An Act to amend the act for the retirement of public-school teachers in the District of Columbia
PL 82-274 (H.R.3860), enacted 03/06/1952

66 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 274-MAR. 6, 1952 
17 
Public Law 274 
CHAPTER 95 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act for the retirement of public-school teachers in the 
District of Columbia. 
March 6, 1952 
[ H . R . 3 8 ^ ] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Repr^esentatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the first section 
of the Act entitled "An Act for the retirement of public-school teachers 
in the District of Columbia"', approved August 7, 1946 (60 Stat. 875), 
as amended, is amended as follows: (a) By striking from the first 
sentence thereof the words "beginning as the 1st day of the September 
following the effective date of this Act"; (b) by striking from the 
first sentence thereof the words "annual amount computed to the 
nearest tenth of a dollar" and inserting in lieu thereof the word 
"amount"; (c) by striking from the first sentence thereof the figure 
"5" and inserting in lieu thereof the figure "6"; and (d) by striking 
therefrom the second, third, and fourth sentences. 
SEC. 2. Subsection (b) of section 3 of said Act is amended to read 
as follows: 
"(b) Any teacher to whom this Act applies who shall have attained 
or shall hereafter attain the age of fifty-five years and shall have 
rendered at least thirty years of service, computed as prescribed in 
section 8 of this Act, may voluntarily retire and shall be i)aid an 
immediate life annuity beginning on the first day of the month follow-
ing the date of separation from the service, computed as prescribed 
in section 5 (a) of this Act, reduced by one-fourth of 1 per centum for 
each full month such teacher is under sixty years of age." 
SEC. 3. The last paragraph of section 4 of such Act is amended to 
read as follows: 
"In all cases where the annuity is discontinued under the provisions 
of this section, so much of the annuity payments as would have been 
provided by an annuity whose actuarial value at the time of retirement 
was equal to the contributions accumulated with interest shall be 
charged against his individual account and, unless he shall become 
reemployed in a position under the purview of this Act, he shall be 
considered as having been separated from the service for other than 
retirement purposes and entitled to the benefits of section 9 ( a ) hereof: 
Provided, however, That if such teacher were also receiving an annuity 
because of voluntary deposits made under the provisions of section 1 
hereof, such annuity may be continued or, at the option of the teacher, 
the actuarial reserve value of such annuity may be withdrawn in cash 
unless the teacher is reemployed in a position within the purview of 
this Act, in which case the amount of such reserve value shall be 
treated as a voluntary deposit under the provisions of section 1 
hereof." 
SEC. 4. Section 5 of said Act is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 5. (a) That every teacher w^ho shall be retired under the pro-
visions of section 3 or section 4 of this Act shall receive an annuity 
composed of (1) a sum equal to 1 per centum of his average annual 
salary received during any five consecutive years of allowable service 
in the public schools of the District of Columbia, at the option of the 
teacher, multiplied by the years of service, plus a sum equal to $25 for 
each year of service or (2) a sum equal to 1^/2 per centum of his average 
annual salary received during any five consecutive years of alloAvable 
D. C. p u b l i c -
school teachers. 
Retirement. 
D. C. Code 31-
721. 
D. C. Code 31-
723. 
Voluntary retire-
ment. 
Post, 
p. 19. 
D. C. Code 31-
724. 
Discontinued an-
nuity. 
D. C. Code 31-
729. 
Annuity because 
of voluntary de-
posits. 
D. C. Code 31-
725. 
Annuity compu-
tation. 
18 
PUBLIC LAW 274-MAR. 6, 1952 
[66 ST 
A T , 
D. 
729. 
C. Code 
Post, 
p. 
61 Stat. 
Stat. 636. 
19. 
248; 
31-
65 
service in tlie public schools of the District of Columbia, at the option 
of the teacher, multiplied by the years of service : Procided^ That with 
the exception of the computation of deferred annuities provided in 
section 9 of this Act no annual salary used in the computation of the 
average annual salary received during any five consecutive years of 
allowable service shall be less than the maximum salary for class 1, 
group A (established by the District of Columbia Teachers" Salary 
Act of 1947, as amended), as it was in the year the salary was received, 
or $4,330, whichever is greater. 
Annuities granted under the terms of 
this Act shall accrue monthly and shall be due and payable in monthly 
installments at the beginning of the month following the month for 
which the annuity shall have accrued, such monthly installments being 
computed to the nearest dollar. 
Annuities payable to any retired 
teacher who has become eligible for retirement because of age as defined 
in section 3 of this Act shall be payable during the lifetime of the 
amiuitant. 
Annuities payable to any teacher retired on account of 
disability shall be subject to the conditions set forth under section 4 
of this Act. 
Options. 
" (b) Any teacher retiring under the provisions of section 3 or section 
Ante. p. 17. 
4 of this Act may, at the time of retirement, elect to receive in lieu of the 
life annuity described herein one of the following: 
"(1) A reduced annuity and an annuity after death payable to 
his or her surviving widow or widower designated by such teacher 
at time of retirement equal to 50 per centum of such life annuity. 
The life annuity of the teacher making such election shall be 
reduced by 5 per centum of so much thereof as does not exceed 
$1,500, plus 10 per centum of the balance of such life annuity, and 
shall be further reduced by three-fourths of 1 per centum of such 
life annuity for each full year, if any, the designated wife or hus-
band is under age of sixty at time of retirement, but the total reduc-
tion shall in no case be more than 25 per centum of such life 
annuity. 
The annuity of such widow or widower shall begin on 
the first day of the month immediately folloAving the month in 
which the death of the retired teacher occurs or the first day of the 
month following the widow's or widower's attainment of age fifty, 
whichever is the later, and such annuity or any right thereto shall 
terminate upon his or her death or remarriage. 
"(2) If unmarried and in good health, a reduced annuity pay-
able to him during his life, and an annuity after his death payable 
to a survivor annuitant having an insurable interest in such 
teacher, duly designated in writing and filed with the Auditor of 
the District of Columbia at the time of retirement, during the life 
of such survivor annuitant equal to 50 per centum of such reduced 
annuity and upon the death of such survivor annuitant all pay-
ments shall cease and no further annuity shall be due and payable. 
The annuity hereunder payable to the teacher shall be 90 per 
centum of the life annuity otherwise payable if the survivor annui-
tant is the same age or older than the annuitant, or is less than 
five years younger than the annuitant; 85 per centum if the 
survivor annuitant is five but less than ten years younger; 80 per 
centum if the survivor annuitant is ten but less than fifteen years 
younger; 75 per centum if the survivor annuitant is fifteen but 
less than twenty years younger; 70 per centum if the survivor 
annuitant is twenty but less than twenty-five years younger; and 
60 per centum if the survivor annuitant is twenty-five or more 
years younger. No such election shall be valid until the retiring 
teacher shall have satisfactorily passed a physical examination 
under the direction of the Health Officer of the District of 
66 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 274-MAR. 6, 1952 
19 
Columbia, as prescribed by the Board of P^ducatioii. No person 
shall be eligible to receive an annuity under this subsection and 
an annuity under subsection (b) of section 9 of this Act based 
upon the service of the same teacher covering the same period of 
time. 
"(3) A reduced annuity of equivalent value providing for a 
life-insurance benefit paj^able in a lump sum at the time of the 
annuitant's death. The face amount of such life insurance may 
be in any amount which the retiring teacher shall designate at 
the time of retirement but shall not exceed his contributions 
accumulated with interest to the date of retirement. Payment of 
such insurance shall be made in accordance with the provisions of 
section 10 of this Act. Any annuitant who elects to receive the 
reduced annuity with fixed life-insurance benefits may reconvert 
the value of the life insurance to an additional annuity of equiva-
lent value on any anniversary of the retirement date of said 
annuitant prior to reaching age seventy." 
SEC. 5. Section 6 of said Act is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 6. That in calculating, as provided in section 5 (a), the 
ainiuity of a teacher retired under the provisions in section 4 of this 
Act, a minimum credit of twenty years shall be used in deteimining 
the sum allowable to a teacher with less than twenty years of service: 
Provided^ That such minimum credit shall not exceed the total number 
of years of service which the teacher might have served if continuously 
employed as a teacher in the public schools of the District of Columbia 
to age sixty-two." 
SEC. 6. Section 7 of said Act, as amended, is amended by striking 
therefrom the words "level amount computed to be sufficient to liqui-
date the unfunded accrued liability within a period of approximately 
fifty years after the effective date of this Act'', and inserting in lieu 
thereof the words "amount equal to the interest on the unfunded 
accrued liability". 
SEC. 7. (a) The first sentence of section 8 of said Act is amended 
to read as follows: 
"SEC. 8. The years of service which form the basis for determining 
the amount of the annuity provided in section 5 (a) of this Act shall 
be computed from the date of original probationary a])j)ointment as 
a teacher in the public schools of the District of Columbia, including 
so much of any authorized leaves of absence without pay beginning 
on the effective date of this amendatory Act as does not exceed six 
months in the aggregate in any fiscal year, plus any service credit that 
may be allowed under the provisions of this section: Provided., That 
the total credit granted for leaves of absence without pay shall not 
exceed one year: Provided fvrther\ That deposits equal to .5 per centum 
of those portions of salary received between July 1, 1949, and the 
effective date of this amendatory Act for which service credit was not 
earned may be made, and service credit received accordingly." 
(b) The second sentence of section 8 of said Act.is amended by 
striking so much thereof preceding the first proviso as reads: 
"; and the first ten-year period to begin on the date of the first pro-
bationary appointment as a teacher in the public schools of the District 
of Columbia." 
SEC. 8. Section 9 of said Act is amended by renumbering said section 
"9 (a)" and by adding the following at the end of said section: 
"(b) (1) In the event any teacher to whom this Act applies shall 
die subsequent to the date of enactment of this amendatory Act after 
liaving rendered at least five years of service in tlie public schools of 
the District of Columbia and is survived by a widoAv, such widow shall 
D, C. Code 31-
726. 
Minimum credit. 
Ante, p. 17. 
Restriction. 
D. C. Code 31-
727. 
Calculation of 
appropriation. 
D. C. Code 31-
728. 
Term of service. 
C omputation. 
D. C. Code 31-
729. 
Payments to sur-
vivors. 
93300 O - 53 
M 
PUBLIC LAW 274-MAR. 6, 1952 
[66 STAT. 
be paid an aiiiuiity beginning the first day of the month following the 
death of the teacher or following the widow's attainment of age fifty, 
whichever is the later, equal to one-half the amount of an annuity 
Ante, p. 17. 
computed as provided in section 5 (a) of this Act with respect to such 
teacher: Provided, 
That such payments or any right thereto shall 
cease upon the death or remarriage of the widow. 
"(2) In the event any teacher to whom this Act applies shall die 
subsequent to the date of enactment of this amendatory Act after 
having rendered at least five years of service in the public schools of 
the District of Columbia, or after having retired subsequent to such 
Ante, p. 17. 
date of enactment under section 8 or section 4 of this Act, and is 
survived by a Avidow and a child or children, such widow shall be paid 
an immediate aniuiity terminable upon death, remarriage, or attain-
ment of age fifty. The annuity payable to the widow of such teacher 
shall be equal to one-half the amount of an annuity computed as 
provided in section 5 (a) of this Act with respect to such teacher. 
The annuity payable to the widow of such annuitant shall be equal 
,v" to one-half the amount of the annuity, which such annuitant was 
' '•'''•' , 
receiving at the time of his death, excluding any portion thereof pur-
chased by voluntary contributions under section 1, or, if such annuitant 
had elected a reduced annuity under the provisions of section 5 (b) 
of this Act, one-half of the annuity which such annuitant w^ould have 
received if he had not made such election. 
There shall also be paid 
to or on behalf of each such child an immediate annuity equal to one-
half the amount of the annuity of such widow, but not to exceed $900 
^ ^ 
divided by the number of such children or $360, whichever is lesser. 
' 
Upon the death of such widow, the annuity of such child or children 
* V
; ^ ;^:,,;,,, shall be recomputed and paid as provided in paragraph (3) of this 
subsection. 
"(3) In the event any teacher to whom this Act applies shall die 
subsequent to the date of enactment of this amendatory Act after 
having rendered at least five years of service in the public schools of 
St the District of Columbia, or after having retired under the pro-
visions of section 3 or section 4 of this Act subsequent to such date of 
,' 
i,j'!J^o 
enactment and leaves no surviving widow or widower but leaves a 
surviving child or children, there shall be paid to or on behalf of each 
such child an immediate annuity equal to the amount of the annuity 
to which such widow would have been entitled under paragraph (2) 
of this subsection had she survived, but not to exceed $1,200 divided 
by the number of such children or $480, whichever is lesser. 
"(4) The annuity payable to a child under this subsection shall be 
terminable upon his attaining the age of eighteen years, or his mar-
riage, or his death, whichever occurs first, except that if such child is 
incapable of self-support by reason of mental or physical disability 
his annuity shall be terminable only upon death, marriage, or recovery 
from such disability. 
In any case in which the annuity of a child, 
under this subsection, is terminated, the annuities of any other child 
or children, based upon the service of the same teacner, shall be 
recomputed and paid as though the child whose annuity was so 
terminated had not survived the teacher. 
"(5) In the event any teacher to whom this Act applies shall die 
subsequent to the date of enactment of this amendatory Act after 
,,.;^ having rendered at least five years of service in the public schools of 
the District of Columbia and is not survived by a widow^, widow and 
° 
^
r
,
"
,
"
^
; children, or children, but is survived by dependent parents or a depend-
ent father or a dependent mother, such surviving dependent parents 
or parent shall be paid an annuity, beginning the first day of the 
month following the death of the teacher, equal to one-half the 
66 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 274-MAR. 6, 1952 
•SB 
amount of an annuity computed as provided in section 5 (a) of this 
Act with res})ect to such teacher: Provided, That such payments shall 
be made jointly to surviving dependent parents and payment of said 
annuity shall continue after the death of either dependent parent: 
Provided further, That all such payments or any right thereto shall 
cease upon the death of both dependent parents. 
"(c) As used in this section— 
" (1) The term 'widow' means a surviving wife of an individual, 
who either shall have been married to such individual for at 
least two years immediately preceding his death, or is the mother 
of issue by such marriage. 
"(2) The term 'child' means an unmarried child, including a 
dependent stepchild or an adopted child, under the age of eighteen 
years, or such unmarried child who because of physical or mental 
disability is incapable of self-support. 
i* 
"(3) The term 'dependent parents' means the natural parents 
of a teacher who were receiving one-half or more of their total 
income from said teacher immediately preceding the death of said 
teacher. 
"(4) The term 'dependent father' or 'dependent mother" means 
V the natural father or natural mother of a teacher who was receiv-
ing one-half or more of his or her total income from said teacher 
immediately preceding the death of said teacher. 
"(6) Questions of dependency and disability arising under this 
^" 
section shall be determined by the Board of Education and its 
decisions with respect to such matters shall be final and conclusive 
and shall not be subject to review." 
SEC. 9, Section 10 of said Act is amended (a) by numbering the first, 
second, and third paragraphs thereof as "SEC. 10 (a), (b), and (c)" 
respectively; (b) by inserting in the second paragraph thereof after 
the words "In the event any teacher shall die before retirement'' the 
words "leaving no survivor entitled to annuity benefits under the 
provisions of this Act"; and (c) by adding the following at the end 
of said section: 
"(d) In the event that— 
"(1) a retired teacher shall die without a survivor entitled to 
benefits by subsection (b) of section 5 or subsection (b) of section 
9, or 
"(2) a retired teacher shall die leaving a survivor or survivors 
entitled to such benefits and the right to benefits of all such 
^ 
survivors shall terminate before a valid claim therefor shall have 
been established, or 
"(3) the benefits of all persons entitled to benefits based upon 
the service of a teacher shall terminate, before the aggregate 
amount of the benefits paid equals the total amount credited to the 
individual account of such teacher w^ith interest, to date of death 
or retirement of such teacher, whichever occurs first, the difference 
shall be paid, upon the establishment of a valid claim therefor, 
provided the claim be filed with the Auditor of the District of 
Columbia within three years after the death or retirement of such 
teacher, to the beneficiary or beneficiaries, if a beneficiary or 
beneficiaries be designated in writing by the teacher and recorded 
on his individual account, or, if there be no such beneficiary or 
beneficiaries designated, then to the duly appointed executor or 
administrator of the estate of the teacher, or, if the amount payable 
be less than $1,000 and no executor or administrator is appointed, 
to such person or persons as the Auditor, in his judgment, may 
Definitions. 
D. C. Code 31-
730. 
Beneficiaries. 
Ante, pp. 18, 19. 
f i t 
PUBLIC LAW 275-MAR. 7, 1952 
[66 ST A T , 
Re computation. 
Effective date. 
determine is or are legally entitled tlieieto. Any payment made 
by the Auditor under this section shall be a bar to a recovery b}^ 
any other person." 
SEC, 10. The annuities of all teachers retired prior to the effective 
date of this Act shall be recomputed in accordance with the provisions 
of section 4 of this Act within ninety days after the approval of this 
Act retroactive to the effective date of this Act, and no recomputation 
shall be made which will reduce the annuity received by any retired 
teacher: Provided^ That the average annual salary during any five 
consecutive years, specified in section 4 of this Act, upon which the 
annuity is based shall be within the last ten years of allowable service 
in the public schools of the District of Columbia: Provided 
further. 
That the increased amount of the annuity resulting therefrom shall be 
a straight life annuity without any insurance or death benefits of any 
kind. 
SEC. 11. This Act shall take effect on the first day of the second 
month following its enactment. 
Approved March 6, 1952. 
March 7. 1952 
[S. 1710] 
Public Law 275 
CHAPTER 96 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Seci'etavy of the Army to convey certain road right-of-way 
easements in De Kalb and Putnam Counties, Tennessee, to the State of 
Tennessee. 
Tennessee. 
Conveyance. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemhled^ That the Secretary 
of the Army is authorized to convey to the State of Tennessee, without 
reimbursement, all the right, title, and interest of the United States 
in and to those certain road right-of-way easements over lands in 
De Kalb and Putnam Counties, Tennessee, acquired by the United 
States for use as an access road to the Center Hill Dam and Reservoir, 
all as set out on sheets 4 to 16, inclusive, of highway drawing dated 
March 1942, designated as "Right Bank Access Road—Dam Site to 
Silver Point" on file in the Office, Chief of Engineers, Department of 
the Army. 
Approved March 7, 1952. 
March 10, 1952 
Public Law 276 
CHAPTER 97 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Postmaster General to issue duplicate checks without requir-
ing bond when such checlvs of the Post Ollice Department ai-e lost wiiile 
in the custody of the United States or lost without fault of owner or holder. 
Post Office De-
partment che'cks. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemhled^ That the proviso 
in section 3646 (e) of the Revised Statutes of the United States (81 
U. S. C. 528 (e)) is amended to read as follows: '"''Provided^ That when 
the Postmaster General is satisfied that such loss, theft, or destruction 
occurred without fault of the owner or holder or while any check 
was in the custody or control of the Post Office Department or in 
the mails, the Postmaster General may, in lieu of an indemnity bond, 
authorize the issuance of a substitute check or warrant upon such 
affidavit as he may prescribe, to be made by the payee or owner of 
an original check." 
Approved March 10, 1952.