An Act to amend title III of the Public Health Service Act, and for other purposes
PL 84-941 (S.3430), enacted 08/03/1956

PUBLIC LAW 941»AUG. 3, 1956 
[70 S T A T . 
Public Law 941 
CHAPTER 907 
Augusta, 1956 
AN ACT 
[S. 3430] 
To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Seriate and House of Representatives 
of the 
otul^Scint^ActT ^^^''^^^^ States of America in Congress assembled, That title III of the 
58*stat, 691. ' 
PubUc Health Service Act (42 U. S. C , chapter 6A, subchapter II) 
is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new part: 
"PART H—NATIONAL LIBRARY or MEDICINE 
"PURPOSE, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF LIBRARY 
"SEC. 371. In order to assist the advancement of medical and related 
sciences, and to aid the dissemination and exchange of scientific and 
other information important to the progress of medicine and to the 
public health, there is hereby established in the Public Health Service 
a National Library of Medicine (hereinafter referred to in this part 
as the 'Library'). 
"FUNCTIONS OF THE LIBRARY 
"SEC. 872. (a) The Surgeon General, through the Library and 
subject to the provisions of subsection (c), shall— 
"(1) acquire and preserve books, periodicals, prints, films, 
recordings, and other library materials pertinent to medicine; 
"(2) organize the materials specified-in clause (1) by appro-
priate cataloging, indexing, and bibliographical listing; 
"(3) publish and make available the catalogs, indexes, and 
bibliographies referred to in clause (2) ; 
"(4) make available, through loans, photographic or other 
copying procedures or otherwise, such materials in the Library 
as he deems appropriate; 
"(5) provide reference and research assistance; and 
"(6) engage in such other activities in furtherance of the pur-
poses of this part as he deems appropriate and the Library's 
resources permit. 
"(b) The Surgeon General may exchange, destroy, or otherwise 
dispose of any books, periodicals, films, and other library materials not 
needed for the permanent use of the Library. 
"(c) The Surgeon General is authorized, after obtaining the advice 
and recommendations of the Board (established under section 373), 
to prescribe rules under which the Library will provide copies of its 
publications or materials, or will make available its facilities for re-
search or its bibliographic, reference, or other services, to public and 
private agencies and organizations, institutions, and individuals. 
Such rules may provide for making available such publications, mate-
rials, facilities, or services (1) without charge as a public service, or 
(2) upon a loan, exchange, or charge basis, or (3) in appropriate cir-
cumstances, under contract arrangements made with a public or other 
nonprofit agency, organization, or institution. 
u. 
BOARD or REGENTS 
"SEC. 373. (a) There is hereby established in the Public Health 
Service a Board of Regents of the National Library of Medicine (re-
ferred to in this part as the 'Board') consisting of the Surgeons Gen-
eral of the Public Health Service, the Army, the Navy, and the Air 
Force, the Chief Medical Director of the Department of Medicine and 
Surgery of the Veterans' Administration, tne Assistant Director for 
Biological and Medical Sciences of the National Science Foundation, 
70 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 941-AUG. 3, 1956 
961 
and the Librarian of Congress, all of whom shall be ex officio members 
and ten members appointed by the President, by and with the advice 
and consent of the Senate. The ten appointed members shall be se-
lected from among leaders in the various fields of the fundamental 
sciences, medicine, dentistry, public health, hospital administration, 
pharmacology, or scientific or medical library work, or in public af-
fairs. At least sir of the appointed members shall be selected from 
among leaders in the fields of medical, dental, or public health research 
or education. The Board shall annually elect one of the appointed 
members to serve as Chairman until the next election. The Surgeon 
General shall designate a member of the Library staff to act as 
executive secretary of the Board. 
" (b) It shall be the duty of the Board to advise, consult with, and 
make recommendations to the Surgeon General on important matters 
of policy in regard to the Library, including such matters as the acqui-
sition of materials for the Library, the scope, content and organization 
of the Library's services, and the rules under which its materials, j)ub-
lications, facilities, and services shall be made available to various 
kinds of users, and the Surgeon General shall include in his annual 
report to the Congress a statement covering the "recommendations 
made by the Board and the disposition thereof. The Surgeon Gen-
eral is authorized to use the services of any member or members of the 
Board in connection with matters related to the work of the Library, 
for such periods, in addition to conference periods, as he may 
determine. 
"(c) Each appointed member of the Board shall hold office for a 
term of four years, except that (A) any member appointed to fill a 
vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his 
predecessor was appointed shall be appointed for the remainder of 
such term, and (B) the terms of the members first taking office after 
the date of enactment of this part shall expire as follows: three at 
the end of four years after such date, three at the end of three years 
after such date, two at the end of two years after such date, and two 
at the end of one year after such date, as designated by the President 
at the time of appointment. None of the appointed members shall be 
eligible for reappointment within one year after the end of his 
preceding term. 
"(d) Appointed members of the Board who are not otherwise in 
the employ of the United States, while attending conferences of the 
Board or otherwise serving at the recjuest of the Surgeon General, 
shall be entitled to receive compensation at a rate to be fixed by the 
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, but not exceeding $50 
per diem, including travel time, and while away from their homes 
or regular places of business they may be allowed travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law (5 
U. S. C. 73b-2) for persons in the Government service employed 
intermittently. 
"GIFTS TO LIBRARY 
"SEC. 374. The provisions of section 501 shall be applicable to 
the acceptance and administration of gifts made for the benefit of 
the Library or for carrying out any of its functions, and the Surgeon 
General shall make recommendations to the Secretary of Health, 
Education, and Welfare relating to establishment within the Library 
of suitable memorials to the donors. 
Duties. 
Term of office. 
Condensation. 
692Z5 O -57 -65 (Vol. 70) 
962 
PUBLIC LAW 942-AUG. 3, 1956 
[70 ST A T . 
u 
DEFINITIONS 
"SEC. 375. For purposes of this part the terms 'medicine' and 'medi-
cal' shall, except when used in section 373, be understood to include 
preventive and therapeutic medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, hospital-
ization, nursing, public health, and the fundamental sciences related 
thereto, and other related fields of study, research, or activity. 
'LIBRARY FACILITIES 
Appropriation. 
"SEC. 376. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated sums suffi-
cient for the erection and equipment of suitable and adequate build-
ings and facilities for use of the library in carrying out the provisions 
of this part. 
The Administrator of General Services is authorized to 
acquire, by purchase, condemnation, donation, or otherwise, a suitable 
site or sites, selected by the Surgeon General in accordance with the 
direction of the Board, for such buildings and facilities and to erect 
thereon, furnish, and equip such buildings and facilities. 
The sums 
herein authorized to be appropriated shall include the cost of prepara-
tion of drawings and specifications, supervision of construction, and 
other administrative expenses incident to the work. 
The Adminis-
trator of General Services shall prepare the plans and specifications, 
make all necessary contracts, and supervise construction. 
Short title. 
"TRANSFER OF ARMED FORCES MEDICAL LIBRARY 
"SEC. 377. All civilian personnel, equipment, library collections, 
other personal property, records, and unexpended balances of appro-
priations, allocations, and other funds (available or to be made avail-
able) , which the Director of the Bureau of the Budget shall determine 
to relate primarily to the functions of the Armed Forces Medical 
Library, are hereby transferred to the Service for use in the adminis-
tration and operation of this part. 
Such transfer of property, funds, 
and personnel, and the other provisions of this part, shall become effec-
tive on the first day, occurring not less than thirty days after the date 
of enactment of this part, which the Director of the Bureau of the 
Budget determines to be practicable." 
SEC 2. This Act may be cited as the "National Library of Medicine 
Act". 
Approved August 3, 1956. 
Augusts, 1956r^ 
[S. 3821] 
^ 
Public Law 942 
C
H AP TER 908 
AN ACT 
To authorize the construction of one prototype ship and the conversion of one 
Liberty ship, by the Maritime Administration, Department of Commerce. 
C on struc tlon an d 
conversion of ves-
s e l s , au t h o r i za-
tion. 
49 Stat. 1985. 
46 u s e 1245. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That there is hereby 
authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Commerce, 
Maritime Administration, such sums as may be necessary, to re-
main available until expended, to construct, outfit, and test one proto-
type merchant ship of the "Clipper" class, as designed by the Mari-
time Administration, Department of Commerce, and to convert, 
outfit, and test one reserve fleet Liberty ship. 
Such construction 
and conversion, outfitting, and testing shall be subject to the pro-
visions of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended. 
Approved August 3, 1956.