Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110
§4066 Cost-of-living Adjustment of Annuities
Title 22 › CHAPTER 52 — FOREIGN SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER VIII — FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY › Part I — Foreign Service Retirement and Disability System › § 4066
Summary
Cost-of-living increases for annuities from the Fund must match the percentage and take effect on the same date used under 5 U.S.C. 8340(b). They apply to any annuity that began on or before that effective date. If an annuity or a survivor’s annuity did not get an earlier increase, the first increase is prorated: take 1/12 of the full percent and multiply by the number of months the annuity was paid before the increase (count any part of a month as a full month). That prorated amount is rounded to the nearest one‑tenth of one percent. A surviving spouse (except certain child beneficiaries) receives the total percentage the annuitant had at death, starting when the survivor’s annuity begins. For child annuities, the dollar figures $900, $1,080, $2,700, and $3,240 are increased by the same total percent used under 5 U.S.C. 8340 on the child’s start date. Voluntary additional annuities bought at retirement are not increased. After adjustment, the monthly payment is rounded down to the next lower dollar but must go up by at least $1. Surviving spouses of annuitants who chose a reduced annuity before October 1, 1976 get a 10% increase from their start date. No increase may raise an annuity above the greater of (A) the FS–1 top pay rate under section 3963 as of 30 days before the increase, or (B) the former participant’s final (or higher average) pay increased by the compounded overall annual percent changes in Foreign Service pay from the annuity start date to the increase date. "Pay" means salary or basic pay.
Full Legal Text
Title 22, §4066
Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Effective date
A cost-of-living annuity increase shall become effective under this section on the effective date of each such increase under section 8340(b) of title 5. Each such increase shall be applied to each annuity payable from the Fund under this part which has a commencing date not later than the effective date of the increase.
(b)Applicability of increases under other provisions of law
Each annuity increase under this section shall be identical to the corresponding percentage increase under section 8340(b) of title 5.
(c)Eligibility for increases
Eligibility for an annuity increase under this section shall be governed by the commencing date of each annuity payable from the Fund under this part as of the effective date of an increase except as follows:
(1)The first increase (if any) made under this section to an annuity which is payable from the Fund to a participant or to the surviving spouse or former spouse of a deceased participant who died in service or a deceased annuitant whose annuity was not increased under this section, shall be equal to the product (adjusted to the nearest ⅒ of 1 percent) of—
(A)1⁄12 of the applicable percent change computed under subsection (b) of this section, multiplied by
(B)the number of months (counting any portion of a month as a month)—
(i)for which the annuity was payable from the Fund before the effective date of the increase, or
(ii)in the case of a surviving spouse or former spouse of a deceased annuitant whose annuity has not been so increased, since the annuity was first payable to the deceased annuitant.
(2)Effective from its commencing date, an annuity payable from the Fund under this part to the survivor of an annuitant, except a child entitled to an annuity under section 4046(c) of this title or section 4049(c) or (d) of this title, shall be increased by the total percentage increase the annuitant was receiving under this section at death.
(3)For purposes of computing or recomputing an annuity to a child under section 4046(c) or (d) of this title or section 4049(c) or (d) of this title, the items $900, $1,080, $2,700, and $3,240 appearing in section 4046(c) of this title shall be increased by the total percentage increases by which corresponding amounts are being increased under section 8340 of title 5 on the date the annuity of the child becomes effective.
(d)Exclusion of additional annuity purchased after retirement by voluntary contribution
No increase in annuity provided by this section shall be computed on any additional annuity purchased at retirement by voluntary contributions.
(e)Rounding off of amount; minimum increases
The monthly installment of annuity after adjustment under this section shall be rounded to the next lowest dollar, except such installment shall after adjustment reflect an increase of at least $1.
(f)Rate of increase for surviving spouses of annuitants electing reduced annuity
Effective from its commencing date, there shall be an increase of 10 percent in the annuity of each surviving spouse whose entitlement to annuity resulted from the death of an annuitant who, prior to October 1, 1976, elected a reduced annuity in order to provide a spouse’s survivor annuity.
(g)Maximum annuity
(1)An annuity shall not be increased by reason of any adjustment under this section to an amount which exceeds the greater of—
(A)the maximum pay rate payable for class FS–1 under section 3963 of this title, 30 days before the effective date of the adjustment under this section; or
(B)the final pay (or average pay, if higher) of the former participant with respect to whom the annuity is paid, increased by the overall annual average percentage adjustments (compounded) in rates of pay of the Foreign Service Schedule under such section 3963 of this title during the period—
(i)beginning on the date the annuity commenced (or, in the case of a survivor of the retired participant, the date the participant’s annuity commenced), and
(ii)ending on the effective date of the adjustment under this section.
(2)For the purposes of paragraph (1) of this subsection, “pay” means the rate of salary or basic pay as payable under any provision of law, including any provision of law limiting the expenditure of appropriated funds.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1988—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 100–238 amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “The first increase (if any) made under this section to an annuity which is payable from the Fund under this part to a participant or to the surviving spouse of a deceased participant who dies in service shall be equal to the product (adjusted to the nearest ⅒ of 1 percent) of— “(a) ⅙ of the applicable percent change determined under subsection (b) of this section, multiplied by “(b) the number of full months for which the annuity was payable from the Fund under this part before the
Effective Date
of the increase (counting any portion of a month as a full month). In the administration of this paragraph, the number of days of unused sick leave to the credit of a participant or deceased participant on the
Effective Date
of the then last preceding general annuity increase under this section shall be deemed to be equal to the number of days of unused sick leave to his or her credit on the day of separation from the Service.” 1986—Subsecs. (a), (c). Pub. L. 99–335 inserted “under this part” after “payable from the Fund” wherever appearing. 1983—Subsec. (e). Ex. Ord. No. 12446, § 2(a), substituted “rounded to the next lowest” for “fixed at the nearest”. Subsec. (g). Ex. Ord. No. 12446, § 6(a), added subsec. (g). 1981—Subsec. (c)(1). Ex. Ord. No. 12289 amended first sentence of par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, first sentence read as follows: “An annuity (except a deferred annuity) payable from the Fund to a participant who retires and receives an immediate annuity, or to a surviving spouse or former spouse of a deceased participant who dies in service or who dies after being separated with benefits under section 4009(b)(2) of this title, which has a commencing date after the
Effective Date
of the then last preceding general annuity increase under this section shall not be less than the annuity which would have been payable if the commencing date of such annuity had been the
Effective Date
of such last preceding increase.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1988 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–238 effective 90 days after Jan. 8, 1988, see section 261(a) of Pub. L. 100–238, set out as a note under section 4054 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1986 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 99–335 effective Jan. 1, 1987, see section 702(a) of Pub. L. 99–335, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 8401 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Effective Date
of 1983 AmendmentAmendment by section 2(a) Ex. Ord. No. 12446 effective with respect to any adjustment or redetermination of any annuity made on or after Oct. 17, 1983, see section 2(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 12446, set out under section 4067 of this title. Amendment by section 6 of Ex. Ord. No. 12446 applicable to any adjustment occurring on or after Apr. 1, 1983 under this section to any annuity payable from the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund, whether such annuity has a commencing date before, on, or after Oct. 17, 1983, but shall not cause any annuity to be reduced below the rate that is payable on Oct. 17, 1983, see section 6(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 12446, set out under section 4067 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1981 AmendmentAmendment by Ex. Ord. No. 12289 effective Feb. 15, 1981, see section 3 of Ex. Ord. No. 12289, set out under section 4067 of this title. Delay in Cost-of-Living Adjustments During Fiscal Years 1994, 1995, and 1996Any cost-of-living increase scheduled to take effect during fiscal year 1994, 1995, or 1996 under this section delayed until first day of third calendar month after date such increase would otherwise take effect, see section 11001 of Pub. L. 103–66, set out as a note under section 8340 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
22 U.S.C. § 4066
Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110