CHAP. 470.- An Act To amend an Act entitled “An Act to increase the pensions of widows, minor children, and so forth, of deceased soldiers and sailors of the late Civil War, the War with Mexico, the various Indian wars, and so forth, and to grant a pension to certain widows of the deceased soldiers and sailors of the late Civil War,” approved April nineteenth, nineteen hundred and eight, and for other purposes.
| Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this Act the rate of pension for a widow, now in the roll or hereafter to be placed on the pension roll and entitles to receive a less rate than hereinafter provided, who was the lawful wife of any officer or enlisted man in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States during the period of his service in the Civil War, shall be $20 per month, and the rate of pension for a widow of an officer or enlisted man of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who served in the Civil War, the War with Mexico, or the War of Eighteen hundred and twelve, now in the roll or hereafter to be placed on the pension roll and entitled to receive a less rate than hereafter provided, who has reached or shall hereafter reach the age of seventy years shall be $20 per month; and nothing herein shall be construed to affect the existing allowance of $2 per month for each child under the age of sixteen years and for each helpless child; and all Acts or parts of Acts inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed: Provided, however, That this Act shall not be so construed as to reduce any pension under any Act, public or private.
SEC. 2. That any widow of an officer or enlisted man who served in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States during the Civil War whose name was placed or shall hereafter be placed on the pension roll, under any existing law, and whose name has been or shall hereafter be dropped from said pension roll by reason of her marriage to another person who has since died or shall hereafter die, or from whom she has been heretofore or shall be hereafter divorced upon her own application and without fault on her part, shall be entitled to have her name again placed on the pension roll at the rate allowed by the law under which she was formerly pensioned, and the law or laws amendatory thereof, unless she be entitled to a greater rate of pension under the provisions of section one of this Act, such pension to commence from the date of filing her application in the Bureau of Pensions after the passage of this Act: Provided, however, That where the pension of said widow on her second or subsequent marriage has accrued to a helpless or idiotic child, or a child or children under sixteen years of age, be than a member or members of her family and cared for by her, and upon the renewal of pension to said widow payment of pension to said child or children shall cease: And provided further, That the provisions of this Act shall be extended to those widows, otherwise entitled, whose husbands died of wounds, injuries, or disease incurred during the period of their military or naval service, but who were deprived of pension under the Act of March third, eighteen hundred and sixty-five, because of their failure to draw any pensions by reason of their remarriage, and to any person who was lawfully married to an officer or enlisted man, who served in the Army,. Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States during the Civil War and was honorably discharged therefrom and has since deceased, and who, having remarried since his death is again a widow, or has been divorced from her last husband upon her own application without fault on her part and who, otherwise entitles, was barred by reason of such remarriage from receiving pension under any existing law. SEC. 3. That any widow, as described in section two of the Act approved April nineteenth, nineteen hundred and five, shall have title to pension under the provisions of said section of said Act, to commence from the date of filing her application in the Bureau of Pensions after the passage of this Act: Provided, however, That were a pension has been granted to a soldier’s or sailor’s helpless or idiotic child or children or children under the age of sixteen years, his widow shall not be entitled to pension under this section, unless the pension to such child or children has terminated, or unless such child or children be a member or members of her family and cared for by her, and upon allowance of pension to the widow, payment of pension to such child or children shall cease. SEC. 4. That no claim agent or attorney shall be recognized in the adjudication of claims under the first section of this Act, nor shall any claim agent or attorney be recognized in the adjudication of claims under the second section of this Act for renewal of pension previously allowed, and in claims for original pension under section two of this Act no greater sum than $10 shall be allowed for services in preparing, presenting, or prosecuting such claim, which sums shall be payable only upon the order of the Commissioner of Pensions under such rules and regulation as he may deem proper to make. Approved, September 8, 1916. |