US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

20 U.S.C. § 932

Definitions

For purposes of this chapter:
(1)
The term “dependent” means a minor individual—
(A)
who has not completed secondary schooling, and
(B)
who is the child, stepchild, adopted child, ward, or spouse of a sponsor, or who is a resident in the household of a sponsor who stands in loco parentis to such individual and who receives one-half or more of his support from such sponsor.
(2)
The term “sponsor” means a person—
(A)
who is—
(i)
a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty, or
(ii)
a full-time civilian officer or employee of the Department of Defense and a citizen or national of the United States; and
(B)
who is authorized to transport dependents to or from an overseas area at Government expense and is provided an allowance for living quarters in that area.
(3)
The term “overseas area” means any area situated outside the United States.
(4)
The term “United States”, when used in a geographical sense, means the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the possessions of the United States (excluding the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and Midway Island).
(5)
section 1141 of title 10 The term “involuntarily separated” has the meaning given that term in .
(6)
The term “Director” means the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity.

Pub. L. 95–561, title XIV, § 141492 Stat. 2372Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title III, § 325(a)103 Stat. 1415Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title V, § 504(b)104 Stat. 1559Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title III, § 354(7)113 Stat. 574(, , ; , , ; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 106–651999—Par. (6). added par. (6).

Pub. L. 101–5101990—Par. (5). added par. (5).

Pub. L. 101–1891989—Par. (2). amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (2) read as follows: “The term ‘sponsor’ means—

“(A) a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty, or

“(B) a civilian officer or employee of the Department of Defense paid from appropriated funds.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1989 Amendment

Pub. L. 101–189section 325(c) of Pub. L. 101–189section 923 of this titleAmendment by applicable with respect to periods of enrollment in schools of the defense dependents’ education system beginning after , see , set out as a note under .

Executive Documents

Termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands

section 1681 of Title 48For termination of Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, see note set out preceding , Territories and Insular Possessions.