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16 U.S.C. § 820

Section 820 · Proceedings for revocation of license or to prevent violations of license

This is § 26 of the Federal Power Act of 1920

Amended 3 times on record

Applied in 7 court decisions — leading case Federal Power Commission v. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. (1954)

Most recently applied in United States v. Merlino (May 2015)

How often courts cite this section

19201940196019802000201520ch. 285enacted · 1920 · ch. 285ch. 687amended · 1935 · ch. 687ch. 343amended · 1947 · ch. 343Federal Power Commission v. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.leading · 1954 · Federal Power Commission v. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.
citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

The Attorney General may, on request of the commission or of the Secretary of the Army, institute proceedings in equity in the district court of the United States in the district in which any project or part thereof is situated for the purpose of revoking for violation of its terms any permit or license issued hereunder, or for the purpose of remedying or correcting by injunction, mandamus, or other process any act of commission or omission in violation of the provisions of this chapter or of any lawful regulation or order promulgated hereunder. The district courts shall have jurisdiction over all of the above-mentioned proceedings and shall have power to issue and execute all necessary process and to make and enforce all writs, orders and decrees to compel compliance with the lawful orders and regulations of the commission and of the Secretary of the Army, and to compel the performance of any condition imposed under the provisions of this chapter. In the event a decree revoking a license is entered, the court is empowered to sell the whole or any part of the project or projects under license, to wind up the business of such licensee conducted in connection with such project or projects, to distribute the proceeds to the parties entitled to the same, and to make and enforce such further orders and decrees as equity and justice may require. At such sale or sales the vendee shall take the rights and privileges belonging to the licensee and shall perform the duties of such licensee and assume all outstanding obligations and liabilities of the licensee which the court may deem equitable in the premises; and at such sale or sales the United States may become a purchaser, but it shall not be required to pay a greater amount than it would be required to pay under the provisions of section 807 of this title at the termination of the license.

Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel

References in Text

Proceedings in equity, referred to in text, were abolished by the adoption of Rule 2 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, set out in the Appendix to Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, which provided that “there shall be one form of action to be known as ‘civil action’ ”.

Change of Name

Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. Section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. Section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted “Title 10, Armed Forces” which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued military Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.

Transfer of Functions

Federal Power Commission terminated and its functions with regard to licenses and permits for dams, reservoirs, or other works for development and improvement of navigation and for development and utilization of power across, along, from, or in navigable waters under this subchapter transferred to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by sections 7172(a)(1)(A) and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure

Application of rules, see rule 81, Title 28, Appendix, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

One form of action to be known as “civil action,” see rule 2.

Writ of mandamus abolished, see rule 81(b).

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