An Act to amend sections 1606 and 1607 of the Internal Revenue Code in order to permit unemployment insurance coverage under State unemployment compensation laws for seamen employed on certain vessels operated for the account of the United States
PL 83-196 (H.R.5303), enacted 08/05/1953

386 
PUBLIC LAW 196-AUG. 5, 1953 
[67 S T A T . 
Augusts, 1953 
[H. R. 5303] 
Public Law 196 
CHAPTER 329 
AN ACT 
To amend sections 1606 and 1607 of the Internal Revenue Code in order to permit 
unemployment insurance coverage under State unemployment compensation 
laws for seamen employed on certain vessels operated by the United States. 
53 Stat. 187. 
26 u s e 1606. 
Seamen. 
UnempI o y m e n t 
insurance. 
53 Stat. 187. 
26 u s e 1607. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Re'presentatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assemhled^ That section 1606 
of the Internal Revenue Code is hereby amended by adding at the 
end thereof the following new subsections: 
"(g) The permission granted by subsection (f) of this section shall 
apply in the same manner and under the same conditions (including 
the obligation to comply with all requirements of State unemploy-
ment compensation laws) to general agents of the Secretary of Com-
merce wdth respect to service performed on or after July 1, 1953, by 
officers and members of the crew on or in connection with American 
vessels (1) owned by or bareboat chartered to the United States, and 
(2) whose business is conducted by such general agents. As to any 
such vessel, the State permitted to require contributions on account 
of such service shall be the State to which the general agent would 
make contributions if the vessel were operated for his own account. 
Such general agents are designated, for this purpose, instrumentalities 
of the United States not w^holly owned by it and shall not be exempt 
from the tax imposed by section 1600. The permission granted by 
this subsection is subject to the same conditions and limitations as 
are imposed in subsection (f) of this section, except that clause (2) 
of the second sentence of subsection (b) of this section shall apply. 
"(h) Any State may, as to service performed on or after July 1, 
1953, and on account of which contributions are made pursuant to 
subsection (g) of this section, (1) require contributions from persons 
performing such service under its unemployment compensation law 
or temporary disability insurance law administered in connection 
therewith, and (2) require general agents of the Secretary of Com-
merce to make contributions under such temporary disability insurance 
law and to make such deductions from wages or remuneration as are 
required by such unemployment compensation or temporary disability 
insurance law. 
"(i) Each general agent of the Secretary of Commerce making 
contributions pursuant to subsection (g) or (h) of this section shall, 
for the purposes of such subsections, be considered a legal entity in 
his capacity as an instrumentality of the United States, separate and 
distinct from his identity as a person employing individuals on his 
own account." 
SEC. 2. Section 1607 of the Internal Revenue Code is hereby amended 
by adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: 
"(o) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) (6) of this 
section, service performed on or after July 1, 1953, by officers and 
members of the crew of a vessel which would otherwise be included 
as employment under subsection (c) of this section shall not be 
excluded by reason of the fact that it is performed on or in connection 
with an American vessel (1) owned by or bareboat chartered to the 
United States and (2) whose business is conducted by a general agent 
of the Secretary of Commerce. 
For the purposes of this subchapter, 
each such general agent shall be considered a legal entity in his 
capacity as such general agent, separate and distinct from his identity 
as a person employing individuals on his own account, and the officers 
and members of the crew of such an American vessel whose business 
is conducted by a general agent of the Secretary of Commerce shall 
be deemed to be performing services for such general agent rather 
67 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 197-AUG. 5, 1953 
387 
than the United States. 
Each such general agent who in his capacity 
as such is an employer within the meaning of subsection (a) of this 
section shall be subject to all the requirements imposed upon an 
employer under this subchapter with respect to service which con-
stitutes employment by reason of this subsection." 
SEC. 3. Nothing in the amendments made by this Act shall be con-
strued as constituting officers and members of the crew of American 
vessels (1) owned by or bareboat chartered to the United States and 
(2) whose business is conducted by general agents of the Secretary 
of Commerce employees of such general agents except for the purposes 
of State unemployment compensation and temporary disability insur-
ance laws and the Federal Uneniployment Tax Act. 
SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect as of July 1,1953. 
Approved August 5, 1953. 
53 Stat. 183. 
26 u s e 1611. 
Public Law 197 
CHAPTER 330 
AN ACT 
Amending the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 to provide for tlie 
appointment of persons to exercise temporarily the duties of certain oflBces 
of the House of Representatives. 
Augusts, 1953 
[H. R. 6571] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1946, as amended, is amended by adding after 
section 207 the following new section: 
"SEC. 208. (a) In case of a vacancy, from whatever cause, in the 
office of Clerk, Sergeant at Arms, Doorkeeper, Postmaster, or 
Chaplain, of the House of Representatives, or in case of the incapacity 
or inability of the incumbent of any such office to perform the duties 
thereof, the Speaker of the House of Representatives may appoint 
a person to act as, and to exercise temporarily the duties of. Clerk, 
Sergeant at Arms, Doorkeeper, Postmaster, or Chaplain, as the case 
may be, until a person is chosen by the House of Representatives and 
duly qualifies as Clerk, Sergeant at Arms, Doorkeeper, Postmaster, 
or Chaplain, as the case may be, or until the termination of the 
incapacity or inability of the incumbent. 
"(b) Any person appointed pursuant to this section shall exercise 
all the duties, shall have all the powers, and shall be subject to all 
the requirements and limitations applicable with respect to one chosen 
by the House of Representatives to fill the office involved; but nothing 
in this section shall be held to amend, repeal, or otherwise affect section 
7 of the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, 1943 (2 U. S. C, 
sec. 75a). 
"(c) Any person appointed pursuant to this section shall be paid 
the compensation which he would receive if he were chosen by the 
House of Representatives to fill the office involved, unless such person 
is concurrently serving in any office or position the compensation for 
which is paid from the funds of the United States, in which case he 
shall receive no compensation for services rendered pursuant to his 
appointment under this section, and his compensation for performing 
the duties of such office other than the one to which he is appointed 
pursuant to this section shall be in full discharge for all services he 
performs for the United States while serving in such dual capacity." 
Approved August 5, 1953. 
60 Stat. 812. 
2 u s e 72a note. 
House of R e p -
resentatives. 
C e r t a i n t e m-
porary a p p o i n t -
ments. 
56 Stat. 350. 
C omp ensation.