An Act to provide for the settlement of claims against the United States by members of the uniformed services and civilian officers and employees of the United States for damage to, or loss of, personal property incident to their service, and for other purposes
PL 88-558 (H.R.6910), enacted 08/31/1964

78 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 88-558-AUG. 31, 1964 
767 
Public Law 88-558 
AN ACT 
To provide for the settlement of claims against the United States by members 
of the uniformed services and civilian oflScers and employees of the United 
States for damage to, or loss of, personal property incident to their service, and 
for other purposes. 
August 31, 1964 
[H. R. 6910] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That this Act may 
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nel and Civilian 
Mihtary Personnel and Civihan Employees' Claims Employees" 
Claims Act of 
1964. 
Definitions. 
be cited as the 
Act of 1964" 
SEC. 2. As used in this Act— 
(1) "agency" includes an executive department, independent 
establishment, or corporation primarily acting as an instrumen-
tality of the United States, but does not include any contractor 
with the United States; 
(2) "uniformed services" means the Army, Navy, Air Force, 
Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Coast and Geodetic Survey, and 
Public Health Service; and 
(3) "settle" means consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, and 
dispose of any claim, whether by full or partial allowance or 
disallowance. 
SEC. 3. (a) Under such regulations as the head of an agency may 
prescribe, he or his designee may settle and pay a claim arising after 
the effective date of this Act against the United States for not more 
than $6,500 made by a member of the uniformed services under the 
jurisdiction of that agency or by a civilian officer or employee of that 
agency, for damage to, or loss of, personal property incident to his 
service. If the claim is substantiated and the possession of that prop-
erty is determined to be reasonable, useful, or proper under the circum-
stances, the claim may be paid or the property replaced in kind. This 
subsection does not apply to claims settled before its enactment. 
(b) If a person named in subsection (a) is dead, the head of the 
agency concerned, or his designee, may settle and pay any claim made 
by the decedent's surviving (1) spouse, (2) children, (3) father or 
mother, or both, or (4) brothers or sisters, or both, that arose before, 
concurrently with, or after the decedent's death and is otherwise 
covered by subsection (a). 
Claims of survivors shall be settled and 
l)aid in the order named. 
(c) A claim may be allowed under subsection (a) for damage to, or 
loss of, property only if— 
(1) it is presented in writing within two years after it accrues, 
except that if the claim accrues in time of war or in time of armed 
conflict in which any armed force of the United States is engaged 
or if such a war or armed conflict intervenes within two years 
after it accrues, and if good cause is shown, the claim may be 
presented not later than two years after that cause ceases to exist, 
or two years after the war or armed conflict is terminated, which-
ever is earlier; 
(2) it did not occur at quarters occupied by the claimant within 
the fifty States or the District of Columbia that were not assigned 
to him or otherwise provided in kind by the United States; or 
(3) it was not caused wholly or partly by the negligent or 
wrongful act of the claimant, his agent, or his employee. 
(d) For the purposes of subsection (c) (1), the dates of beginning 
and ending of an armed conflict are the dates established by con-
current resolution of Congress or by a determination of the President. 
(e) The head of each agency shall report once a year to Congress 
on claims settled under this section during the period covered by the 
Limitation. 
Deceased per-
Conditions. 
Report to 
Congress. 
768 
PUBLIC LAW 88-559-SEPT. 1, 1964 
[78 STAT. 
report. 
The report shall include for each claim the name of the 
claimant, the amount claimed, and the amount paid. 
SEC. 4. Notwithsta,nding any other provision of law, the settlement 
of a claim under this Act is final and conclusive. 
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1
0
^ use 2731- 
SEC. 5. Chapter 163 of title 10, United States Code, is amended, 
effective two years from the date of this Act, as follows: 
7
0
A Stat. 155. 
(^^ Sectlou 2735 is amended by striking out the figure "2732," and 
the comma after the figure "2733". 
(2) The analysis is amended by striking out the following item: 
"2732. Property loss: incident to service; members of Army, Navy, Air Force, or 
Marine Corps and civilian employees." 
Repeals. 
(3) Sectlon 2732 Is repealed. 
SEC. 6. Section 2 of the Act of June 7, 1956, chapter 376 (70 Stat. 
255), is repealed. 
1
4 use 461-511. 
gjjc^ 7^ Chapter 13 of title 14, United States Code, is amended, 
effective two years from the date of this Act, as follows: 
(1) The analysis is amended by striking out the following item: 
"490. Settlement of claims of military and civilian personnel." 
63 Stat. 534; 
/£) Scctiou 490 Is repealed. 
72 Stat. 832. 
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Approved August 31, 1964. 
Public Law 88-559 
September 1, 1964 
AN A C T 
^^' ^^^^1 
To provide for the disposition of the judgment funds on deposit to the credit of 
the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of the Tongue River Indian Reservation, 
Montana. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
N'^^H"'' 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the unex-
enn°e'^Tribe. ^^" peuded balauce of funds on deposit in the Treasury of the United 
States to the credit of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe of Indians of 
the Tongue River Reservation in the State of Montana that were 
appropriated by the Act of January 6, 1964 (77 Stat. 857), to pay a 
judgment by the Indian Claims Commission in docket 329-C, and the 
interest thereon, after payment of litigation costs, may be advanced 
or expended for any purpose that will improve the economic and 
social conditions of the members of the tribe and is authorized by 
the tribal governing body thereof and approved by the Secretary of 
the Interior: Provided, That no more than $100 per capita shall be 
distributed in unsupervised payments. Any part of such funds that 
is distributed per capita to the members of the tribe shall not be 
subject to the Federal or State income tax. 
Approved September 1, 1964.