An Act to amend title 38 of the United States Code in order to provide that a disability which has been rated at or above a certain percentage for 20 or more years may not thereafter be reduced below such percentage
PL 88-445 (H.R.8925), enacted 08/19/1964

464 
PUBLIC LAW 88-445-AUG. 19, 1964 
[78 STAT. 
Travel expen-
es, etc. 
A'dministrative 
services. 
Hearings. 
Contracts. 
Information from 
other agencies. 
Report to Pres-
ident and Conr 
gress. 
Appropriation. 
an executive secretary to oversee the work of the staff under the general 
direction of the Commission. 
SEC. 8. All members and other personnel of the Commission shall 
be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and necessary expenses in 
accordance with law. 
SEC. 9. The Department of Labor shall provide the Commission 
necessary administrative services (including those related to budget-
ing, accounting, financial reporting, personnel, and procurement) for 
which payment shall be made in advance, or by reimbursement, from 
funds of the Commission in such amounts as may be agreed upon by 
the Commission and the Secretary of Labor. 
SEC. 10. The Commission, or on the authorization of the Commis-
sion, any subcommittee or panel thereof, may, for the purpose of 
carrying out its functions and duties, hold such hearings and sit and 
act at such times and places as the Commission or such subcommittee 
or panel may deem advisable. 
SEC. 11. The Commission is authorized to negotiate and enter into 
contracts with private organizations to carry out such studies and to 
prepare such reports as the Commission determines to be necessary 
in order to carry out its duties. 
SEC. 12. The Commission is authorized to secure directly from any 
executive department, agency, or independent instrumentality of the 
Government any information it deems necessary to carry out its func-
tions under this Act; and each such department, agency, and instru-
mentality is authorized and directed to cooperate with the Commission 
and, to the extent permitted by law, to furnish such information to 
the Commission, upon request made by the Chairman. 
SEC. 13. The Commission shall submit a final report of its findings 
and recommendations to the President and the Congress by January 
1, 1966. The Commission shall cease to exist thirty days after sub-
mitting its final report. 
SEC. 14. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the 
Commission, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appro-
priated, such sums not in excess of $1,000,000, as may be necessary to 
carry out the provisions of this Act. 
Approved August 19, 1964. 
August 19, 1964 
[H. R. 8925] 
Public Law 88-445 
AN ACT 
To amend title 38 of the I'nited States Code in order to provide that a disability 
which has been rated at or above a certain percentage for twenty or more years 
may not thereafter be reduced below such percentage. 
76 Stat. 950. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and Houne of Re^jrenentathes 
of the 
^ii'T^la^ui^'^^^ t''/j/^<^c? States of America In (-ongrefiH astietnbled, That (a) section 
'Wstat!"fn3: 
110 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting im-
mediately after the first sentence thereof the following new sentence: 
"A disability which has been continuously rated at or above any 
percentage for twenty or more years for compensation purposes under 
laws administered by the Veterans' Administration shall not there-
after be rated at less than such percentage, except upon a showing that 
such rating was based on fraud." 
(b) The side heading of such section 110 is amended by striking 
out "total". 
(c) The table of sections of chapter 1 of title 38, United States 
Code, is amended by striking out "Preservation of total" and inserting 
in lieu thereof "Preservation of". 
Approved August 19, 1964.