An Act to amend title II of the Womens Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, by providing flexibility in the distribution of women officers in the grades of commander and lieutenant commander, and for other purposes.
PL 84-585 (H.R.8477), enacted 06/15/1956

70 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 585-JUNE 15, 1956 
SEC. 2. The following laws are repealed: 
(a) Sections 1495, 1499, 1500, 1501, 1502, 1503, and 1504 of the ^g^J "^c 273.27(5-
Kevised Statutes; 
(b) Act of June 18,1878 (ch. 267, 20 Stat. 165); 
^'^ "^^ "6. 
(c) Section 20 of the Act of May 22,1917 (40 Stat. 89), as amended; 32^2! 
^*°' ^®'*' 
and 
(d) Section 316 (k) of the Officer Personnel Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 
3^ use aoei. 
868), as amended. 
Approved June 15, 1956. 
Public Law 585 
CHAPTER 393 
AN ACT 
To amend title II of the Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948, by 
providing flexibility in the distribution of women oflicers in the grades of 
commander and lieutenant commander, and for other purposes. 
June 15, 1956 
[H. R. 8477] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That title II of the 
Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 (62 Stat. 363) is 
amended by— 
(1) amending section 203 to read as follows: 
"SEC. 203. Women commissioned in the Regular Navy under the 
provisions of this title shall not have permanent commissioned grade 
on the active list of the Eegular Navy above that of commander. 
The 
number of women officers on the active list of the line of the Regular 
Navy in the permanent grades of commander and lieutenant com-
mander shall not exceed 10 per centum and 20 per centum, respectively, 
of the number of women officers on the active list of the line of the 
Regular Navy in the grades of ensign and above at any one time. 
Computations to determine such numbers shall be made at such times 
that the needs of the service require but not less than once annually. 
Whenever a final fraction occurs in any computation made pursuant 
to this section, the nearest whole number shall be taken and if such 
fraction be one-half the next higher whole number shall be taken. 
Upon determining such numbers the Secretary of the Navy may fur-
ther determine the number, which may be a lesser number, of women 
officers on the active list of the line of the Regular Navy which may 
serve in each of these grades, and if the number so determined in the 
grade of commander is less than the computed number the number 
determined in the grade of lieutenant commander may exceed the 
computed number by the amount of such difference. 
The numbers 
so determined shall be held and considered as the authorized numbers 
until subsequent computations and determinations are made. 
No 
woman officer of the Regular Navy shall be reduced in grade or pay, or 
be separated from the active list, as the result of any such computation 
or determination."; 
(2) amending section 206 (b) by— 
(A) inserting before the word "promotion" the word "perma-
nent"; and 
(B) adding at the end of the section the following sentences: 
"A woman officer of the ^rade of ensign in the Regular Navy or 
the Naval Reserve on active duty may be temporarily appointed 
to the grade of lieutenant (junior grade) under regulations pre-
scribed by the President and when so appointed shall be entitled 
to the pay and allowances of such grade from the date of eligibility 
for the temporary appointment. 
The permanent appointment of 
a woman officer so temporarily appointed shall not be vacated by 
reason of such temporary appointment."; 
Womens A r m e d 
Services 
Integri*-
tion Act of 1948> 
amendment. 
34 u s e lOSb. 
Commanders and 
l i e u t e n a n t coii> 
manders* 
Determination of 
numbers. 
34 u s e 307. 
P r © m o t i o n 
t o 
lieutenant jg. 
286 
PUBLIC LAW 585-JUNE 15, 1956 
[70 ST A T . 
Line officers. 
Consideration for 
promotion. 
34 u s e 307. 
Retention. 
34 u s e 307. 
34 u s e 410r. 
Discharge. 
34 u s e 625h. 
(3) amending section 206 (d) by deleting the first sentence 
thereof and substituting therefor the following: "Women lieu-
tenant commanders and lieutenants of the line of the Regular 
Navy shall become eligible for consideration by a selection board 
for promotion to the next higher grade in the fiscal year on June 
30 of which they will have completed four years of service in their 
grades and women lieutenants (junior grade) of the line of the 
Regular Navy shall become so eligible after they will have com-
pleted such periods of service in grade as the Secretary of the 
Navy may prescribe. Women lieutenant commanders, lieutenants, 
and lieutenants (junior grade) shall retain their eligibility for 
consideration for selection for promotion until recommended for 
promotion in the approved report of a board on selection or until 
separated from the active list."; 
(4) amending section 206 (i) by adding the following sentence 
at the end of the section: "In addition, for a period of four years 
after the effective date of this amendatory Act, when determined 
by the Secretary of the Navy to be required for the needs of the 
service, there shall be furnished the appropriate selection board 
the number of those officers in the grade of lieutenant who will 
complete thirteen years of active commissioned service in the 
Regular Navy and Naval Reserve in the current fiscal year and 
who, if not selected for promotion to the next higher grade, may 
be recommended to be retained on the active list until June 30 
of the fiscal year in which they complete fifteen years of active 
commissioned service in the Regular Navy and Naval Reserve."; 
(5) amending section 206 (k) by changing the period at the 
end of the section to a semicolon and adding the following: "if 
such computation produces an indeterminate or inequitable num-
ber, the Secretary of the Navy shall prescribe a number which is 
equitable. 
In addition, for a period of four years after the effec-
tive date of this amendatory Act, when determined by the Secre-
tary of the Navy to be required for the needs of the service, there 
shall be furnished the appropriate selection board considering 
women staff officers the number of those officers of the grade of 
lieutenant who will complete thirteen years of active commis-
sioned service in the Regular Navy and Naval Reserve in the 
current fiscal year and w^ho, if not selected for promotion to the 
next higher grade, may be recommended to be retained on the 
active list until June 30 of the fiscal year in which they complete 
fifteen years of active commissioned service in the Regular Navy 
and Naval Reserve."; 
(6) amending section 207 (j) by— 
(A) inserting after the words "to the next higher grade" the 
words "and who have not been recommended for retention on tlie 
active list by a selection board pursuant to section 206 (i) or 
section 206 (k),"; and 
(B) adding at the end of the section the following sentence: 
"Women officers of the grade of lieutenant of the Regular Navy 
who have been recommended for retention on the active list by 
a selection board pursuant to section 206 (i) or section 206 (k) 
shall be honorably discharged on June 30 of the fiscal year in 
which they complete fifteen years of active commissioned service 
in the Regular Navy and Naval Reserve, with a lump sum pay-
ment computed as prescribed above."; and 
(7) amending section 213 by— 
(A) adding within the parentheses contained in subsection (a) 
after the words "Marine Corps" the words "or as otherwise pro-
vided in this section": 
70 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 586-JUNE 15, 1956 
287 
Marine Corps, 
Lieutenant colo-
Determination of 
numbers* 
(B) redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (e) ; 
(C) adding a new subsection (d) as follows: 
•'(d) Women commissioned in the Regular Marine Corps under the 
provisions of this title shall not have permanent commissioned grade ^^^» and majors, 
on the active list of the Regular Marine Corps above that of lieuten-
ant colonel. The number of women officers on the active list of the 
Regular Marine Corps in the permanent grades of lieutenant colonel 
and major shall not exceed 10 per centum and 20 per centum, respec-
tively, of the number of women officers on the active list of the Reg-
ular Marine Corps in the grades of second lieutenant and above at any 
one time. 
Computations to determine such numbers shall be made at 
such times that the needs of the service require but not less than once 
annually. 
Whenever a final fraction occurs in any computation made 
pursuant to this section, the nearest whole number shall be taken and 
if such fraction be one-half the next higher whole number shall be 
taken. 
Upon determining such numbers, the Secretary of the Navy 
may further determine the number, which may be a lesser number, of 
women officers on the active list of the Regular Marine Corps which 
may serve in each of those grades and the number so further deter-
mined shall be held and considered as the authorized numbers until 
subsequent computations and determinations are made. 
No woman 
officer of the Regular Marine Corps shall be reduced in grade or pay, 
or be separated from the active list, as the result of any such computa-
tion or determination." 
(D) adding the following new subsections: 
"(f) The number to be furnished the appropriate selection board in 
respect to the promotion of women officers of the Regular Marine Corps 
to the grades of lieutenant colonel and major shall be determined by 
the Secretary of the Navy as of the date of the convening of the board 
and shall be equal to the number of vacancies existing for such officers 
in the grade concerned plus the estimated number of such vacancies 
which will occur during the ensuing twelve-month period and minus 
the number of such officers then on the promotion list." 
"(g) Women officers of the grades of captain and first lieutenant in 
the Regular Marine Corps whose names on June 30 of the fiscal year 
in which they complete thirteen and seven years' active commissioned 
service, respectively, in the Regular Marine Corps and Marine Corps 
Reserve are not then on a promotion list for promotion to the next 
higher grade shall be honorably discharged from the Marine Corps 
on that date with a lump-sum payment computed on the basis of two 
months active-duty pay at the time of their discharge for each year 
of commissioned service, but not to exceed a total of two years' pay. 
For the purposes of this subsection a fractional year of six months or 
more shall be considered a full year in computing the number of years' 
commissioned service upon which to base such lump-sum payment." 
Approved June 15, 1956. 
Restriction. 
Promotions. 
Capt a i n s a n d 
first lieutenants. 
Discharges. 
Public Law 586 
CHAPTER 394 
AN ACT 
Authorizing the Administrator of General Services to convey certain property 
of the United States to the city of Bonhaui, Texas. 
June 15, 1956 
[H. R. 8490] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That, subject to sec-
tion 2 of this Act, the Administrator of General Services is authorized 
and directed to quitclaim to the city of Bonham, Texas, all of the right, 
title, and interest of the United States in and to a tract of land con-
taining twenty-one and nine-tenths acres, more or less, situated in the 
Bonham, 
Texas. 
Conveyance.