WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 38, Veterans' Benefits › Chapter 53

38 U.S.C. 5301: Nonassignability and exempt status of benefits

Created in 1958 by Public Law 85-857. Changed by 11 later laws. No bill we track in this Congress changes it.

4 other sections of the Code cite this one, including 26 U.S.C. 140, 38 U.S.C. 1908, 42 U.S.C. 417, 42 U.S.C. 659.

1 part of federal rules cite it as their authority, written by Fiscal Service, Department of the Treasury (1).

This Congress

No bill we track in the 119th Congress changes this section.

    How it got here

    2003

    • Pub. L. 108–183 inserted "(1)" after "(a)", designated last sentence as par. (2), and added par. (3). (Veterans Benefits Act of 2003) Law text · (a)

    1991

    • Pub. L. 102–40, §402(b)(1), renumbered section 3101 of this title as this section.
    • Pub. L. 102–83, §4(a)(1), substituted "administered by the Secretary" for "administered by the Veterans' Administration". · (a), (b)
    • Pub. L. 102–83, §4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted "Secretary" for "Administrator". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 102–83, §4(a)(1), substituted "administered by the Secretary" for "administered by the Veterans' Administration". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 102–25 made a technical correction to Pub. L. 101–189. See 1989 Amendment note below. · (c)
    • Pub. L. 102–83, §4(b)(4)(C), substituted "that Secretary" for second, third, and fourth references to "the Secretary". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 102–83, §4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted "Secretary" for "Administrator" before "to make". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 102–86 inserted before period at end "or to the Retired Pay Account of the Coast Guard, as appropriate". · (c)
    • Pub. L. 102–83, §4(a)(1), substituted "administered by the Secretary" for "administered by the Veterans' Administration". · (d)
    • Pub. L. 102–54 amended subsec. (d) as in effect immediately before enactment of Pub. L. 102–40 by substituting "Internal Revenue Code of 1986" for "Internal Revenue Code of 1954". · (d)
    • Pub. L. 102–83, §4(a)(1), substituted "administered by the Secretary" for "administered by the Veterans' Administration". · (e)
    • Pub. L. 102–83, §4(a)(2)(A)(vii), substituted "Secretary" for "Veterans' Administration". · (e)
    • Pub. L. 102–40, §402(d)(1), substituted "5305" for "3105". · (e)

    1989

    • Pub. L. 101–189, as amended by Pub. L. 102–25, struck out "subchapter I or II of" after "plan prescribed in". · (c)

    1986

    • Pub. L. 99–576, §701(68)(A), substituted "a" for "his or her" before "benefit check". · (a)
    • Pub. L. 99–576, §701(68)(B), substituted "the beneficiary's" for "his" in four places in first sentence. · (b)
    • Pub. L. 99–576, §504(2), added subsec. (c). Former subsec. (c) redesignated (d). · (c)
    • Pub. L. 99–576, §504(1), redesignated former subsecs. (c) and (d) as (d) and (e), respectively. · (d), (e)

    1982

    • Pub. L. 97–295 inserted "of this section" after "subsection (a)", and substituted "(26 U.S.C. 6331 et seq.)" for "(relating to seizure of property for collection of taxes)". · (c)

    1978

    • Pub. L. 95–479 added subsec. (d). · (d)

    1976

    • Pub. L. 94–502 inserted provision which prohibits, as an assignment, a payee of an educational assistance allowance from designating an attorney-in-fact's address as the payee's address for the purpose of receiving checks and benefits where the attorney-in-fact has also been given auth… · (a)

    Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.