Title 38, Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-102
§1973 Forfeiture
Title 38 › PART II — GENERAL BENEFITS › CHAPTER 19 — INSURANCE › SUBCHAPTER III — SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE › § 1973
Summary
People guilty of mutiny, treason, spying, desertion, or refusing military service or to wear the uniform lose SGLI/VGLI. No insurance pays for deaths by lawful punishment or military/naval offenses, unless by a U.S. enemy.
Full Legal Text
Title 38, §1973
Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Any person guilty of mutiny, treason, spying, or desertion, or who, because of conscientious objections, refuses to perform service in the Armed Forces of the United States or refuses to wear the uniform of such force, shall forfeit all rights to Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance under this subchapter. No such insurance shall be payable for death inflicted as a lawful punishment for crime or for military or naval offense, except when inflicted by an enemy of the United States.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2008—Pub. L. 110–389 inserted “and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance” before “under this subchapter”. 1996—Pub. L. 104–275 substituted “Servicemembers’ Group” for “Servicemen’s Group”. 1991—Pub. L. 102–83 renumbered section 773 of this title as this section.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2008 Amendment Pub. L. 110–389, title IV, § 403(e)(4), Oct. 10, 2008, 122 Stat. 4175, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (d) [amending this section] shall apply with respect to any act of mutiny, treason, spying, or desertion committed on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 10, 2008] for which a person is found guilty, or with respect to refusal because of conscientious objections to perform service in, or to wear the uniform of, the Armed Forces on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
38 U.S.C. § 1973
Title 38, Veterans' Benefits
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102