---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2601a"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2601a"
heading: "Direct acceptance of gifts by members of the armed forces and Department of Defense and Coast Guard employees and their families"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2601a"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 155 — Acceptance of Gifts and Services"
---

# §2601a. Direct acceptance of gifts by members of the armed forces and Department of Defense and Coast Guard employees and their families

- (a) **Regulations Governing Acceptance of Gifts.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense (and the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Homeland Security in the case of the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy) shall prescribe regulations to provide that, subject to such limitations as may be specified in such regulations, the following individuals may accept gifts from nonprofit organizations, private parties, and other sources outside the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense or the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Homeland Security:
    - (A) A member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) described in [subsection (b)](#b).
    - (B) A civilian employee of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense or Coast Guard described in [subsection (c)](#c).
    - (C) The family members of such a member or employee.
    - (D) Survivors of such a member or employee who is killed.
  - (2) The regulations required by this subsection shall—
    - (A) apply uniformly to all elements of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense and, to the maximum extent feasible, to the Coast Guard; and
    - (B) require review and approval by a designated [agency](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) ethics official before acceptance of a gift to ensure that acceptance of the gift complies with the Joint Ethics Regulation.
- (b) **Covered Members.—** This section applies to a member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) who, while performing [active duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-1), [full-time National Guard duty](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-5), or [inactive-duty training](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-7) on or after September 11, 2001, incurred an injury or illness—
  - (1) as described in [section 1413a(e)(2) of this title](/usc/10/1413a.md?p=e-2);
  - (2) in an operation or area designated as a combat operation or a combat zone, respectively, by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense in accordance with the regulations prescribed under [subsection (a)](#a);
  - (3) that results in enrollment in a Warriors in Transition [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), as defined in section 738(e) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112–239; [10 U.S.C. 1071](/usc/10/1071.md) note); or
  - (4) under other circumstances determined by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-5) to warrant treatment analogous to members covered by [paragraph (1)](#b-1).
- (c) **Covered Employees.—** This section applies to a civilian employee of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense or Coast Guard who, while an employee on or after September 11, 2001, incurred an injury or illness under a circumstance described in [subsection (b)](#b).
- (d) **Gifts From Certain Sources Prohibited.—** The regulations prescribed under [subsection (a)](#a) may not authorize the acceptance of a gift from a foreign government or international organization or their agents.
- (e) **Application of Certain Regulations.—** To the extent provided in the regulations issued under [subsection (a)](#a) to implement [subsection (b)(2)](#b-2), the regulations shall apply to the acceptance of gifts received after December 31, 2011, for injuries or illnesses incurred on or after September 11, 2001.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, § 591(a), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4231; amended Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title V, § 543, Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1411; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1076(f)(32), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1954; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(e)(4), (f)(19), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3510, 3511; Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title V, § 522, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2570.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Subsec. (b)(3), (4). Pub. L. 117–263, § 522(1), added par. (3) and redesignated former par. (3) as (4).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 117–263, § 522(2), struck out “paragraph (1), (2) or (3) of” before “subsection (b)”.

2014—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1071(f)(19)(A), substituted “prescribe” for “issue”.

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1071(f)(19)(B), substituted “prescribed” for “issued”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 113–291, § 1071(e)(4), substituted “after December 31, 2011,” for “after the date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012”.

2013—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 112–239 inserted “when it is not operating as a service in the Navy” after “Coast Guard” in introductory provisions.

2011—Subsec. (b)(2), (3). Pub. L. 112–81, § 543(1), added par. (2) and redesignated former par. (2) as (3).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 112–81, § 543(2), substituted “paragraph (1), (2) or (3) of subsection (b)” for “paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (c)”.

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 112–81, § 543(3), added subsec. (e).