P.L. 97–377, Approved December 21, 1982 (96 Stat. 1830)

Sec. 156. [42 U.S.C. 402 note] (a)(1)  The head of the agency shall pay each month an amount determined under paragraph (2) to a person—

(A)  who is the surviving spouse of a member or former member of the Armed Forces described in subsection (c);

(B)  who has in such person’s care a child of such member or former member who has attained sixteen years of age but not eighteen years of age and is entitled to a child’s insurance benefit under section 202(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(d)) for such month or who meets the requirements for entitlement to the equivalent of such benefit provided under section 1312(a) of title 38, United States Code; and

(C)  who is not entitled for such month to a mother’s insurance benefit under section 202(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(g)), or to the equivalent of such benefit based on meeting the requirements of section 1312(a) of title 38, United States Code, by reason of having such child (or any other child of such member or former member) in her care.

(2)  A payment under paragraph (1) for any month shall be in the amount of the mother’s insurance benefit, if any, that such person would receive for such month under section 202(g) of the Social Security Act if such child were under sixteen years of age, disregarding any adjustments made under section 215(i) of the Social Security Act after August 1981. However, if such person is entitled for such month to a mother’s insurance benefit under section 202(g) of such Act by reason of having the child of a person other than such member or former member of the Armed Forces in such person’s care, the amount of the payment under the preceding sentence for such month shall be reduced (but not below zero) by the amount of the benefit payable by reason of having such child in such person’s care.

(b)(1)  The head of the agency shall pay each month an amount determined under paragraph (2) to a person—

(A)  who is the child of a member or former member of the Armed Forces described in subsection (c);

(B)  who has attained eighteen years of age but not twenty-two years of age and is not under a disability as defined in section 223(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 423(d));

(C)  who is a full-time student at a postsecondary school, college, or university that is an educational institution (as such terms were defined in section 202(d)(7)(A) and (C) of the Social Security Act as in effect before the amendments made by section 2210(a) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (Public Law 97-35; 95 Stat. 841)); and

(D)  who is not entitled for such month to a child’s insurance benefit under section 202(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(d)) or is entitled for such month to such benefit only by reason of section 2210(c) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (95 Stat. 842).

(2)  A payment under paragraph (1) for any month shall be in the amount that the person concerned would have been entitled to receive for such month as a child’s insurance benefit under section 202(d) of the Social Security Act (as in effect before the amendments made by section 2210(a) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (95 Stat. 841)), disregarding any adjustments made under section 215(i) of the Social Security Act after August 1981, but reduced for any month by any amount payable to such person for such month under section 2210(c) of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 (95 Stat. 842).

(c)  A member or former member of the Armed Forces referred to in subsection (a) or (b) as described in this subsection is a member or former member of the Armed Forces who died on active duty before August 13, 1981, or died from a service-connected disability incurred or aggravated before such date.

(d)(1)  The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall provide to the head of the agency such information as the head of the agency may require to carry out this section.

(2)  The head of the agency shall carry out this section under regulations which the head of the agency shall prescribe. Such regulations shall be prescribed not later than ninety days after the date of the enactment of this section ^[351].

(e)(1)  Unless otherwise provided by law—

(A)  each time after December 31, 1981, that an increase is made by law in the dependency and indemnity compensation paid under section 411 of title 38, United States Code, the head of the agency shall, at the same time and effective as of the same date on which such increase takes effect, increase the benefits paid under subsection (a) by a percentage that is equal to the overall average (rounded to the nearest one-tenth of 1 per centum) of the percentages by which each of the dependency and indemnity compensation rates under section 411 of such title are increased above the rates as in effect immediately before such increase; and

(B)  each time after December 31, 1981, that an increase is made by law in the rates of educational assistance allowances provided for under section 1731(b) of title 38, United States Code, the head of the agency shall, at the same time and effective as of the same date on which such increase takes effect, increase the benefits paid under subsection (b) by a percentage that is equal to the overall average (rounded to the nearest one-tenth of 1 per centum) of the percentages by which each of the educational assistance allowance rates provided for under section 1731(b) of such title are increased above the rates as in effect immediately before such increase.

(2)  The amount of the benefit payable to any person under subsection (a) or (b) and the amount of any increase in any such benefit made pursuant to clause (1) or (2) of this subsection, if not a multiple of $1, shall be rounded to the next lower multiple of $1.

(f)  Payments under subsections (a) and (b) shall be made only for months after the month in which this section is enacted.

(g)(1)  During each fiscal year the Secretary of Defense shall transfer from time to time to the head of the agency such amounts as the head of the agency determines to be necessary to pay the benefits provided for under subsections (a) and (b) during such fiscal year and to pay the administrative expenses incurred in paying such benefits during such fiscal year. During fiscal year 1983, transfers under this subsection shall be made from the “Retired Pay, Defense” account of the Department of Defense. During subsequent fiscal years, such transfers shall be made from such account or from funds otherwise available to the Secretary for the purpose of the payment of such benefits and expenses. The Secretary of Defense may transfer funds under this subsection in advance of the payment of benefits and expenses by the head of the agency.

(2)  The head of the agency shall establish on the books of the agency over which he exercises jurisdiction a new account to be used for the payment of benefits under subsections (a) and (b) and shall credit to such account all funds transferred to him for such purpose by the Secretary of Defense.

(h)  The head of the agency and the Secretary of Health and Human Services may enter into an agreement to provide for the payment by the Secretary or the head of the agency of benefits provided for under subsection (a) and benefits provided for under section 202(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(g)) in a single monthly payment and for the payment by the Secretary or the head of the agency of benefits provided for under subsection (b) and benefits provided for under section 202(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(d)) in a single monthly payment, if the head of the agency and the Secretary agree that such action would be practicable and cost effective to the Government.

(i)  For the purposes of this section:

(1)  The term “head of the agency” means the head of such department or agency of the Government as the President shall designate to administer the provisions of this section.

(2)  The terms “active military, naval, or air service” and “service-connected” have the meanings given those terms in paragraphs (24) and (16), respectively, of section 101 of title 38, United States Code, except that for the purposes of this section such terms do not apply to any service in the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.