Title 38 — Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73
§1131 Basic entitlement
Title 38 › Part PART II— - GENERAL BENEFITS › Chapter CHAPTER 11— - COMPENSATION FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY OR DEATH › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - PEACETIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION › § 1131
Summary
Pays compensation to veterans who were injured, got sick, or had a preexisting condition worsen while on active military, naval, air, or space service in peacetime, if they had a non‑dishonorable discharge. No payment if the disability was caused by the veteran’s willful misconduct or by alcohol or drug abuse.
Full Legal Text
Title 38, §1131
Veterans' Benefits — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
For disability resulting from personal injury suffered or disease contracted in line of duty, or for aggravation of a preexisting injury suffered or disease contracted in line of duty, in the active military, naval, air, or space service, during other than a period of war, the United States will pay to any veteran thus disabled and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable from the period of service in which said injury or disease was incurred, or preexisting injury or disease was aggravated, compensation as provided in this subchapter, but no compensation shall be paid if the disability is a result of the veteran’s own willful misconduct or abuse of alcohol or drugs.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2021—Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “air, or space service” for “or air service”. 1998—Pub. L. 105–178, which directed the substitution of “, abuse of alcohol or drugs, or use of tobacco products” for “or abuse of alcohol or drugs” before the period at end, was amended generally by Pub. L. 105–206, which provided that the
Amendments
made by that section as originally enacted shall be treated for all purposes as not having been made. See
Effective Date
of 1998 Amendment note below. 1991—Pub. L. 102–83 renumbered section 331 of this title as this section. 1990—Pub. L. 101–508 substituted “a result of the veteran’s own willful misconduct or abuse of alcohol or drugs” for “the result of the veteran’s own willful misconduct”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1998 AmendmentTitle IX of Pub. L. 105–206 effective simultaneously with enactment of Pub. L. 105–178 and to be treated as included in Pub. L. 105–178 at time of enactment, and provisions of Pub. L. 105–178, as in effect on day before July 22, 1998, that are amended by title IX of Pub. L. 105–206 to be treated as not enacted, see section 9016 of Pub. L. 105–206, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 23, Highways.
Effective Date
of 1990 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–508 effective with respect to claims filed after Oct. 31, 1990, see section 8052(b) of Pub. L. 101–508, set out as a note under section 105 of this title.
Construction
of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–206, title IX, § 9014(a), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 865, provided that section 8202 of Pub. L. 105–178 is amended generally and that the
Amendments
made by that section as originally enacted shall be treated for all purposes as not having been made.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 1131
Title 38 — Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73