---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1957"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1957"
heading: "Extra hazard costs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1957"
units:
  - "Part II — General Benefits"
  - "Chapter 19 — Insurance"
  - "Subchapter II — United States Government Life Insurance"
---

# §1957. Extra hazard costs

- (a) The United States shall bear the excess mortality and [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) cost resulting from the hazards of war on United States Government life [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1).
- (b) Whenever benefits under United States Government life [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) become, or have become, payable because of total permanent [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) of the insured or because of the death of the insured as a result of disease or injury traceable to the extra hazard of the military or naval service, as such hazard may be determined by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1), the liability shall be borne by the United States. In such cases the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall transfer from the military and naval [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) appropriation to the United States Government Life [Insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) Fund a sum which, together with the [reserve](/usc/38/101.md?p=26) of the policy at the time of maturity by total permanent [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) or death, will equal the then value of such benefits. When a person receiving total permanent [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) benefits under a United States Government life [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) policy recovers from such [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) and is then entitled to continue a reduced amount of [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1), the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall transfer to the military and naval [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) appropriation all of the loss [reserve](/usc/38/101.md?p=26) to the credit of such policy claim except a sum sufficient to set up the then required [reserve](/usc/38/101.md?p=26) on the reduced amount of the [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) that may be continued, which sum shall be retained in the United States Government Life [Insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) Fund for the purpose of such [reserve](/usc/38/101.md?p=26).
- (c) Whenever benefits under the total [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) provision become, or have become, payable because of total [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) of the insured as a result of disease or injury traceable to the extra hazard of the military or naval service, as such hazard may be determined by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1), the liability shall be borne by the United States, and the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall transfer from the military and naval [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) appropriation to the United States Government Life [Insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) Fund from time to time any amounts which become or have become payable to the insured on account of such total [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1), and shall transfer from the United States Government Life [Insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) Fund to the military and naval [insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) appropriation the amount of the [reserve](/usc/38/101.md?p=26) held on account of the total [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) benefit. When a person receiving such payments on account of total [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) recovers from such [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) and is then entitled to continued protection under the total [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) provision, the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall transfer to the United States Government Life [Insurance](/usc/38/1901.md?p=1) Fund a sum sufficient to set up the then required [reserve](/usc/38/101.md?p=26) on such total [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) benefit.
- (d) Any [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) for which a waiver was required as a condition to tendering a person a commission under Public Law 816, Seventy-seventh Congress, shall be deemed to be a [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) resulting from an injury or disease traceable to the extra hazard of military or naval service for the purpose of applying this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 85–857, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1162, § 757; renumbered § 1957 and amended Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 404–406.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Public Law 816, Seventy-seventh Congress, referred to in subsec. (d), is act Dec. 18, 1942, ch. 768, §§ 1, 2, 56 Stat. 1066. Section 1 of that Act enacted section 853c–5 of former Title 34, Navy, and was repealed by act July 9, 1952, ch. 608, pt. VIII, § 803, 66 Stat. 505. Section 2 of that Act enacted section 853c–6 of former Title 34, and was omitted from the Code in the general revision and reenactment of Title 10, Armed Forces, by act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 1.

### Amendments

1991—Pub. L. 102–83 renumbered section 757 of this title as this section and substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” wherever appearing in subsecs. (b) and (c).