December 14, 1944, 58 Stat. 803

U. S. C. 38: 503

U. S. C. 38: 504

U. S. C. 38: 505a

[PUBLIC LAW 483-78TH CONGRESS]
[CHAPTER 581-2D SESSION]
[H. R. 1744]

AN ACT

To provide Government protection to widows and children of deceased World
War I veterans, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 1 of
Public Law Numbered 484, Seventy-third Congress, June 28, 1934,
as amended, is hereby amended by repealing subsections (a) and (b)
thereof and substituting the following:

"SEC. 1. (a) The surviving widow, child, or children of any
deceased person who served in World War I before November 12,
1918, or if the person was serving with the United States military
forces in Russia before April 2, 1920, and who was discharged or
released from active service under conditions other than dishonor-
able after having served ninety days or more or for disability
incurred in the service in line of duty, or who at time of death was
receiving or entitled to receive compensation, pension, or retirement
pay for service-connected disability, shall, upon filing application
and such proofs in the Veterans' Administration as the Administrator
of Veterans' Affairs may prescribe, be entitled to receive pension as
provided by this Act."

SEC. 2. That section 2 of Public Law Numbered 484, Seventy-third
Congress, as amended, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 2. (a) That the monthly rates of pension shall be as follows:
Widow but no child, $35; widow and one child, $45 (with $5 for each
additional child); no widow but one child, $18; no widow but two
children, $27 (equally divided); no widow but three children, $36
(equally divided) with $4 for each additional child (the total amount
to be equally divided).

"(b) The total pension payable under this section shall not exceed
$74. Where such benefits would otherwise exceed $74, the amount of
$74 may be apportioned as the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs
may prescribed." 1

SEC. 3. That section 3 of Public Law Numbered 514, Seventy-fifth
Congress, May 13, 1938, is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 3. On and after the date of enactment of this Act for the
purpose of payment of compensation or pension under the laws
administered by the Veterans' Administration, the term 'widow of a
World War I veteran' shall mean a woman who was married prior
to the effective date of enactment of this amendment, or ten or more
years, to the person who served: Provided, That all marriages shall
be proven as valid marriages according to the law of the place where
the parties resided at the time of marriage or the law of the place
where the parties resided when the right to compensation or pension
accrued: And provided further, That where the original date of mar-
riage meets the statutory requirement and the parties were legally

1 So in original.

Repealed

August 8, 1946.

60 Stat. 931, $1(b)

U. S. C. 38: 503, note

U.S. C. 38: 734

C. S. C. 38: 735

married at date of death of the veteran, the requirement of the statute as to date of marriage will be regarded as having been met. Compensation or pension shall not be allowed a widow who has remarried either once or more than once, and where compensation or pension is properly discontinued by reason of remarriage it shall not thereafter be recommenced. No compensation or pension shall be paid to a widow unless there was continuous cohabitation with the person who served from the date of marriage to date of death, except where there was a separation which was due to the misconduct of or procured by the person who served, without the fault of the widow."

SEO. 4. This Act shall be effective from the date of its approval: Provided, That notwithstanding the repeal of subsections (a) and (b) of section 1 of Public Law Numbered 484, Seventy-third Congress, as amended, contained in section 1 of this Act, claims otherwise payable for a period prior to the effective date of this Act may be adjudicated and placed on the roll and the benefits of this Act shall be applicable to such claims and those claims now on the rolls.

SEC. 5. Except to the extent they may conflict with the provisions of this Act, the provisions of Public Law Numbered 2, Seventy-third Congress, March 20, 1933, the Veterans Regulations promulgated thereunder, and of Public Law Numbered 144, Seventy-eighth Congress, July 18, 1943, as now or hereafter amended, shall be applicable to this Act: Provided, That no compensation or pension shall be reduced or discontinued by the enactment of this Act.

SEO. 6. The widow, child, or children of a veteran who served in World War II whose death is not due to service therein, but who at the time of death was receiving or entitled to receive pension, compensation, or retirement pay for disability incurred in such service, or who, having served at least ninety days during such war period or having been discharged for disability incurred in line of duty during such service, dies or has died from a disease or disability not service connected and at the time of death had a disability due to such service for which pension would be payable if 10 per centum or more in degree, shall be entitled to pension in the amounts and otherwise subject to the conditions of Public Law Numbered 484, as amended: Provided, That for the purposes of this section the definition of the terms "veteran", "widow", "child or children" shall be those applicable to World War II as provided in Public Law Numbered 2, Seventy-third Congress, as now or hereafter amended: And provided further, That section 4, Public Law Numbered 812, Seventy-eighth Congress, is hereby amended accordingly.

Approved December 14, 1944,

August 8, 1946,
60 Stat. 931,
c. 880

U. S. C. 38: 731

U. S. C. 38: 504

U. S. C. 38: c. 12. note

[PUBLIC LAW 673-79TH CONGRESS]
[CHAPTER 880-2D SESSION]

[S. 2100]

AN ACT

To remove the limitations on the amount of death compensation or pension payable to widows and children of certain deceased veterans.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following Acts or parts of Acts, which limit the total amount of death compensation or pension payable to widows and children of certain deceased veterans, are hereby repealed:

(a) The last sentence of subsection (a) of section 14 and the last sentence of subsection (b) of section 14 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide more adequate and uniform administrative provisions in veterans laws pertaining to compensation, pension, and retirement pay payable by the Veterans Administration, and for other purposes", approved July 13, 1943 (57 Stat. 554).

(b) Subsection (b) of section 2 of the Act entitled "An Act to compensate widows and children of persons who died while receiving monetary benefits for disabilities directly incurred in or aggravated by active military or naval service in the World War", approved June 28, 1934, as amended (58 Stat. 804).

SEC. 2. Subparagraph (b) of paragraph III of part III of Veterans Regulation 1 (a), which limits the total amount of death compensation or pension payable to widows and children of deceased veterans of the Spanish-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, or the Philippine Insurrection, is hereby repealed.

Approved August 8, 1946.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA