Title 31Money and FinanceRelease 119-73

§9502 Definitions

Title 31 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VI— - MISCELLANEOUS › Chapter CHAPTER 95— - GOVERNMENT PENSION PLAN PROTECTION › § 9502

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines which retirement plans count as a "government pension plan" and what "plan year" means. A government pension plan is any pension, annuity, retirement, or similar plan set up or run by an agency for its officers or employees, no matter how many people are in it. It does not include plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) or plans paid for under chapter 21 or 22 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 3101 et seq., 3201 et seq.). It also names 13 specific plans, including the Civil Service Retirement System, the Military Retirement System, judicial plans, and other federal agency retirement systems. "Plan year" means the calendar, policy, or fiscal year the plan uses to keep its records.

Full Legal Text

Title 31, §9502

Money and Finance — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In this chapter—
(1)“Government pension plan”—
(A)means a pension, annuity, retirement, or similar plan (except a plan covered under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) or a plan or program financed by contributions required under chapter 21 or 22 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 3101 et seq., 3201 et seq.)) established or maintained by an agency, for any of its officers or employees, regardless of the number of participants covered by the plan; and
(B)includes—
(i)the Civil Service Retirement System.
(ii)the Coast Guard Retirement System.
(iii)the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service Retirement System.
(iv)the Farm Credit District Retirement Plans.
(v)the Federal Home Loan Bank Board Retirement Systems.
(vi)the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Plan.
(vii)the Federal Reserve Employees Retirement Plans.
(viii)the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System.
(ix)judicial plans.
(x)the Military Retirement System.
(xi)the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retirement System.
(xii)nonappropriated fund plans.
(xiii)the Tennessee Valley Authority Retirement System.
(2)“plan year” means the calendar, policy, or fiscal year chosen by the Government pension plan on which the records of the plan are kept.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 9502(1)31:68c.Sept. 12, 1950, ch. 946, 64 Stat. 832, §§ 123, 124; added Nov. 4, 1978, Pub. L. 95–595, § 1, 92 Stat. 2542. 9502(2)31:68d. In clause (1), before subclause (A), the word “Federal” is omitted as unnecessary. In subclause (A), the words “whether or not such plan is an employee pension benefit plan within the meaning of section 3(2) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. 1002(2)]” are omitted as surplus. The words “an agency” are substituted for “Government of the United States, or any agency or instrumentality thereof” because of section 101 of the revised title. In subclause (B), before subclause (i), the words “but is not limited to” are omitted as surplus. The text of 31:68c(b)(words before colon) is omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement. In clause (2), 31:68d(1st sentence) is omitted as executed. The definition in 31:68d(last sentence) is made applicable to the chapter for clarity because the defined term is used in 9503(a)(1)(B) of the revised title.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, referred to in par. (1)(A), is Pub. L. 93–406, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 829, which is classified principally to chapter 18 (§ 1001 et seq.) of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1001 of Title 29 and Tables.

Amendments

1986—Par. (1)(A). Pub. L. 99–514 substituted “Internal Revenue Code of 1986” for “Internal Revenue Code of 1954”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

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

31 U.S.C. § 9502

Title 31Money and Finance

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73