US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

22 U.S.C. § 3682

Administration of certain disability benefits

(a)

Continuation of cash relief payments to employees under Act of

(1)
50 Stat. 47868 Stat. 17 The Commission, or any other United States Government agency or private entity acting pursuant to an agreement with the Commission, under the Act entitled “An Act authorizing cash relief for certain employees of the Panama Canal not coming within the provisions of the Canal Zone Retirement Act”, approved (; ), may continue the payments of cash relief to those individual former employees of the Canal Zone Government or Panama Canal Company or their predecessor agencies not coming within the scope of the former Canal Zone Retirement Act whose services were terminated prior to , because of unfitness for further useful service by reason of mental or physical disability resulting from age or disease.
(2)
section 181 of title 2 Subject to subsection (b), cash relief under this subsection may not exceed $1.50 per month for each year of service of the employees so furnished relief, with a maximum of $45 per month, plus the amount of any cost-of-living increases in such cash relief granted before , pursuant to of the Canal Zone Code (as in effect on ), nor be paid to any employee who, at the time of termination for disability prior to , had less than 10 years’ service with the Canal Zone Government, the Panama Canal Company, or their predecessor agencies on the Isthmus of Panama.
(b)

Additional amounts for relief under subsection (a)

An additional amount of $20 per month shall be paid to each person who receives payment of cash relief under subsection (a) of this section and shall be allowed without regard to the limitations contained therein.

(c)

Increases in cash relief payments

section 8340(b) of title 5section 8340(b) of title 5Each cash relief payment made pursuant to this section shall be increased on the same effective date and by the same percent, adjusted to the nearest dollar, as civil service retirement annuities are increased under the cost-of-living adjustment provisions of . Such increase shall apply only to cash relief payments made after , as increased by annuity increases made after that date under such .

(d)

Cash relief payments to widows

section 181 of title 2The Commission may pay cash relief to the widow of any former employee of the Canal Zone Government or the Panama Canal Company who, until the time of his death, receives or has received cash relief under subsection (a) of this section, under of the Canal Zone Code (as in effect on ), or under the Act of , referred to in such subsection (a). The term “widow” as used in this subsection 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 relationship a valid marriage and who continued to reside with him until his death; and
(3)
a woman who has not remarried or assumed a common-law relationship with any other person.
Cash relief granted to such a widow shall not at any time exceed 50 percent 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.
(e)

Applicability of subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5

72 Stat. 405Subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5 applies with respect to those individuals who were in the service of the Canal Zone Government or the Panama Canal Company on , and who, except for the operation of section 13(a)(1) of the Act entitled “An Act to implement item 1 of a Memorandum of Understanding attached to the treaty of , entered into by the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Panama with respect to wage and employment practices of the Government of the United States of America in the Canal Zone”, approved (), would have been within the classes of individuals subject to the Act of , referred to in subsection (a) of this section.

Pub. L. 96–70, title I, § 124593 Stat. 475Pub. L. 104–201, div. C, title XXXV110 Stat. 2864(, , ; , §§ 3538, 3548(c)(2), , , 2869.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

act July 8, 1937, ch. 44350 Stat. 478section 1372 of Title 48Pub. L. 87–845, § 26(b)76A Stat. 701The reference to the Act of , in subsecs. (a)(1), (d), and (e), is , , which was classified to , Territories and Insular Possessions, prior to repeal by , , .

Pub. L. 87–845, § 176A Stat. 1Pub. L. 96–70, title III, § 3303(b)93 Stat. 499Pub. L. 104–201, div. C, title XXXV, § 3549110 Stat. 2870The Canal Zone Code, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), was enacted by , , , redesignated the Panama Canal Code by , , , and repealed by , , .

section 13(a) of Pub. L. 85–55072 Stat. 405section 8331 of Title 5Section 13(a)(1) of Act , referred to in subsec. (e), probably means , , , which is set out as a note under , Government Organization and Employees.

Amendments

Pub. L. 104–2011996—, §§ 3538, 3548(c)(2), amended section catchline to read “Administration of certain disability benefits”.

Pub. L. 104–201, § 353850 Stat. 47868 Stat. 17section 181 of title 2Subsec. (a). , added subsec. (a) and struck out former subsec. (a) which read as follows: “The Commission, under the regulations prescribed by the President pursuant to the Act entitled ‘An Act authorizing cash relief for certain employees of the Panama Canal not coming within the provisions of the Canal Zone Retirement Act’, approved , as amended (; ), may continue the payments of cash relief to those individual former employees of the Canal Zone Government or Panama Canal Company or their predecessor agencies not coming within the scope of the former Canal Zone Retirement Act whose services were terminated prior to , because of unfitness for further useful service by reason of mental or physical disability resulting from age or disease. Subject to subsection (b) of this section, that cash relief may not exceed $1.50 per month for each year of service of the employees so furnished relief, with a maximum of $45 per month, plus the amount of any cost-of-living increases in such cash relief granted before , pursuant to of the Canal Zone Code (as in effect on ), nor be paid to any employee who, at the time of termination for disability prior to , had less than 10 years’ service with the Canal Zone Government, the Panama Canal Company, or their predecessor agencies on the Isthmus of Panama.”