5 U.S.C. § 8501 — Definitions

For the purpose of this subchapter— (1) “Federal service” means service performed after 1952 in the employ of the United States or an instrumentality of the United States which is wholly or partially owned by the United States, but does not include service (except service to which subchapter II of this chapter applies) performed— (A) by an elective official in the executive or legislative branch; (B) as a member of the armed forces or the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; (C) by members of the Foreign Service for whom payments are provided under section 609(b)(1) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980; (D) outside the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands by an individual who is not a citizen of the United States; (E) by an individual excluded by regulations of the Office of Personnel Management from the operation of subchapter III of chapter 83 of this title because he is paid on a contract or fee basis; (F) by an individual receiving nominal pay and allowances of $12 or less a year; (G) in a hospital, home, or other institution of the United States by a patient or inmate thereof; (H) by a student-employee as defined by [section 5351 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title5-section5351&num=0&edition=prelim); (I) by an individual serving on a temporary basis in case of fire, storm, earthquake, flood, or other similar emergency; (J) by an individual employed under a Federal relief program to relieve him from unemployment; (K) as a member of a State, county, or community committee under the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service or of any other board, council, committee, or other similar body, unless the board, council, committee, or other body is composed exclusively of individuals otherwise in the full-time employ of the United States; or (L) by an officer or a member of the crew on or in connection with an American vessel— (i) owned by or bareboat chartered to the United States; and (ii) whose business is conducted by a general agent of the Secretary of Commerce; if contributions on account of the service are required to be made to an unemployment fund under a State unemployment compensation law under [section 3305(g) of title 26](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title26-section3305/g&num=0&edition=prelim); (2) “Federal wages” means all pay and allowances, in cash and in kind, for Federal service; (3) “Federal employee” means an individual who has performed Federal service; (4) “compensation” means cash benefits payable to an individual with respect to his unemployment including any portion thereof payable with respect to dependents; (5) “benefit year” means the benefit year as defined by the applicable State unemployment compensation law, and if not so defined the term means the period prescribed in the agreement under this subchapter with a State or, in the absence of such an agreement, the period prescribed by the Secretary of Labor; (6) “State” means the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; (7) “United States”, when used in a geographical sense, means the States; and (8) “base period” means the base period as defined by the applicable State unemployment compensation law for the benefit year.