VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION

VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION Administration, medical, hospital, and domiciliary services: For necessary expenses of the Veterans’ Administration, including maintenance and operation of medical, hospital, and domiciliary services, in carrying out the functions pursuant to all laws for which the Administration is charged with administering, including purchase of thirty-eight passenger motor vehicles for replacement only; services as authorized by section 15 of the Act of August 2, 1946 (5 U. S. C. 55a); maintenance and operation of farms; recreational articles and facilities at institutions maintained by the Veterans’ Administration; expenses incidental to securing employment for war veterans; funeral, burial, and other expenses incidental thereto for beneficiaries of the Veterans’ Administration except burial awards authorized by Veterans’ Administration Regulation Numbered 9 (a), as amended; aid to State or Territorial homes in conformity with the Act approved August 27, 1888, as amended (24 U. S. C. 134), for the support of veterans eligible for admission to Veterans’ Administration facilities for Hospital or domiciliary care; not to exceed $6,000 for newspapers and periodicals; not to exceed $3,530,700 for expenses of travel of employees; not to exceed $45,300 for the preparation, shipment, installation, and display of exhibits, photographic displays, moving pictures, and other visual educational information and descriptive material, including the purchase or rental of equipment; $843,382,260, together with not to exceed $12,500,000 of the unobligated balance of funds appropriated for this purpose in the “Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1952”, from which allotments and transfers may be made to the Federal Security Agency (Public Health Service), the Army, Navy, and Interior Departments, for disbursements by them under the various headings of their applicable appropriations, of such amounts as are necessary for the care and treatment of beneficiaries of the Veterans’ Administration: Provided, That no part of this appropriation shall be used to pay in excess of seventy persons engaged in public relations work: Provided further, That no part of this appropriation shall be expended for the purchase of any site for or toward the construction of any new hospital or home, or for the purchase of any hospital or home; and this appropriation may be used to repair, alter, improve, or provide facilities in the several hospitals and homes under the jurisdiction of the Veterans’ Administration, not otherwise provided for, either by contract or by the hire of temporary employees and the purchase of materials. 66 Stat. 409 Compensation and pensions: For the payment of compensation, pensions, gratuities, and allowances (including subsistence allowances authorized by part VII of Veterans’ Regulation la, as amended), authorized under any Act of Congress, or regulation of the President based thereon, including emergency officers’ retirement pay and annuities, the administration of which is now or may hereafter be placed in the Veterans’ Administration, and for the payment of adjusted-service credits as provided in sections 401 and 601 of the Act of May 19, 1924, as amended (38 U. S. C. 631 and 661), $2,204,351,000, to be immediately available and to remain available until expended. Readjustment benefits: For the payment of benefits to or on behalf of veterans as authorized by titles II, III, and V, of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, $558,907,200, to be immediately available and to remain available until expended. Military and naval insurance: For military and naval insurance, $6,854,000, to remain available until expended. Hospital and domiciliary facilities: For hospital and domiciliary facilities, for extending, with the approval of the President, any of the facilities under the jurisdiction of the Veterans’ Administration or for any of the purposes set forth in sections 1 and 2 of the Act approved March 4, 1931 (38 U. S. C. 438j–k) or in section 101 of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (38 U. S. C. 693a), to remain available until expended, $108,791,000, of which $59,000,000 is for payment of obligations heretofore authorized to be incurred under this head: Provided, That no part of the foregoing appropriation shall be used to commence any major alteration, improvement, or repair unless fluids are available for the completion of such work; and no funds shall be used for such work at any facility if the Veterans’ administration is reasonably certain that the installation will be abandoned in the near future: Provided further, That not to exceed 5.5 per centum of the amounts available under this head shall be available for the employment of all necessary technical and clerical personnel for the preparation of plans and specifications for the projects as approved hereunder and in the supervision of the execution thereof, and for all travel expenses, field office equipment, and supplies in connection therewith, except that whenever the Veterans’ Administration finds it necessary in the construction of any project to employ other government agencies or persons outside the Federal service to perform such services not to exceed 9 per centum of the cost of such projects may be expended for such services: Provided further, That amounts available under this head for portable initial equipment are increased from $31,455,440 to $33,349,581 including the purchase of one hundred and ninety-eight passenger motor vehicles. Major alterations, improvements, and repairs: For all necessary expenses of major alterations, improvements, and repairs to hospital and domiciliary facilities, $8,750,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That no part of the foregoing appropriation shall be used to commence any major alteration, improvement, or repair unless funds are available for the completion of such work; and no funds shall be used for such work at any facility if the Veterans’ Administration is reasonably certain that the installation will be abandoned in the near future. National service life insurance: For the payment of benefits and for transfer to the national service life insurance fund, in accordance with the National Service Life Insurance Act of 1940, as amended, $54,072,000, to remain available until expended: Provided, That certain premiums shall be credited to this appropriation as provided by the Act. 66 Stat. 410 Servicemen’s indemnities: For payment of liabilities under the Servicemen’s Indemnity Act of 1951, $8,595,000, to remain available until expended. Veterans’ miscellaneous benefits: For the payment of burial awards authorized by Veterans’ Administration Regulation Numbered 9 (a), as amended, and for supplies, equipment, and tuition authorized by part VII and payments authorized by part IX of Veterans’ Administration Regulation Numbered 1 (a), as amended, $17,206,000, to remain available until expended. Grants to the Republic of the Philippines: For payment to the Republic of the Philippines of grants in accordance with the Act of July 1, 1948 (50 U. S. C. App. 1991–1996), for expenses incident to medical care and treatment of veterans, $1,861,500. Automobiles and other conveyances for disabled veterans: To enable the Administrator to provide, or assist in providing, automobiles or other conveyances for disabled veterans as authorized by the act of October 20, 1951 (Public Law 187), $5,000,000, to remain available until expended. No part of the foregoing appropriations shall be available for Hospitalization or examination of any persons except beneficiaries entitled under the laws bestowing such benefits to veterans, unless reimbursement of cost is made, to the appropriation at such rates as may be fixed by the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs.