, as may be necessary for the payment of United States contributions to the Organization (consisting of supplies, services, or funds and all necessary expenses related thereto) as determined in accordance with article 10 of the constitution of the Organization; and

(b) such sums, not to exceed $175,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1947, as may be necessary for the payment of --

(1) salaries of the representative or representatives and alternates provided for in section 2 hereof, and appropriate staff, including personal services in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, without regard to the civil-service laws and the Classification Act of 1923, as amended; and
(2) such other expenses as the Secretary of State deems necessary to participation by the United States in the activities of the Organization: Provided, That the provisions of section 7 of the United Nations Participation Act of 1945, and regulations thereunder, applicable to expenses incurred pursuant to that Act shall be applicable to any expenses incurred pursuant to this paragraph (b) (2).

SEC. 4. (a) Sums from the appropriations made pursuant to paragraph (a) of section 3 may be transferred to any department, agency, or independent establishment of the Government to carry out the purposes of such paragraph, and such sums shall be available for obligation and expenditure in accordance with the laws governing obligations and expenditures of the department, agency, independent establishment, or organizational unit thereof concerned, and without regard to sections 3709 and 3648 of the Revised Statutes. as amended (U. S. C., 1940 edition, title 41, sec. 5, and title 31, sec. 529).

(b) Upon request of the Organization, any department, agency, or independent establishment of the Government (upon receipt of' advancements or reimbursements for the cost and necessary expenses) may furnish supplies, or if advancements are made may procure and furnish supplies, and may furnish or procure and furnish services, to the Organization: Provided, That such additional civilian employees in the United States as may be required by any such department, agency, or independent establishment for the procurement or furnishing of supplies or services under this subsection, and for the services of whom such department, agency, or independent establishment is compensated by advancements or reimbursements made by the Organization, shall not be counted as civilian employees within the meaning of section 607 of the Federal Employees Pay Act of 1945, as amended by section 14 of the Federal Employees Pay Act of 1946. When reimbursement is made it shall be credited, at the option of the department, agency, or independent establishment concerned, either to the appropriation, fund, or account utilized in incurring the obligation, or to an appropriate appropriation fund, or account which is current at the time of such reimbursement.

SEC. 5. During the interim period, if any, between July 1, 1947, and the coming into force of the constitution of the Organization, the Secretary of State is authorized from appropriations made pursuant to paragraph (a) of section 3, to make advance contributions to the Preparatory Commission for the International Refugee Organization, established pursuant to an agreement dated December 15, 1946, between the governments signatory to the constitution of the Organization, at a rate of not to exceed one-twelfth per month of' the United States, contribution to the Organization contemplated by paragraph (a) of section 3 hereof. Such advance contributions to, the said Preparatory Commission shall be deducted from the said contribution to the Organization for the first fiscal year as provided in paragraph 6 of the said agreement. The provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 4 of this joint resolution shall be applicable, respectively, to such advance, contributions and to the procurement and furnishing of supplies and services to the said Preparatory Commission.

Approved July 1, 1947.

1 Public Law 146, 80th Cong., 1st sess., S. J. Res. 77. Back