FAR 22.1301—Definitions.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 22.1301 is the definitions section for the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) subpart in FAR Part 22. It tells readers exactly who counts as an active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran, an Armed Forces service medal veteran, a disabled veteran, a protected veteran, a qualified disabled veteran, and a recently separated veteran, and it also defines executive and senior management and the term United States for purposes of the subpart. These definitions matter because they determine which workers are covered by federal contractor nondiscrimination and affirmative action obligations tied to protected veterans. In practice, contractors use these definitions to decide who may be counted in outreach, hiring, self-identification, recordkeeping, and affirmative action analyses, while contracting officers and compliance personnel use them to assess whether contractor policies and reports are using the correct legal categories. The section is foundational: if the wrong definition is applied, a contractor may undercount protected veterans, misstate workforce data, or fail to meet VEVRAA-related obligations. It also clarifies that the geographic term United States includes several territories and possessions, which affects where the subpart applies.
Key Rules
Protected veteran categories
The section defines four veteran categories that are protected under VEVRAA: disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran, and Armed Forces service medal veteran. A veteran may fall into more than one category, and the definitions control who is covered by contractor nondiscrimination and affirmative action requirements.
Disabled veteran definition
A disabled veteran is either a veteran entitled to VA compensation for a service-connected disability, or a person discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. This definition is broader than just veterans receiving current compensation and is central to identifying protected status.
Qualified disabled veteran standard
A qualified disabled veteran is a disabled veteran who can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. This definition ties protected status to employability and reasonable accommodation concepts used in hiring and employment decisions.
Recently separated veteran window
A recently separated veteran is any veteran within three years of discharge or release from active duty. The three-year period is measured from the date of separation, so contractors must track the timing carefully when classifying applicants and employees.
Campaign and service medal veterans
An active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran served during a war or campaign/expedition for which a campaign badge was authorized, and an Armed Forces service medal veteran participated in a U.S. military operation for which the Armed Forces service medal was awarded. These categories are based on service history and official military recognition, not on disability status.
Executive and senior management
Executive and senior management includes certain high-level employees who meet salary, primary duty, supervision, and hiring/firing authority criteria, or owners with at least a bona fide 20-percent equity interest who are actively engaged in management. This definition helps identify who counts as management for compliance, policy, and organizational reporting purposes.
United States scope
For this subpart, United States includes the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wake Island. This expands the geographic scope beyond the continental states and affects where contractor obligations may apply.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Ensure solicitations and contracts subject to this subpart incorporate the correct veteran-related requirements and that contractors understand the applicable definitions. Use these definitions when evaluating compliance-related representations, reports, or corrective actions tied to VEVRAA obligations.
Contractor
Apply the definitions correctly in hiring, self-identification, outreach, recordkeeping, and affirmative action planning. Classify workers and applicants using the exact regulatory categories, and do not substitute informal or company-specific labels for the FAR definitions.
Human Resources / Compliance Staff
Implement procedures to collect, store, and analyze veteran status information using the regulatory definitions. Train recruiters and managers on how to recognize protected veteran categories, when a veteran is qualified disabled, and how the three-year recently separated veteran period is measured.
Agency / Compliance Officials
Monitor contractor compliance with veteran nondiscrimination and affirmative action requirements using the definitions in this section. Review contractor policies, data, and reports for consistency with the regulatory categories and geographic scope.
Applicants and Employees
Provide accurate self-identification or status information when requested under contractor veteran compliance processes. Understand that the definitions determine whether they are treated as protected veterans or qualified disabled veterans for employment purposes.
Practical Implications
Contractors must use the exact regulatory definitions when building affirmative action plans, collecting self-identification data, and reporting workforce composition; using broader or narrower internal definitions can create compliance errors.
The three-year recently separated veteran period is a common pitfall: contractors should calculate it from the actual discharge or release date and keep records that support the classification.
Disabled veteran and qualified disabled veteran are not the same thing; a person may be a disabled veteran but still need to be assessed separately for whether they can perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
Executive and senior management is defined by specific duties, authority, and ownership criteria, so titles alone are not enough; contractors should look at actual responsibilities and compensation structure.
The geographic definition of United States is broader than the 50 states, so contractors operating in territories and possessions should not assume the subpart is limited to the continental U.S.
Official Regulatory Text
As used in this subpart- Active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service, during a war or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. Armed Forces service medal veteran means any veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985 (61 FR 1209). Disabled veteran means- (1) A veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service, who is entitled to compensation (or who, but for the receipt of military retired pay, would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or (2) A person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. Executive and senior management means- (1) Any employee- (i) Compensated on a salary basis at a rate of not less than $455 per week (or $380 per week, if employed in American Samoa by employers other than the Federal Government), exclusive of board, lodging, or other facilities; (ii) Whose primary duty consists of the management of the enterprise in which the individual is employed or of a customarily recognized department or subdivision thereof; (iii) Who customarily and regularly directs the work of two or more other employees; and (iv) Who has the authority to hire or fire other employees or whose suggestions and recommendations as to the hiring or firing and as to the advancement and promotion or any other change of status of other employees will be given particular weight; or (2) Any employee who owns at least a bona fide 20-percent equity interest in the enterprise in which the employee is employed, regardless of whether the business is a corporate or other type of organization, and who is actively engaged in its management. Protected veteran means a veteran who is protected under the non-discrimination and affirmative action provisions of 38 U.S.C. 4212 ; specifically, a veteran who may be classified as a "disabled veteran," "recently separated veteran," "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran," or an "Armed Forces service medal veteran," as defined by this section. Qualified disabled veteran means a disabled veteran who has the ability to perform the essential functions of the employment positions with or without reasonable accommodation. Recently separated veteran means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. United States , means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Wake Island.