Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 65.djvu/607

 65

STAT.]

PUBLIC LAW 186—OCT. 20, 1951

of the United States under the jurisdiction of their respective departments or property for which their respective departments may have assumed, by contract or otherwise, any obligation to respond for damage thereto. The Secretaries of the Army and Air Force, for their respective departments, are further authorized to receive in payment of any such claim the amount due the United States pursuant to determination, compromise, or settlement as herein authorized and, upon acceptance of such payment but not until then, such determination, settlement, or compromise of such claim shall be final and conclusive for all purposes, any law to the contrary notwithstanding. All such payments shall be covered into the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts. The Secretary concerned is authorized to execute on behalf of the United States and to deliver in exchange for such payment a full release of such claim: Provided, That this section, as respects the determination, compromise, settlement, and payment of claims, shall be supplementary to, and not in lieu of, all other provisions of law authorizing the determination, compromise, or settlement of claims for damage to property hereinabove described: Provided further, That no settlement or compromise where there is involved a payment in the net amount of over $500,000 shall be authorized by this section. SEC. 3. The Secretaries of the Army and Air Force, under the direction of the Secretary of Defense, are hereby authorized to consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, compromise, or settle any claim for salvage services rendered by their respective departments to any vessel: Provided, That all moneys received by the respective departments for salvage services rendered shall be covered into the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. SEC, 4. Within twenty days after payment of any claim determined, compromised, or settled under section 1 of this Act at a net amount exceeding $3,000 payable by the United States or within twenty days after receipt of payment or settlement of any claim under section 2 or section 3 of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall file reports with the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives setting forth the nature of the claim, the vessel or vessels involved, the amount paid or received with respect thereto, the basis of the determination, compromise, or settlement and other pertinent facts: Provided, That during any war the reports required under this section may omit any fact or facts disclosure of which, in the opinion of the Secretary concerned, would be prejudicial to the national security. SEC. 5. Subject to the proviso of section 4 hereof, the Secretaries of the Army and Air Force shall report to the Congress, at each session thereof, all amounts paid by their respective departments or received by their respective departments under this Act. SEC. 6. When the net amount paid or received in settlement does not exceed $1,000 the authority of the Secretary of the Army or Secretary of the Air Force, as set forth in sections 1 and 2 hereof, may be exercised by such person or persons in the military department concerned as the Secretary thereof may designate. SEC. 7. The provisions of this Act shall not apply with respect to any claim as to which a suit has been filed by or against the United States and is pending at the date of the enactment of this Act. Approved October 20, 1951.

573

R e c e i p t of payments.

Release of claim.

Limitation of authority.

Salvage c l a i m s in favor of U. S.

Report s to Con-

Omissions for security purposes.

Periodic reports to Congress.

Delegation of authority.

Nonapplicability of Act.

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