Effect of Intergovernmental Cooperation Act on Smith-Lever and Hatch Act Grant Payments

Resolution was requested of a dispute between the Department of Agriculture, Assistant Secretary for Administration, and the Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Government Financial Operations, as to whether Department of Agriculture grant payments to State extension services and to State agricultural experimental stations should continue to be disbursed in equal quarterly installments regardless of disbursement needs. They should be so disbursed since there is nothing in the language or legislative history of the pertinent legislation which requires grant payments to be made to States only as actually needed or to indicate an intention to repeal by implication the statutory payment schedules. Repeal by implication should not be easily presumed; Congress has reaffirmed the payment requirements of the programs.