Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§3775 Settlement of claims

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 51— - PANAMA CANAL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ADMINISTRATION AND REGULATIONS › Part Part 4— - Claims for Injuries to Persons or Property › Subpart subpart ii— - vessel damage › § 3775

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Commission can set or change awards under this part; payments only come from Panama Canal maintenance and operation funds. If someone accepts the award, it fully settles their claim against the U.S. government.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §3775

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Commission, by mutual agreement, compromise, or otherwise, may adjust and determine the amounts of the respective awards of damages pursuant to this subpart. Such amounts may be paid only out of money allotted for the maintenance and operation of the Panama Canal. Acceptance by a claimant of the amount awarded to him shall be deemed to be in full settlement of such claim against the Government of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–106 struck out “appropriated or” after “out of money” in second sentence. 1985—Pub. L. 99–209 struck out the subsec. (a) designation, substituted “The Commission, by” for “Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the Commission, by” and “Such amounts may be paid only out of money appropriated or allotted for the maintenance and operation of the Panama Canal” for “Such amounts shall be payable promptly out of any moneys appropriated or allotted for the maintenance and operation of the Panama Canal”, and struck out subsec. (b) which provided that the Commission could not adjust and pay any claim for damages for injuries arising by reason of the presence of the vessel in the Panama Canal or adjacent waters outside the locks where the amount of the claim exceeded $120,000 but had to submit the claim to the Congress in a special report containing the material facts and the recommendation of the Commission thereon.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1985 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–209 applicable to any claim arising on or after Oct. 1, 1979, see section 7(a) of Pub. L. 99–209, set out as a note under section 3771 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 3775

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73