republic-os/legal/us/code/title-31/chapter-7/section-771.md

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LegalText	31 U.S.C. § 771	Definitions	us	united_states_code	code_section	31	MONEY AND FINANCE	7	GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE	771	31 U.S.C. § 771	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc31@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t31/s771	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-31/usc31.xml	ca9a0ccca9edc99aa08219dc7602a3da3211929d4819da2027bd341e51a450de	94d3fba324cbbc12277242f872f8f47cff5250dbcdc0057fe857212764e4b704	ef63f0a51a3d19ef572b71513a8a7c4134a059b25d17c1a1e4b1ff57008c72e9	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

31 U.S.C. § 771 - Definitions

Text

In this subchapter—

(1) “dependent child” means an unmarried dependent child (including a stepchild or adopted child) who is—

(A) under 18 years of age;

(B) incapable of self-support because of physical or mental disability; or

(C) between 18 and 22 years of age and is a student regularly pursuing a full-time course of study or training in residence in a high school, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or comparable recognized educational institution. For the purposes of this subchapter, a child whose 22nd birthday occurs before July 1 or after August 31 of a calendar year, and while such child is regularly pursuing such a course of study or training, is deemed to have become 22 years of age on the first day of July after that birthday. A child who is a student is deemed not to have ceased to be a student during an interim period between school years if the interim period is not more than 5 months and if such child shows to the satisfaction of the General Counsel of the Government Accountability Office that such child has a bona fide intention of continuing in the same or a different school during the school semester (or other period into which the school year is divided) immediately after the interim period.

(2) “surviving spouse” means a surviving spouse of an individual who was a Comptroller General or retired Comptroller General and the spouse—

(A) was married to the individual for at least 1 year immediately before the individual died; or

(B) has not remarried before age 55 and is the parent of issue by the marriage.

(3) service as a Comptroller General equals the number of years and complete months an individual is Comptroller General.

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 902; Pub. L. 100–426, title II, § 202, Sept. 9, 1988, 102 Stat. 1600; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 771(1), (2)31:43b(g).June 10, 1921, ch. 18, 42 Stat. 20, § 319(g), (p); added July 13, 1959, Pub. L. 86–87, 73 Stat. 198, 200. 771(3)31:43b(p). In this subchapter, the words “surviving spouse”, “spouse”, “surviving spouse’s”, and “parent” are substituted for “widow”, “wife”, “surviving widow’s”, and “mother”, respectively, because of 5:7202(c). In clause (3), the words “or retired Comptroller General” are omitted as executed because a retired Comptroller General could elect survivor benefits and include retirement service only if the Comptroller General had retired by July 13, 1959. The word “total” is omitted as surplus. The words “complete months” are substituted for “twelfth parts thereof, excluding from the aggregate the fractional part of a month, if any” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “an individual is Comptroller General” are added for clarity.

Editorial Notes

Amendments2004—Par. (1)(C). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”. 1988—Par. (1)(C). Pub. L. 100–426, § 202(a), added subpar. (C). Par. (2)(A). Pub. L. 100–426, § 202(b)(1), substituted “1 year” for “2 years”. Par. (2)(B). Pub. L. 100–426, § 202(b)(2), inserted “before age 55” after “remarried”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1988 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 100–426 effective after end of 60-day period beginning Sept. 9, 1988, with certain exceptions, see section 208 of Pub. L. 100–426, set out as a note under section 772 of this title.