38 USC 1101 - Definitions

View all text of Subchapter I [§ 1101 - § 1104]

§ 1101. DefinitionsFor the purposes of this chapter—

(1) The term “veteran” includes a person who died in the active military, naval, air, or space service.

(2) The term “period of war” includes, in the case of any veteran—

(A) any period of service performed by such veteran after November 11, 1918, and before July 2, 1921, if such veteran served in the active military, naval, air, or space service after April 5, 1917, and before November 12, 1918; and

(B) any period of continuous service performed by such veteran after December 31, 1946, and before July 26, 1947, if such period began before January 1, 1947.

(3) The term “chronic disease” includes—

Anemia, primary

Arteriosclerosis

Arthritis

Atrophy, progressive muscular

Brain hemorrhage

Brain thrombosis

Bronchiectasis

Calculi of the kidney, bladder, or gallbladder

Cardiovascular-renal disease, including hypertension

Cirrhosis of the liver

Coccidioidomycosis

Diabetes mellitus

Encephalitis lethargica residuals

Endocarditis

Endocrinopathies

Epilepsies

Hansen’s disease

Hodgkin’s disease

Leukemia

Lupus erythematosus, systemic

Myasthenia gravis

Myelitis

Myocarditis

Nephritis

Organic diseases of the nervous system

Osteitis deformans (Paget’s disease)

Osteomalacia

Palsy, bulbar

Paralysis agitans

Psychoses

Purpura idiopathic, hemorrhagic

Raynaud’s disease

Sarcoidosis

Scleroderma

Sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral

Sclerosis, multiple

Syringomyelia

Thromboangiitis obliterans (Buerger’s disease)

Tuberculosis, active

Tumors, malignant, or of the brain or spinal cord or peripheral nerves

Ulcers, peptic (gastric or duodenal)

and such other chronic diseases as the Secretary may add to this list.

(4) The term “tropical disease” includes—

Amebiasis

Blackwater fever

Cholera

Dracontiasis

Dysentery

Filiariasis

Hansen’s disease

Leishmaniasis, including kala-azar

Loiasis

Malaria

Onchocerciasis

Oroya fever

Pinta

Plague

Schistosomiasis

Yaws

Yellow fever

and such other tropical diseases as the Secretary may add to this list.

(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1118, § 301; Pub. L. 94–433, title IV, §§ 401(2), (3), 404(1), Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1377, 1378; Pub. L. 98–160, title VII, § 702(2), Nov. 21, 1983, 97 Stat. 1009; Pub. L. 100–322, title III, § 313, May 20, 1988, 102 Stat. 535; renumbered § 1101 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 404–406; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 926(a)(5), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3830.)