43 U.S.C. § 1457 - Duties of Secretary

• Cite as: 43 U.S.C. § 1457

The Secretary of the Interior is charged with the supervision of public business relating to the following subjects and agencies:

1. Alaska Railroad.

2. Alaska Road Commission.

3. Bounty-lands.

4. Bureau of Land Management.

5. United States Bureau of Mines.

6. Bureau of Reclamation.

7. Division of Territories and Island Possessions.

8. Fish and Wildlife Service.

9. United States Geological Survey.

10. Indians.

11. National Park Service.

12. Petroleum conservation.

13. Public lands, including mines.

Cite as 43 U.S.C. § 1457

Source: R.S. §441; Mar. 3, 1879, ch. 182, 20 Stat. 394; Jan. 12, 1895, ch. 23, 28 Stat. 601; June 17, 1902, ch. 1093, §1, 32 Stat. 388; Feb. 14, 1903, ch. 552, §4, 32 Stat. 826; Mar. 4, 1911, ch. 285, §1, 36 Stat. 1422; July 1, 1916, ch. 209, §1, 39 Stat. 309; Aug. 25, 1916, ch. 408, 39 Stat. 535; Ex. Ord. No. 3861, eff. June 8, 1923; Ex. Ord. No. 4175, eff. Mar. 17, 1925; Ex. Ord. No. 5398, eff. July 21, 1930; June 30, 1932, ch. 320, §1, 47 Stat. 446; Ex. Ord. No. 6611, eff. Feb. 22, 1934; Ex. Ord. No. 6726, eff. May 29, 1934; June 28, 1934, ch. 865, §1, 48 Stat. 1269; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. I, §201, eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2728, 53 Stat. 1424; 1939 Reorg. Plan No. II, §4(e), (f), eff. July 1, 1939, 4 F.R. 2731, 53 Stat. 1433; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. III, §3, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2108, 54 Stat. 1232; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. IV, §11, eff. June 30, 1940, 5 F.R. 2422, 54 Stat. 1236; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, §403(a), eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7876, 60 Stat. 1100; Pub. L. 85-56, title XXII, §2201(1), June 17, 1957, 71 Stat. 157; Pub. L. 102-154, 105 Stat. 1000; Pub. L. 102-285, §10(b), May 18, 1992, 106 Stat. 172.

current through 5/22/2023

EDITORIAL NOTES

CODIFICATION

R.S. §441 derived from acts Mar. 3, 1849, ch. 108, §§3, 5 to 9, 9 Stat. 395; Feb. 5, 1859, ch. 22, §1, 11 Stat. 379; July 20, 1868, ch. 176, §1, 15 Stat. 92, 106; July 8, 1870, ch. 230, §1, 16 Stat. 198.

Section was formerly classified to section 485 of Title 5 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by Pub. L. 89-554, §1, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.

AMENDMENTS

1957- Pub. L. 85-56 substituted "Bounty-lands" for "Pensions and bounty-lands" in par. 3.

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

CHANGE OF NAME

"United States Bureau of Mines" substituted for "Bureau of Mines" in par. (5) pursuant to section 10(b) of Pub. L. 102-285 set out as a note under section 1 of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining.

"United States Geological Survey" substituted for "Geological Survey" in par. 9 pursuant to provision of title I of Pub. L. 102-154 set out as a note under section 31 of this title.

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1957 AMENDMENT

Amendment by Pub. L. 85-56 effective Jan. 1, 1958, see section 2301 of Pub. L. 85-56.

REPORT TO CONGRESS ON AVAILABILITY OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS TO TERRITORIES OF UNITED STATES; AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

Pub. L. 95-134, title IV, §401, Oct. 15, 1977, 91 Stat. 1163, directed the Secretary of the Interior to submit to the Congress no later than Jan. 1, 1978, a report on Federal programs available to United States territories and authorized an appropriation of $50,000 for fiscal year 1978.

STUDY OF HEALTH AND SAFETY CONDITIONS IN METAL AND NONMETALLIC MINES

Pub. L. 87-300, Sept. 26, 1961, 75 Stat. 649, directed Secretary of the Interior to make a study on health and safety conditions in metal and nonmetallic mines, excluding coal and lignite mines, which study was to cover causes of injuries and health hazards, the relative effectiveness of voluntary versus mandatory reporting of accident statistics, the relative contribution to safety of inspection programs embodying right-of-entry and right-of-entry with enforcement authority, the effectiveness of health and safety training programs, the cost of an effective safety program, and the scope and adequacy of State mine safety laws, and to submit his findings, accompanied with recommendations for an effective safety program for metal and nonmetallic mines, excluding coal or lignite mines, to Congress not later then two years after Sept. 26, 1961.

SURVEYS, INVESTIGATIONS AND RESEARCH; APPROPRIATIONS

Pub. L. 85-743, Aug. 23, 1958, 72 Stat. 837, provided: "That the authority vested in the Secretary of the Interior, to perform surveys, investigations, and research in geology, biology, minerals and water resources, and mapping is hereby extended to include Antarctica and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

"SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to compile maps of Antarctica from materials already available and from such additional material as may result from the several expeditions in support of the International Geophysical Year.

"SEC. 3. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to authorize the absorption or modification of, or change in any way, the responsibility of any other department or agency of the United States, including the performance of surveys, mapping, and compilation of maps.

"SEC. 4. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act."

[For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding section 1681 of Title 48, Territories and Insular Possessions.]

CONVEYANCE TO INDIAN TRIBES OF FEDERALLY OWNED BUILDINGS, IMPROVEMENTS, OR FACILITIES

Act Aug. 6, 1956, ch. 979, 70 Stat. 1057, provided that: "The Secretary of the Interior at the request of any Indian tribe, band, or group is authorized to convey to such Indian tribe, band, or group, by such means as he may deem appropriate, title to any federally owned buildings, improvements, or facilities (including any personal property used in connection with such buildings, improvements, or facilities) that are situated on lands of such tribe, band, or group or on lands reserved for the administration of its affairs, and that are no longer required by the Secretary for the administration of Indian affairs. Any tribe, band, or group to which property is conveyed pursuant to this Act may dispose of such property whenever its governing body determines that the property is no longer needed for its use. If, at any time while property conveyed pursuant to this Act remains in the ownership of any Indian tribe, band, or group, the Secretary of the Interior determines that such property is not being adequately maintained or properly utilized by such tribe, band, or group or that the property creates a health or safety hazard or other undesirable condition, he may declare a forfeiture of the conveyance and the title to such property shall thereupon revert to the United States. Such determination by the Secretary shall be final.