---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 2101A"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "2101A"
heading: "Eligibility for benefits and assistance: members of the Armed Forces with service-connected disabilities; individuals residing outside the United States"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/2101A"
units:
  - "Part II — General Benefits"
  - "Chapter 21 — Specially Adapted Housing for Disabled Veterans"
---

# §2101A. Eligibility for benefits and assistance: members of the Armed Forces with service-connected disabilities; individuals residing outside the United States

- (a) **Members With Service-Connected Disabilities.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may provide assistance under this chapter to a member of the [Armed Forces](/usc/38/101.md?p=10) serving on [active duty](/usc/38/101.md?p=21) who is suffering from a [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) that meets applicable criteria for benefits under this chapter if the [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) is incurred or aggravated in line of duty in the [active military, naval, air, or space service](/usc/38/101.md?p=24). Such assistance shall be provided to the same extent as assistance is provided under this chapter to [veterans](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) eligible for assistance under this chapter and subject to the same requirements as [veterans](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) under this chapter.
  - (2) For purposes of this chapter, any reference to a [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) or eligible individual shall be treated as a reference to a member of the [Armed Forces](/usc/38/101.md?p=10) described in [subsection (a)](#a) who is similarly situated to the [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) or other eligible individual so referred to.
- (b) **Benefits and Assistance for Individuals Residing Outside the United States.—**
  - (1) Subject to [paragraph (2)](#b-2), the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may, at the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1)’s discretion, provide benefits and assistance under this chapter (other than benefits under [section 2106 of this title](/usc/38/2106.md)) to any individual otherwise eligible for such benefits and assistance who resides outside the United States.
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may provide benefits and assistance to an individual under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) only if—
    - (A) the country or political subdivision in which the housing or residence involved is or will be located permits the individual to have or acquire a beneficial property interest (as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1)) in such housing or residence; and
    - (B) the individual has or will acquire a beneficial property interest (as so determined) in such housing or residence.
- (c) **Limitation.—** Notwithstanding subsections [(a)](#a) and [(b)](#b), this section shall not apply to the provision of assistance under [section 2102B of this title](/usc/38/2102B.md).
- (d) **Regulations.—** Benefits and assistance under this chapter by reason of this section shall be provided in accordance with such regulations as the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) may prescribe.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 110–289, div. B, title VI, § 2602(a), July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2858; amended Pub. L. 115–177, § 1(c)(2), June 1, 2018, 132 Stat. 1377; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 926(a)(34), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3830.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted “air, or space service” for “or air service”.

2018—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 115–177 added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsec. (c) as (d).