United States and employed in the service of the United States in the Virgin Islands free transportation from the post of duty to a port in the continental United States and return for the purpose of taking leave, but not more frequently in the case of any persons than once during each two-year period of service.

The Secretary of the Interior is further authorized to provide free transportation of the bodies of deceased persons formerly appointed from the continental United States for employment in the service of the United States in the Virgin Islands, from the post of duty previously held in the Virgin Islands to such destination in the continental United States as may be requested by the deceased person's nearest relatives and/or friends. (June 5, 1936, ch. 526, 49 Stat. 1483.)

Repeal.-Insofar as the provisions of this section relating to subsistence may conflict with those of sections 821-823 and 827-833 of this title, they were repealed by section 829 of this title.

§74. Expenses for subsistence; traveling on duty.

Increase in per diem.-Under the authority of section 823 of this title per diem allowances are not to be in excess of $6 per day within the continental limits of the United States, and an average of $7 per day beyond the continental limits. Section 827 of this title expressly repeals any laws inconsistent with section 823 of this title.

Repeal.-Insofar as the provisions of this section relating to subsistence may conflict with those of sections 821-833 of this title, they were repealed by section 829 of this title.

§ 77. Display of department name or branch of service on government motor vehicles in District of Columbia.-All motor vehicles acquired and used for official purposes of the departmental service in the District of Columbia shall have conspicuously imprinted thereon at all times the full name of the executive department or other branch of the public service to which the same belong and in the service of which the same are used. (As amended Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 744, § 16 (b), 60 Stat. 810.)

Act Aug. 2, 1946, cited to text, repealed second paragraph of section 3 of act Mar. 18, 1904, 33 Stat. 142, which is now covered by section 78 of this title.

§ 77a. Restrictions on use of government owned or leased motor vehicles; exceptions; definition.

Section, acts June 27, 1944, ch. 286, Title II, § 202 (b), 58 Stat. 385, May 3, 1945, ch. 106, title II, 202 (b), 59 Stat. 132; Mar. 28, 1946, ch. 113, title II, § 202 (b), 60 Stat. 79, omitted, as its provisions are now covered by section 78 (c) of this title.

§ 78. Restrictions on purchase, operation, use and maintenance of passenger motor vehicles and aircraft-Purchase or hire of vehicles. (a) Unless specifically authorized by the appropriation concerned or other law, no appropriation shall be expended to purchase or hire passenger motor vehicles for any branch of the Government other than those for the use of the President of the United States, the secretaries to the President, or the heads of the executive departments enumerated in section 1 of this title.

Act Aug. 2, 1946, cited to text, amended section generally.

(b) Aircraft.-Excepting appropriations for the Military and Naval Establishments, no appropriation shall be available for the purchase, maintenance, or operation of any aircraft unless specific authority for the purchase, maintenance, or operation thereof has been or is provided in such appropriation.

(c) Maximum purchase price of vehicle; use for official purposes; penalties.-Unless otherwise specifically provided, no appropriation available for any department shall be expended

(1) to purchase any passenger motor vehicle (exclusive of busses, ambulances, and station wagons), at a cost, completely equipped for operation, and including the value of any vehicle exchanged, in excess of the maximum price therefor, if any, established pursuant to law by a Government agency and in no event more than such amount as may be specified in an appropriation or other Act, which shall be in addition to the amount required for transportation;

(2) for the maintenance, operation, and repair of any Governmentowned passenger motor vehicle or aircraft not used exclusively for official purposes; and "official purposes" shall not include the transportation of officers and employees between their domiciles and places of employment, except in cases of medical officers on out-patient medical service and except in cases of officers and employees engaged in field work the character of whose duties makes such transportation necessary and then only as to such latter cases when the same is approved by the head of the department concerned. Any officer or employee of the Government who willfully uses or authorizes the use of any Government-owned passenger motor vehicle or aircraft, or of any passenger motor vehicle or aircraft leased by the Government, for other than official purposes or otherwise violates the provisions of this paragraph shall be suspended from duty by the head of the department concerned, without compensation, for not less than one month, and shall be suspended for a longer period or summarily removed from office if circumstances warrant. The limitations of this paragraph shall not apply to any motor vehicles or aircraft for official use of the President, the heads of the executive departments enumerated in section 1 of this title, ambassadors, ministers, chargés d'affaires, and other principal diplomatic and consular officials.

(d) Appropriation estimates. In the budgets for the fiscal year 1948 and subsequent fiscal years there shall be submitted in detail estimates for such necessary appropriations as are intended to be used for purchase or hire of passenger motor vehicles or for purchase, maintenance, or operation of aircraft, specifying the sums required, the public purposes for which said conveyances are intended, the number of currently owned conveyances to be continued in use, and the officials or employees by whom all of such conveyances are to be used. (As amended Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 744, § 16(a), 60 Stat. 810.)

§ 78a-1. Same; maximum purchase price of motor vehicles; exceptions.-Unless otherwise specifically provided, the maximum amount allowable, in accordance with section 78 of this title, for the purchase of any passenger motor vehicle (exclusive of busses, ambulances, and station wagons), is fixed at $1,400. (July 30, 1947, ch. 359, Title II, § 201, 61 Stat. 608, as amended Apr. 20, 1948, ch. 219, Title II, § 201, 62 Stat. 193; Aug. 24, 1949, ch. 506, Title III, § 301, 63 Stat. 661.)

1948 amendment.-Act Apr. 20, 1948, cited to text, amended section by increasing maximum amount from $1300 to $1400.

§ 84. Annual or monthly compensation.-Where the compensation of any person in the service of the United States (except persons whose compensation is computed in accordance with section 944 of this title) is annual or monthly the following rules for division of time and computation of pay for services rendered are established: Annual compensation shall be divided into twelve equal installments, one of which shall be the pay for each calendar month; and in making payments for a fractional part of a month one thirtieth of one of such installments, or of a monthly compensation, shall be the daily rate of pay. For the purpose of computing such compensation and for computing time for services rendered during a fractional part of a month in connection with annual or monthly compensation, each and every month shall be held to consist of thirty days, without regard to the actual number of days in any calendar month, thus excluding the 31st of any calendar month from the computation and treating February as if it actually had thirty days. Any such person entering the service of the United States during a thirty-one day month and serving until the end thereof shall be entitled to pay for that month from the date of entry to the 30th day of said month, both days inclusive; and any person entering said service during the month of February and serving until the end thereof shall be entitled to one month's pay, less as many thirtieths thereof as there were days elapsed prior to date of entry: Provided, That for one day's unauthorized absence on the 31st day of any calendar month one day's pay shall be forfeited. (As amended June 30, 1945, ch. 212, Title VI, § 604(c), 59 Stat. 303.)

Act June 30, 1945, cited to text, amended section by inserting "except such to amende sonited States, such, persons and by striking "Any person” and inserting in lieu thereof "Any such person in second sentence.

Effective date.-Amendment of section by Act June 30, 1945, cited to text, was made effective on July 1, 1945, by section 610 of said Act June 30, 1945.

895a. Same; government officers and employees attending department hearings.-Whenever a department is authorized by law to hold hearings and to subpena witnesses for appearance at said hearings, witnesses summoned to and attending such hearings shall be entitled to the same fees and mileage, or expenses in the case of Government officers and employees, as provided by law for witnesses attending in the United States courts. (Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 744, § 10, 60 Stat. 809.)

§ 116a. Awards to departmental personnel for meritorious suggestions; amount; honorary recognition of exceptional services; release of claim. The head of each department is authorized, under such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe, to pay cash awards to civilian officers and employees (or to their estates) who make meritorious suggestions which will result in improvement or economy in the operations of his department and which have been adopted for use and to incur necessary expenses for the honorary recognition of exceptional or meritorious service: Provided, That no award shall be paid to any officer or employee for any suggestion which represents a part of the normal requirements of the duties of his position. With the exception of the Army and Navy Departments,

(b) Aircraft.-Excepting appropriations for the Military and Naval Establishments, no appropriation shall be available for the purchase, maintenance, or operation of any aircraft unless specific authority for the purchase, maintenance, or operation thereof has been or is provided in such appropriation.

(c) Maximum purchase price of vehicle; use for official purposes; penalties.-Unless otherwise specifically provided, no appropriation available for any department shall be expended

(1) to purchase any passenger motor vehicle (exclusive of busses, ambulances, and station wagons), at a cost, completely equipped for operation, and including the value of any vehicle exchanged, in excess of the maximum price therefor, if any, established pursuant to law by a Government agency and in no event more than such amount as may be specified in an appropriation or other Act, which shall be in addition to the amount required for transportation;

(2) for the maintenance, operation, and repair of any Governmentowned passenger motor vehicle or aircraft not used exclusively for official purposes; and "official purposes" shall not include the transportation of officers and employees between their domiciles and places of employment, except in cases of medical officers on out-patient_medical service and except in cases of officers and employees engaged in field work the character of whose duties makes such transportation necessary and then only as to such latter cases when the same is approved by the head of the department concerned. Any officer or employee of the Government who willfully uses or authorizes the use of any Government-owned passenger motor vehicle or aircraft, or of any passenger motor vehicle or aircraft leased by the Government, for other than official purposes or otherwise violates the provisions of this paragraph shall be suspended from duty by the head of the department concerned, without compensation, for not less than one month, and shall be suspended for a longer period or summarily removed from office if circumstances warrant. The limitations of this paragraph shall not apply to any motor vehicles or aircraft for official use of the President, the heads of the executive departments enumerated in section 1 of this title, ambassadors, ministers, chargés d'affaires, and other principal diplomatic and consular officials.

(d) Appropriation estimates.-In the budgets for the fiscal year 1948 and subsequent fiscal years there shall be submitted in detail estimates for such necessary appropriations as are intended to be used for purchase or hire of passenger motor vehicles or for purchase, maintenance, or operation of aircraft, specifying the sums required, the public purposes for which said conveyances are intended, the number of currently owned conveyances to be continued in use, and the officials or employees by whom all of such conveyances are to be used. (As amended Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 744, § 16(a), 60 Stat. 810.)

§ 78a-1. Same; maximum purchase price of motor vehicles; exceptions. Unless otherwise specifically provided, the maximum amount allowable, in accordance with section 78 of this title, for the purchase of any passenger motor vehicle (exclusive of busses, ambulances, and station wagons), is fixed at $1,400. (July 30, 1947, ch. 359, Title II, § 201, 61 Stat. 608, as amended Apr. 20, 1948, ch. 219, Title II, § 201, 62 Stat. 193; Aug. 24, 1949, ch. 506, Title III, § 301, 63 Stat. 661.)

1948 amendment.-Act Apr. 20, 1948, cited to text, amended section by increasing maximum amount from $1300 to $1400.

§ 84. Annual or monthly compensation.-Where the compensation of any person in the service of the United States (except persons whose compensation is computed in accordance with section 944 of this title) is annual or monthly the following rules for division of time and computation of pay for services rendered are established: Annual compensation shall be divided into twelve equal installments, one of which shall be the pay for each calendar month; and in making payments for a fractional part of a month one thirtieth of one of such installments, or of a monthly compensation, shall be the daily rate of pay. For the purpose of computing such compensation and for computing time for services rendered during a fractional part of a month in connection with annual or monthly compensation, each and every month shall be held to consist of thirty days, without regard to the actual number of days in any calendar month, thus excluding the 31st of any calendar month from the computation and treating February as if it actually had thirty days. Any such person entering the service of the United States during a thirty-one day month and serving until the end thereof shall be entitled to pay for that month from the date of entry to the 30th day of said month, both days inclusive; and any person entering said service during the month of February and serving until the end thereof shall be entitled to one month's pay, less as many thirtieths thereof as there were days elapsed prior to date of entry: Provided, That for one day's unauthorized absence on the 31st day of any calendar month one day's pay shall be forfeited. (As amended June 30, 1945, ch. 212, Title VI, § 604(c), 59 Stat. 303.)

• *

Act June 30, 1945, cited to text, amended section by inserting "except such persons of this title following "United States" in first sentence, and by striking "Any person " and inserting in lieu thereof "Any such person'

in second sentence.

Effective date.-Amendment of section by Act June 30, 1945, cited to text, was made effective on July 1, 1945, by section 610 of said Act June 30, 1945.

§ 95a. Same; government officers and employees attending department hearings.-Whenever a department is authorized by law to hold hearings and to subpena witnesses for appearance at said hearings, witnesses summoned to and attending such hearings shall be entitled to the same fees and mileage, or expenses in the case of Government officers and employees, as provided by law for witnesses attending in the United States courts. (Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 744, § 10, 60 Stat. 809.)

§ 116a. Awards to departmental personnel for meritorious suggestions; amount; honorary recognition of exceptional services; release of claim.-The head of each department is authorized, under such rules and regulations as the President may prescribe, to pay cash awards to civilian officers and employees (or to their estates) who make meritorious suggestions which will result in improvement or economy in the operations of his department and which have been adopted for use and to incur necessary expenses for the honorary recognition of exceptional or meritorious service: Provided, That no award shall be paid to any officer or employee for any suggestion which represents a part of the normal requirements of the duties of his position. With the exception of the Army and Navy Departments,