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

5 U.S.C. § 8440e

Members of the uniformed services

(a)
For purposes of this section—
(1)
section 204 of title 37 the term “basic pay” means basic pay payable under ;
(2)
the term “full TSP member” means a member described in subsection (e)(1);
(3)
section 211 of title 37 the term “member” has the meaning given the term in ; and
(4)
section 101 of title 37 the term “Secretary concerned” has the meaning given the term in .
(b)
(1)
section 211(b) of title 37 Any member eligible to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan by virtue of may contribute to the Thrift Savings Fund.
(2)
(A)
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), an election to contribute to the Thrift Savings Fund under this section may be made as provided under section 8432(b).
(B)
(i)
Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), any individual who is a member as of the effective date that applies with respect to such individual under section 663 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 may make the first such election during the 60-day period beginning on such effective date.
(ii)
An election made under this subparagraph shall take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning after the close of the 60-day period referred to in clause (i).
(c)
Except as otherwise provided in this section, the provisions of this subchapter and subchapter VII shall apply with respect to members making contributions to the Thrift Savings Fund, and such members shall, for purposes of this subchapter and subchapter VII, be considered employees within the meaning of section 8401(11).
(d)
(1)
(A)
section 211(a)(1) of title 37 The amount contributed by a member described in for any pay period out of basic pay may not exceed the maximum percentage of such member’s basic pay for such pay period allowable under section 8440f.
(B)
section 211(a)(2) of title 37section 206 of title 37 The amount contributed by a member described in for any pay period out of any compensation received under may not exceed the maximum percentage of such member’s compensation for such pay period (received under such section 206) allowable under section 8440f.
(2)
section 206 of title 37 A member making contributions to the Thrift Savings Fund out of basic pay, or out of compensation under , may also contribute (by direct transfer to the Fund) any part of any special or incentive pay that such member receives under chapter 5 of title 37.
(3)
section 211 of title 37 Nothing in this section or shall be considered to waive any dollar limitation under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 which otherwise applies with respect to the Thrift Savings Fund.
(e)

Modernized Retirement System.—

(1)

TSP contributions .—

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary concerned shall make contributions to the Thrift Savings Fund, in accordance with section 8432 (except to the extent the requirements under such section are modified by this subsection), for the benefit of a member—
(A)
who first enters a uniformed service on or after ; or
(B)
who—
(i)
first entered a uniformed service before ;
(ii)
has completed fewer than 12 years of service in the uniformed services as of ; and
(iii)
makes the election described in section 1409(b)(4)(B) or 12729(f)(2) of title 10 to receive Thrift Savings Plan contributions under this subsection in exchange for the reduced multipliers described in section 1409(b)(4)(A) or 12739(f)(1) of title 10, as applicable, for purposes of calculating the retired pay of the member.
(2)

Maximum amount .—

The amount contributed under this subsection by the Secretary concerned for the benefit of a full TSP member for any pay period shall not be more than 5 percent of the member’s basic pay for such pay period. Any such contribution under this subsection, though in accordance with section 8432 as provided in paragraph (1), is instead of, and not in addition to, amounts contributable under section 8432 as provided in section 8432(c).
(3)

Timing and duration of contributions.—

(A)

Automatic contributions .—

The Secretary concerned shall make a contribution described in section 8432(c)(1) under this subsection for the benefit of a member described in paragraph (1) for any pay period during the period that—
(i)
begins—
(I)
on or after the day that is 60 days afer the date the member first enters a uniformed service, in the case of a member described in paragraph (1)(A); or
(II)
on or after the date the member makes the election described in paragraph (1)(B), in the case of a member making such an election; and
(ii)
ends on the day such member completes 26 years of service as a member of the uniformed services.
(B)

Matching contributions .—

The Secretary concerned shall make a contribution described in section 8432(c)(2) under this subsection for the benefit of a member described in paragraph (1) for any pay period during the period that—
(i)
begins—
(I)
on or after the day that is 2 years and 1 day after the date the member first enters a uniformed service, in the case of a member described in paragraph (1)(A); or
(II)
on or after the date the member makes the election described in paragraph (1)(B), in the case of a member making such an election; and
(ii)
ends on the day such member completes 26 years of service as a member of the uniformed services.
(4)

Protections for spouses and former spouses .—

Section 8435 shall apply to a full TSP member in the same manner as such section is applied to an employee or Member under such section.

Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 661(a)(2)(A)113 Stat. 670Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A]114 Stat. 1654Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 138(a)(6)]114 Stat. 2763Pub. L. 108–469, § 1(d)(8)118 Stat. 3892Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VI, § 632(a)129 Stat. 845(Added , , ; amended , title VI, § 661(c)], , , 1654A–167; , , , 2763A–233; , , ; , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 663 of Pub. L. 106–65Section 663 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(B)(i), is , which is set out as an Effective Date note below.

The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, referred to in subsec. (d)(3), is classified generally to Title 26, Internal Revenue Code.

Amendments

Pub. L. 114–92, § 632(a)(1)2015—Subsec. (a). , added pars. (1) to (4) and struck out former pars. (1) and (2) which defined “member” and “basic pay”, respectively.

Pub. L. 114–92, § 632(a)(2)section 211(d) of title 37section 8432(c) of this titleSubsec. (e). , amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (e) read as follows: “Except as provided in , no contribution under may be made for the benefit of a member making contributions to the Thrift Savings Fund under this section.”

Pub. L. 108–4692004—Subsec. (b)(2)(A). substituted “as provided under section 8432(b)” for “only during a period provided under section 8432(b), subject to the same conditions as prescribed under paragraph (2) (A)–(D) thereof”.

Pub. L. 106–3982000—Subsec. (b)(2)(B)(i). substituted “as of the effective date that applies with respect to such individual under section 663 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000” for “as of the effective date described in paragraph (1) of section 663(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (or, if applicable, paragraph (2) thereof)”.

Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 138(a)(6)(A)]Subsec. (d)(1)(A). , substituted “the maximum percentage of such member’s basic pay for such pay period allowable under section 8440f.” for “5 percent of such member’s basic pay for such pay period.”

Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(4) [div. B, title I, § 138(a)(6)(B)]Subsec. (d)(1)(B). , substituted “the maximum percentage of such member’s compensation for such pay period (received under such section 206) allowable under section 8440f.” for “5 percent of such compensation, payable to such member for such pay period.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2015 Amendment; Implementation

Pub. L. 114–92section 635 of Pub. L. 114–92section 8432 of this titleAmendment by effective , with certain implementation requirements, see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date

Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 663113 Stat. 673Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A]114 Stat. 1654

“(a)

In General .—

Pub. L. 106–65section 211 of Title 37section 211 of Title 37Except as provided in subsection (b), the amendments made by this subtitle [subtitle F (§§ 661–663) of title VI of div. A of , enacting this section and , Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services, and amending sections 8351, 8432b, 8433, 8439, and 8473 of this title and ] shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 [].
“(b)

Postponement Authority .—

(1)
The Secretary of Defense may postpone by up to 180 days after the date that would otherwise apply under subsection (a)—
“(A)
the date as of which the amendments made by this subtitle shall take effect; or
“(B)
section 211(a)(2) of title 37 the date as of which , United States Code (as added by this subtitle) shall take effect.
“(2)
Postponement authority under this subsection may be exercised only to the extent that the failure to do so would prevent the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board from being able to provide timely and accurate services to investors or would place an excessive burden on the administrative capacity of the Board to accommodate participants in the Thrift Savings Plan, as determined by the Secretary of Defense after consultation with the Executive Director (appointed by the Board).
“(3)
section 211(a)(2) of title 37 Paragraph (1) includes the authority to postpone the effective date of the amendments made by this subtitle (apart from , United States Code), and the effective date of such section 211(a)(2), by different lengths of time.
“(4)
The Secretary shall notify the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives], the Committee on Government Reform [now Committee on Oversight and Accountability] of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Governmental Affairs [now Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs] of the Senate of any determination made under this subsection.”
, , , as amended by , title VI, § 661(a)], , , 1654A–167, provided that:

Regulations

Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title VI, § 661(b)113 Stat. 672Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A]114 Stat. 1654

Pub. L. 106–65section 211 of Title 37section 211 of Title 37“Not later than the 180th day after the date of the enactment of the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 [], the Executive Director (appointed by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board) shall issue regulations to implement the amendments made by this subtitle [subtitle F (§§ 661–663) of title VI of div. A of , enacting this section and , Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services, and amending sections 8351, 8432b, 8433, 8439, and 8473 of this title and ].”
, , , as amended by , title VI, § 661(b)], , , 1654A–167, provided that: