An Act to provide for the bonding of certain officers and employees of the government of the District of Columbia, for the payment of the premiums on such bonds by the District of Columbia, and for other purposes.
PL 84-134 (S.391), enacted 07/07/1955

69 STAT.3 
PUBLIC LAW 134-JULY 7, 1955 
281 
Public Law 134 
CHAPTER 280 
AN ACT 
To provide for the bonding of certain officers and employees of the government 
of the District of Columbia, for the payment of the premiums on such bonds 
by the District of Columbia, and for other purposes. 
July 7, 1955 
[S. 391] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of Amejica. in Congress assembled^ That so much of 
the last paragraph of section 2 of the Act approved June 11, 1878 
(20 Stat. 103, ch. 180), entitled "An Act providing a permanent form 
of government for the District of Columbia", as added by the first 
section of the Act approved June 28, 1935 (49 Stat. 430), as precedes 
the proviso in said last paragraph, is amended to read as follows: 
"The said Commissioners are hereby authorized and empowered 
to determine which officers and employees of the District of 
Columbia, or which positions occupied or to be occupied by such 
officers and employees, shall hereafter be bonded for the faithful 
discharge of the duties of such officers and employees or of such 
positions, and to fix the penalty or penalties of any such bond ;•'. 
SEC. 2. The Commissioners of the District of Columbia are author-
ized to obtain blanket, position schedule, or other type of surety bond 
covering their civilian officers and employees required by law or 
administrative ruling to be bonded. 
Each bond shall be of the most 
suitable type available for the number and type of personnel required 
to be bonded, and shall be conditioned upon the faithful performance 
of the duties of the persons so bonded, and the term "faithful per-
formance of the duties" shall be deemed to include the proper account-
ing for all moneys or property received by virtue of the bonded 
persons' positions or employment and all responsibilities and account-
abilities imposed by statute or regulation issued pursuant thereto. 
The bond premium may cover a period not exceeding three years and 
may be paid in advance from funds available for administrative 
expenses when the contract is made or continued. 
If the initial or 
subsequent premium cost exceeds $500 for any bond procured under 
authority of this section, advertisement for bids shall be required 
therefor and procurement shall be made from the responsible bidder 
whose bid, conforming to the invitation for bids, will be most advan-
tageous to the District of Columbia, price and other factors considered. 
SEC. 3. Whenever any officer or employee of the District of Colum-
bia, as a prerequisite to entering upon the duties of his office or employ-
ment, or as a condition to his holding such office or employment is 
required by any provision of law or regulation to execute or furnish 
bond, notwithstanding such provision of law, if any bond obtained 
by the Commissioners pursuant to the authority contained in this Act 
covers such officer or employee, or covers the position of such officer 
or employee, in the amount and for such period as may be prescribed 
by such provision of law, such bond obtained by the Commissioners 
shall be in lieu of the bond required to be executed or furnished by 
such officer or employee. 
SEC. 4. Subsection (a) of section 305 of the District of Columbia 
Law Enforcement Act of 1953, approved June 29, 1953 (67 Stat. 90, 
101), is amended by adding at the end thereof the following sentence: 
"The premium on any such bond may cover periods not exceeding 
three years and may be paid in advance." 
SEC. 5. Section 561 of the Act entitled "An Act to establish a code 
of law for the District of Columbia", approved March 3, 1901, as 
amended (31 Stat. 1189, 1279; sec. 1-504, D. C. Code, 1951 edition) 
is amended by adding at the end of said section the following sen-
tence : "Where any such notary public is an officer or employee of the 
D. C. bonding oi' 
officers and em-' 
ployeess 
D . e . Code I-IO:! 
note« 
Metropolitan Po-
lice. 
D . e . Code 4-186. 
Notary public. 
282 
PUBLIC LAW 135-JULY 7, 1955 
[69 ST A T . 
Government of the District of Columbia wliose notarial duties are 
confined solely to government official business, any bond covering such 
officer or employee for the faithful performance of such notarial 
duties obtained by the Commissioners of the District of Columbia 
pursuant to the authority conferred on them by law shall be in lieu 
of the bond required by the first sentence of this section." 
Approved July 7, 1955. 
July 7, 1955 
[H. R. 3659] 
26 Stat. 209. 
Public Law 135 
CHAPTER 281 
AN ACT 
To increase criminal penalties under the Sherman Antitrust Act. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That sections 1, 2, 
and 3 of the Act of July 2, 1890 (15 U. S. C. 1 ff.), as amended, are 
hereby further amended by striking out in each section where it 
appears, the phrase "fine not exceeding five thousand dollars" or the 
phrase "fine not exceeding $5,000" and substituting in lieu thereof in 
each case the phrase "fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars". 
Approved July 7, 1955. 
July 7, 1955 
[H. R. 4221] 
Public Law 136 
CHAPTER 282 
AN ACT 
To amend section 4004, title 18, United States Code, relating to administering 
oaths and taking acknowledgments by officials of Federal penal and correc-
tional institutions. 
62 Stat. 848. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 4004, 
title 18, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 
"§ 4004. Oaths and acknowledgments 
"The wardens and superintendents, associate wardens and superin-
tendents, chief clerks, record clerks, and parole officers, of Federal 
penal or correctional institutions, may administer oaths to and take 
acknowledgments of officers, employees, and inmates of such institu-
tions, but shall not demand or accept any fee or compensation 
therefor." 
Approved July 7, 1955. 
July 7, 1955 
[H. R. 4954] 
Public Law 137 
CHAPTER 283 
AN ACT 
To amend the Clayton Act by granting a right of action to the United States to 
recover damages under the antitrust laws, establishing a uniform statute of 
limitations, and for other purposes. 
C l a y t o n 
A c t , 
amendments. 
15 use 12 etaeq. 
Suit by U.S. for 
damages. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act entitled 
"An Act to supplement existing laws against unlawful restraints and 
monopolies, and for other purposes", approved October 15, 1914 (38 
Stat. 730), as amended, is amended by inserting at the end of section 4 
the follow ing new sections: 
"SEC. 4 A . Whenever the United States is hereafter injured in its 
business or property by reason of anything forbidden in the antitrust