An Act to amend the act entitled ""An Act to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia,"" approved March 3, 1901, and for other purposes
PL 84-313 (H.R.6585), enacted 08/09/1955

69 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 313-AUG. 9, 1955 
609 
of such land or interest, and any such sale of any such land or interest 
shall be made, only after the Secretary has received an application 
for the reconveyance of such land or interest from such forihjr owner, 
in such form as he shall by regulation prescribe. 
Such application 
shall be made within a period of ninety days following tlie date of 
issuance of such notice, but on good cause the Secretary may waive 
this requirement. 
(c) Any reconveyance of land or interest therein made under this 
Act shall be subject to such exceptions, restrictions, and reservations 
(including a reservation to the IJnited States of jfiowage rights) as 
the Secretary may determine are in the public interest. 
(d) Any land or interest therein reconveyed under this Act shall 
be sold for an amount determined by the Secretary to be equal to the 
price for which the land was acquired by the United States, adjusted 
to reflect (1) any increase in the value thereof resulting from 
improvements made thereon by the United States (the Government 
shall receive no payment as a result of any enhancement of values 
resulting from the construction of the Demopolis Lock and Dam proj-
ect), or (2) any decrease in the value thereof resulting from (A) 
any reservation, exception, restriction, and condition to which the 
reconveyance is made subject, and (B) any damage to the land or 
interest therein caused by the United States. 
In addition, the cost 
of any surveys necessary as an incident of such reconveyance shall 
be borne by the grantee. 
(e) The requirements of this section shall not be applicable with 
respect to the disposition of any land, or interest therein, described 
in subsection (a) if the Secretary shall certify that notice has been 
given to the former owner of such land or interest as provided in 
subsection (b) and that no qualified applicant has made timely appli-
cation for the reconveyance of such land or interest. 
(f) As used in this section, the term "former owner" means the 
person from whom any land, or interest therein, was acquired by the 
United States, or if such person is deceased, his spouse, or if such 
spouse is deceased, his children. 
SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Army may delegate any authority 
conferred upon him by this Act to any officer or employee of the 
Department of the Army. 
Any such officer or employee shall exer-
cise the authority so delegated under rules and regulations approved 
by the Secretary. 
SEC. 3. Any ])roceeds from sales made under this Act shall be cov-
ered into the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts. 
SEC. 4. This Act shall terminate three years after the date of its 
enactment. 
Approved August 9, 1955. 
Termination date. 
Public Law 313 
CHAPTER 673 
AN ACT 
To amend the Act entitled "An Act to establish a code of law for the District 
of Columbia", approved March 3,1901, and for other purposes. 
August 9, 1955 
[H. R. 6585] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 927 of 
the Act entitled "An Act to establish a code of law for the District 
of Columbia", approved March 3,1901, as amended (sec. 24-301, D. C. 
Code, 1951 edition), is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 927. (a) Whenever a person is arrested, indicted, charged by 
information, or is charged in the juvenile court of the District of 
D. C. 
i n s a n e 
criminals. 
59 Stat. 311. 
54402 O - 55 
610 
PUBLIC LAW 313-AUG. 9, 1955 
[69 S T A T . 
Columbia, for or with an offense and, prior to the imposition of 
sentence or prior to the expiration of any period of probation, it shall 
appear to the court from the court's own observations, or from prima 
facie evidence submitted to the court, that the accused is of unsound 
mind or is mentally incompetent so as to be unable to understand the 
proceedings against him or properly to assist in his own defense, the 
court may order the accused committed to the District of Columbia 
General Hospital or other mental hospital designated by the court, 
for such reasonable period as the court may determine for examination 
and observation and for care and treatment if such is necessary by the 
psychiatric staff of said hospital. 
If, after such examination and 
observation, the superintendent of the hospital, in the case of a mental 
hospital, or the chief psychiatrist of the District of Columbia General 
Hospital, in the case of District of Columbia General Hospital, shall 
leport that in his opinion the accused is of unsound mind or mentally 
incompetent, such report shall be sufficient to authorize the court to 
commit by order the accused to a hospital for the mentally ill unless 
the accused or the Government objects, in which event, the court, after 
hearing without a jury, shall make a judicial determination of the 
competency of the accused to stand trial. If the court shall find the 
accused to be then of unsound mind or mentally incompetent to stand 
trial, the court shall order the accused confined to a hospital for the 
mentally ill. 
"(b) Whenever an accused person confined to a hospital for the 
mentally ill is restored to mental competency in the opinion of the 
superintendent of said hospital, the superintendent shall certify such 
fact to the clerk of the court in which the indictment, information, 
or charge against the accused is pending and such certification shall 
be sufficient to authorize the court to enter an order thereon adjudi-
cating him to be competent to stand trial, unless the accused or the 
Government objects, in which event, the court, after hearing without 
a jury, shall make a judicial determination of the competency of the 
accused to stand trial. 
"(c) When any person tried upon an indictment or information 
for an offense, or tried in the juvenile court of the District of Columbia 
for an offense, is acquitted solely on the ground that he was insane 
at the time of its commission, that fact shall be set forth by the jury 
in their verdict. 
"(d) If any person tried upon an indictment or information for 
an offense, or tried in the juvenile court of the District of Columbia 
for an offense, is acquitted solely on the ground that he was insane 
at the time of its commission, the court shall order such person to be 
confined in a hospital for the mentally ill. 
"(e) Where any person has been confined in a hospital for the 
mentally ill pursuant to subsection (d) of this section, and the super-
intendent of such hospital certifies (1) that such person has recovered 
his sanity, (2) that, in the opinion of the superintendent, such person 
will not in the reasonable future be dangerous to himself or others, and 
(3) in the opinion of the superintendent, the person is entitled to his 
unconditional releiase from the hospital, and such certificate is filed 
with the clerk of the court in which the person was tried, and a copy 
thereof served on the United States Attorney or the Corporation 
Counsel of the District of Columbia, whichever office prosecuted the 
accused, such certificate shall be sufficient to authorize the court to 
order the unconditional release of the person so confined from further 
hospitalization at the expiration of fifteen days from the time said 
certificate was filed and served as above; but the court in its discretion 
may, or upon objection of the United States or the District of Colum-
69 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 313-AUG. 9, 1955 
611 
bia shall, after due notice, hold a hearing at which evidence as to the 
mental condition of the person so confined may be submitted, including 
the testimony of one or more psychiatrists from said hospital. 
The 
court shall weigh the evidence and, if the court finds that such person 
has recovered his sanity and will not in the reasonable future be 
dangerous to himself or others, the court shall order such person 
unconditionally released from further confinement in said hospital. 
If the court does not so find, the court shall order such person returned 
to said hospital. Where, in the judgment of the superintendent of 
such hospital, a person confined under subsection (d) above is not 
in such condition as to warrant his unconditional release, but is in 
a condition to be conditionally released under supervision, and such 
certificate is filed and served as above provided, such certificate shall 
be sufficient to authorize the court to order the release of such person 
under such conditions as the court shall see fit at the expiration of 
fifteen days from the time such certificate is filed and served pursuant 
to this section: Provided^ That the provisions as to hearing prior to 
unconditional release shall also apply to conditional releases, and, if, 
after a hearing and w^eighing the evidence, the court shall find that 
the condition of such person warrants his conditional release, the 
court shall order his release under such conditions as the court shall 
see fit, or, if the court does not so find, the court shall order such person 
returned to such hospital. 
"(f) When an accused person shall be acquitted solely on the 
ground of insanity and ordered confined in a hospital for the mentally 
ill, such person and his estate shall be charged with the expense of his 
support in such hospital. 
"(g) Nothing herein contained shall preclude a person confined 
under the authority of this section from establishing his eligibility 
for release under the provisions of this section by a writ of habeas 
corpus. 
"(h) The provisions of this section shall supersede in the District 
of Columbia the provisions of any Federal statutes or parts thereof 
inconsistent with this section." 
SEC. 2. Section 928 of such Act approved March 3,1901, as amended, 
3^| 1:r*code°*24-
is amended to read as follows: 
302! 
"SEC. 928. Any person while serving sentence of any court of the 
District of Columbia for crime, in a District of Columbia penal 
institution, and who, in the opinion of the Director of the Department 
of Corrections of the District of (^olumbia, is mentally ill, shall be 
referred by such Director to the psychiatrist functioning under section 
405 of title IV of the Act approved June 29, 1953 (67 Stat. 105; sec. 
24-106, Supp. I l l , D, C. Code, 1951 edition), and if such psychiatrist 
certifies that the person is mentally ill, this shall be sufficient to author-
ize the Director to transfer such person to a hospital for the mentally 
ill to receive care and treatment during the continuance of his mental 
illness,". 
SEC. 3. Section 929 of such Act approved March 3,1901, as amended, 
^* ^^^^%^l^\^ 
1 1 , 
1 
c n 
' 
' 
5 
JJ. C Code 24-
js amended to read as lollows: 
303. 
"SEC. 929. (a) When any person confined in a hospital for the 
mentally ill, charged with crime and subject to be tried therefor, shall 
be found competent to stand trial in the opinion of the superintendent 
of such hospital, the superintendent shall certify such fact to the 
clerk of the court in which the indictment, information, or charge is 
pending, in accordance with the procedure specified in section 927 of 
this Act, and deliver sucli person to the court according to its proper 
precept. 
"(b) When any person confined in a hospital for the mentally 
ill while serving sentence shall be restored to mental health within 
612 
PUBLIC LAW 314-AUG. 9, 1955 
[69 ST A T . 
T e s t i m o n y of 
physicianst 
Director according to his 
the opinion of the superintendent of the hospital, the superintendent 
shall certify such fact to the Director of the Department of Cor-
rections of the District of Columbia and such certification shall be 
sufficient to deliver such person to such 
request."' 
SEC. 4. The Act entitled "An Act relating- to the testimony of phy-
sicians in the courts of the District of Columbia", received by the 
President May 13, 1896 (29 Stat. 138; sec. 14-308, D. C. Code, 1951 
edition), is amended to read as follows: 
"That in the courts of the District of Columbia no physician or 
surgeon shall be permitted, without the consent of the person afflicted, 
or of his legal representative, to disclose any information, confidential 
in its nature, which he shall have acquired in attending a ]iatient in 
a professional capacity and which was necessary to enable him to 
act in that capacity, whether such information shall have been 
obtained from the patient or from his family or from the person or 
persons in charge of him: Provided, That this section shall not apply 
to evidence in criminal cases where the accused is charged with causing 
the death of, or inflicting injuries upon a human being, and the dis-
closure shall be required in the interests of public justice: Provided 
further^ That this section shall not apply to evidence relating to the 
mental competency or sanity of an accused in criminal trials where 
the accused raises the defense of insanity, or in the pretrial or post-
trial proceedings involving any criminal case where a question arises 
concerning the mental condition of an accused or convicted person.". 
Approved August 9, 1955. 
August 9, 1955 
[H. R. 4734] 
Public Law 314 
CHAPTER 674 
AN ACT 
To amend the provisions of the River and Harbor Act of 1954 which authorize 
the Secretary of the Army to reimburse local interests for work done on a 
dredging project at Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors, California, during 
a period ending on July 1, 1953, by extending that period to November 7, 1953. 
68 Stat. 1252. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the paragraph 
of section 101 of the River and Harbor Act of 1954 which begins 
"Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors, California:" is amended by 
striking out "July 1, 1953" and inserting in lieu thereof "November 
r, 1953". 
Approved August 9, 1955. 
August 9, 1955 
[H. R. 6727] 
Public Law 315 
CHAPTER 675 
AN ACT 
To authorize the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to convey certain land to the 
city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 
Milwaukee, Wis. 
Conveyance. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and Home of Reiwesentatives 
of the 
United States of America in CongrcHH a^xembled, That the Adminis-
trator of Veterans" Affairs is authorized and directed to convey by 
quitclaim deed a parcel of land containing approximately four acres, 
which is presently under lease to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 
for the Milwaukee Water Works Menominee Valley booster station, 
to the city of Milwaukee, a municipal subdivision of the State of Wis-
consin : Provided, That the city of ^lilwaukee i)ay the fair market 
value of the said parcel of lan<l, without improvements, as determined