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Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§8148 Forfeiture of benefits by convicted felons

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart G— - Insurance and Annuities › Chapter CHAPTER 81— - COMPENSATION FOR WORK INJURIES › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - GENERALLY › § 8148

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

People convicted of 18 U.S.C. 1920 or any federal or state crime for cheating on an application for benefits under this subchapter or subchapter III lose any right to those benefits for injuries that happened on or before the date of conviction. That loss is in addition to other actions the Secretary of Labor can take under sections 8106 or 8129. Also, no benefits will be paid while a person is imprisoned for a felony, and the person cannot get those missed payments after release. If the person has dependents (see section 8110(a)), the Secretary may pay them a share using the percentages in 8133(a)(1)–(5). Federal, state, and local agencies must, on written request, give the Secretary of Labor the names and Social Security account numbers of people jailed after a felony conviction, even if other privacy laws (for example, section 552a) would normally restrict that, so the Secretary can enforce these rules.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §8148

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Any individual convicted of a violation of section 1920 of title 18, or any other Federal or State criminal statute relating to fraud in the application for or receipt of any benefit under this subchapter or subchapter III of this chapter, shall forfeit (as of the date of such conviction) any entitlement to any benefit such individual would otherwise be entitled to under this subchapter or subchapter III for any injury occurring on or before the date of such conviction. Such forfeiture shall be in addition to any action the Secretary may take under section 8106 or 8129.
(b)(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter (except as provided under paragraph (3)), no benefits under this subchapter or subchapter III of this chapter shall be paid or provided to any individual during any period during which such individual is confined in a jail, prison, or other penal institution or correctional facility, pursuant to that individual’s conviction of an offense that constituted a felony under applicable law.
(2)Such individual shall not be entitled to receive the benefits forfeited during the period of incarceration under paragraph (1), after such period of incarceration ends.
(3)If an individual has one or more dependents as defined under section 8110(a), the Secretary of Labor may, during the period of incarceration, pay to such dependents a percentage of the benefits that would have been payable to such individual computed according to the percentages set forth in section 8133(a)(1) through (5).
(c)Notwithstanding the provision of section 552a of this title, or any other provision of Federal or State law, any agency of the United States Government or of any State (or political subdivision thereof) shall make available to the Secretary of Labor, upon written request, the names and Social Security account numbers of individuals who are confined in a jail, prison, or other penal institution or correctional facility under the jurisdiction of such agency, pursuant to such individuals’ conviction of an offense that constituted a felony under applicable law, which the Secretary of Labor may require to carry out the provisions of this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 8148, Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 555, provided for a report to Congress by Secretary of Labor at beginning of each regular session covering work for preceding fiscal year under this subchapter, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 90–83, § 1(69), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 213.

Amendments

1998—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 105–247 substituted “or receipt” for “a receipt”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 103–333, title I, § 101(c), Sept. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 2548, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [enacting this section and amending section 1920 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Sept. 30, 1994]. The

Amendments

made by subsection (a) [enacting this section] shall apply to claims filed before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act, and shall apply only to individuals convicted after such date of enactment.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 8148

Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73