Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73not60
§331 Reclamation Requirements Waived in Favor of Disabled Soldiers, Etc.
Title 43 › Chapter 9— DESERT-LAND ENTRIES › § 331
Summary
People who applied to claim desert land and then joined the U.S. Army, Navy, or Marine Corps during the war with Germany and before November 11, 1918, can get official title to that land (a patent) without doing more work to reclaim it or making more payments if they were honorably discharged and now cannot finish the work because of service-related disabilities. They must prove this under rules set by the Secretary of the Interior, and no patent may be issued before the land is surveyed.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §331
Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Any entryman under the desert-land laws, or any person entitled to preference right of entry under section 326 of this title, who after application or entry for surveyed lands or legal initiation of claim for unsurveyed lands, and prior to November 11, 1918, enlisted or was actually engaged in the United States Army, Navy, or Marine Corps during the war with Germany, who has been honorably discharged and because of physical incapacities due to service is unable to accomplish reclamation of and payment for the land, may make proof without further reclamation thereof or payments thereon under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, and receive patent for the land by him so entered or claimed, if found entitled thereto: Provided, That no such patent shall issue prior to the survey of the land.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 331
Title 43 — Public Lands
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60