I I 
 
 lCUCATIOH 
 
 nEPAP.TMEHI 
 
 [Public —No. 178— 65th Congress.]^. 
 
 [S. 4557.] ‘ 
 
 An Act To provide for vocational rehabilitation and return to civil 
 employment of disabled persons discharged from the military or naval forces of the 
 United States, and for other purposes. 
 
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
 Sta tes of America in Congress assembled, That this Act shall be known 
 as the Vocational Rehabilitation Act. That the word “board/' as 
 hereinafter used in this Act, shall mean the “Federal Board for 
 Vocational Education." That the word “bureau," as hereinafter 
 used in this Act, shall mean the “Bureau of War-Risk Insurance." 
 
 Sec. 2. That every person who is disabled under circumstances 
 entitling him, after discharge from the military or naval forces of 
 the United States, to compensation under Article III of the Act 
 entitled “An Act to amend an Act entitled ^An Act to authorize the 
 establishment of a Bureau of War-Risk Insurance in the Treasury 
 Department,’ ’’ approved October sixth, nineteen hundred and seven¬ 
 teen, hereinafter referred to as “said Act," and who, after his dis¬ 
 charge, in the opinion of the board, is unable to cany on a gainful 
 occupation, to resume his former occupation, or to enter upon some 
 other occupation, or having resumed or entered upon such occupation 
 is unable to continue the same successfully, shall be furnished by 
 the said board, where vocational rehabilitation is feasible, such 
 course of vocational rehabilitation as the board shall prescribe and 
 provide. 
 
 The hoard shall have power, and it shall be its duty, to furnish 
 the persons included in this section suitable courses of vocational 
 rehabilitation to be prescribed and provided by the board, and every 
 person electing to follow such a course of vocational rehabilitation 
 shall, while following the same, receive monthly compensation equal 
 to the amount of his monthly pay for the last month of his active 
 service, or equal to the amount to which he would be entitled under 
 Aiticle III of said Act, whichever amount is the greater. If such 
 person was an enlisted man at the time of his discharge, for the period 
 during which he is so afforded a coui*se of rehabilitation, his family 
 shall receive compulsory allotment and family allowance according 
 to the terms of Article II of said Act in the same manner as if he 
 were an enlisted man, and for the purpose of computing and paying 
 compulsory allotment and family allowance his compensation shall 
 be treated as his monthly pay: Provided, That if such person willfully 
 fails or refuses to follow the prescribed course of vocational rehabili¬ 
 tation which he has elected to follow, in a manner satisfactory to the 
 board, the said board in its discretion may certify to that effect to 
 the bureau and the said bureau shall, during such period of failure 
 or refusal, withhold any part or all of the monthly compensation 
 due such person and not subject to compulsory allotment which the 
 said board may have determined should be withheld: Provided, 
 however, That no vocational teaching shall be carried on in any 
 
hospital until the medical authorities certify that the condition of 
 the patient is such as to justify such teaching. 
 
 The military and naval family allowance appropriation provided 
 for in section eighteen of said Act shall be available for the payment 
 of the famih" allowances provided by this section; and the military 
 and naval compensation appropriation provided for in section nine¬ 
 teen of said Act shall be available for the payment of the monthly 
 compensation herein provided. -No compensation under Article III 
 of said Act shall be paid for the period during which any such person 
 is furnished b}" said board a course of vocational rehabilitation except 
 as is hereinbefore provided. 
 
 Sec. 3. That the courses of vocational rehabilitation provided for 
 under this Act shall, as far as practicable and under such conditions 
 as the board may prescribe, be made available without cost for instruc¬ 
 tion for the benefit of any person who is disabled under circumstances 
 entitling him, after discharge from the military or naval forces of 
 the United vStates, to compensation under Article III of said Act 
 and who is not included in section two hereof. 
 
 Sec. 4. That the board shall have the power and it shall be its 
 duty to provide such facilities, instructors, and courses as may be 
 necessary to insure proper training for such persons as are required 
 to follow such courses as herein provided; to prescribe the courses 
 to be followed by such persons; to pay, when in the discretion of 
 the board such payment is necessary, the expense of travel, lodging, 
 subsistence, and other necessary expenses of such persons while 
 following the prescribed courses; to do all things necessary to insure 
 vocational rehabilitation; to provide for the placement of rehabilitated 
 persons in suitable or gainful occupations. The board shall have the 
 power to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary for 
 the proper performance of its duties as prescribed by this Act, and 
 is hereby authorized and directed to utilize, with the approval of 
 the Secretary of Labor, the facilities of the Department of Labor, 
 in so far as may be practicable, in the placement of rehabilitated 
 persons in suitable or gainful occupations. 
 
 Sec. 5. That it shall also be the duty of the board to make or cause 
 to have made studies, investigations, and reports regarding the vo¬ 
 cational rehabilitation of disabled persons and their placement in 
 suitable or gainful occupations. When the board deems it advisable, 
 such studies, investigations, and reports may be made in cooperation 
 with or through other departments and bureaus of the Government, 
 and the board in its discretion mav cooperate with such public or 
 private agencies as it may deem advisable in performing the duties 
 imposed upon it by this Act. 
 
 Sec. 6 . That all medical and surgical work or other treatment 
 necessary to give functional and mental restoration to disabled 
 persons prior to their discharge from the military or naval forces 
 of the United States shall be under the control of the War Depart¬ 
 ment and the Navy Department, respectively. Whenever training 
 is employed as a therapeutic measure by the War Department or 
 the Navy Department a plan may be established between those 
 agencies and the board acting in an advisory capacity to insure, in so 
 far as medical requirements permit, a proper process of training and 
 the proper preparation of instructor for such training. A plan ma}^ 
 also be established between the War and Navy Departments and 
 
Uhe board whereby)these departments shall act in an advisory ca¬ 
 pacity with the bojard in the care of the health of the soldier and 
 sailor after his discharge. 
 
 The board shall, ip establishing its plans and rules and legulations 
 for vocational trainihg, cooperate with the War Depaitment and the 
 Navy Department in so far as may be necessary to effect a continuous 
 process of vocational training. 
 
 Sec. 7. That the board is hereby authorized and empowered to 
 receive such gifts and donations from eithei public or private sources 
 as may be offered unconditionally. All moneys received as gifts 
 or donations shall be paid into the Treasury of the United States, 
 and shall constitute a permanent fund, tc be called the ''Special 
 fund foi vocational rehabilitation,'" to be used under the direction 
 of the said board, in connection with the appropriations hereby made 
 or heieafter to be made, to defray the expenses of providing and 
 maintaining courses of vocational rehabilitation; and a full report 
 of all gifts and donations offered and accepted, and all disbursements 
 therefrom, shall be submitted annually to Congress by said board. 
 
 Sec. 8. That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the 
 Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, available 
 immediately and until expended, the sum of $2,000,000 or so much 
 thereof as may be necessary to be used by the Federal Board for 
 Vocational Education for the purposes of this Act, to wit, for renting 
 and remodeling buildings and quarters, repairing, rnaintaining, and 
 equipping same, and for equipment and other facilities necessary 
 for proper instruction of disabled persons, $250,000; for the prepara¬ 
 tion of instiuctors and salaries of instructors, supervisors, and other 
 experts, including necessary traveling expenses, $545,000; for travel¬ 
 ing expenses of disabled persons in connection with training and for 
 lodging, subsistence, and other necessary expenses in special cases 
 of persons following prescribed courses, $250,000; for tuition for 
 disabled persons pursuing courses in existing institutions, public 
 or private, $545,000; for the placement and supervision after place¬ 
 ment of vocationally rehabilitated persons, $45,000; for studies, 
 investigations, lepoits, and preparation of special courses of instruc¬ 
 tion, $55,000; for miscellaneous contingencies, including special 
 mechanical appliances necessary in special cases for disabled men, 
 $110,000;.and for the administrative expenses of said board incident 
 to performing the duties imposed by this Act, including salaries of 
 such assistants, experts, clerks, and other employees in the District 
 of Columbia or elsewhere as the board may deem necessary, actual 
 traveling and other necessary expenses incurred by the members 
 of the board and by its employees under its orders, including attend¬ 
 ance at meetings of educational associations and other organizations, 
 rent and equipment of offices in the District of Columbia and else¬ 
 where, purchase of books of reference, law books, and periodif*als, 
 stationery, typewiiters and exchange thereof, miscellaneous supplies, 
 postage on foreign mail, printing and binding to be done at the 
 Government Printing Office, and all other necessary expenses, 
 $200,000. 
 
 Sec. 9. That said board shall file with the Clerk of the Flouse 
 and the Secretary of the Senate on July first and every three months 
 thereafter, for the information of the Congress, an itemized account 
 of all expenditures made under this Act, including names and salaries 
 
of employees. Said board shall also make an annual report to the 
 Congress of its doings under this Act on or before December first I 
 of each year. 
 
 Sec. 10. That section three hundred and four of the Act entitled 
 “An Act to authorize the establishment of a Bureau of War Risk 
 Insurance in the Treasury Department’’ approved September sec¬ 
 ond, nineteen hundred and fourteen, as amended, is hereby repealed. 
 
 Sec. 11 . No person of draft age physically fit for military service | 
 shall be exempted from such service on account of being employed! 
 under the terms of this Act. 
 
 Approved June 27, 1918.