USC Chapter 57

in effect

50 U.S.C. § 4701 Rights of American seamen on privately owned and operated American vessels extended to seamen employed through the War Shipping Administration; exceptions; definitions

(a) Officers and members of crews (hereinafter referred to as “seamen”) employed on United States or foreign flag vessels as employees of the United States through the War Shipping Administration 11 See Transfer of Functions note below. shall, with respect to (1) laws administered by the Public Health Service and the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.], as amended by subsection (b)(2) and (3) of this section; (2) death, injuries, illness, maintenance and cure, loss of effects, detention, or repatriation, or claims arising therefrom not covered by the foregoing clause (1); and (3) collection of wages and bonuses and making of allotments, have all of the rights, benefits, exemptions, privileges, and liabilities, under law applicable to citizens of the United States employed as seamen on privately owned and operated American vessels. Such seamen, because of the temporary wartime character of their employment by the War Shipping Administration, shall not be considered as officers or employees of the United States for the purposes of the United States Employees Compensation Act, as amended [5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.]; the Civil Service Retirement Act, as amended [5 U.S.C. 8331 et seq.]; the Act of Congress approved March 7, 1942 (Pub. Law 490, Seventy-seventh Congress) or the Act entitled “An Act to provide benefits for the injury, disability, death, or detention of employees of contractors with the United States and certain other persons or reimbursement therefor”, approved December 2, 1942 (Public Law 784, Seventy-seventh Congress) [42 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.]. Claims arising under clause (1) hereof shall be enforced in the same manner as such claims would be enforced if the seaman were employed on a privately owned and operated American vessel. Any claim referred to in clause (2) or (3) hereof shall, if administratively disallowed in whole or in part, be enforced pursuant to the provisions of the Suits in Admiralty Act [46 U.S.C. 30901 et seq.], notwithstanding the vessel on which the seaman is employed is not a merchant vessel within the meaning of such Act. Any claim, right, or cause of action of or in respect of any such seaman accruing on or after October 1, 1941, and prior to March 24, 1943, may be enforced, and upon the election of the seaman or his surviving dependent or beneficiary, or his legal representative to do so shall be governed, as if this section had been in effect when such claim, right, or cause of action accrued, such election to be made in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the Administrator, War Shipping Administration. Rights of any seaman under the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.], as amended by subsection (b)(2) and (3), and claims therefor shall be governed solely by the provisions of such Act, so amended. When used in this subsection the term “administratively disallowed” means a denial of a written claim in accordance with rules or regulations prescribed by the Administrator, War Shipping Administration. When used in this subsection the terms “War Shipping Administration” and “Administrator, War Shipping Administration” shall be deemed to include the United States Maritime Commission with respect to the period beginning October 1, 1941, and ending February 11, 1942, and the term “seaman” shall be deemed to include any seaman employed as an employee of the United States through the War Shipping Administration on vessels made available to or subchartered to other agencies or departments of the United States. (b) Omitted. (c) The War Shipping Administration and its agents or persons acting on its behalf or for its account may, for convenience of administration, with the approval of the Administrator, make payments of any taxes, fees, charges, or exactions to the United States or its agencies.

50 U.S.C. § 4702 Insurance awards by War Shipping Administrators; findings and actions as conclusive

(a) Omitted. (b) Whenever the Administrator, War Shipping Administration,11 See Transfer of Functions note below. finds that, on or after October 1, 1941, and before thirty days after March 24, 1943, a master, officer, or member of the crew of, or any persons transported on, a vessel owned by or chartered to the Maritime Commission, the War Shipping Administration, or the War Department 22 See Change of Name note below. or operated by, or for the account of, or at the direction or under the control of the Commission, the Administration, or the War Department, has suffered death, injury, detention, or other casualty, for which the War Shipping Administration would be authorized to provide insurance under Subtitle—Insurance of title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended by this Act, the Administrator may declare that such death, injury, detention, or other casualty, shall be deemed and considered to be covered by such insurance at the time of the disaster or accident, if the Administrator finds that such action is required to make equitable provision for loss or injury related to the war effort and not otherwise adequately provided for: Provided, That in making provision for insurance under this subsection the Administrator shall not provide for payments in excess of those generally provided for in comparable cases under insurance hereafter furnished under the said Subtitle—Insurance of title II, as amended: Provided further, That any money paid to any person by reason of insurance provided for under this subsection shall apply in pro tanto satisfaction of the claim of such person against the United States arising from the same loss or injury. There shall be no recovery of any money paid on account of insurance provided for the master, officers, or members of the crew of, or individuals transported on, any vessel under this subsection or under Subtitle—Insurance of title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, from any person who in the judgment of the Administrator, War Shipping Administration, is without fault, and when in the judgment of the Administrator such recovery would defeat the purposes of benefits otherwise authorized or would be against equity and good conscience. The declarations, findings, and actions of or by the Administrator under this subsection shall be final and conclusive. (c) The Administrator, War Shipping Administration, is also authorized to make payments, in accordance with rate schedules provided by the United States Employees’ Compensation Act [5 U.S.C. 8101 et seq.], to a master, officer, or member of the crew of, or any persons transported on, a vessel owned by or chartered to the Maritime Commission or the War Shipping Administration or operated by, or for the account of, or at the direction or under the control of the Commission or the Administration, for permanent total or partial disability as long as such disability resulting from causes related to the war effort whether heretofore or hereafter arising exists; such payments to commence if and when insurance benefits provided by the War Shipping Administration for such person shall have been exhausted. (d) The War Shipping Administration shall have the right of intervention and a lien and right of recovery in the cases and to the extent of any payments paid and payable under this section or under Subtitle—Insurance of Title II of the Merchant Marine Act, 1936, as amended, in the manner provided in the last paragraph of subsection (c) of section 105 of the Act approved December 2, 1942 (Public Law 784, 77th Congress; 42 U.S.C., sec. 1701), as amended by Public Law 216, 78th Congress, approved December 23, 1943. Any amounts recovered under this provision shall be covered into the Marine and War-risk insurance fund, War Shipping Administration.

50 U.S.C. § 4703 Payment of compensation; insurance

(a), (b) Omitted. (c) In the event that a vessel the title or use and possession of which is requisitioned or taken pursuant to chapter 563 of title 46 or the Act of June 6, 1941 (Public Law 101, Seventy-seventh Congress), is in the custody of any court, State or Federal, it shall be the duty of all agents and officers of the court having possession, custody, or control of said vessel, forthwith upon the filing with the clerk of said court of a certified copy of the order of requisitioning or taking, and without further order of the court, to comply with said requisitioning or taking and to permit the representatives of the United States Maritime Commission or the War Shipping Administration,11 See Transfer of Functions note below. as the case may be, to take possession, custody, and control of said vessel. (d) to (k) Omitted.

50 U.S.C. § 4704 United States as entitled to all benefits of exemption and limitation of liability accorded to owners of vessels

The United States shall, with respect to vessels owned by or chartered to the War Shipping Administrator 11 See Transfer of Functions note below. under bareboat charter or time charter or operated directly by such Administrator or for his account, be entitled to the benefits of all exemptions and of all limitations of liability accorded by law to the owners of vessels. With respect to any such vessel, the term “the United States” shall include agents or other persons acting for or on behalf of the Administrator in connection with the operation thereof.

50 U.S.C. § 4705 Termination of section 4701(a); authority of United States Maritime Commission vested in Administrator of War Shipping Administration

The provisions of section 4701(a) of this title shall remain in force until the termination of title 1 of the First War Powers Act, 1941. The termination of the provisions of such section shall not affect any act done or any right accruing or accrued, or any suit or proceeding had or commenced in any cause before such termination, but all rights and liabilities under law as modified by such provisions shall continue, and may be enforced in the same manner as if such provisions had not terminated. The authority conferred upon the United States Maritime Commission by any provision of this chapter shall be vested in and exercised by the Administrator of the War Shipping Administration 11 See Transfer of Functions note below. in conformity with the Executive order of February 7, 1942 (Numbered 9054; 7 F.R. 837), as heretofore or hereafter amended.