All patents for public lands shall be issued and signed by the Secretary of the Interior in the name of the United States: Provided, That the Secretary may delegate his authority under this section to officers or employees of the Department of the Interior , but notice of any such delegation shall be given by publication in the Federal Register. (June 17, 1948, ch. 496, § 1, 62 Stat. 476 .) Editorial Notes Prior Provisions A prior section 15, R.S. § 458; 1940 Reorg. Plan No. III, § 4 eff. June 30, 1940 , 5 F.R. 2108 , 54 Stat. 1232 ; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 3, § 403, eff. July 16, 1946 , 11 F.R. 7876 , 60 Stat. 1100 , related to issuance of patents, prior to repeal by section 2(c) of act June 17, 1948 . Executive Documents Transfer of Functions For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior , with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950 , 15 F.R. 3174 , 64 Stat. 1262 , set out under section 1451 of this title .