Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§1476 Death gratuity: death after discharge or release from duty or training

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART II— - PERSONNEL › Chapter CHAPTER 75— - DECEASED PERSONNEL › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - DEATH BENEFITS › § 1476

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must pay a death gratuity to the survivors of anyone who dies within 120 days after leaving active duty or after inactive-duty training, unless another law says otherwise. Inactive-duty training does not include certain correspondence courses or inactive school attendance. The payment is allowed only if the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) finds the death came from an injury or disease that began or got worse during that duty or while traveling directly to or from that duty. How the VA decides if the injury or disease began or got worse follows the VA’s usual disability rules. But the death does not have to be shown to have occurred “in the line of duty.” This rule does not cover people who were temporary members of the Coast Guard Reserve when they died.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §1476

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Except as provided in section 1480 of this title, the Secretary concerned shall pay a death gratuity to or for the survivors prescribed in section 1477 of this title of each person who dies within 120 days after discharge or release from—
(A)active duty; or
(B)inactive-duty training (other than work or study in connection with a correspondence course of an armed force or attendance, in an inactive status, at an educational institution under the sponsorship of an armed force or the Public Health Service).
(2)A death gratuity may be paid under paragraph (1) only if the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines that the death resulted from an injury or disease incurred or aggravated during—
(A)the active duty or inactive-duty training described in paragraph (1); or
(B)travel directly to or from such duty.
(b)For the purpose of this section, the standards and procedures for determining the incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury are those applicable under the laws relating to disability compensation administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, except that there is no requirement under this section that any incurrence or aggravation have been in line of duty.
(c)This section does not apply to the survivors of persons who were temporary members of the Coast Guard Reserve at the time of their death.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 1476(a)1476(b) 1476(c)1476(d)38:1133(a).38:1101(4)(D) (as applicable to 38:1133(a)).38:1101(5)(D) (as applicable to 38:1133(a)).38:1101(6)(B)(ii) (as applicable to 38:1133(a)).38:1133(c).38:1101(2) (last sentence, as applicable to death gratuity under 38:1133(a)).38:1101(6)(A) (clause (3) of 2d sentence, as applicable to death gratuity under 38:1133(a)).Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 837, §§ 102(2) (last sentence, as applicable to death gratuity under § 303(a)), 102(4)(D) (as applicable to § 303(a)), 102(5)(D) (as applicable to § 303(a)), 102(6)(A) (clause (3) of 2d sentence, as applicable to death gratuity under § 303(a)), 102(6)(B)(ii) (as applicable to § 303(a)), 303(a), (c), 70 Stat. 858, 859, 868, 869. In subsection (a), the words “Except as provided in section 1480 of this title” are inserted to reflect 38:1134(a). The words “to the survivor prescribed by section 1477 of this title” are inserted for clarity. The words “on or after January 1, 1957” are omitted as executed. The words in parentheses in clause (2) are inserted to reflect 38:1101(6)(A) (2d sentence). The words “active duty for training” are omitted as covered by the definition of “active duty” in section 101(22) of this title. In subsection (c), the word “criteria” is omitted as covered by the word “standards”.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1989—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 101–189, § 1621(a)(2), substituted “Secretary of Veterans Affairs” for “Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–189, § 1621(a)(1), substituted “Department of Veterans Affairs” for “Veterans’ Administration”. 1986—Pub. L. 99–661 added subsec. (a), redesignated subsecs. (c) and (d) as (b) and (c), respectively, and struck out former subsecs. (a) and (b) which read as follows: “(a) Except as provided in section 1480 of this title, the Secretary concerned shall have a death gratuity paid to or for the survivor prescribed by section 1477 of this title of each person who dies within 120 days after his discharge or release from— “(1) active duty; or “(2) inactive duty training (other than work or study in connection with a correspondence course of an armed force or attendance, in an inactive status, at an educational institution under the sponsorship of an armed force or the Public Health Service); if the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs determines that the death resulted from (A) disease or injury incurred or aggravated while performing duty under clause (1) or the travel described in subsection (b), or (B) injury incurred or aggravated while performing training under clause (2) or the travel described in subsection (b)(2). “(b) The travel covered by subsection (a) is— “(1) authorized travel to or from the duty described in subsection (a)(1); or “(2) travel directly to or from the duty or training described in subsection (a)(1) or (2) that is performed by a Reserve who, when authorized or required by an authority designated by the Secretary, assumed an obligation to perform that duty or training and whose injury was incurred or aggravated after December 31, 1956.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1986 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–661 applicable with respect to persons who, after Nov. 14, 1986, incur or aggravate an injury, illness, or disease or die, see section 604(g) of Pub. L. 99–661, set out as a note under section 1074a of this title.

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 1476

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73