An Act to amend section 4482 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (46 U. S. C. 475), relating to life preservers for river steamers.
PL 84-548 (S.460), enacted 06/04/1956

222 
PUBLIC LAW 647-MAY 31, 1956 
[70 ST A T . 
May 31, 1956 
[H. R. 8904] 
Public Law 547 
CHAPTER 348 
AN ACT 
To amend certain laws relating to the grade of certain personnel of the Army, 
Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps upcm retirement. 
Armed Force s> 
R e t i r e d 
lists, 
advancementa 
10 u s e 
1 0 0 2, 
1004. 
10 u s e 594. 
10 u s e 
9 4 3 a 
note. 
Effective date. 
Retirement 
a p -
plication. 
10 u s e 
9 4 3 a , 
971b. 
34 u s e 350i. 
34 u s e 350i. 
10 u s e 1005. 
34 u s e 410c. 
Restriction. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That— 
(1) subsections 203 (a) and 203 (e) of the Army and Air Force 
Vitalization and Retirement Equalization Act of 1948 (62 Stat. 
1085, 1086) are amended by striking the words "during the 
period September 9,1940, to June 30,1946,"; and 
(2) section 5 of the Act of August 21, 1941, as amended (62 
Stat. 1085), is further amended by striking the words "during the 
period September 9,1940, to June 30,1946,". 
SEC. 2. (a) Section 2 of the Act of July 16, 1953 (ch. 203, 67 Stat. 
175), is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 2. This Act takes effect on June 29,1948.'] 
(b) A retired member of the Army or the Air Force who would 
jiave been eligible to be retired in a higher grade or advanced to a 
higher grade on a retired list if the amendment made by subsection (a) 
of this section had been in effect at the time of his discharge or release 
from active duty as a commissioned officer, shall, if he applies within 
one year after the effective date of this Act, be advanced on the appli-
cable retired list to that higher grade, and be entitled to retired pay 
on and after the effective date of this Act at the rate prescribed by 
section 5 of the Act of July 31, 1935 (49 Stat. 507), as amended, for 
that grade. 
SEC. 3. Section 10 (b) (2) of the Act of July 24, 1941, as added 
by subsection 8 (a) of the Act of February 21, 1946 (60 Stat. 28), is 
amended by adding after the word "Act" the words "or title III of the 
Act of August 7,1947 (61 Stat. 829)". 
SEC. 4. (a) Subsection 10 (e) of the Act of July 24, 1941, as added 
by subsection 8 (a) of the Act of February 21, 1946 (60 Stat. 28), is 
repealed effective February 21,1946. 
(b) Subsection 203 (f) of the Army and Air Force Vitalization and 
Retirement Equalization Act of 1948 (62 Stat. 1086) is repealed. 
(c) Section 1 (c) of the Act of August 9, 1955 (69 Stat. 615), 
repealing section 7 (c) of the Act of February 21, 1946 (60 Stat. 26), 
is effective February 21,1946. 
(d) No part of this Act deprives any member or former member 
of the Armed Forces of entitlement to the retired or retirement pay 
to which he was entitled on the day before the day on which that part 
takes effect. 
SEC. 5. No person is entitled to advancement on the retired list or 
to an increase in retired or retirement pay because of this Act for any 
period before the effective date of this Act. 
Approved May 31, 1956. 
June 4, 1956 
[S. 460] 
Public Law 548 
CHAPTER 349 
AN ACT 
To amend section 4482 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (46 U. S. C. 475), 
relating to life preservers for river steamers. 
River steamers. 
Life preservers* 
46 u s e 475. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Rew'esentatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 4482 
of the Revised Statutes, as amended, is amended to read as follows: 
70 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 549-JUNE 4, 1956 
223 
"SEC. 4482. Every steam vessel navigating rivers only shall also be 
provided with an approved life preserver for each and every person 
allowed to be carried on said vessel by the certificate of inspection, 
including each member of the crew, which life preservers shall oe kept 
in convenient and accessible places on such vessel in readiness for 
immediate use in case of accident. 
In lieu of an approved life pre-
server for each such person, the head of the Department in which the 
Coast Guard is operating may permit the use of such proportion of 
approved floats to the total number of persons carried or authorized 
to be carried as he may determine." 
Approved June 4, 1956. 
Public Law 549 
CHAPTER 350 
AN ACT 
June 4, 1956 
To authorize biennial inspection of the hulls and boilers of cargo vessels, and 
'• ' 
•' 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 4417 
of the Revised Statutes, as amended (U. S. C, 1952 edition, title 46, ti^' 
Cargo vessel fh 
Biennial inspec-
33 Stat. 1023. 
sec. 391), is further amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 4417. (a) The head of the department in which the Coast 
steam vessels. 
Guard is operating shall require the Coast Guard to inspect before 
the same shall be put into service, and at least once in every year 
thereafter, the hull of every steam vessel carrying passengers; to 
determine to its satisfaction that every such vessel so submitted to 
inspection is of a structure suitable for the service in which she is to 
be employed, has suitable accommodations for passengers and the crew, 
and is in a condition to warrant the belief that she may be used in 
navigation, with safety to life, and that the vessel is in full compliance 
with the applicable requirements of this title or Acts amendatory or 
supplementary thereto and regulations thereunder; and if deemed ex-
pedient, to direct the vessel to be put in motion or to adopt any other 
suitable means to test her sufficiency and that of her equipment. 
"(b) The head of the department in which the Coast Guard is 
operating shall require the Coast Guard to inspect before the same 
shall be put into service, and at least once in every two years thereafter, 
the hull of each steam vessel, not carrying passengers; to determine 
to its satisfaction that every such vessel so submitted to inspection 
is of a structure suitable for the service in which she is to be employed, 
has suitable accommodations for the crew, and is in a condition to 
warrant the belief that she may be used in navigation, with safety to 
life, and that the vessel is in full compliance with the applicable 
requirements of this title or Acts amendatory or supplementary thereto 
and regulations thereunder; and if deemed expedient, to direct the 
vessel to be put in motion or to adopt any other suitable means to 
test her sufficiency and that of her equipment. 
"(c) The head of the department in which the Coast Guard is 
saii vessels, 
operating shall require the Coast Guard to inspect before the same 
shall be put into service, and at least once in every year thereafter, 
the hull of each sail vessel of over seven hundred gross tons carrying 
E
assengers for hire and all other vessels and barges of over one 
undred gross tons carrying passengers for hire; and to determine 
to its satisfaction that every such vessel so submitted to inspection is 
of a structure suitable for the service in which she is to be employed, 
has suitable accommodations for the passengers and crew, and is in 
condition to warrant the belief that she may be used in navigation 
with safety to life.