---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1537"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1537"
heading: "Children of Spanish-American War veterans"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1537"
units:
  - "Part II — General Benefits"
  - "Chapter 15 — Pension for Non-Service-Connected Disability or Death or for Service"
  - "Subchapter III — Pensions to Surviving Spouses and Children"
---

# §1537. Children of Spanish-American War veterans


Whenever there is no [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3) entitled to [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) under [section 1536 of this title](/usc/38/1536.md), the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall pay to the children of each [Spanish-American War](/usc/38/101.md?p=6) [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) who met the service requirements of [section 1512(a) of this title](/usc/38/1512.md?p=a) a [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) at the monthly rate of $73.13 for one [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1), plus $8.13 for each additional [child](/usc/38/1831.md?p=1), with the total amount equally divided.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1138, § 537; Pub. L. 94–169, title I, § 106(39), Dec. 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1019; renumbered § 1537 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), (c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 404–406.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), renumbered section 537 of this title as this section.

Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “1536” for “536” and “1512(a)” for “512(a)”.

Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”.

1975—Pub. L. 94–169 substituted “surviving spouse” for “widow”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1975 Amendment

Pub. L. 94–169, title I, § 106, Dec. 23, 1975, 89 Stat. 1017, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective Jan. 1, 1976.