H. R. 8044 AS REPORTED

[PUBLIC LAW 865-80тH CONGRESS]

AN ACT

To assist by grants-in-aid the Republic of the Philippines in providing medical care and treatment for certain

veterans

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to assist the Republic of the Philippines in providing medical care and treatment for veterans, as defined in section 2 of this Act, who are in need of hospitalization for disabilities, determined by the Veterans' Administration under laws which it administers to be connected with the service described in such section, the President is authorized, subject to the provisions of this Act, to furnish aid in the form of grants to the Republic of the Philippines (a) for the construction and equipping of hospitals in the Philippines to be used exclusively for such medical care and treatment and (b) for expenses incident to such medical care and treatment in either the hospitals so constructed and equipped or other hospitals in the Philippines.

SEC. 2. For the purposes of section 1 of this Act, the term "veterans" means persons who served in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines while such forces were in the service of the armed forces of the United States pursuant to the military order of the President of the United States, dated July 26, 1941, including among such military forces organized guerilla forces under commanders appointed, designated, or subsequently recognized by the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, or other competent authority in the Army of the United States, and who were discharged or released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable.

SEC. 3. Any grant for the construction and equipping of a hospital may be made prior to or following its completion: Provided, That the total of such grants shall not exceed $22,500,000.

SEC. 4. Grants for expenses incident to hospitalization may be made for a period not to exceed [five] ten years to reimburse the Republic of the Philippines for moneys expended for such hospitalization: Provided, That the total of such grants [shall not exceed $3,285,000 for any fiscal year.] for any one calendar year shall not exceed the following amounts: for any year prior to 1955, $3,285,000; for 1955, $3,000,000; for 1956, $2,500,000; for 1957, $2,000,000; for 1958, $1,500,000; and for 1959, $1,000,000.

SEC. 5 The President may from time to time prescribe such rules and regulations and impose such conditions on the receipt of financial aid as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act; and he may delegate in whole or in part the authority conferred upon him by this Act to any officer or officers of the United States.

SEC. 6. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

83D CONGRESS 2d Session

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SENATE

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REPORT No. 1481

RELATING TO THE RENEWAL OF STAR ROUTE AND SCREEN VEHICLE SERVICE CONTRACTS

JUNE 2 (legislative day, MAY 13), 1954.-Ordered to be printed

Mr. CARLSON, from the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany S. 1244]

The Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, to whom was referred the bill (S. 1244) relating to the renewal of contracts for the carrying of mail on star routes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with amendment, and recommend that the bill, as amended, do pass.

AMENDMENT

The committee amends the title of the bill to make it comply with the provisions of existing law. The amendment reads:

A bill relating to the renewal of star-route and screen vehicle service contracts.

STATEMENT

The purpose of this legislation is to make it possible for the Postmaster General to renew star-route or screen vehicle service contracts with subcontractors who have performed satisfactory service for 6 months rather than 1 year.

Under the present law the Postmaster General may, in his discretion and in the interest of postal service, in all cases of regular contracts continue in force beyond its express terms for a period not exceeding 6 months. He may also, at his discretion, renew such contract without advertising the route or contract for bid with the subcontractor then operating the route who has performed the services required under the contract to the satisfaction of the Postmaster General for a period of at least 1 year.

Where the contractor dies during the last 6 months of the contract, the 6-month extension will not meet the present 1-year qualification.

Changing the time of service required by the subcontractor to that of 6 months will allow the subcontractor thereunder to become eligible, at the discretion of the Postmaster General, to have the contract renewed upon the same terms with such bond as may be required by the Postmaster General without advertising the route or contract for bids.

This measure will give the same protection to subcontractors (who are in many cases the widows of the deceased contractors) in cases where the contractor dies during the last 6 months of his contract as is accorded those subcontractors in cases where the contractor died before the last 6 months of his contract. Considerable investment in equipment and the performance of satisfactory service makes the proposed change in this law beneficial to both the Post Office Department and the contractor.

This measure would in no way restrict the discretion of the Department in the renewal of contracts.

AGENCY REPORTS

In compliance with requests on S. 1244, the following reports were received:

Hon. FRANK CARLSON,

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT,
BUREAU OF THE BUDGET,
Washington 25, D. C., June 8, 1953.

Chairman, Committee on Post Office and Civil Service,

United States Senate, Washington 25, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This will acknowledge your letter of March 10, 1953, inviting the Bureau of the Budget to comment on S. 1244, a bill relating to the renewal of contracts for the carrying of mail on star routes.

Under existing law, the Postmaster General may, in his discretion, contract with a subcontractor of a star route or screen vehicle, who is performing satisfactory service for a period of at least 1 year, on the same terms as with the contractor, without having to advertise the route or contract for bids. S. 1244 would reduce this period to 6 months.

The Bureau of the Budget would have no objection to the enactment of this

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Reference is made to your request for a report on S. 1244, a bill relating to the renewal of contracts for the carrying of mail on star routes.

This legislation would make it possible to renew star route and screen vehicle service contracts with subcontractors who have performed satisfactory service for 6 months rather than 1 year as provided by law (sec. 434, title 39, U. S. C.) at present.

This bill, if enacted, would in no way increase the obligations of the Post Office Department, since it is permissive legislation. This Department would, therefore, interpose no objection to the enactment of S. 1244.

The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there would be no objection to the submission of this report to the committee.

Sincerely yours,

C. R. HOOK, Jr., Acting Postmaster General.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with subsection (4) of rule XXIX of the Standing Rules of the Senate, changes in existing law made by the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):

The last two paragraphs of section 3951 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (39 U. S. C. 434):

The Postmaster General may, in his discretion and in the interest of the postal service, (1) notwithstanding the provisions of section 3949 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (U. S. C., title 39, sec. 429), by mutual agreement with the holder of any star-route or screen vehicle service contract, renew such contract at the rate prevailing at the end of the contract term for additional terms of four years with such bond as may be required by the Postmaster General, or (2) in any case in which a contractor has sublet the route or contract in accordance with law and does not indicate in writing to the Postmaster General at least ninety days before the end of the contract term that he desires to renew the contract, the Postmaster General may enter into a contract upon the same terms with such bond as may be required by the Postmaster General, without advertising the route or contract for bids, with a subcontractor then operating the route or contract who has performed the services required under the contract to the satisfaction of the Postmaster General for a period of at least [one year] six months. Any such contract may be terminated at the end of any four-year term at the option of the Postmaster General or the contractor or terminated at any time by operation of any existing law.

The Postmaster General may, in his discretion and under such regulations as he may prescribe, with the consent of the contractor, and without regard to the provisions of sections 3958 and 3961 of the Revised Statutes, as amended (U. S. C., 1940 edition, title 39, secs. 438 and 441), readjust the compensation of a starroute or screen vehicle service contractor for increased or decreased costs occasioned by changed conditions occurring during the contract term which could not reasonably have been anticipated at the time of making his original proposal or executing his bond for a renewed contract as provided herein.