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PUBLIC LAW 91-355-JULY 24, 1970

[84 STAT.

Public Law 91-355 July 24, 1970 [H, R. 7517]

Canal Zone Government. Benefits to certain former employees.

81 Stat. 215; 83 Stat. 139.

50 Stat. 478. 48 USC 1372 note, "Widow."

Limitation.

81 Stat. 215; 83 Stat. 139.

AN ACT To amend the Canal Zone Code to provide cost-of-living adjustments in cash relief payments to certain former employees of the Canal Zone Government, 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 181 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code (76A Stat. 20) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (c) of such section as subsection (e) thereof; and (2) by inserting immediately following subsection (b) of such section the following new subsections (c) and (d): "(c) Each cash relief payment made pursuant to this section shall be increased on the same effective date and by the same per centum, adjusted to the nearest dollar, as civil service retirement annuities are increased under the cost-of-living adjustment provisions of section 8340 (b) of title 5, United States Code. "Such increase shall apply only to cash relief payments made after the date of enactment of this Act as increased by annuity increases made after such date of enactment under section 8340(b) of title 5, United States Code. " (d) The Governor of the Canal Zone may pay cash relief to the widow of any former employee of the Canal Zone Government who, until the time of his death, receives or has received cash relief under subsection (a) of this section or under the Act of July 8, 1937. The term 'widow' as used in this section includes only the following: "(1) a woman legally married to such employee at the time of his termination for disability and at his death. "(2) a woman who, although not legally married to such former employee at the time of his termination, had resided continuously with him for at least five years immediately preceding the employee's termination under such circumstances as would at common law make the relationsliip a valid marriage and who continued to reside with him until his death. "(3) a woman who has not remarried or assumed a commonlaw relationship with any other person. Cash relief granted to such widows shall not at any time exceed 50 per centum of the 'rate at which cash relief, inclusive of any additional payment under subsection (b) of this section, would be payable to the former employee were he then alive." SEC. 2. The increase in cash relief payments authorized by section 181(c) of title 2, Canal Zone Code, as added by this Act, shall apply only to cash relief payments made after the date of enactment of this Act and shall be based only on annuity increases under section 8340(b) of title 5, United States Code, that are made after the date of enactment of this Act. The cash relief payments authorized by section 181(d) of title 2, Canal Zone Code, as added by this Act, shall be payable to eligible individuals as determined by the Governor on the first day of each month following the month in which this Act is enacted. Approved July 24, 1970.

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