Title 22 — Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73
§4009 Retirement benefits
Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 52— - FOREIGN SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VI— - PROMOTION AND RETENTION › § 4009
Summary
Members who retire under certain Foreign Service retirement rules (but who are not in the special group named elsewhere) get a lump-sum pay based on their service. They receive one‑twelfth of a year’s pay for each year they served, prorated for partial years, but never more than one full year’s pay. That amount is paid from the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund in three equal payments on January 1 of each of the first three calendar years after retirement, unless the Secretary of State combines or speeds up the payments in special cases. Retired members also get retirement-plan benefits. Those in the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System can get a refund of the contributions they paid, or instead, if they have at least 5 years of service credit (not counting military service), they can choose an annuity that begins at age 60. Those in the Foreign Service Pension System receive the pension benefits provided for that system.
Full Legal Text
Title 22, §4009
Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)A member of the Service—
(1)who is retired under section 4007(c)(2) of this title; or
(2)who is retired under section 4007(c)(1) or 4008(b) or 4010a of this title—
(A)after becoming eligible for voluntary retirement under section 4051 of this title or any other applicable provision of chapter 84 of title 5, or
(B)from the Senior Foreign Service or while assigned to class 1 in the Foreign Service Schedule,
(b)Any member of the Service (other than a member to whom subsection (a) applies) who is retired under section 4007(c)(1) or 4008(b) or 4010a of this title shall receive—
(1)one-twelfth of a year’s salary at his or her then current salary rate for each year of service and proportionately for a fraction of a year, but not exceeding a total of one year’s salary at his or her then current salary rate, payable without interest from the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund in 3 equal installments, such installments to be paid on January 1 of each of the first 3 calendar years beginning after the retirement of the member (except that in special cases, the Secretary of State may accelerate or combine such installments); and
(2)(A)for those participants in the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System, a refund as provided in section 4055 of this title of the contributions made by the member to the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund, except that in lieu of such refund a member who has at least 5 years of service credit toward retirement under the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System (excluding military and naval service) may elect to receive an annuity, computed under section 4046 of this title, commencing at age 60; and (B) for those participants in the Foreign Service Pension System, benefits as provided in section 4071 of this title.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–277, § 2312(a)(2), inserted “or section 4071d of this title, as appropriate” after “section 4046 of this title” in concluding provisions. Subsec. (a)(2)(A). Pub. L. 105–277, § 2312(a)(1), inserted “or any other applicable provision of chapter 84 of title 5” after “section 4051 of this title”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 105–277, § 2312(a)(4), inserted “(for participants in the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System) or age 62 (for participants in the Foreign Service Pension System)” after “age 60” in concluding provisions. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 105–277, § 2312(a)(3), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), inserted “for those participants in the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System,” before “a refund”, and added subpar. (B). 1994—Subsecs. (a)(2), (b). Pub. L. 103–236 inserted “or 4010a” after “4008(b)”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–277, div. G, subdiv. B, title XXIII, § 2312(c), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–827, provided that: “(1) In general.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section and section 4071d of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1998]. “(2) Exceptions.—The
Amendments
made by paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (a) and paragraphs (1)(A) and (2) of subsection (b) [amending this section and section 4071d of this title] shall apply with respect to any actions taken under section 611 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 [22 U.S.C. 4010a] on or after
January 1, 1996.” Special Annuity for Certain Foreign Service Officers Pub. L. 95–105, title IV, § 411, Aug. 17, 1977, 91 Stat. 855, as amended by Pub. L. 95–426, title IV, § 412(b), Oct. 7, 1978, 92 Stat. 981, provided that: “(a) Subject to the conditions established in subsection (b), any Foreign Service officer—“(1) who was retired under section 633(a)(1) of the Foreign Service Act of 1946 [former section 1003(a)(1) of this title, see section 4007(a) of this title] before the date of enactment of this section, [Aug. 17, 1977]; “(2) who was not in class 1, 2, or 3 at the time of retirement; “(3) who was 40 years of age or older at the time of retirement; and “(4) who had at least 20 years of service, exclusive of credit for unused sick leave, creditable for purposes of section 821 of such Act [former section 1076 of this title, see section 4046 of this title] at the time of retirement; shall be entitled to receive retirement benefits in accordance with the provisions of such section 821 [former section 1076 of this title, see section 4046 of this title] in lieu of any retirement benefits which the officer may be entitled to elect under section 634(b)(2) of such Act [former section 1004(b)(2) of this title, see subsec. (b)(2) of this section]. Such retirement benefits shall be paid from the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund and shall be effective on the date the officer reaches age 50, the date of enactment of this section [Aug. 17, 1977], or
October 1, 1977, whichever date is latest. “(b) Retirement benefits may not be paid under this section unless (1) any refund of contributions paid to the officer under section 634(b)(2) of the Foreign Service Act of 1946 [former section 1004(b)(2) of this title, see subsec. (b)(2) of this section] is repaid to the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund, with interest, in accordance with section 811(d) and (f) of such Act [former section 1071(d) and (f) of this title, see section 4045(d) and (f) of this title]; and (2) the service forming the basis for such retirement benefits is not used as the basis for any other retirement benefits under any retirement system. “(c) In the event that an officer who is entitled to retirement benefits under this section dies before reaching the age of fifty, but after the date of enactment of this section [Aug. 17, 1977], his or her death shall be considered a death in service within the meaning of section 832 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946 [former section 1082 of this title, see section 4049 of this title], except that no survivor’s annuity (other than a survivor’s annuity which would be payable under the first complete sentence in section 634(b)(2) of such Act [former section 1004(b)(2) of this title, see subsec. (b)(2) of this section] but for the enactment of this section) shall become effective before
October 1, 1977. “(d) An officer entitled to retirement benefits under this section may make the election described in section 821(b) or (f), as appropriate, of the Foreign Service Act of 1946 [former section 1076(b) or (f) of this title, see section 4046(b) and (f) of this title] at any time before reaching the age of fifty or before the end of the sixty-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this section [Aug. 17, 1977], whichever is later.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 4009
Title 22 — Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73