Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 70.djvu/172

 116

PUBLIC LAW 492-APR. 27, 1956

Public Law 492 AprU 27, 1956 [S. 2587]

Public Health Servlcea 58 Stat. 690.

[70

STA T.

CHAPTER

211

AN ACT To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the President to make the commissioned corps a military service in time of emergency involving the national defense, and to authorize payment of uniform allowances to officers of the corps in certain grades when required to wear the uniform, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 216 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 217) is amended to read as follows: u USE OF SERVICE I N TIME OF AVAR OR EMERGENCY

58 Stat. 689. Uniform a l l o w ance.

{52 S U t. 40; 58 St^t. 685.

62 Stat. 4 0, 4 1.

Reappointment.

Service credit.

"SEC. 216. I n time of war, or of emergency proclaimed by the President, he may utilize the Service to such extent and in such manner as shall in his judgment promote the public interest. I n time of war, or of emergency involving the national defense proclaimed by the President, he may by Executive order declare the commissioned corps of the Service to be a military service. Upon such declaration, and during the period of such war or such emergency or such part thereof as the President shall prescribe, the commissioned corps (a) shall constitute a branch of the land and naval forces of the United States, (b) shall, to the extent prescribed by regulations of the President, be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and (c) shall continue to operate as part of the Service except to the extent that the President may direct as Commander in Chief." SEC. 2. (a) Section 213 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 214) is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 213. An allowance of $250 for uniforms and equipment is authorized to be paid to each commissioned officer of the Service on active duty when required by directive of the Surgeon General to wear a uniform, if at such time the officer is receiving the pay of the junior assistant, assistant, or senior assistant grade; except that no officer who has received such an allowance from the Service shall at any time thereafter be entitled to any further allowance." (b) Section 707 of the Act of July 1, 1944 (58 Stat. 713), so renumbered by section 5 of the Act of August 13, 1946 (60 Stat. 1049; 42 U.S.C. 214, note), is repealed. SEC. 3. (a) Section 207(a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 209 (a)(1)) is amended by striking out the words "subsection (b) " and inserting in lieu thereof "subsections (b) and (e)". (b) Section 207 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 209) is amended by redesignating subsections (e), (f), (g), and (h) as subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) respectively and by adding immediately following subsection (d) a new subsection (e) as follows: "(e)(1) A former officer of the Regular Corps may, if application for appointment is made within two years after the date of the termination of his prior commission in the Regular Corps, be reappointed to the Regular Corps without examination, except as the Surgeon General may otherwise prescribe, and without regard to the numerical limitations of subsection (b). "(2) Reappointments pursuant to this subsection may be made to the permanent grade held by the former officer at the time of the termination of his prior commission, or to the next higher grade if such officer meets the eligibility requirements prescribed by regulation for original appointment to such higher grade. For purposes of pay, promotion, and seniority in grade, such reappointed officer shall receive the credits for service to which he would be entitled if such appointment

�