[CHAPTER 581-2D SESSION] [H. R. 1744] AN ACT To provide Government protection to widows and children of deceased World War I veterans, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 1 of Public Law Numbered 484, Seventy-third Congress, June 28, 1934, as amended, is hereby amended by repealing subsections (a) and (b) thereof and substituting the following: "SEC. 1. (a) The surviving widow, child, or children of any deceased person who served in World War I before November 12, 1918, or if the person was serving with the United States military forces in Russia before April 2, 1920, and who was discharged or released from active service under conditions other than dishonorable after having served ninety days or more or for disability incurred in the service in line of duty, or who at time of death was receiving or entitled to receive compensation, pension, or retirement pay for service-connected disability, shall, upon filing application and such proofs in the Veterans' Administration as the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs may prescribe, be entitled to receive pension as provided by this Act." SEC. 2. That section 2 of Public Law Numbered 484, Seventy-third Congress, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 2. (a) That the monthly rates of pension shall be as follows: Widow but no child, $35; widow and one child, $45 (with $5 for each additional child); no widow but one child, $18; no widow but two children, $27 (equally divided); no widow but three children, $36 (equally divided) with $4 for each additional child (the total amount to be equally divided). "(b) The total pension payable under this section shall not exceed $74. Where such benefits would otherwise exceed $74, the amount of $74 may be apportioned as the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs may prescribe. SEC. 3. That section 3 of Public Law Numbered 514, Seventy-fifth Congress, May 13, 1938, is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 3. On and after the date of enactment of this Act for the purpose of payment of compensation or pension under the laws administered by the Veterans' Administration, the term 'widow of a World War I veteran' shall mean a woman who was married prior to the effective date of enactment of this amendment, or ten or more years, to the person who served: Provided, That all marriages shall be proven as valid marriages according to the law of the place where the parties resided at the time of marriage or the law of the place where the parties resided when the right to compensation or pension accrued: And provided further, That where the original date of marriage meets the statutory requirement and the parties were legally married at date of death of the veteran, the requirement of the statute as to date of marriage will be regarded as having been met. Compensation or pension shall not be allowed a widow who has remarried either once or more than once, and where compensation or pension is properly discontinued by reason of remarriage it shall not thereafter be recommenced. No compensation or pension shall be paid to a widow unless there was continuous cohabitation with the person who served from the date of marriage to date of death, except where there was a separation which was due to the misconduct of or procured by the person who served, without the fault of the widow." SEC. 4. This Act shall be effective from the date of its approval: Provided, That notwithstanding the repeal of subsections (a) and (b) of section 1 of Public Law Numbered 484, Seventy-third Congress, as amended, contained in section 1 of this Act, claims otherwise payable for a period prior to the effective date of this Act may be adjudicated and placed on the roll and the benefits of this Act shall be applicable to such claims and those claims now on the rolls. SEC. 5. Except to the extent they may conflict with the provisions of this Act, the provisions of Public Law Numbered 2, Seventy-third Congress, March 20, 1933, the Veterans Regulations promulgated thereunder, and of Public Law Numbered 144, Seventy-eighth Congress, July 13, 1943, as now or hereafter amended, shall be applicable to this Act: Provided, That no compensation or pension shall be reduced or discontinued by the enactment of this Act. SEC. 6. The widow, child, or children of a veteran who served in World War II whose death is not due to service therein, but who at the time of death was receiving or entitled to receive pension, compensation, or retirement pay for disability incurred in such service, or who, having served at least ninety days during such war period or having been discharged for disability incurred in line of duty during such service, dies or has died from a disease or disability not service connected and at the time of death had a disability due to such service for which pension would be payable if 10 per centum or more in degree, shall be entitled to pension in the amounts and otherwise subject to the conditions of Public Law Numbered 484, as amended: Provided, That for the purposes of this section the definition of the terms "veteran", "widow", "child or children" shall be those applicable to World War II as provided in Public Law Numbered 2, Seventy-third Congress, as now or hereafter amended: And provided further, That section 4, Public Law Numbered 312, Seventy-eighth Congress, is hereby amended accordingly. [CHAPTER 589-2D SESSION] [H. R. 3621] AN ACT To amend an Act entitled "An Act to provide for the regulation of motor vehicle traffic in the District of Columbia, increase the number of judges of the police court, and for other purposes.' Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 7 (a). of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the regulation of motor vehicle traffic in the District of Columbia, increase the number of judges of the police court, and for other purposes", approved March 3, 1925, as amended, be, and the same is hereby, further amended by adding at the end of said section 7 (a) the following: "Any person who is a member of the military service of the United States or of any foreign nation with which the United States may be allied in the prosecution of any war and is entitled to any of the benefits of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, as amended, or who serves in the merchant marine as defined in the Act entitled 'An Act to provide reemployment rights for persons who leave their positions to serve in the merchant marine, and for other purposes', approved June 23, 1943, and who at the time of his entry upon such service was the holder of a valid permit to operate a motor vehicle in the District of Columbia, notwithstanding the subsequent expiration of such permit, shall be entitled to continue to operate a motor vehicle without obtaining a new permit therefor, subject to the conditions herein imposed. Such person shall, while operating a motor vehicle under the provisions of this Act, carry upon his person the last permit to operate a motor vehicle issued to him, which shall have been valid at the time of his entry into one of the services enumerated herein and shall not have been revoked or suspended subsequent thereto, and shall also carry upon his person conclusive evidence of the fact that he is a member of one of such services. "Any person applying for a new permit to operate an automobile who presents conclusive evidence to the Director of Vehicles and Traffic that he is physically qualified to operate an automobile, that the last permit issued to him has become invalid solely by expiration of time, that he is a member of one of the services enumerated herein or was a member thereof within three months of the date of his application for a new permit, and pays the fee required by law, shall be issued such new permit without examination. If any permit is lost, misplaced, or stolen, a duplicate shall be furnished by the Director of Vehicles and Traffic free of charge upon application and presentation of conclusive evidence that applicant is a member of one of the services enumerated herein." SEC. 2. This Act shall cease to be in effect six months after the date of the termination of hostilities in the present war as determined by the President or upon such earlier date as the Congress, by concurrent resolution, may designate. Approved December 15, 1944. [CHAPTER 592-2D SESSION] [S. J. Res. 156] JOINT RESOLUTION To extend the statute of limitation in certain cases. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That effective as of December 7, 1943, all statutes, resolutions, laws, articles, and regulations, affecting the possible prosecution of any person or persons, military or civil, connected with the Pearl Harbor catastrophe of December 7, 1941, or involved in any other possible or apparent dereliction of duty, or crime or offense against the United States, that operate to prevent the court martial, prosecution, trial, or punishment of any person or persons in military or civil capacity, involved in any matter in connection with the Pearl Harbor catastrophe of December 7, 1941, or involved in any other possible or apparent dereliction of duty, or crime or offense against the United States, are hereby extended for a further period of six months, in addition to the extensions provided for in Public Law 208, Seventy-eighth Congress, and Public Law 339, Seventy-eighth Congress. Approved December 15, 1944. [CHAPTER 597-2D SESSION] [H. R. 3720] AN ACT To authorize the Commissioners of the District of Columbia to appoint notaries public. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 558 of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901, as amended (D. C. Code, 1940 edition, title 1, sec. 501), be further amended to read as follows: "SEC. 558. NOTARIES.-The Commissioners of the District of Columbia shall have power to appoint such number of notaries public, residents of said District, or whose sole place of businesss or employment is located within said District, as, in their discretion, the business of the District may require: Provided, That the appointment of any person as such notary public, or the acceptance of his commission as such, or the performance of the duties thereunder, shall not disqualify or prevent such person from representing clients before any of the departments of the United States Government in the District of Columbia or elsewhere: Provided further, That such person so appointed as a notary public who appears to practice or represent clients before any such department is not otherwise engaged in Government employ, and shall be admitted by the heads of such departments to practice therein in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed for other persons or attorneys who are admitted to practice therein: And provided further, That no notary public shall be authorized to take acknowledgments, administer oaths, certify papers, or perform any official acts in connection with matters in which he is employed as counsel, attorney, or agent, or in which he may be in any way interested before any of the departments aforesaid. "Each notary public before obtaining his commission, and for each renewal thereof, shall pay to the Collector of Taxes of the District of Columbia a license fee of $10: Provided, That no license fee shall be collected from any notary public in the service of the United States Government or the District of Columbia Government whose notarial duties are confined solely to Government official business: And provided further, That no notary fee shall be collected at any time by a notary public who is exempted from the payment of the license fee. The Commissioners are hereby authorized to refund, in the manner prescribed by law for the refunding of erroneously paid taxes, the amount of any fee erroneously paid or collected under this section. "The Commissioners are hereby authorized to prescribe such rules and regulations as they may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act." |