29 USC § 1139 - Separability

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t29/s1139"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "29 USC § 1139 - Separability"
title_number: 29
title_name: "LABOR"
section_number: "1139"
section_name: "Separability"
chapter_number: 18
chapter_name: "EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY PROGRAM"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEE BENEFIT RIGHTS"
part_number: "5"
part_name: "administration and enforcement"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-73"
last_updated: "2026-03-26"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 93–406, title I, § 509, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 895.)"
---


# § 1139. Separability

If any provision of this chapter, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances, shall be held invalid, the remainder of this chapter, or the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid, shall not be affected thereby.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 93–406, title I, § 509, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 895.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning , known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Titles I, III, and IV of such Act are classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under  and Tables.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Regulations

Secretary authorized, effective , to promulgate regulations wherever provisions of this subchapter call for the promulgation of regulations, see .