---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 8471"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "8471"
heading: "Definitions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/8471"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart G — Insurance and Annuities"
  - "Chapter 84 — Federal Employees’ Retirement System"
  - "Subchapter VII — Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Management System"
---

# §8471. Definitions


For the purposes of this subchapter—

- (1) the term “beneficiary” means an individual (other than a [participant](#3)) entitled to payment from the [Thrift Savings Fund](#5) under subchapter III of this chapter;
- (2) the term “Council” means the [Employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) Thrift Advisory Council established under [section 8473 of this title](/usc/5/8473.md);
- (3) the term “participant” means an individual for whom an [account](/usc/5/8401.md?p=1) has been established under [section 8439 of this title](/usc/5/8439.md);
- (4) the term “person” means an individual, partnership, joint venture, corporation, mutual company, joint-stock company, trust, estate, unincorporated organization, association, or [labor organization](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-4); and
- (5) the term “Thrift Savings Fund” means the Thrift Savings Fund established under [section 8437 of this title](/usc/5/8437.md).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 99–335, title I, § 101(a), June 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 577.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Subchapter VII effective June 6, 1986, see section 702(b)(1) of Pub. L. 99–335, set out as a note under section 8401 of this title.