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Title 50, War and National DefenseRelease 119-73not60

§3972 Insurance Rights and Protections

Title 50 › Chapter 50— SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF › Subchapter IV— LIFE INSURANCE › § 3972

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Gives insurance protections to the insured, the insured’s legal representative, or the insured’s beneficiary when the insured is outside a State. The Department of Veterans Affairs will give the application steps; applicants must send the original to the insurer and a copy to the VA. Total protection cannot be more than $250,000 or an amount equal to the Servicemember’s Group Life Insurance maximum limit, whichever is greater, no matter how many policies are involved.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §3972

War and National Defense, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The rights and protections under this subchapter apply to the insured when—
(1)the insured,
(2)the insured’s legal representative, or
(3)the insured’s beneficiary in the case of an insured who is outside a State,
(b)The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall notify the Secretary concerned of the procedures to be used to apply for the protections provided under this subchapter. The applicant shall send the original application to the insurer and a copy to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
(c)The total amount of life insurance coverage protection provided by this subchapter for a servicemember may not exceed $250,000, or an amount equal to the Servicemember’s Group Life Insurance maximum limit, whichever is greater, regardless of the number of policies submitted.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 542 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 402 of act Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, art. IV, 54 Stat. 1183; Oct. 6, 1942, ch. 581, § 13, 56 Stat. 774; Pub. L. 102–12, § 9(13), Mar. 18, 1991, 105 Stat. 40, related to form of application, reports to Secretary of Veterans Affairs by insurer, and deeming of policy modified upon application for protection, prior to the general amendment of this Act by Pub. L. 108–189. See section 3973 of this title.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable to any case not final before Dec. 19, 2003, see section 3 of Pub. L. 108–189, set out as a note under section 3901 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 3972

Title 50, War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60