There is established on the books of the Treasury a fund to be known as the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Fund”), which shall be administered by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Fund shall be used for the accumulation of funds in order to finance armed forces education liabilities on an actuarially sound basis.

In this section:

(1) The term “armed forces education liabilities” means liabilities of the armed forces for benefits under chapter 30 or 33 of title 38 and for Department of Defense benefits under paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 510(e) and chapters 1606 and 1607 of this title, including funds provided by the Secretary of Homeland Security for education liabilities for the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Department of the Navy.

The term “normal cost”, with respect to any period of time, means the total of the following:

(A) The present value of the future benefits payable from the Fund for amounts attributable to increased amounts of educational assistance authorized under section 3015(d) of title 38 to persons who were not on active duty on July 1, 1985, and who during such period enter on active duty.

(B) The present value of the future benefits payable from the Fund for amounts attributable to educational assistance authorized under subchapter III of chapter 30 of title 38 to persons who were not on active duty on July 1, 1985, and who during such period— (i) enter a fourth year of active duty, in the case of persons eligible for basic educational assistance under section 3011 of such title; or (ii) enter a period of service that will establish entitlement to such educational assistance under section 3021(b) of such title, in the case of persons eligible for basic educational assistance under section 3012 of such title.

(C) The present value of the future Department of Defense benefits payable from the Fund (including funds from the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating) for educational assistance under chapters 1606 and 1607 of this title to persons who during such period become entitled to such assistance.

(D) The present value of future benefits payable from the Fund for the Department of Defense portion of payments of educational assistance under subchapter II of chapter 30 of title 38 attributable to increased usage of benefits as a result of transfers of entitlement to basic educational assistance under section 3020 of that title during such period.

(E) The present value of future benefits payable from the Fund for educational assistance under paragraphs (3) and (4) of section 510(e) of this title to persons who during such period become entitled to such assistance.

(F) The present value of any future benefits payable from the Fund for amounts attributable to increased amounts of educational assistance authorized by section 3316 of title 38.

There shall be deposited into the Fund the following, which shall constitute the assets of the Fund:

(1) Amounts paid into the Fund by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating under subsection (f).

(2) Any amount appropriated to the Fund.

(3) Any return on investment of the assets of the Fund.

The Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the Fund to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs such amounts as may be necessary to enable the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make required payments of armed forces education liabilities. The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall enter into an agreement as to how and when, and the amounts in which, such transfers shall be made. Except for investments under subsection (h), amounts in the Fund may not be used for any purpose other than transfers as described in this subsection.

The Secretary of Defense shall carry out periodic actuarial valuations of the educational programs described in subsection (b)(1).

(1) The Secretary of Defense shall carry out periodic actuarial valuations of the educational programs described in subsection (b)(1).

(2) Based on the most recent such valuation, the Secretary of Defense shall estimate the normal cost for the next fiscal year.

(3) If at the time of any such valuation there has been a change in benefits under an education program described in subsection (b)(1) that has been made since the last such valuation and that increases or decreases the present value of benefits payable from the Fund, the Secretary of Defense shall determine an amortization methodology and schedule for the liquidation of the unfunded liability (or negative unfunded liability) thus created such that the present value of the sum of the amortization payments equals the increase or decrease in the present value of such benefits.

(4) If at the time of any such valuation the Secretary of Defense determines that, based upon changes in actuarial assumptions since the last valuation, there has been an actuarial gain or loss to the Fund, the Secretary shall determine an amortization methodology and schedule for the liquidation of such gain or loss through an increase or decrease in the payments that would otherwise be made to the Fund.

(5) Based on the determinations under paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) the Secretary of Defense shall determine the amount needed to be appropriated to the Department of Defense and the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating for the next fiscal year for payments to be made to the Fund under subsection (f). The President shall include not less than the full amount so determined in the budget transmitted to Congress for the next fiscal year under section 1105 of title 31. The President may comment and make recommendations concerning any such amount.

(6) All determinations under this subsection shall be made using methods and assumptions approved by the Board of Actuaries (including assumptions of interest rates and inflation) and in accordance with generally accepted actuarial principles and practices.

The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall pay into the Fund at the beginning of each fiscal year (or as soon thereafter as appropriations are available for such purpose) the sum of the following:

(1) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall pay into the Fund each month the amount that, based upon the most recent actuarial valuation of the education programs described in subsection (b)(1), is equal to the actual total normal cost for the preceding month.

The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating shall pay into the Fund at the beginning of each fiscal year (or as soon thereafter as appropriations are available for such purpose) the sum of the following:

(A) The amount of the payment for that year, if any, for the amortization of any liability to the Fund resulting from a change in benefits, as determined by the Secretary of Defense under subsection (e)(3).

(B) The amount of the payment for that year, if any, for the amortization of any actuarial gain or loss to the Fund, as determined by the Secretary of Defense under subsection (e)(4).

(3) Amounts paid into the Fund under this subsection shall be paid from appropriations available for the pay of members of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned.

The Secretary of the Treasury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not in the judgment of the Secretary required to meet current withdrawals. Such investments shall be in public debt securities with maturities suitable to the needs of the Fund, as determined by the Secretary, and bearing interest at rates determined by the Secretary, taking into consideration current market yields on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States of comparable maturities. The income on such investments shall be credited to and form a part of the Fund.

(Added Pub. L. 98–525, title VII, § 706(a)(1), Oct. 19, 1984, 98 Stat. 2568; amended Pub. L. 100–26, § 7(k)(2), Apr. 21, 1987, 101 Stat. 284; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title XVI, § 1621(a)(2), (6), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1603; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIII, § 1322(a)(2), title XIV, § 1484(j)(2), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1671, 1718; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title X, § 1070(e)(6), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2859; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, §§ 1501(c)(21), 1503(a)(17), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 499, 512; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title V, § 550, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 611; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title VI, § 654(b), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1157; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title V, § 535(b), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1474; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 527(b)(1), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1894; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title X, § 1071(a)(9), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2398; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title IX, § 906(b)(2), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 277; Pub. L. 111–377, title I, § 109(b)(2), Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 4120; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, § 1076(f)(23), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1953.)