20 March 1933 c. 3 48 Stat. 8

(a) Any person who served in the active military or naval service and who is disabled as a result of disease or injury or aggravation of a preexisting disease or injury incurred in line of duty in such service.

(b) Any person who served in the active military or naval service during the Spanish-American War, including the Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine Insurrection, or the World War, and who is permanently disabled as a result of injury or disease: Provided, That nothing contained in this title shall deny a pension to a Spanish-American War veteran past the age of sixty-two years entitled to a pension under existing law, but the President may reduce the rate of pension as he may deem proper.

(c) The widow, child, or children, dependent mother or father, of any person who dies as a result of disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty in the active military or naval service.

(d) The widow and/or child of any deceased person who served in the active military or naval service during the Spanish-American War, including the Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine Insurrection.

(e) For the purpose of subparagraph (b) of this section, the World War shall be deemed to have ended November 11, 1918.

SEC. 2. The minimum and maximum monthly rate of pension which may be paid for disability or death shall be as follows: For disability, from $6 to $275; for death, from $12 to $75.

SEC. 3. For each class of persons specified in subparagraphs (a) and (b) of section 1 of this title the President is hereby authorized to prescribe by regulation the minimum degrees of disability and such higher degrees of disability, if any, as in his judgment should be recognized and prescribe the rate of pension payable for each such degree of disability. In fixing rates of pensions for disability or death the President shall prescribe by regulation such differentiation as he may deem just and equitable, in the rates to be paid to veterans of different wars and/or their dependents and to be paid for

(a) Disabilities and deaths resulting from disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty in war-time service;

(b) Disabilities and deaths resulting from disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty in peace-time service;

(c) Disabilities and deaths not incurred in service.

SEC. 4. The President shall prescribe by regulation (subject to the provisions of section 1 (e) of this title) the date of the beginning and of the termination of the period in each war subsequent to the Civil War, including the Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine Insurrection, service within which shall for the purposes of this Act be deemed war-time service. The President shall further prescribe by regulation the required number of days of war or peace time service for each class of veterans, the time limit on filing of claims for each class of veterans and their dependents, the nature and extent of proofs and presumptions for such different classes, and any other requirements as to entitlement as he shall deem equitable and just. The President in establishing conditions precedent may prescribe different requirements or conditions for the veterans of different wars and their dependents and may further subdivide the classes of persons as outlined in section 1 of this title and apply different requirements or conditions to such subdivisions.

SEC. 5. All decisions rendered by the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs under the provisions of this title, or the regulations issued pursuant thereto, shall be final and conclusive on all questions of law and fact, and no other official or court of the United States shall have jurisdiction to review by mandamus or otherwise any such decision.

SEC. 6. In addition to the pensions provided in this title, the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs is hereby authorized under such limitations as may be prescribed by the President, and within the limits of existing Veterans’ Administration facilities, to furnish to veterans of any war, including the Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine Insurrection, domiciliary care where they are suffering with permanent disabilities, tuberculosis or neuropsychiatric ailments and medical and hospital treatment for diseases or injuries.

SEC. 7. The Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs subject to the general direction of the President and in accordance with regulations to be issued by the President shall administer, execute, and enforce the provisions of this title and for such purpose shall have the same authority and powers as are provided in sections 425, 430, 431, 432, 433, 434, 440, 442, 443, 444. 447, 450, 451, 453, 455, 457, 458, 459, 459a, 459c, 459d, 459e, 459f, title 38, U. S. C., and such other sections of title 38, U. S. C., as relate to the administration of the laws granting pensions.

SEC. 8. The Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs is hereby authorized in carrying out the provisions of Title 1 of this Act or any other pension Act to delegate authority to render decisions to such person or persons as he may find necessary. Within the limitations of such delegations, any decisions rendered by such person or persons shall have the same force and effect as though rendered by the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs. The President shall personally approve all regulations issued under the provisions of this title.

SEC. 9. Claims for benefits under this title shall be filed with the Veterans’ Administration under such regulations, including provisions for hearing, determination, and administrative review, as the President may approve, and payments shall not be made for any period prior to date of application. When a claim shall be finally disallowed under this title and the regulations issued thereunder, it may not thereafter be reopened or allowed. No person who is entitled to any benefits under this title shall participate in any determination or decision with respect to any claim for benefits under this title.

SEC. 10. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 2 of this title, any person who served as an officer of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States during the World War, other than as an officer of the Regular Army, Navy, or Marine Corps during the World War, who made valid application for retirement under the provisions of Public No. 506, Seventieth Congress, enacted May 24, 1928, sections 581 and 582, title 38, United States Code, and who prior to the passage of this Act has been granted retirement with pay, shall be entitled to continue to receive retirement pay at the monthly rate now being paid him if the disability for which he has been retired resulted from disease or injury or aggravation of a preexisting disease or injury incurred in line of duty during such service : Provided, That such person entered active service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918: Provided, That the disease or injury or aggravation of the disease or injury directly resulted from the performance of military or naval duty, and that such person otherwise meets the requirements of the regulations which may be issued under the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 11. All offenses committed and all penalties or forfeiture incurred under the acts repealed by section 17 of this title may be prosecuted and punished in the same manner and with the same effect as if said repeal had not been made and any person who forfeited rights to benefits under any such acts shall not be entitled to any benefits under this title.

SEC. 12. That whoever in any claim for benefits tinder this title or by regulations issued pursuant to this title, makes any sworn statement of a material fact knowing it to be false, shall be guilty of perjury and shall be punished by a fine of not more than 5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than two years, or both.

SEC. 13. That if any person entitled to payment of pension under this title, whose right to such payment under this title or under any regulation issued under this title, ceases upon the happening of any contingency, thereafter fraudulently accepts any such payment, he shall be punished by a fine of not more than $2,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

SEC. 14. That whoever shall obtain or receive any money, check, or pension under this title, or regulations issued under this title, without being entitled to the same, and with intent to defraud the United States or any beneficiary of the United States, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $2,000, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

SEC. 15. Any person who shall knowingly make or cause to be made, or conspire, combine, aid, or assist in, agree to, arrange for, or in any wise procure the making or presentation of a false or fraudulent affidavit, declaration, certificate, statement, voucher, or paper, or writing purporting to be such, concerning any claim for benefits under this title, shall forfeit all rights, claims, and benefits under this title, and, in addition to any and all other penalties imposed by law, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

SEC. 16. Every guardian, curator, conservator, committee, or person legally vested with the responsibility or care of a claimant or his estate, having charge and custody in a fiduciary capacity of money paid, under the provisions of this title, for the benefit of any minor or incompetent claimant, who shall embezzle the same in violation of his trust, or convert the same to his own use, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $2,000 or imprisonment at hard labor for a term not exceeding five years, or both.

SEC. 17. All public laws granting medical or hospital treatment, domiciliary care, compensation and other allowances, pension, disability allowance, or retirement pay to veterans and the dependents of veterans of the Spanish-American War, including the Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine Insurrection, and the World War, or to former members of the military or naval service for injury or disease incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the military or naval service (except so far as they relate to persons who served prior to the Spanish-American War and to the dependents of such persons, and the retirement of officers and enlisted men of the Regular Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard) are hereby repealed, and all laws granting or pertaining to yearly renewable term insurance are hereby repealed, but payments in accordance with such laws shall continue to the last day of the third calendar month following the month during which this Act is enacted. The Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs under the general direction of the President shall immediately cause to be reviewed all allowed claims under the above referred to laws and where a person is found entitled under this Act, authorize payment or allowance of benefits in accordance with the provisions of this Act commencing with the first day of the fourth calendar month following the month during which this Act is enacted and notwithstanding the provisions of section 9 of this Act, no further claim in such cases shall be required: Provided, That nothing contained in this section shall interfere with payments heretofore made or hereafter to be made under contracts of yearly renewable term insurance which have matured prior to the date of enactment of this Act and under which payments have been commenced, or on any judgment heretofore rendered in a court of competent jurisdiction in any suit on a contract of yearly renewable term insurance, or which may hereafter be rendered in any such suit now pending: Provided further, That, subject to such regulations as the President may prescribe, allowances may be granted for burial and funeral expenses and transportation of the bodies (including preparation of the bodies) of deceased veterans of any war to the places of burial thereof in a sum not to exceed $107 in any one case.

The provisions of this title shall not apply to compensation or pension (except as to rates, time of entry into active service and special statutory allowances), being paid to veterans disabled, or dependents of veterans who died, as the result of disease or injury directly connected with active military or naval service (without benefit of statutory or regulatory presumption of service connection) pursuant to the provisions of the laws in effect on the date of enactment of this Act. The term “compensation or pension” as used in this paragraph shall not be construed to include emergency officers’ retired pay referred to in section 10 of this title.

SEC. 18. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1934, any pension, and/or any other monetary gratuity, payable to former members of the military or naval service in wars prior to the Spanish-American War, and their dependents, for service, age, disease, or injury, except retired pay of officers and enlisted men of the Regular Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, shall be reduced by 10 per centum of the amount payable.

SEC. 19. The regulations issued by the President under this title which are in effect at the expiration of two years after the date of enactment of this Act shall continue in effect without further change or modification until the Congress by law shall otherwise provide.

SEC. 20. The President shall transmit to the Congress, as soon as practicable after the date of their issue, copies of all regulations issued pursuant to this title.

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Approved, March 20, 1933