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

38 U.S.C. § 1155

Authority for schedule for rating disabilities

The Secretary shall adopt and apply a schedule of ratings of reductions in earning capacity from specific injuries or combination of injuries. The ratings shall be based, as far as practicable, upon the average impairments of earning capacity resulting from such injuries in civil occupations. The schedule shall be constructed so as to provide ten grades of disability and no more, upon which payments of compensation shall be based, namely, 10 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent, 90 percent, and total, 100 percent. The Secretary shall from time to time readjust this schedule of ratings in accordance with experience. However, in no event shall such a readjustment in the rating schedule cause a veteran’s disability rating in effect on the effective date of the readjustment to be reduced unless an improvement in the veteran’s disability is shown to have occurred.

Pub. L. 85–85772 Stat. 1125Pub. L. 98–223, title I, § 101(c)98 Stat. 38Pub. L. 102–83105 Stat. 404–406Pub. L. 102–86, title I, § 103(a)105 Stat. 414(, , , § 355; , , ; renumbered § 1155 and amended , §§ 4(b)(1), (2)(E), 5(a), , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 102–86Pub. L. 102–83, § 51991— amended this section as in effect before the redesignations made by , by inserting at end “However, in no event shall such a readjustment in the rating schedule cause a veteran’s disability rating in effect on the effective date of the readjustment to be reduced unless an improvement in the veteran’s disability is shown to have occurred.”

Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a)section 355 of this title, renumbered as this section.

Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in two places.

Pub. L. 98–2231984— substituted “percent” for “per centum” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1991 Amendment

Pub. L. 102–86, title I, § 103(b)105 Stat. 415

“The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall apply with regard to changes in rating schedules that take effect after the date of the enactment of this Act [].”
, , , provided that:

Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Pub. L. 98–223section 107 of Pub. L. 98–223section 1114 of this titleAmendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .