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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102

§557 Employees of Forest Service; Subsistence Furnished To; Personal Equipment; Supplies, and Medical Attention

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

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture may provide meals and other basic support to Forest Service employees, buy their personal gear and supplies, and deduct those costs from their pay or other money owed to them. He may also pay for medical care for employees working in remote places, including moving them to hospitals, and, if an employee dies, move the body to the nearest place for preparation for shipment or burial. If a person without a permanent home, or anyone temporarily hired away from home, becomes sick or injured for reasons not caused by their work, they may get hospital care, other needed medical help, meals, and lodging for up to 15 days. The cost can be paid from Forest Service funds available for the work they were 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 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102