68
STAT.]
479
PUBLIC LAW 4 9 5 - J U L Y 15, 1954
and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard who shall have been discharged in United States Government hospitals and who continue as patients in such hospitals to the date of their death; (f) retired members of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, and the reserve components thereof, hospitalized during periods of extended active duty, who continue as patients in United States Government hospitals to the date of their death; and (g) military prisoners who die while in his custody. SEC. 4. The benefits of this Act shall not be denied in respect of a person within the classes enumerated in subsections (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of section 3 hereof on the ground that such person was temporarily absent from active duty with or without leave at the time of his death, unless such person shall have prior to the time of his death been dropped from the rolls of his organization. S E ^.5. The Secretary is authorized to provide for the care and disposition of the remains of prisoners of war and interned enemy aliens who die while in his custody, and, incident thereto, to pay the necessary expenses incurred for (a) notification to the next of kin or other appropriate person; (b) preparation of the remains for burial (including cremation); (c) furnishing of a casket or urn, or both, with outside box; (d) transportation of remains to the town, city, or cemetery designated by the Secretary; (e) furnishing of articles of clothing; and (f) interment of remains. SEC. 6. The Secretary is authorized to provide for the care and disposition of the remains of pensioners and indigent patients who die in hospitals maintained and operated by him and persons dying on military reservations, and, incident thereto, to pay the necessary expenses incurred for (a) notification to the next of kin or other appropriate person; (b) preparation of remains for burial (including cremation); (c) furnishing of a casket or urn, or both, with outside box; (d) furnisliingof articles of clothing; (e) transportation to a cemetery designated by the Secretary; and (f) interment of remains. However, no expenses shall be incurred pursuant to this section unless proper disposition of such remains cannot otherwise be made. SEC. 7. (a) The Secretary is authorized, in the case of dependents of military personnel, including commissioned officers of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Public Health Service, on active duty, who die while residing with such military personnel at a place of duty outside the continental limits of the United States or in Alaska or while in transit to or from such place of duty, to provide for, and to pay the necessary expenses incurred for, the transportation of remains to such person's home or to such other place as the Secretary shall determine to be the appropriate place of interment. Mortuary services and supplies may be furnished, if practicable, by the Secretary in respect of such dependents on a reimbursable basis where local commercial mortuary facilities and supplies are not available, or if available, the cost thereof is prohibitive in the opinion of the Secretary. Keimbursement for the cost of mortuary services and supplies furnished under the authority of this subsection shall be collected and credited to current appropriations available for the payments of such costs. (h) Section 1 of the Act entitled "An Act to defray the costs of returni:'g to the United States the remains, families, and effects of officers and employees dying abroad, and for other purposes", approved July 8, 1940 (54 Stat. 743), is amended by adding a new clause (c) thereto to read as follows: "(c) In the case of dependents of a civilian officer or employee who died while residing with such civilian officer or employee performing official duties at a place outside the continental United States or in Alaska or while in transit thereto or therefrom, the head of the depart-
Retired bers.
mem-
Military prisoners. A b s e n c e from duty at death.
A u t h o rized expenses. Prisoners of war, etc.
Hospitalized pensioners, e t c.
Limitation. D e p e n d e n t s of military personnel.
Reimbursement.
Death o u t s i d e U.S.
5 USC 103b.
103a,
D ep e n d e n t of c i v i l i a n employee.
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