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Title 38 — Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-73not60

§1131 Basic Entitlement

Title 38 › Part II— GENERAL BENEFITS › Chapter 11— COMPENSATION FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY OR DEATH › Subchapter IV— PEACETIME DISABILITY COMPENSATION › § 1131

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The United States pays disability benefits to a veteran who became disabled from an injury or disease that began or got worse while on active military, naval, air, or space service during a non‑war period, if the veteran was discharged from that service under conditions other than dishonorable. No payments are allowed if the disability was caused by the veteran’s own 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made by that section as originally enacted shall be treated for all purposes as not having been made.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 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60