An Act to authorize flight instruction during Reserve Officers Training Corps programs, and for other purposes
PL 84-879 (H.R.5738), enacted 08/01/1956

804 
PUBLIC LAW 879-AUG. 1, 1956 
[70 ST A T . 
Term of office. 
60 Stat. 1066. 
60 Stat. 1068. 
7 u s e 1017(d). 
Bid at f o r e clo-
sure. 
60 Stat. 1070. 
7 u s e 1025. 
12 use 
note. 
1148a-l 
his last-known address for a period of at least five years, has no 
known assets, and his whereabouts cannot be ascertained without 
undue expense, may be charged off or released by the Secretary 
upon a report and favorable recommendation of the employee of 
the Administration having charge of the claim: Provided^ how-
ever^ That claims involving a principal balance of $150 or less 
may be charged off or released whenever it appears to the Secre-
tary that further collection efforts would be ineft'ectual or likely 
to prove uneconomical." 
(b) The first sentence of section 42 (a) is amended bv inserting 
after the word "county" in each of three places the words "or area". 
(c) Section 43 (d) is amended by striking the words "as family-size 
farms". 
(d) Section 51 is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 51. The Secretary is authorized and empowered to make ad-
vances to preserve and protect the security for, or the lien or priority 
of the lien securing, any loan or other indebtedness owing to, insured 
by or acquired by the Secretary under any programs administered by 
the Farmers' Home Administration; to bid for and purchase at any 
foreclosure or other sale or otherwise acquire property pledged, mort-
gaged, conveyed, attached, or levied upon to secure the payment of 
any such indebtedness; to accept title to any property so purchased or 
acquired; to operate for a period not in excess of one year from the 
date of acquisition, or lease such property for such period as may be 
deemed necessary to protect the investment therein; to sell or grant 
rights-of-way or easements over such property; and to sell or other-
wise dispose of such property in a manner consistent with the provi-
sions of section 43 of this Act. 
Any advances or expenditures under 
this section with respect to any insured loan or insured mortgage shall 
be paid out of the mortgage insurance fund." 
SEC. 4. Section 1 of the Act of August 31, 1954, as amended (68 
Stat. 999; 69 Stat. 223), is further amended by striking the figures 
"1957" and inserting in lieu thereof the figures "1959" and by striking 
the figures "$15,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$65,000,000". 
Approved August 1, 1956. 
Public Law 879 
CHAPTER 830 
• , .Qi;« 
AN ACT 
August 1, 1956 
Q
H
. R. 5738] 
rp^ authorize flight instruction during Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs, 
and for other purposes. 
ROTC. 
F l i g h t instruc-
tion. 
41 Stat. 777. 
41 Stat. 777; 68 
Stat. 896. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That the Act of June 
3,1916 (39 Stat. 166), as amended, is further amended as follows: 
(1) Section 40a, as amended (10 U. S. C. 385), is further amended 
by adding the following sentence at the end thereof: "The courses of 
theoretical and practical military training prescribed under this sec-
tion may include flight instruction,". 
(2) Section 47, as amended (10 U. S. C. 389), is further amended 
by adding the following sentence at the end thereof: "The Secretary 
of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force may, for a period 
of four years after the effective date of this amendatory Act, provide, 
or contract with civilian flying or aviation schools or educational insti-
tutions to provide, such personnel, aircraft, supplies, facilities, and 
instruction as are necessary for flight instruction of members of the 
Reserve Officers' Training Corps in Army and Air Force units, respec-
tively.". 
70 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 879-AUG 1, 1956 
806 
SEC. 2. The third sentence of section 1 of the Act of Juae 15, 1936 
(49 Stat. 1507,10 U. S. C. 455c), is amended by deleting the words "of 
the Reserve Officers' Training Corps and members". 
SEC. 3. Section 22 of the Act of March 4, 1925 (ch. 536, 43 Stat. 
1276), as amended (34 U. S. C. 821), is further amended by— 
se stat. 781. 
(1) deleting in subsection (b) the words "who suffer disability, 
including members"; and 
(2) adding at the end thereof the following new subsections: 
"(c) The courses of theoretical and practical naval training pre-
scribed for members of the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps 
may include flight instruction. 
"(d) The Secretary of the Navy may, for a period of four years 
after the effective date of this amendatory Act, provide, or contract 
with civilian flying or aviation schools or educational institutions to 
provide, such personnel, aircraft, supplies, facilities, and instruction 
as are necessary for flight instruction of members of the Naval Reserve 
Officers' Training Corps." 
SEC. 4. (a) The Federal Employees' Compensation Act (ch. 458, 39 
Stat. 742), as amended (5 U. S. C. 751-793), applies in case of the disa- 
" stat. 8S4. 
bility or death of the following members of the Reserve Officers' 
Training Corps of the Army, Navy, and Air Force: 
(1) Any member who suffers disability or death from an injury 
incurred in line of duty while engaged in flight instruction, 
under— 
(A) section 40a of the Act of June 3, 1916 (ch. 134, 39 
Stat. 191), as amended (10 U. S. C. 385); 
(B) section 22 (a) of the Act of March 4, 1925 (ch. 536, 
43 Stat. 1276), as amended (34 U. S. C. 821 ( a ) ) ; or 
(C) section 3 (a) of the Act of August 13, 1946 (ch. 962, 
60 Stat. 1058), as amended (34 U. S. C. 1020b ( a ) ) ; 
(2) Any member who suffers disability or death from an injury 
incurred in line of duty while performing authorized travel to 
or from, or w^hile attending— 
(A) a training camp under section 47a of the Act of June 3, 
1916 (ch. 134, 39 Stat. 192), as amended (10 U. S. C. 441); 
^i stat. 778. 
(B) a cruise under section 22 (a) of the Act of March 4, 
1925 (ch. 536, 43 Stat. 1276), as amended (34 U. S. C. 821 
( a ) ) ; or 
(C) a cruise or camp prescribed by the Secretary of the 
Navy under section 6 (a) 1 of the Act of August 13, 1946 
(ch. 962, 60 Stat. 1059), as amended (34U. S. C. 1020e (a) 1). 
For the purposes of this section, an injury shall be considered to have 
been incurred in line of duty only if it is the proximate result of the 
performance of military training by the member concerned, or of his 
travel to or from that military training, during the periods of time 
indicated in (2). Any member who contracts a disease or illness 
which is the proximate result of the performance of training during 
the periods of time indicated in (2) shall be considered for the pur-
poses of this section to have been injured in line of duty during that 
period. 
(b) In computing the compensation payable under this section, the 
total compensation received by the injured or deceased person, as the 
case may be, in cash and kind, shall be considered to be $150 per month. 
That sum shall be applied in lieu of any monthly pay considered to 
be required or authorized under section 6, 10, or 12 of the Federal 
Employees' Compensation Act. 
(c) Subject to review by the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of 
the military department concerned, under regulations to be prescribed 
806 
PUBLIC LAW 879-AUG. 1, 1956 
[70 STAT. 
by him, shall determine whether an injury, disease, or illness was sus-
tained, or contracted, in line of duty and was the proximate result of 
the performance of military training by the member concerned, or of 
his travel to or from that military traming. 
"* 
(d) Any expenses incurred by a military department in providing 
hospitalization, medical and surgical care, necessary transportation 
incident to that hospitalization or medical and surgical care, or in 
connection with a funeral and burial on behalf of a person covered by 
subsection (a) shall be reimbursed by the Secretary of Labor out of 
the Employees' Compensation Fund in accordance with the provisions 
of the Federal Employees' Compensation Act, 
However, reimburse-
ment shall not be made for any hospitalization or medical or surgical 
care provided a person while attending— 
(1) a training camp under section 47a of the Act of June 8, 
41 Stat. 778. 
1916 (ch. 134, 39 Stat. 192), as amended (10 U. S. C. 441); 
(2) a cruise under section 22 (a) of the Act of March 4, 1925 
(ch. 536, 43 Stat. 1276), as amended (34 U. S. C. 821 (a)) ; or 
^:, 
, . 
(3) a cruise or camp prescribed by the Secretarv of the Navy 
"' *^*' '"'' 
•
- under section 6 (a) 1 of the Act of August 13, 1946 (ch. 962, 60 
Stat. 1059), as amended (34 IT. S. C. 1020e (a) 1). 
(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to hinder the prompt 
action authorized by sections 26 and 27 of the Federal Employees' 
5^ul*c*77'6 ^777 Compensation Act in any case involving the legal liability of a third 
party other than the United States, and the Secretary of the military 
department concerned shall cooperate fully with the Department of 
Labor in the prompt investigation and prosecution in those cases. 
(f) Any person receiving disability benefits under this section may 
not receive those benefits after he enters upon active duty with the 
Armed Forces, but those benefits may be reinstated when the person 
is released from that active duty. 
SEC. 5. Section 2 of the Servicemen's Indemnity Act of 1951, as 
staf fsT' ^^' ^* amended (38 U. S. C. 851), is further amended by striking out the 
following words: "members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, 
the Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps, and the Air Force Reserve 
Officers' Training Corps, when called or ordered to active training 
duty for fourteen days or more while on such active training duty;". 
SEC. 6. The Secretary of each military department shall report in 
gresf.*"* *° ^ ° " ' January of each year to the Congress on the progress of the flight 
training program authorized by this Act. 
Approved August 1, 1956.