The term “Court” means the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

The term “judge” means a judge of the Court who is in active service or who has retired under section 7296 of this title.

The term “pay” means salary received under section 7253(e) of this title and retired pay received under section 7296 of this title.

The term “retirement fund” means the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Retirement Fund established under section 7298 of this title.

The term “surviving spouse” means a surviving spouse of an individual who (A) was married to such individual for at least one year immediately preceding the individual’s death, or (B) is a parent of issue by the marriage.

The term “dependent child” has the meaning given the term “child” in section 376(a)(5) of title 28.

The term “Member of Congress” means a Representative, a Senator, a Delegate to Congress, or the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico.

The term “assassination” as applied to a judge shall have the meaning provided that term in section 376(a)(7) of title 28 as applied to a judicial official.

A judge who makes an election under subsection (b) of this section shall deposit, with interest at 3 percent per year compounded on December 31 of each year, to the credit of the retirement fund, an amount equal to 3.5 percent of the judge’s pay and of the judge’s basic salary, pay, or compensation for service as a Member of Congress, and for any other civilian service within the purview of section 8332 of title 5. Each such judge may elect to make such deposits in installments during the judge’s period of service in such amount and under such conditions as may be determined in each instance by the chief judge. Notwithstanding the failure of a judge to make such deposit, credit shall be allowed for the service rendered, but the annual annuity of the surviving spouse of such judge shall be reduced by an amount equal to 10 percent of the amount of such deposit, computed as of the date of the death of such judge, unless the surviving spouse elects to eliminate such service entirely from credit under subsection (k) of this section. However, a deposit shall not be required from a judge for any year with respect to which deductions from the judge’s pay, or a deposit, were actually made (and not withdrawn) under the civil service retirement laws.

the judge is not reappointed following expiration of the term for which appointed; and

at or before the time of the expiration of that term, the judge is eligible for and elects to receive retired pay under section 7296 of this title.

The annuity payable to a child under this subsection shall be terminated upon the child’s death.

In case of the death of a surviving spouse of a judge leaving a dependent child or children of the judge surviving the spouse, the annuity of such child or children under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection shall be recomputed and paid as provided in paragraph (1)(C) of this subsection. In any case in which the annuity of a dependent child is terminated, the annuities of any remaining dependent child or children, based upon the service of the same judge, shall be recomputed and paid as though the child whose annuity was so terminated had not survived the judge.

If a judge dies as a result of an assassination and leaves a survivor or survivors who are otherwise entitled to receive annuity payments under this section, the 18-month requirement in the matter in paragraph (1) preceding subparagraph (A) shall not apply.

Determination as to the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a judge for the purposes of paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be made without regard to the definitions in subsection (a) of this section.

Payment under this subsection in the manner provided in this subsection shall be a bar to recovery by any other person.

In a case in which the annuities of all persons entitled to annuity based upon the service of a judge terminate before the aggregate amount of annuity paid equals the total amount credited to the individual account of such judge (with interest at 3 percent per year, compounded on December 31 of each year to the date of the death of the judge), the difference shall be paid, upon establishment of a valid claim therefor, in the order of precedence prescribed in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

An annuity computed under this subsection may not exceed 50 percent of the judge’s average annual pay and may not be less than 25 percent of such average annual pay. Such annuity shall be further reduced in accordance with subsection (d) of this section (if applicable).

For purposes of this subsection, the term “average annual pay”, with respect to a judge, means the average annual pay received by the judge for judicial service (including periods in which the judge received retired pay under section 7296(d) of this title) or for any other prior allowable service during the period of three consecutive years in which the judge received the largest such average annual pay.

A covered judge who makes an election under subsection (b) may purchase, in 3-month increments, up to an additional year of service credit for each year of Federal judicial service completed, under the terms set forth in this section.