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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

action was necessary at this time.

The Secretary invited the attention of the Regents to Section 7 (a) of the Act that will require a future action by the Board of Regents, as follows:

"This Act shall cease to be effective, and all offices created by this Act and all appointments made under this Act shall terminate, if the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution does not find that sufficient funds to construct the National Cultural Center have been received by the Trustees of the National Cultural Center within eight years after the date of enactment of this Act as amended." (i.e., by September 2, 1966)

STATUS OF PENDING LEGISLATION ON POLICING AMENDMENT AND ON CANAL ZONE BIOLOGICAL AREA

The Secretary stated he would summarize the status of pending legislation, that copies of the bills were before each member, and that certain bills had been sent to each member before the meeting.

a) Policing Amendment (to authorize policing of all Smithsonian buildings)

H.R. 9036 was passed by the House of Representatives on December 17, 1963, and had been referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. S. 809 was also referred to this Committee. Prompt enactment of this legislation is desirable in order to authorize the Institution to station special policemen in the Museum of History and Technology Building.

b) Canal Zone Biological Area (to eliminate limitation on amount authorized to be appropriated)

H.R. 3053 had been referred to the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. S. 808 originally had been referred to the Senate Committee on Armed Services, but on July 25, 1963 had been referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. Enactment of this legislation in the near future is necessary in order to avoid the possibility that a point of order may be raised in the House on the Institution's annual appropriation bill.

The Secretary reported that both these bills had been introduced in the Congress by Congressional Regents and, if the Regents do not object, it would be well to write appropriate letters to the Committees concerned to emphasize that they are important to the Institution and to express the hope that they will be acted upon. There was no objection to the Secretary's recommendation.