A bill to amend the Panama Canal Act of 1979 to authorize quarters allowances for certain employees of the Department of Defense serving in the area formerly known as the Canal Zone.
PL 98-600 (H.R.6101), enacted 10/30/1984

PUBLIC LAW 98-600—OCT. 30, 1984 
98 STAT. 3145 
Public Law 98-600 
98th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Panama Canal Act of 1979 to authorize quarters allowances for certain 
employees of the Department of Defense serving in the area formerly known as the 
Canal Zone. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) subchapter 
II of chapter 2 of title I of the Panama Canal Act of 1979 is amended 
by adding after section 1217 the following new section: 
"QUARTERS ALLOWANCES 
"SEC. 1217a. (a) Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 
1211 of this Act, as used in this section— 
"(1) 'position' means a civilian position; and 
"(2) 'employee' means an individual serving in a position in 
the Department of Defense whose permanent duty station is in 
the area which, before October 1, 1979, was known as the Canal 
Zone. 
"(b) Under regulations prescribed by or under authority of the 
President, the Department of Defense may grant a quarters allow-
ance in the case o
f
— 
"(1) any employee who is a citizen of the United States and 
who, before October 1, 1979, was employed by the Panama 
Canal Company, the Canal Zone Government, or any other 
agency, in the area then known as the Canal Zone; and 
"(2) any other employee who is a citizen of the United States 
and who (before, on, or after the effective date of this section) is 
or was recruited within the United States; 
for whom adequate Government owned or leased quarters are not 
made available. 
"(c) The amount of any quarters allowance granted to an em-
ployee under this section shall be determined in accordance with the 
regulations prescribed under subsection (b) of this section, except 
that such allowance for any period may not exceed the amount, if 
any, by which— 
"(1) the lesser of— 
"(A) the actual expenses for rent and utilities incurred by 
the employee during such period while occupying quarters 
other than Government owned or leased quarters; or 
"(B) the maximum amount which would be authorized for 
such employee with respect to such period under the De-
partment of State Standardized Regulations (Government 
Civilians, Foreign Areas) if such employee were covered by 
those regulations; 
exceeds 
"(2) the estimated total cost of rent and utilities which the 
employee would have been charged if Government owned or 
leased quarters had been provided on a rental basis during such 
period. 
Oct. 30, 1984 
[H.R. 6101] 
Housing. 
22 u s e 3657a. 
President of U.S. 
Utilities. 
98 STAT. 3146 
PUBLIC LAW 98-600—OCT. 30, 1984 
"(d) The provisions of this section shall apply without regard to 
whether any election by the Department of Defense under section 
121203) of this Act is then in effect.". 
O
t
)
) The table of contents for the Panama Canal Act of 1979 is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1217 the 
following new item: 
"1217a. Quarters allowances.". 
Effective date. 
SEC. 2. The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on 
22 use 3657a 
October 1, 1984, and shall apply with respect to utility costs in-
^°^^- 
curred, and rent payable for any period beginning, on or after that 
date. 
Approved October 30, 1984. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 6101: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 98-1077, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Merchant Marine and Fisheries). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 130 (1984): 
Oct. 1, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 5, considered and passed Senate.