An Act to amend the act entitled ""An Act to consolidate the Police Court of the District of Columbia and the Municipal Court of the District of Columbia, to be known as The Municipal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia"", and for other purposes.
PL 83-755 (H.R.8915), enacted 08/31/1954

1048 
PUBLIC LAW 755-AUG. 31, 1954 
[68 S T A T . 
August 31, 1954 
[H. R. 8915] 
Public Law 755 
CHAPTER 1173 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act entitled "An Act to consolidate the Police Court of the District 
of Columbia and the Municipal Court of the District of Columbia, to be known 
as 'The Municipal Court for the District of Columbia,' to create 'The Municipal 
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia', and for other purposes." 
District of C o -
lumbia. 
Municipal Court 
of Appeals. 
A dministrative 
agency orders o r 
decisions. 
Review. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemhled^ That the Act entitled 
"An Act to consolidate the Police Court of the District of Columbia 
and the Municipal Court of the District of Columbia, to be known as 
'The Municipal Court for the District of Columbia', to create 'The 
Municipal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia', and for 
other purposes," approved April 1, 1942 (ch. 207, 56 Stat. 190; sec. 
11-772, D. C. Code, 1951 edition), be, and it is hereby amended by 
adding to section 7 of said Act the following new paragraphs: 
"(e) The Municipal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia 
is hereby vested with exclusive jurisdiction to review, in the manner 
hereinafter provided, the following orders or decisions of administra-
tive agencies of the District of Columbia— 
" (1) any decision of the Board of Pharmacy refusing to renew 
a license to practice pharmacy or refusing to renew^ a permit to 
deal in poisons for use in the arts or as insecticides under the pro-
visions of the Act of May 7, 1906 (ch. 2084, 34 Stat. 177), as 
amended (sec. 2-606, D. C. Code, 1951 edition) ; 
"(2) any decision of the Board of Examiners in Veterinary 
Medicine revoking or suspending a license to practice veterinary 
medicine or any branch thereof under the provisions of the Act of 
February 1,1907 (ch. 442, ,34 Stat. 873; sec. 2-810, D. C Code, 1951 
edition); 
"(3) any order of the Commissioners of the District of Colum-
bia or their agent or a decision of the Commissioners denying, 
revoking, or suspending a motor-vehicle operator's permit under 
the provisions of the Act of March 3,1925 (ch. 443,43 Stat. 1121), 
as amended (sec. 40-302, D. C. Code, 1951 edition) ; 
"(4) any decision of the Board of Examiners and Registrars of 
Architects annulling or revoking a certificate to practice archi-
tecture under the provisions of the Act of December 13, 1924 (ch. 
9, 43 Stat. 717), as amended (sec. 2-1028, D. C. Code, 1951 
edition) ; 
"(5) any order of the Commissioners of the District of Colum-
bia denying, revoking or suspending a license for a private 
employment agency under the provisions of the Act of July 
1, 1932 (ch. 366, 47 Stat. 559; sec. 47-2101, D. C. Code, 1951 
edition) ; 
"(6) any decision of the Commission on Licensure to Practice 
the Healing Art in the District of Columbia denying a license 
or a registration to practice the healing art under the provisions 
of the Act of February 27,1929 (ch. 352,45 Stat. 1338; sec. 2-129, 
D. C. Code, 1951 edition); 
"(7) any decision of the Nurses' Examining Board denying 
registration or reregistration of a nurse or school of nursing 
under the provisions of the Act of March 2,1929 (ch. 540, 45 Stat. 
1521; sec. 2-406, D. C. Code, 1951 edition) ; 
"(8) any decision of the Board of Barber Examiners refusing 
to issue, renew, restore, or revoking a certificate of registration 
as a registered barber or barber apprentice under the provisions 
of the Act of June 7,1938 (ch. 322, 52 Stat. 622; sec. 2-1110, D. C. 
Code, 1951 edition); and 
68 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 755-AUG. 31, 1954 
1049 
"(9) any final decision of the Real Estate Commission of the 
District of Columbia denying an application for license or sus-
pending or revoking a license under the provisions of the Act 
of August 25, 1937 (ch. 760, 50 Stat. 788; sees. 45-1403 to 1418, 
D. C. Code, 1951 edition). 
"(f) Any person aggrieved by any such decision or order may view!"^°" ^°' '^' 
obtain a review thereof by filing in the Municipal Court of Appeals a 
written petition for review praying that the decision or order be set 
aside. The court may by rule prescribe the form and contents of the 
petition and regulate generally all matters relating to proceedings on 
such appeals. 
The petition for review shall be filed in said court 
within such time as said court may by rule prescribe and a copy of 
such petition shall forthwith be served by mail by the clerk of the 
court upon the agency affected thereby. Within such time as may be 
fixed by rule of the court such agency shall certify and file in thel 
court the original papers comprising the record or any supplementary 
record or in the discretion of the agency, certified copies of such 
papers, and the clerk of the court shall immediately notify the peti-
tioner of the filing thereof. Upon the filing of the petition for review, 
the court shall have jurisdiction of the proceeding and shall have 
power to affirm, modify, or set aside the decision or order complained 
of, in whole or in part, and, if need be, to remand the case for further 
proceedings, as justice may require: Provided, 
however, That no 
application for review or pendency of an appeal shall operate as a 
^tay of the operation of any such decision or order in any case where, 
under existing law, a stay may not be granted, nor shall such applica-
tion operate as a stay in any other case unless so ordered by the Com-
missioners of the District of Columbia or by said court for good cause 
shown; and for good cause shown and upon such conditions as may 
be required and to the extent necessary to prevent irreparable injury, 
the court is authorized to take appropriate and necessary action to 
preserve the status or rights pending conclusion of the review pro-
ceedings; that all appeals shall be heard and determined upon the 
record of proceedings before the appropriate board or agency to be 
certified to this court in accordance with such rules or instructions as 
the court may from time to time prescribe, and the review of all 
decisions or orders by said court shall be limited to such issues of law 
or fact as are subject to review on appeal under the applicable pro-
visions of existing law, or, if there be no statutory limitation, by such 
rules of law as define the scope and limitations of review of adminis-
trative proceedings, and which rules, by way of elaboration and 
not limitation, shall include the power of the court— 
"(1) so far as necessary to decision and where presented to 
decide all relevant questions of law, to interpret constitutional 
and statutory provisions, and to determine the meaning or appli-
cability of the terms of any agency action; and 
" (2) to hold unlawful and set aside agency action, findings and 
conclusions found to be (A) arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of dis-
cretion or otherwise not in accordance with law; (B) contrary to 
constitutional right, power, privilege, or immunity; (C) in excess 
of statutory jurisdiction, authority, or limitations or short of 
statutory right; (D) without observance of procedure required 
by law; (E) unsupported by substantial evidence or facts in the 
record of the proceedings before the court, or (F) unwarranted 
by the facts. 
In making the foregoing determinations, due account shall be taken 
of the rule of prejudicial error. Any party aggrieved by any judg-
ment of the Municipal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia 
may seek a review thereof by the United States Court of Appeals for 
1050 
PUBLIC LAW 756-AUG. 31, 1954 
[68 ST AT. 
56 Stat. 196. 
Applicability. 
the District of Columbia Circuit in accordance with the provisions of 
section 8 of the Act approved April 1, 1942 (sec. 11-773, D. C. Code, 
1951 edition)." 
SEC. 2. This Act shall apply only to decisions or orders of the 
above enumerated agencies rendered or entered on or after the effective 
date of this Act. 
Approved August 31, 1954. 
Public Law 756 
CHAPTER 1174 
August 31, 1954 
[H. R. 9115] 
Merchant marine 
c h ^ e l funds. 
Investment. 
62 Stat. 172. 
AN ACT 
To provide that contributions received under Public Law 485, Eightietli Congress, 
for the construction of a merchant marine chapel shall be invested in Govern-
ment obligations i)ending their use for such construction. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That funds accepted 
under Public Law 485, Eightieth Congress, as contributions to assist 
in defraying the cost of construction of the chapel provided for in 
that Act shall be invested by the Secretary of the Treasury in bonds 
or other obligations of, or in bonds or other obligations guaranteed 
as to principal and interest by, the United States, until such funds 
are needed for the purpose for which they were contributed. 
The 
yield obtained from such investments shall be considered to be a 
part of such funds. 
_, 
,,,, ^ 
Approved August 31, 1954, 
• 
i 
• j 
7 
August 31, 1954 
[H. R. 9868] 
Public Law 757 
CHAPTER 1175 
AN ACT 
To amend the Merchant Ship Sales Act of 1946 to provide for the charter of 
passenger ships in the domestic trade. 
(f). 
64 Stat. 309. 
50USCapp. 1738 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
Umted States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 5 (f) 
(1) of the Merchant Ship Sales Act, as amended, is amended by in-
serting before the period at the end thereof a comma and the follow-
ing: "and may charter any war-built passenger vessel owned by the 
United States for use in the domestic trade of the United States, under 
the conditions i)rescribed for the charter of war-built cargo vessels in 
subsection (e) of this section". 
Approved August 31, 1954. 
August 31, 1954 
[H. R. 9988] 
G e r m a n 
E m-
bassy. 
Appropri ation. 
Ante, p. 804. 
Public Law 758 
CHAPTER 1176 
AN ACT 
For the relief of the Federal Republic of Germany. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That in order to 
enable the Federal Republic of Germany to acquire and maintain a 
German Embassy in the District of Columbia, there is hereby author-
ized to be appropriated not to exceed $300,000. 
Approved August 31, 1954. 
,