---
kind: "section"
citation: "43 U.S.C. § 396"
title: "43"
title_heading: "Public Lands"
number: "396"
heading: "Return of contributions to cooperative investigations of projects"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/43/396"
units:
  - "Chapter 12 — Reclamation and Irrigation of Lands by Federal Government"
  - "Subchapter II — Reclamation Fund Generally"
---

# §396. Return of contributions to cooperative investigations of projects


On and after December 25, 1924, the [Secretary](/usc/43/31b.md?p=7) of the Interior is authorized to receive moneys from any [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8), municipality, irrigation district, individual, or other interest, public or private, expend the same in connection with moneys appropriated by the United States for any cooperative investigation of the feasibility of [reclamation projects](/usc/43/373c.md?p=2), and return to the contributor any moneys so contributed in excess of the actual cost of that portion of the work properly chargeable to the contribution.


## Source credit

(Dec. 5, 1924, ch. 4, § 1, 43 Stat. 685.)