§ 1651. HANDBOOK FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ON COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS AVAILABLE FOR SERIOUS INJURIES AND ILLNESSES.

301 words·~1 min read·/usc/title-10/section-1651

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Information on Available Compensation and Benefits .— Not later than October 1, 2008 , the Secretary of Defense shall develop and maintain, in handbook and electronic form, a comprehensive description of the compensation and other benefits to which a member of the Armed Forces, and the family of such member, would be entitled upon the separation or retirement of the member from the Armed Forces as a result of a serious injury or illness. The handbook shall set forth the range of such compensation and benefits based on grade, length of service, degree of disability at separation or retirement, and such other factors affecting such compensation and benefits as the Secretary considers appropriate.

Consultation .— The Secretary of Defense shall develop and maintain the comprehensive description required by subsection (a), including the handbook and electronic form of the description, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Commissioner of Social Security. Update .— The Secretary of Defense shall update the comprehensive description required by subsection (a), including the handbook and electronic form of the description, on a periodic basis, but not less often than annually.

Provision to Members .— The Secretary of the military department concerned shall provide the descriptive handbook under subsection

(a)to each member of the Armed Forces described in that subsection as soon as practicable following the injury or illness qualifying the member for coverage under such subsection. Provision to Representatives .— If a member is incapacitated or otherwise unable to receive the descriptive handbook to be provided under subsection (a), the handbook shall be provided to the next of kin or a legal representative of the member, as determined in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the military department concerned for purposes of this section.