Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§557 Employees of Forest Service; subsistence furnished to; personal equipment; supplies, and medical attention

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 3— - FORESTS; FOREST SERVICE; REFORESTATION; MANAGEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 557

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture can give Forest Service workers food, buy their personal gear and supplies, and take the cost out of their pay or other money due them. He can also use Forest Service expense funds to provide medical care for employees in remote locations, move them to hospitals, and, if an employee dies, send the body to the nearest place for burial or shipment. If a person without a permanent home, or someone temporarily away from home, is hired briefly and becomes sick or hurt for reasons not caused by the job, the Secretary can provide hospital care, other necessary medical help, food, and lodging for up to 15 days. The cost must come from Forest Service funds available for the work that person was doing.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §557

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to furnish subsistence to employees of the Forest Service, to purchase personal equipment and supplies for them, and to make deductions therefor from moneys appropriated for salary payments or otherwise due such employees. He is also authorized, in his discretion, to provide out of moneys appropriated for the general expenses of the Forest Service medical attention for employees of the Forest Service located at isolated situations, including the moving of such employees to hospitals or other places where medical assistance is available, and in case of death to remove the bodies of deceased employees to the nearest place where they can be prepared for shipment or for burial: Provided, That when a transient without permanent residence, or any other person while away from his place of residence, is temporarily employed by the Forest Service and while so employed becomes disabled because of injury or illness not attributable to official work, he may be provided hospitalization and other necessary medical care, subsistence, and lodging for a period of not to exceed fifteen days during such disability, the cost thereof to be payable from any funds available to the Forest Service applicable to the work for which such person is employed.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1950—Act Apr. 24, 1950, inserted proviso to provide medical care for temporary employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 557

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73