Title 38 — Veterans’ Benefits
Part II · Chapter 19 — Insurance
§ 1918. Assignments
Statutory text
Assignments of all or any part of the beneficiary’s interest may be made by a designated beneficiary to a widow, widower, child, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the insured, when the designated contingent beneficiary, if any, joins the beneficiary in the assignment, and if the assignment is delivered to the Secretary before any payments of the insurance shall have been made to the beneficiary. However, an interest in an annuity, when assigned, shall be payable in equal monthly installments in such multiple of twelve as most nearly equals the number of installments certain under such annuity, or in two hundred and forty installments, whichever is the lesser. The provisions of this subsection shall not be applicable to insurance maturing after .
Except as to insurance granted under the provisions of section 1922(b) of this title, any person to whom insurance maturing after , is payable may assign all or any portion of such person’s interest in such insurance to a widow, widower, child, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brother, or sister of the insured when the designated contingent beneficiary, if any, joins the beneficiary in the assignment. Such joinder shall not be required in any case in which the insurance proceeds are payable in a lump sum.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Pub. L. 85–857 · 72 Stat. 1105
Enacted · 38 U.S.C. § 1918
Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1153, § 718
Source evidence
Code source credit
Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1153, § 718Pub. L. 87–557 § 1 · 76 Stat. 245
Amended · 38 U.S.C. § 1918
Pub. L. 87–557 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a)
Inserted · 38 U.S.C. § 1918
Pub. L. 87–557 inserted sentence making subsection inapplicable to insurance maturing on or after “the date of enactment of this sentence [July 27, 1962]”
Added · 38 U.S.C. § 1918
Pub. L. 87–557 added subsec. (b)
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Pub. L. 87–557 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted sentence making subsection inapplicable to insurance maturing on or after “the date of enactment of this sentence [July 27, 1962]”, and added subsec. (b).Veterans’ Disability Compensation and Survivors’ Benefits Amendments of 1979
Pub. L. 96–128 title III § 304 · 93 Stat. 982
Substituted · 38 U.S.C. § 1918(b)
Pub. L. 96–128 substituted “such person’s” for “his”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–128 substituted “such person’s” for “his”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
Sec. 304. technical amendments Sections 718(b) and 753 are amended by striking out “his” and inserting in lieu thereof “such person’s”.Effective date note
Amendment by Pub. L. 96–128 effective Nov. 28, 1979, see section 601(b) of Pub. L. 96–128, set out as a note under section 1114 of this title.Pub. L. 97–295 § 4(24) · 96 Stat. 1287
Substituted · 38 U.S.C. § 1918(a)
Pub. L. 97–295 substituted “after July 26, 1962” for “on or after the date of enactment of this sentence”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–295 substituted “after July 26, 1962” for “on or after the date of enactment of this sentence”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(24) Section 718 (a) and (b) is amended by striking out “on or after the date of enactment of this sentence” and substituting “after July 26, 1962” and “after July 26, 1962,”, respectively.Pub. L. 97–295 § 4(24) · 96 Stat. 1287
Substituted · 38 U.S.C. § 1918(b)
Pub. L. 97–295 substituted “after July 26, 1982,” for “on or after the date of enactment of this sentence”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–295 substituted “after July 26, 1982,” for “on or after the date of enactment of this sentence”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(24) Section 718 (a) and (b) is amended by striking out “on or after the date of enactment of this sentence” and substituting “after July 26, 1962” and “after July 26, 1962,”, respectively.Pub. L. 102–83 § 5(a) · 105 Stat. 378
Changed · 38 U.S.C. § 1918
Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 718 of this title as this section
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 718 of this title as this section.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(a) Redesignation of Sections to Conform to Chapter Numbers.— Each section contained in any of chapters 11 through 23 is redesignated by replacing the first digit of the section number with the number of the chapter containing that section. Each section contained in any of chapters 24 through 42 is redesignated so that the first two digits of the section number of that section are the same as the chapter number of the chapter containing that section.Pub. L. 102–83 § 4(a)(2)(A)(iii)(III) · 105 Stat. 378
Substituted · 38 U.S.C. § 1918(a)
Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(2)(A)(iii)(III), substituted “Secretary” for “Veterans’ Administration”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(2)(A)(iii)(III), substituted “Secretary” for “Veterans’ Administration”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(III) section 718(a);Pub. L. 102–83 § 5(c)(1) · 105 Stat. 378
Substituted · 38 U.S.C. § 1918(b)
Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “1922(b)” for “722(b)”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “1922(b)” for “722(b)”.Enacted provision · exact public law section
(1) Each provision of title 38, United States Code, that contains a reference to a section redesignated by subsection (a) is amended so that the reference refers to the section as redesignated.
6 of 10 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 4 partial
Editorial Notes
Amendments1962–1991 · 4 rounds
1991
Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 718 of this title as this section.
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(2)(A)(iii)(III), substituted “Secretary” for “Veterans’ Administration”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “1922(b)” for “722(b)”.
1982
Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 97–295 substituted “after ” for “on or after the date of enactment of this sentence”.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 97–295 substituted “after ,” for “on or after the date of enactment of this sentence”.
1979
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–128 substituted “such person’s” for “his”.
1962
Pub. L. 87–557 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted sentence making subsection inapplicable to insurance maturing on or after “the date of enactment of this sentence []”, and added subsec. (b).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1979 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 96–128 effective , see section 601(b) of Pub. L. 96–128, set out as a note under section 1114 of this title.
Credits
1958–1991 · 5 acts
- 1958Pub. L. 85–857, , 72 Stat. 1153, § 718
- 1962Pub. L. 87–557, § 1, , 76 Stat. 245
- 1979Pub. L. 96–128, title III, § 304, , 93 Stat. 986
- 1982Pub. L. 97–295, § 4(24), , 96 Stat. 1306
- 1991renumbered § 1918 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(a)(2)(A)(iii)(III), 5(a), (c)(1), , 105 Stat. 403, 406.
Show as published
(Pub. L. 85–857, , 72 Stat. 1153, § 718; Pub. L. 87–557, § 1, , 76 Stat. 245; Pub. L. 96–128, title III, § 304, , 93 Stat. 986; Pub. L. 97–295, § 4(24), , 96 Stat. 1306; renumbered § 1918 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(a)(2)(A)(iii)(III), 5(a), (c)(1), , 105 Stat. 403, 406.)