Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 65.djvu/608

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PUBLIC LAW 187—OCT. 20, 1951

Public Law 187 October 20, 1951 [S. 1864]

Automobiles for certain disabled veterans.

Restrictions.

Veterans not qualified to operate vehicles.

Payment of purchase price.

60 Stat. 915. 64 Stat. 894. 38 U.S.C. I 252.

[65 STAT.

CHAPTER

532

AN ACT To authorize payments by the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs on the purchase of automobiles or other conveyances by certain disabled 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, subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs is authorized and directed, under such regulations as he shall prescribe, to provide or assist in providing an automobile or other conveyance by paying not to exceed $1,600 on the purchase price, including equipment with such special attachments and devices as the Administrator may deem necessary, for each veteran of World W a r II or of service on or after June 27, 1950, and prior to such date as shall thereafter be determined by Presidential proclamation or concurrent resolution of the Congress, who is entitled to compensation under the laws administered by the Veterans' Administration for any of the following due to disability incurred in or aggravated by active military, naval, or air service of the United States during either of such periods: (a) Loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet; (b) Loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands; (c) Permanent impairment of vision of both eyes of the following status: Central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye, with corrective glasses, or central visual acuity of more than 20/200 if there is a field defect in which the peripheral field has contracted to such an extent that the widest diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than twenty degrees in the better eye. SEC. 2. No payment shall be made under this Act for the repair, maintenance, or replacement of any such automobile or other conveyance and no veteran shall be given an automobile or other conveyance until it is established to the satisfaction of the Administrator that such veteran will be able to operate such automobile or other conveyance in a manner consistent with his own safety and the safety of others and will be licensed to operate such automobile or other conveyance by the State of his residence or other proper licensing authority: Provided, That a veteran who cannot qualify to operate a vehicle shall nevertheless be entitled to the payment of not to exceed $1,600 on the purchase price of an automobile or other conveyance, as provided in section 1 of this Act, to be operated for him by another person, provided such veteran meets the other eligibility requirements set forth in this Act. SEC. 3. The furnishing of such automobile or other conveyance, or the assisting therein, shall be accomplished by the Administrator paying the total purchase price, if not in excess of $1,600, or the amount of $1,600, if the total purchase price is in excess of $1,600, to the seller from whom the veteran is purchasing under sales agreement between the seller and the veteran. SEC. 4. No veteran shall be entitled to receive more than one automobile or other conveyance under the provisions of this Act and no veteran who has received or who hereafter receives an automobile or other conveyance under the provisions of the paragraph under the heading "Veterans' Administration" in the First Supplemental Appropriation Act, 1947, as extended, or the Act of September 21, 1950 (Public Law 798, Eighty-first Congress), shall be entitled to receive an automobile or other conveyance under the provisions of this Act.

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