Title 20—Employees' Benefits--Volume 1
PART 71—GENERAL PROVISIONS
§ 71.1   General administrative provisions.
(a) Section 5(f) of the War Claims Act of 1948 (act of July 3, 1948; Pub. L. 896, 80th Cong., 62 Stat. 1240) makes provision for the payment of benefits with respect to the injury, disability or death resulting from injury of any civilian American citizen occurring while he was held by or in hiding from the Imperial Japanese Government to the same extent as if such civilian American citizen were an employee within the purview of the act of December 2, 1942 (Pub. L. 784, 77th Cong., 56 Stat. 1028, 42 U.S.C. 1701, et seq. ). Under section 5(f) of the said War Claims Act of 1948, the rights of individuals to benefits payable under this subchapter shall accrue from and after December 7, 1941, subject, however, to all of the provisions of said act and the regulations in this subchapter.
(b) The regulations in part 61 of subchapter F of this chapter governing the administration of the benefits provided under titles I and II of the said act of December 2, 1942, as amended, shall, insofar as they are applicable and are not inconsistent with any of the provisions of this subchapter, govern the administration of the benefits payable under this subchapter. Provisions of such regulations relating to benefits for detention by the enemy, reimbursement to an employer or insurance carrier, and limitations on benefits in cases where workmen's compensation is payable are not applicable to the benefits provided in this subchapter nor are they within the purview of this subchapter. The provisions of sections 101(b), 104 and 105 of such act of December 2, 1942, and the various provisions of part 61 of this chapter relating to such provisions, accordingly, are not applicable to the payment of benefits under this subchapter.
(c) All rights or benefits under this subchapter which are determinable with reference to other provisions of law other than the said War Claims Act of 1948, shall be determined with reference to such provisions as they existed and were in force on January 3, 1948.
(d) As used in this subchapter:
(1) The term “Bureau” means the Bureau of Employees' Compensation, U.S. Department of Labor.
(2) The term “civilian American citizen” means any person who, being then a citizen of the United States, was captured by the Imperial Japanese Government on or after December 7, 1941, at Midway, Guam, Wake Island, the Philippine Islands, or any Territory or possession of the United States attacked or invaded by such government or while in transit to or from any such place, or who went into hiding at any such place in order to avoid capture or internment by such government; except (i) a person who at any time voluntarily gave aid to, collaborated with, or in any manner served such government, or (ii) a person who at the time of his capture or entrance into hiding was within the purview of the Federal Employees' Compensation Act of September 7, 1918, as amended and extended, or the said act of December 2, 1942, as amended, or the Missing Persons Act of March 7, 1942 (56 Stat. 143), as amended, or who was a regularly appointed, enrolled, enlisted, or inducted member of any military or naval force.
(3) The terms “held by the Imperial Japanese Government” or “captured by the Imperial Japanese Government” mean a holding of such person as a prisoner, internee, hostage or in any other capacity.
(4) The terms “compensation”, “physician” and “medical, surgical and hospital services and supplies” shall be construed and applied as defined in the Federal Employees' Compensation Act of September 7, 1916, as amended.
(5) The term “benefit” is construed as synonymous with the term “compensation”.
(6) The terms “disability”, “wages”, “child”, “grandchild”, “brother”, “sister”, “parent”, “widow”, “widower”, “adoption” or “adopted” shall be construed and applied as defined in the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, as amended.
§ 71.2   Computation of benefits.
(a) For the purpose of determining the benefits under this subchapter, the average weekly wage of any such civilian American citizen, whether employed, self-employed, or not employed, shall be deemed to have been $37.50. The provisions of this subchapter are applicable and benefits are payable whether or not such civilian American citizen was employed. Monthly compensation in cases involving partial disability shall be determined by the percentage which the degree of partial disability bears to total disability, and shall not be determined with respect to the extent of loss of wage-earning capacity.
(b) Notwithstanding any of the provisions of part 61 of this chapter, total maximum aggregate compensation for disability payable under this subchapter is limited to $7,500 in case of injury and $7,500 in case of death, such sum being exclusive of medical costs and funeral and burial expenses.
§ 71.3   Deductions from benefits.
If a civilian American citizen or his dependents receives or has received from the United States any payments on account of the same injury or death, or from his employer in the form of wages or payments in lieu of wages, or in any form of support or compensation (including workmen's compensation) in respect to the same objects, the benefits under this subchapter shall be diminished in the case of an injured person by the amount of payments such injured person received on account of the same injury or disability, or in the case of dependents, by the amount of payments such dependents of the deceased civilian American citizen received on account of the same death, as the case may be.
§ 71.4   Limitation upon benefits.
No person, except a widow or a child, shall be entitled to benefits under this subchapter for disability with respect to himself and to death benefits on account of the death of another.
§ 71.5   Payment of benefits.
(a) Benefits under this subchapter payable for disability or death shall be paid only to the person entitled thereto, or to his legal or natural guardian if he has one, and shall not upon death of the person so entitled survive for the benefit of his estate or any other person.
(b) The benefit of a minor or an incompetent person who has no natural or legal guardian may, in the discretion of the Bureau be paid in whole or in such part as the Bureau may determine, for and on behalf of such minor or incompetent directly to the person or institution caring for, supporting or having custody of such minor or incompetent.
(c) In any case in which benefits are payable under this subchapter to any person who is prevented from accepting such benefits by the rules, regulations or customs of the church or the religious order or organization of which he is a member, such benefits will be paid, upon the request of such person, to such church or to such religious order or organization.
§ 71.6   Notice of injury or death.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions in part 61 of this chapter, no notice or report of injury or death shall be required for claims filed under this subchapter.
§ 71.7   Claim filing, processing, adjudication and time limits.
(a) Claims for injury, disability or death benefits payable under section 5(f) of the said War Claims Act of 1948, originating in the United States or in its Territories or possessions, shall be filed by mailing to the Bureau of Employees' Compensation, United States Department of Labor, Washington, DC 20211. All claims originating in the Philippine Islands may be filed by mailing to the Bureau of Employees' Compensation, United States Department of Labor, Manila, P.I. All claims will be finally processed and adjudicated by the Bureau at its principal office in Washington, DC.
(b) The limitation provisions for the filing of claims for disability or death benefits, as prescribed by applicable provisions of statute, shall not begin to run earlier than July 3, 1948.