An Act to amend defense housing laws, and for other purposes
PL 82-531 (S.3066), enacted 07/14/1952

66 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 531-JULY 14, 1952 
601 
"SEC. 5. As used in this Act the term— 
"(1) 'State bank' means any bank, banking association, trust 
company, savings bank (other than a mutual savings bank), 
or other banking institution which is engaged in the business 
of receiving deposits and which is incorporated under the laws 
of any State, or which is operating under the Code of Law for 
the District of Columbia (except a national banking association 
located in the District of Columbia) ; 
"(2) 'State' means the several States, the several Territories, 
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia; 
"(3) 'Comptroller' means the Comptroller of the Currency; 
and 
"(4) 'Receiving association' means the national banking asso-
ciation into which one or more national banking associations or 
one or more State banks, located within the same State, merge." 
SEO. 2. Section 3 of the Act of November 7,1918, as amended (U. S. 
C., title 12, sec. 34a), is amended by deleting the second paragraph 
thereof, which reads as follows: 
"The words 'State bank', 'State banks', 'bank', or 'banks', as used 
in this section, shall be held to include trust cdmpanies, savings banks, 
or other such corporations or institutions carrying on the banking 
business under the authority of State laws." 
Approved July 14, 1952. 
Definitions. 
Public Law531 
CHAPTER723 
AN ACT 
To amend defense housing laws, and for other purposes. 
July 14. 1952 
[S. 3066] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of Afherica in Congress assembled, That this Act be 
cited as the "Housing Act of 1952". 
SEC. 2. Section 217 of the National Housing Act, as amended, is 
hereby amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 217. Notwithstanding limitations contained in any other sec-
tion of this Act on the aggregate amount of principal obligations of 
mortgages or loans which may be insured (or insured and outstanding 
at any one time) and on the aggregate amount of contingent liabilities 
which may be outstanding at any one time under insurance contracts, 
or commitments to insure, pursuant to any section or title of this Act, 
any such aggregate amount shall, with respect to any section or title 
of this Act (except section 2), be prescribed by the President from 
time to time taking into consideration the needs of national defense 
and the eifect of additional insurance authorizations upon conditions 
in the building industry and upon the national economy: 
Provided, 
That the dollar amount of the insurance authorization prescribed by 
the President at any time with respect to any provision of title VI 
shall not be greater than authorized by provisions of that title: And 
provided further, That, at any time, the aggregate dollar amount of 
the mortgage insurance authorization prescribed by the President 
with respect to title I X of this Act, plus the aggregate dollar amount 
of all increases in insurance authorizations under other titles of this 
Act prescribed by the President pursuant to authority contained in 
this section, less the aggregate dollar amount of all decreases in insur-
ance authorizations under this Act prescribed by the President pur-
suant to authority contained in this section shall not exceed 
$1,900,000,000: And provided further. That $400,000,000 of said sum 
shall be available only for the insurance of mortgages for which no 
Housing A c t of 
1952. 
65 Stat. 315. 
12 u s e 1715h. 
G e n e r a l mort-
gage i n s u r a n c e 
authorization. 
48 Stat. 1246. 
12 u s e 1703. 
55 Stat. 55. 
12 u s e 1736 et 
seq. 
65 Stat. 295. 
12 u s e 
1750a-
1750g. 
602 
PUBLIC LAW 531-JULY 14, 1952 
[66 STAT. 
insurance contract or commitment to insure under this Act was out-
standing on June 30, 1952, and which mortgages (1) cover defense 
housing programed by the Housing and Home Finance Agency in 
an area determined by the President or his designee to be a critical 
12^u^s c^V74&- defense housing area, or (2) are insured under title V I I I of this Act, 
i748g-i. 
or (3) cover housing intended to be made available primarily for 
families who are victims of a catastrophe which the President has 
determined to be a major disaster.". 
12 u^' mifc" 
SEC. 3. (a) Section 301 (a) (1) of said Act, as amended, is hereby 
amended— 
(1) by striking the words beginning with "insured after April 
30,1948" and ending with the colon at the end of the first proviso 
thereof and inserting the words: "insured under this Act, as 
amended, or insured or guaranteed under the Servicemen's Read-
3I use 693note. 
justmeut Act of 1944, as amended: Provided^ That no such mort-
gage, except defense or disaster mortgages as defined in sub-
paragraph (G) hereof, shall be purchased by the Association 
unless insured or guaranteed after February 29, 1952, or pur-
chased pursuant to a commitment made by the Association:"; 
(2) by striking from subparagraph (E) "pursuant to authority 
contained herein, exceeds 50 per centum of the original principal 
amount of all mortgages made by such mortgagee" and inserting 
"after February 29, 1952, pursuant to authority contained herein, 
exceeds 50 per centum of the original principal amount of all mort-
gage loans made by such mortgagee that are insured or guaranteed 
after February 29,1952"; 
(3) by striking the proviso in subparagraph (E) and inserting 
^^Provided, That this clause (2) shall not apply to (nor shall any 
terms therein include) any defense or disaster mortgages as 
defined in subparagraph (G)"; and 
(4) by striking from the proviso in subparagraph (G) "which 
do not exceed $252,000,000 outstanding at any one time, if appli-
cations for such commitments were received by the Association 
i748g^if ^ ^ ^* ®
" 
prior to December 28,1951, or, in the case of title VIII mortgages, 
if the Federal Housing Commissioner issued his commitment to 
insure prior to December 31, 1951, but subsequent to December 
27, 1951, and if such commitments of the Association relate to" 
and inserting "and prior to July 1, 1953, which do not exceed 
$1,152,000,000 outstanding at any one time, if such commitments 
of the Association relate to defense or disaster mortgages. 
As 
used in this title III, 'defense or disaster mortgages' means". 
12 use 1717. 
(|3^ Section 302 of said Act, as amended, is hereby amended (1) 
by striking "$2,750,000,000" and inserting "$3,650,000,000"; and (2) 
by adding before the period at the end of the first sentence of said 
section ": Provided, That not more than $2,750,000,000 of such total 
amount outstanding at any one time shall relate to mortgages other 
than defense or disaster mortgages as defined in section 301 (a) (1) 
(G)". 
. 
. 
.. 
42 u^c \^92i. 
^^^- ^- Section 313 of the Defense Housing and Community Facili-
ties and Services Act of 1951 is hereby amended by striking out 
"$60,000,000" in paragraph (a) thereof and substituting "$100,000,000" 
and by striking out "$50,000,000" in paragraph (b) thereof and substi-
tuting "$100,000,000". 
42 use 1
^
5
9
2
8
. 
SEC. 5. The first sentence of section 302 (b) of the Defense Housing 
and Community Facilities and Services Act of 1951 is hereby amended 
by adding after the words "for reuse at other locations" the words "or 
existing housing built or acquired by the United States under author-
ity of other law". 
66 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 531-JULY 14, 1952 
SEC. 6. Section 611 of the Act entitled "An Act to expedite the pro-
vision of housing in connection with national defense, and for other 
purposes", approved October 14,1940, as amended, is hereby amended 
by inserting "or section 313 of this Act" immediately preceding the 
parenthetical clause, and by striking out "to this title" at the end of the 
parenthetical clause and inserting m lieu thereof "thereto". 
SEC. 7. The first sentence of section 3 (b) and the first sentence of 
section 3 (d) of the Alaska Housing Act, approved April 23, 1949, as 
amended, are hereby amended by striking "$15,000,000" and inserting 
"$20,000,000". 
SEC. 8, Title II of the National Housing Act, as amended, is hereby 
amended by adding the following new section: 
"SEC. 218. In any case where an application for mortgage insurance 
under section 608 of this Act was received by the Federal Housing 
Commissioner on or before March 1,1950, and a commitment to insure 
was issued by said Commissioner in accordance therewith any mort-
gagee who, prior to the expiration of such commitment, applied for 
insurance of a mortgage under section 207 of this Act with respect to 
the same property or project shall receive credit for all application 
fees paid in connection with the prior application: Provided^ That 
nothing therein shall constitute a waiver of any requirements other-
wise applicable to the insurance of mortgages under section 207 of 
this Act.". 
SEC. 9, The Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and 
directed from time to time to credit and cancel the note or notes of 
the Housing and Home Finance Administrator executed and delivered 
in connection with loans transferred from the Reconstruction Finance 
Corporation to the Housing and Home Finance Agency pursuant to 
Reorganization Plan Numbered 23 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1279^, to the 
extent of the net loss, as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, 
sustained by said Agency in the liquidation of defaulted loans. The 
net loss shall be the sum of the unpaid principal and advances for care 
and preservation of collateral, together with accrued and unpaid 
interest on said principal and advances, and all expenses and costs 
(other than those subject to administrative expense limitations) in 
connection with the liquidation of defaulted loans, less the amount 
actually realized by the Housing and Home Finance Agency on 
account of such defaulted loans. 
SEC. 10. (a) The National Housing Act, as amended, is hereby 
amended— 
(1) by adding at the end of section 8 the following new section 
9: 
"SEC. 9. The provisions of sections 2 and 8 shall be applicable in the 
several States and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the District of 
Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands."; 
(2) by adding "Guam," after the words "District of Columbia," 
in each place where they appear in sections 201 (d), 207 (a) (7), 
301 (c) (4)5601 (d),and801 (f) ; 
(3) by inserting in section 214— 
(A) the words "or in Guam" after the word "Alaska" in 
each place where it appears in said section, 
(B) the words "or maxima" after the word "maximum", 
and 
(C) the words "or the Government of Guam or any agency 
or instrumentality thereof" after the words "Alaska Housing 
Authority" in each place where they appear in said section; 
(4) by adding at the end of section 713 the following new sub-
section (q) : 
65 Stat. 314. 
42 use 1589a. 
63 Stat. 58. 
48 use 484. 
12 u s e 
1707-
1715h. 
12 use 1743. 
12 use 1713. 
64 Stat. 48. 
12 use 1706c. 
12 u s e 1707, 
1713, 1716, 1736, 
1748. 
12 use 1715d. 
62 Stat. 1281. 
12 use 1747i. 
604 
PUBLIC LAW 531-JULY 14, 1952 
[66 S T A T . 
12 use 1726. 
4 8 Stat. 134. 
12 use 1466. 
47 Stat. 725. 
12 u s e 14 22, 
1423. 
65 Stat. 310. 
42 use 1593. 
65 Stat. 312. 
12 use 1701g-2. 
63 Stat. 438. 
42 use 1481. 
42 use 1482. 
42 use 1483. 
48 Stat. 132. 
12 use 1464. 
65 Stat. 297. 
12 use 1750b. 
12 use 1709. 
12 use 1715c. 
12 use 1750g. 
"(q) 'State' shall include the several States and Alaska, Hawaii, 
Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin 
Islands."; and 
(5) by deleting the words "or Territory" in section 403 (a) and 
inserting in lieu thereof the words "Territory, or possession". 
(b) The Home Owners' Loan Act of 1933, as amended, is hereby 
amended by adding a comma and "Guam," after the words "Puerto 
Rico" in section 7 thereof. 
(c) The Federal Home Loan Bank Act, as amended, is hereby 
amended by adding "Guam," after "District of Columbia," in sec-
tion 2 (3) and after "Virgin Islands," in section 3 thereof. 
(d) The Defense Housing and Community Facilities and Services 
Act of 1951 is hereby amended by adding at the end of section 401 
the following: "This title shall be applicable in the several States, 
the District of Columbia, and the Territories and possessions of the 
United States." 
(e) Section 102b of the Housing Act of 1948, as amended, is hereby 
amended by adding at the end thereof the following: "Such powers, 
functions, and duties may be exercised in the several States, the Dis-
trict of Columbia, and the Territories and possessions of the United 
States." 
SEC. 11. Title V of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended, is hereby 
amended as follows: 
(a) In the first sentence of section 511 immediately following the 
phrase "July 1, 1951" strike the word "and" and insert at the end of 
the sentence just before the period a comma and the language "and 
an additional $100,000,000 on and after July 1, 1953". 
(b) In section 512, (i) strike "and 1952" and insert "1952, and 
1953", and (ii) strike "and $2,000,000" and insert "$2,000,000 and 
$2,000,000". 
(c) In section 513, strike "and $10,000,000 on July 1 of each of the 
years 1950, 1951, and 1952" and insert "$10,000,000, and $10,000,000 
on July 1 of each of the years 1950, 1951, 1952, and 1953". 
SEC. 12. The first paragraph of subsection (c) of section 5 of the 
Home Owners' Loan Act of 1933, as amended, is hereby amended by 
adding at the end thereof the following new sentence: "In addition 
to the loans and investments otherwise authorized, such associations 
may purchase, subject to all the provisions of this paragraph except 
the area restriction, loans secured by first liens on improved real 
estate which are insured under the provisions of the National Housing 
Act, as amended, or insured as provided in the Servicemen's Readjust-
ment Act of 1944, as amended." 
SEC. 13, Section 903 (c) of the National Housing Act, as amended, 
is hereby amended by ad.ding at the end thereof the following new 
sentence: "Upon application of the mortgagee with the consent of 
the mortgagor of a mortgage for which a commitment to insure has 
been issued pursuant to section 203 of this Act covering property on 
which the construction of the dwellings thereon was begun prior to 
the enactment of this title and the determination of prevailing wages 
in the locality in accordance with section 212, the Commissioner is 
authorized, notwithstanding such beginning of construction, to con-
vert such commitment to a commitment under section 908; any charges 
or fees paid to the Commissioner with respect to such insurance under 
section 203 shall be credited to charges or fees due the Commissioner 
with respect to such insurance under section 908; and the determina-
tion of prevailing wages in the locality for purposes of section 212 
may be made by the Secretary of Labor at any time prior to the 
insurance under section 908: Provided, That such mortgage, or the 
66 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 533-JULY 14, 1952 
605 
mortgage covering the same property executed in substitution there-
for, is otherwise eligible for insurance under section 908." 
SEC. 14. Section 610 of the National Housing Act, as amended, is 
amended by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph: 
"The Commissioner is further authorized to insure or to make 
commitments to insure under section 608 of this title in accordance 
with the provisions of this section any mortgage executed in con-
nection with the sale by a State or municipality, or an agency, instru-
mentality, or body politic of either, of any permanent housing (includ-
ing any property acquired, held, or constructed in connection there-
with or to serve the inhabitants thereof), constructed by or on behalf 
of such State, municipality, agency, instrumentality, or body politic, 
for the occupancy of veterans of World War II, their families, and 
others: Provided^ That the principal obligation of any such mortgage 
does not exceed either 85 per centum of the appraised value of the 
mortgage property as determined by the Commissioner or $8,100 per 
family unit for such part of such property as may be attributable 
to dwelling use." 
Approved July 14, 1952. 
61 Stat, 777. 
12 u s e 1745. 
12 u s e 1743. 
Public Law 532 
CHAPTER 724 
AN ACT 
Granting jurisdiction to the Court of Claims to liear, determine, and render 
judgment upon certain claims. 
July 14. 1952 
[S. 3^95] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of Ainerica in Congress assembled^ That the United 
States Court of Claims be, and hereby is, given jurisdiction to hear, 
determine, and render judgment, notwithstanding any statute of 
limitations, laches, or lapse of time, on the claim of any owner or 
operator of a gold mine or gold placer operation for losses incurred 
allegedly because of the closing or curtailment or prevention of opera-
tions of such mine or placer operation as a result of the restrictions 
imposed by War Production Board Limitation Order L-208 during 
the effective life thereof: Provided^ That actions on such claims shall 
be brought within one year from the date this Act becomes effective. 
Approved July 14, 1952. 
Claims of gold-
mine owners, etc. 
Public Law 533 
CHAPTER 725 
AN ACT 
To amend the Federal Deposit Insurance Act so as to require the insurance of 
deposits payable at branches of insured banks in Puerto Rico. 
July 14, 1952 
[H. R. 5120] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to 
insure more adequate protection of Puerto Rican depositors by term-
inating the right of any insured bank, having its principal place of 
business in any of the States of the United States or in the District 
of Columbia which maintains a branch in Puerto Rico, to elect to 
exclude from insurance under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act its 
deposit obligations which are payable only at such branch, section 3 
(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, as amended (12 U. S. C. 
1813 (1)), is hereby amended by striking out "Puerto Rico," from 
the second proviso thereof. 
Approved July 14, 1952. 
Federal Deposit 
I n s u r a n c e Act, 
amendment. 
64 Stat. 874.