Title 50, War and National DefenseRelease 119-110

§3973 Application for Insurance Protection

Title 50 › CHAPTER 50 — SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF › SUBCHAPTER IV — LIFE INSURANCE › § 3973

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

To get protection under this part, the insured, the insured’s legal representative, or the insured’s beneficiary must send a written, signed application. The application must name the insurer and the policy and say that the insured’s rights under the policy are changed by these rules. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs can ask the applicant, the insured, or the insurer for more information. When the insurer gets the application, the insurer must send a report about the policy to the Secretary following the Secretary’s rules. Once an application is filed, the insured and the insurer are treated as if they agreed to any policy changes needed to make these rules work.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §3973

War and National Defense, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Application procedure
An application for protection under this subchapter shall—
(1)be in writing and signed by the insured, the insured’s legal representative, or the insured’s beneficiary, as the case may be;
(2)identify the policy and the insurer; and
(3)include an acknowledgement that the insured’s rights under the policy are subject to and modified by the provisions of this subchapter.
(b)Additional requirements
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may require additional information from the applicant, the insured and the insurer to determine if the policy is entitled to protection under this subchapter.
(c)Notice to the Secretary by the insurer
Upon receipt of the application of the insured, the insurer shall furnish a report concerning the policy to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as required by regulations prescribed by the Secretary.
(d)Policy modification
Upon application for protection under this subchapter, the insured and the insurer shall have constructively agreed to any policy modification necessary to give this title full force and effect.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 543 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 403 of act Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, art. IV, 54 Stat. 1184; Oct. 6, 1942, ch. 581, § 13, 56 Stat. 775; Pub. L. 102–12, § 9(14), Mar. 18, 1991, 105 Stat. 40, related to determination of policies entitled to protection, notice to parties, and lapse of policies for nonpayment of premiums, prior to the general amendment of this Act by Pub. L. 108–189. See section 3974 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. § 3973

Title 50, War and National Defense

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110