22 U.S.C. § 4048 — Retirement for disability or incapacity

Page 1490 TITLE 22—FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE § 4048 1 See References in Text note below. follows: ‘‘Except as otherwise provided, the annuity of a former participant who has met the eligibility re- quirements for an annuity shall commence on the day after separation from the Service or on the day after pay ceases. The annuity of a former participant who is entitled to a deferred annuity under this chapter shall become effective on the day he or she attains age 60.’’ Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1993 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 103–66 effective Oct. 1, 1994, and applicable with respect to any annuity com- mencing on or after that date, see section 11002(d) of Pub. L. 103–66, set out as a note under section 8343a of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1986 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 99–335 effective Jan. 1, 1987, see section 702(a) of Pub. L. 99–335, set out as an Effec- tive Date note under section 8401 of Title 5, Govern- ment Organization and Employees. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1983 AMENDMENT Amendment by Ex. Ord. No. 12446 effective 30 days after Oct. 17, 1983, see section 3(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 12446, set out under section 4067 of this title. § 4048. Retirement for disability or incapacity (a) Causes; service credit Any participant who has at least 5 years of service credit toward retirement under the Sys- tem (excluding military and naval service) and who becomes totally disabled or incapacitated for useful and efficient service by reason of dis- ease, illness, or injury (not due to vicious hab- its, intemperance, or willful conduct of the par- ticipant) shall, upon his or her own application or upon order of the Secretary, be retired on an annuity computed as prescribed in section 4046 of this title. If the disabled or incapacitated par- ticipant has less than 20 years of service credit toward retirement under the System at the time of retirement, his or her annuity shall be com- puted on the assumption that the participant has had 20 years of service, except that the addi- tional service credit that may accrue to a par- ticipant under this sentence shall in no case ex- ceed the difference between his or her age at the time of retirement and age 60. However, if a participant retiring under this section is receiving retired pay or retainer pay for military service (except that specified in sec- tion 8332(c)(1) or (2) of title 5) or Department of Veterans Affairs pension or compensation in lieu of such retired or retainer pay, the annuity of that participant shall be computed under this part excluding extra credit authorized by this subsection and excluding credit for military service from that computation. If the amount of the annuity so computed, plus the retired or re- tainer pay which is received, or which would be received but for the application of the limita- tion in section 5532 1 of title 5 or the Department of Veterans Affairs pension or compensation in lieu of such retired pay or retainer pay, is less than the annuity that would be payable under this part in the absence of the previous sen- tence, an amount equal to the difference shall be added to the annuity computed under this part. (b) Physical examination; reinstatement or re- appointment upon recovery; fees and ex- penses; duration and suspension of annuity Before being retired under this section, the participant shall be given a physical examina- tion by one or more duly qualified physicians or surgeons designated by the Secretary of State to conduct examinations. Disability or incapacity shall be determined by the Secretary of State on the basis of the advice of such physicians or sur- geons. Unless the disability or incapacity is per- manent, like examinations shall be made annu- ally until the annuitant has attained age 60. If the Secretary of State determines on the basis of the advice of one or more duly qualified phy- sicians or surgeons conducting such examina- tions that an annuitant has recovered to the ex- tent that he or she can return to duty, the annu- itant may apply for reinstatement or reappoint- ment in the Service within 1 year from the date recovery is determined. Upon application, the Secretary shall reinstate such recovered annu- itant in the class in which the annuitant was serving at time of retirement, or the Secretary may, taking into consideration the age, quali- fications, and experience of such annuitant, and the present class of his or her contemporaries in the Service, appoint or recommend that the President appoint the annuitant to a higher class. Payment of the annuity shall continue until a date 6 months after the date of the exam- ination showing recovery or until the date of re- instatement or reappointment in the Service, whichever is earlier. Fees for examinations under this section, together with reasonable traveling and other expenses incurred in order to submit to examination, shall be paid out of the Fund. If the annuitant fails to submit to ex- amination as required under this subsection, payment of the annuity shall be suspended until continuance of the disability or incapacity is satisfactorily established. (c) Benefits upon discontinuance of annuity If a recovered annuitant whose annuity is dis- continued is for any reason not reinstated or re- appointed in the Service, he or she shall be con- sidered to have been separated within the mean- ing of section 4050 of this title as of the date of retirement for disability or incapacity and shall, after the discontinuance of the annuity, be enti- tled to the benefits of that section or of section 4055 of this title, except that he or she may elect voluntary retirement if eligible under section 4051 of this title. (d) Election of benefits; concurrent benefits al- lowed No participant shall be entitled to receive an annuity under this part and compensation for injury or disability to himself or herself under subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, covering the same period of time, except that a participant may simultaneously receive both an annuity under this section and scheduled disability pay- ments under section 8107 of title 5. This sub- section shall not bar the right of any claimant to the greater benefit conferred by either this Page 1491 TITLE 22—FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSE § 4049 2 So in original. Probably should be chapter ‘‘81’’. part or subchapter I of such chapter 8 2 for any part of the same period of time. Neither this subsection nor any provision of subchapter I of such chapter 8 2 shall be construed to deny the right of any participant to receive an annuity under this part and to receive concurrently any payment under subchapter I of such chapter 8 2 by reason of the death of any other individual. (e) Lump sum disability payments Notwithstanding any other law, the right of any individual entitled to an annuity under this part shall not be affected because such person has received an award of compensation in a lump sum under section 8135 of title 5, except that where such annuity is payable on account of the same disability for which compensation under such section has been paid, so much of such compensation as has been paid for any pe- riod extended beyond the date such annuity be- comes effective, as determined by the Secretary of Labor, shall be refunded to the Department of Labor, to be paid into the Federal Employees’ Compensation Fund. Before such individual re- ceives such annuity, he or she shall— (1) refund to the Department of Labor the amount representing such commuted pay- ments for such extended period, or (2) authorize the deduction of such amount from the annuity payable under this part, which amount shall be transmitted to the De- partment of Labor for reimbursement to such Fund. Deductions from such annuity may be made from accrued and accruing payments, or may be prorated against and paid from accruing pay- ments in such manner as the Secretary of Labor shall determine, whenever the Secretary of Labor finds that the financial circumstances of the annuitant warrant deferred refunding. (f) Time of filing application; waiver A claim may be allowed under this section only if the application is filed with the Sec- retary of State before the participant is sepa- rated from the Service or within one year there- after. This time limitation may be waived by the Secretary of State for a participant who at the date of separation from the Service or with- in one year thereafter is mentally incompetent, if the application is filed with the Secretary of State within one year from the date of restora- tion of the participant to competency or the ap- pointment of a fiduciary, whichever is earlier. (Pub. L. 96–465, title I, § 808, Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2110; Ex. Ord. No. 12289, § 2, Feb. 14, 1981, 46 F.R. 12693; Pub. L. 99–335, title IV, § 402(a)(2), (b), June 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 609; Pub. L. 100–238, title II, § 215(a), Jan. 8, 1988, 101 Stat. 1774; Pub. L. 102–54, § 13(h)(2), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 275.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT Section 5532 of title 5, referred to in subsec. (a), was repealed by Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 651(a)(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 664. AMENDMENTS 1991—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–54 substituted ‘‘Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs’’ for ‘‘Veterans’ Administra- tion’’ in two places in second par. 1988—Subsecs. (a), (b). Pub. L. 100–238 substituted ‘‘60’’ for ‘‘65’’. 1986—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 99–335, § 402(a)(2), sub- stituted ‘‘part’’ for ‘‘subchapter’’ in three places. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 99–335, § 402(b)(1), substituted ‘‘subchapter I of such chapter 8’’ for ‘‘such subchapter’’ in three places and ‘‘part’’ for ‘‘chapter’’ in three places. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 99–335, § 402(b)(2), substituted ‘‘part’’ for ‘‘chapter’’ in two places. 1981—Subsec. (a). Ex. Ord. No. 12289 added second par. relating to computation of annuity for participant re- tiring under this section and receiving retired or re- tainer pay. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1988 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 100–238 effective 90 days after Jan. 8, 1988, see section 261(a) of Pub. L. 100–238, set out as a note under section 4054 of this title. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1986 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 99–335 effective Jan. 1, 1987, see section 702(a) of Pub. L. 99–335, set out as an Effec- tive Date note under section 8401 of Title 5, Govern- ment Organization and Employees. EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1981 AMENDMENT Amendment by Ex. Ord. No. 12289 effective Feb. 15, 1981, see section 3 of Ex. Ord. No. 12289, set out under section 4067 of this title. § 4049. Death in service (a) Lump-sum credit If a participant dies and no claim for annuity is payable under this part, the lump-sum credit shall be paid in accordance with section 4055 of this title. (b) Surviving spouse If a participant who has at least 18 months of civilian service credit toward retirement under the System dies before retirement or other sepa- ration from the Service and is survived by a spouse or former spouse qualifying for an annu- ity under section 4054(b) of this title, such sur- viving spouse shall be entitled to an annuity equal to 55 percent of the annuity computed in accordance with subsections (e) and (g) of this section and section 4046(a) of this title and any surviving former spouse shall be entitled to an annuity under section 4054(b) of this title as if the participant died after being entitled to an annuity under this part. If the participant had less than 3 years creditable civilian service at the time of death, the survivor annuity shall be computed on the basis of the average salary for the entire period of such service. (c) Surviving spouse or former spouse, and chil- dren If a participant who has at least 18 months of civilian service credit toward retirement under the System dies before retirement or other sepa- ration from the Service and is survived by a spouse or a former spouse who is the natural or adoptive parent of a surviving child of the annu- itant, and a child or children, each surviving child shall be entitled to an annuity computed