An Act to amend section 216 (b) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, to provide for the maintenance of the Merchant Marine Academy
PL 84-415 (H.R.6043), enacted 02/20/1956

70 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 415~FEB. 20, 1956 
25 
SEC. 4. The amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 made 
by sections 2 and 3 of this Act, and provisions having the same effect as 
this amendment, which shall be considered to be included in chapter 
3 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, shall apply to the estates of 
all decedents dying after December 31, 1953. 
Approved February 20, 1956. 
Effeetivity. 
26 u s e apP- 811 
et seq; post p. 26. 
Public Law 415 
CHAPTER 64 
AN ACT 
To amend section 216 (b) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, to 
provide for the maintenance of the Merchant Marine Academy. 
February 20. 1956 
[H. R. 6043] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatwes 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assenvbled^ That section 216 
(b) of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended (U. S, C , title 
46, sec. 1126), is amended to read as follows: 
"(b) (1) The Secretary of Commerce shall maintain a Merchant 
Marine Academy at Kings Point, New York, for the instruction and 
preparation for service in the merchant marine of selected persons 
as officers thereof. 
Competitive examinations shall be held annually 
among those persons nominated as candidates to the Academy by 
Senators and Representatives. 
The number of vacancies allocated 
to each State shall be proportioned to the representation in Congress 
from that State. Appointments from each State shall be made by 
the Secretary of Commerce from among qualified candidates nomi-
nated from that State in the order of merit established by the exam-
inations. In case vacancies remain after the appointments under the 
preceding sentence have been made, the Secretary of Commerce shall 
fill them by appointments from qualified candidates from other States. 
"(2) In connection with such instruction and as a part thereof, 
the Secretary of Commerce is authorized to provide for training of 
merchant marine cadets on Government-owned and subsidized vessels 
and, in cooperation with other governmental and private agencies, 
on other vessels, and, for instructional purposes only, in shipyards, 
plants, and industrial and educational organizations under rules and 
regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Commerce and upon such 
terms as the Secretary of Commerce may arrange, and expenditures 
incident to such training are hereby authorized. 
"(3) Cadets appointed to the United States Merchant Marine 
Academy may be appointed by the Secretary of the Navy as Reserve 
midshipmen in the United States Navy and may be commissioned as 
Reserve ensigns in the United States Navy upon graduation from 
the Academy. 
" (4) Cadets at the United States Merchant Marine Academy shall 
receive allowances for all required uniforms and textbooks as pre-
scribed by rules and regulations under this Act, and to transportation, 
including reimbursement of traveling expenses, Avhile traveling under 
orders as a cadet. 
"(5) (a) 'Representative' as used in this Act shall include Dele-
gates to the House of Representatives from Alaska and Hawaii and 
the Resident Commissioner from the Commomvealth of Puerto Rico. 
"(b) 'State' as used in this Act shall include Territories of Alaska, 
Hawaii, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico." 
Approved February 20, 1956. 
Merchant Marine 
Academy. 
53 Stat. 1183. 
Maintenance. 
Training. 
App o intments, 
Allowances. 
" R e p r e s e n t a-
tive". 
"State",