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Title 38, Veterans' BenefitsRelease 119-102

§3741 Definitions

Title 38 › PART III — READJUSTMENT AND RELATED BENEFITS › CHAPTER 37 — HOUSING AND SMALL BUSINESS LOANS › SUBCHAPTER IV — SMALL BUSINESS LOANS › § 3741

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines who counts as two kinds of veterans. A "disabled veteran" is a veteran rated 30 percent or more for disability pay by the Secretary, or a veteran who left active duty because a disability happened or got worse while serving. A "veteran of the Vietnam era" is someone who served on active duty more than 180 days with any time during the Vietnam era and left without a dishonorable discharge, or someone who was discharged for a disability caused by their service if any of that active duty was during the Vietnam era.

Full Legal Text

Title 38, §3741

Veterans' Benefits, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For the purposes of this subchapter—
(1)The term “disabled veteran” means (A) a veteran who is entitled to compensation under laws administered by the Secretary for a disability rated at 30 percent or more, or (B) a veteran whose discharge or release from active duty was for a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty.
(2)The term “veteran of the Vietnam era” means a person (A) who served on active duty for a period of more than 180 days, any part of which occurred during the Vietnam era, and who was discharged or released therefrom with other than a dishonorable discharge, or (B) who was discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability if any part of such active duty was performed during the Vietnam era.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 1841 of this title as this section. Par. (1). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(1), substituted “administered by the Secretary” for “administered by the Veterans’ Administration”. 1986—Pub. L. 99–576 substituted “percent” for “per centum” in par. (1) and “180” for “one hundred and eighty” in par. (2).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 97–72, title III, § 305, Nov. 3, 1981, 95 Stat. 1060, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this title [see Tables for classification] shall take effect at the end of the one-hundred-and-eighty-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 3, 1981], except that the authority of the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs to promulgate

Regulations

under subchapter IV of chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code (as added by section 302), shall take effect on such date of enactment.”

Short Title

For

Short Title

of title III of Pub. L. 97–72, which enacted this subchapter, as the “Veterans’ Small Business Loan Act of 1981”, see section 301 of Pub. L. 97–72, set out as a

Short Title

of 1981

Amendments

note under section 101 of this title. Authorization of Appropriations Pub. L. 97–72, title III, § 304, Nov. 3, 1981, 95 Stat. 1060, authorized to be appropriated a total of $750,000 for fiscal years 1982 through 1986 for use by Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs for expenses incidental to establishment of small business loan program authorized by subchapter IV of this chapter.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

38 U.S.C. § 3741

Title 38, Veterans' Benefits

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102