An Act to amend the Longshoremens and Harbor Workers Compensation Act, as amended, to provide increased benefits in case of disabling injuries, and for other purposes
PL 84-803 (S.2280), enacted 07/26/1956

654 
PUBLIC LAW 803-JULY 26, 1956 
[70 ST A T , 
4 1 use 5. 
Net proceeds. 
42 u s e 2311. 
eommunity Dis-
p o s a l 
Operations 
Fund. 
42 u s e 2313. 
42 u s e 
2 3 6 3 -
2366. 
42 
use 2312. 
42 
use 2312. 
Richland. 
of compromise or otherwise, all claims arising pursuant to this section: 
Provided^ That expenses authorized by this section shall be considered 
nonadministrative expenses: Provided further^ That section 3709 of 
the Revised Statutes shall not apply to any contract entered into pur-
suant to this section if the amount thereof does not exceed $1,000.*' 
SEC. 4. Section 117 of the Atomic Energy Community Act of 1955 
is hereby amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 117 a.—There is hereby established as of June 30,1956, a Com-
munity Disposal Operations Fund, and the Commission (or the head 
of such agency as may be carrying out the sales and financing functions 
of the Commission pursuant to a delegation by the President under 
section 101 of this Act) is authorized to credit said fund with all 
moneys hereafter obtained or now held by it and to account under said 
fund for all assets and liabilities held or acquired by it in connection 
with its sales and financing functions under this Act, and to make 
temporary advances to such fund, from any other funds available for 
expenses of operations of such Commission or agency, as may be re-
quired to carry out such functions pending the realization of sufficient 
proceeds under the provisions of this Act: Provided^ That any such 
advances shall be repaid to the source appropriation or fund, to the 
extent of any unobligated balances available in the Community Dis-
posal Operations Fund, prior to the close of the fiscal year during 
which such advances are made. 
"b. The Community Disposal Operations Fund shall be available to 
pay for all necessary costs, expenses (including administrative ex-
penses), losses or obligations incurred in connection with the aforesaid 
functions, including expenses incident to sale, or other transfer and 
any financing under section 62, indemnities under sections 63 through 
66, and expenses authorized by section 116 of this Act, and expenses 
in connection with the defense and payment of any claims for breaches 
of warranties and covenants of title of any property disposed of 
pursuant to this Act. 
"c. Any amount in said fund which is determined to be in excess 
of requirements for the purposes thereof shj»ll be declared and paid as 
liquidating dividends to the Treasury, not less often than annually." 
SEC. 5. Section 118 c. of the Atomic Energy Community Act of 
1955 is repealed. 
SEC. 6. Section 118 b. of the Atomic Energy Community Act of 
1955 is amended by striking therefrom the figure "$2,165,000" and 
inserting in lieu thereof, the figure "$2,215,000." 
Approved July 25, 1956, 
July 26, 1956 
[S. 2280] 
Public Law 803 
CHAPTER 735 
AN ACT 
To amend the Longshoremen's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, as 
amended, to provide increased benefits in case of disabling injuries, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
and*'^arbo'r*'^orif. United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 6 of 
era' Compensation the Loiigshoremeii's and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, as 
amended (33 U. S. C, sec. 906), is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 6. (a) No compensation shall be allowed for the first three days 
of the disability, except the benefits provided for in section 7: Pro-
vided, hoioever, That in case the injury results in disability of more 
than twenty-eight days the compensation shall be allowed from the 
date of the disability. 
Act. 
Increased bene' 
fits. 
44 Stat. 1426. 
33 u s e 907. 
33 use 910. 
33 use 908. 
70 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 803-JULY 26, 1956 
"(b) Compensation for disability shall not exceed $54 per week and 
compensation for total disability shall not be less than $18 per week: 
Provided^ hoioever, That if the employee's average weekly wages, as 
computed under section 10, are less than $18 per week he shall receive 
as compensation for total disability his average weekly wages." 
SEC. 2. Subparagraphs (1) through (12) of section 8 (c) of the 
said Act are hereby amended to read as follows: 
"(1) Arm lost, three hundred and twelve weeks' compensation. 
"(2) Leg lost, two hundred and eighty-eight weeks' compensation. 
"(3) Hand lost, two hundred and forty-four weeks' compensation. 
"(4) Foot lost, two hundred and five weeks' compensation. 
"(5) Eye lost, one hundred and sixty weeks' compensation. 
"(6) Thumb lost, seventy-five weeks' compensation. 
"(7) First finger lost, forty-six weeks' compensation. 
"(8) Great toe lost, thirty-eight weeks' compensation. 
"(9) Second finger lost, thirty weeks' compensation. 
"(10) Third finger lost, twenty-five weeks' compensation. 
"(11) Toe other than great toe lost, sixteen weeks' compensation. 
"(12) Fourth finger lost, fifteen weeks' compensation.'' 
SEC. 3. Section 8 (g) of the said Act is amended by striking out 
33 use 908. 
"$10" and inserting in lieu thereof "$25". 
SEC. 4. Section 9 (e) of the said Act is hereby amended to read as 
33 use 909. 
follows: 
"(e) In computing death benefits the average weekly wages of the 
deceased shall be considered to have been not more than $81 nor less 
than $27 but the total weekly compensation shall not exceed the 
weekly wages of the deceased." 
SEC. 5. Section 14 (m) of the said Act is hereby amended to read 
33 use 9i4. 
as follows: 
"(m) The total money allowance payable to an employee as com-
pensation for an injury under this Act shall in no event exceed in 
the aggregate the sum of $17,280: Provided^ That this limitation shall 
not apply to cases of permanent total disability or death: And pro-
vided further^ That in applying this limitation there shall not be taken 
into account any amount payable under section 8 (g) for maintenance 
33 use 908. 
during rehabilitation or any amount of additional compensation re-
quired to be paid under section 14 for delay or default in the pay-
ment of compensation or any amount accruing as interest upon 
defaulted compensation collectible under section 18." 
SEC. 6. Section 18 of the said Act is amended by inserting " ( a ) " 
33 use 9i8. 
after "SEC. 18." at the beginning of the section and by adding a new 
subsection (b) to read as follows: 
"(b) In cases where judgment cannot be satisfied by reason of the 
employer's insolvency or other circumstances precluding payment, the 
Secretary of Labor may, in his discretion and to the extent he shall 
determine advisable after consideration of current commitments pay-
able from the special fund established in section 44, make payment 
33 use 944. 
from such fund upon any award made under this Act, and in addition, 
E
rovide any necessary medical, surgical, and other treatment required 
y section 7 of the Act in any case of disability where there has been 
^^ "^^ ^°^' 
a default in furnishing medical treatment by reason of the insolvency 
of the employer. Such an employer shall be liable for payment into 
such fund of the amounts paid therefrom by the Secretary of Labor 
under this subsection; and for the purpose of enforcing this liability, 
the Secretary of Labor for the benefit of the fund shall be subrogated 
to all the rights of the person receiving such payment or benefits, in-
cluding the right of lien and priority provided for by section 17 of this 
^^ "^^ ^^^* 
Act, as against the employer and may by a proceeding in the name 
33 use 914. 
33 u s e 918. 
656 
PUBLIC LAW 804-JULY 26, 1956 
[70 S T A T . 
33 u s e 918, 921. 
33 u s e 939. 
33 u s e 944. 
33 u s e 939. 
33 u s e 944. 
33 u s e 908. 
Supra, 
Ante, p. 655. 
Applicability. 
56 Stat. 1028. 
of the Secretary of Labor under section 18 or under subsection (c) of 
section 21 of this Act, or both, seek to recover the amount of the de-
fault or so much thereof as in the judgment of the Secretary is pos-
sible, or the Secretary may settle and compromise any such claim.'' 
SEC. 7. (a) Section 39 (c) of the said Act is amended by striking 
out "education" at the end of the first sentence and inserting in lieu 
thereof "rehabilitation". 
(b) Section 39 (c) of such Act is further amended by striking out 
the last sentence and inserting in lieu thereof the following two 
sentences: "Where necessary rehabilitation services are not available 
otherwise, the Secretary of Labor may, in his discretion, use the fund 
provided for in section 44 in such amounts as may be necessary to 
procure such services, including necessary prosthetic appliances or 
other apparatus. 
This fund shall also be available in such amounts as 
may be authorized in annual appropriations for the Department of 
Labor for the costs of administering this subsection." 
SEC. 8. (a) Section 44 (a) of the said Act is amended by striking 
out "of this Act" at the end of the first sentence and inserting in lieu 
thereof a comma and the following: "of subsection (b) of section 18, 
and of subsection (c) of section 39 of this Act". 
(b) The second sentence of paragraph (1) of section 44 (c) of such 
Act is amended to read as follows: "The proceeds of this fund shall 
be available for payments under subsections (f) and (g) of section 8, 
under subsection (b) of section 18, and under subsection (c) of section 
39: Provided, That payments authorized by suteection (f) shall have 
priority over other payments authorized from the fund: 
Provided 
further, That at the close of each fiscal year the Secretary of Labor 
shall submit to the Congress a complete audit of the fund." 
SEC. 9. The amendments made by the first section and sections 2, 
4, and 5 of this Act shall be applicable only with respect to injuries 
and death occurring on or after the date of enactment of this Act 
notwithstanding the provisions of the Act of December 2, 1942, as 
amended (42 U. S. C. sec. 1701 and following). 
Approved July 26, 1956. 
July 26, 1956 
[S. 2572] 
Public Law 804 
CHAPTER 736 
AN ACT 
To authorize the interchange of lauds between the Department of Agriculture and 
military departments of the Department of Defense, and for other purposes. 
National forest 
and a(j(Jacent lands. 
63 Stat. 377. 
40 u s e 471 nots. 
Report to Con-
gress. 
Be it enacted by the /Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary 
of Agriculture with respect to national forest lands and the Secretary 
of a military department with respect to lands under the control of the 
military department which lie within or adjacent to the exterior 
boundaries of a national forest are authorized, subject to any appli-
cable provisions of the Federal Property and Administrative Services 
Act of 1949, as amended, to interchange such lands, or any part thereof, 
without reimbursement or transfer of funds whenever they shall deter-
mine that such interchange will facilitate land management and will 
provide maximum use thereof for authorized purposes: Provided, That 
no such interchange of lands shall become effective until forty-five 
days (counting only days occurring during any regular or special ses-
sion of the Congress) after the submission to the Confess by the 
respective Secretaries of notice of intention to make the interchange.