38 USC § 1753 - Voluntary participation; confidentiality

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t38/s1753"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "38 USC § 1753 - Voluntary participation; confidentiality"
title_number: 38
title_name: "VETERANS’ BENEFITS"
section_number: "1753"
section_name: "Voluntary participation; confidentiality"
chapter_number: 17
chapter_name: "HOSPITAL, NURSING HOME, DOMICILIARY, AND MEDICAL CARE"
subchapter_number: "VI"
subchapter_name: "SICKLE CELL ANEMIA"
part_number: "II"
part_name: "GENERAL BENEFITS"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 93–82, title I, § 109(a), Aug. 2, 1973, 87 Stat. 187, § 653; amended Pub. L. 94–581, title I, § 111(b), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2852; Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, § 402(d)(1), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 239; renumbered § 1753, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406.)"
---


# § 1753. Voluntary participation; confidentiality

**(a)** The participation by any person in any program or portion thereof under this subchapter shall be wholly voluntary and shall not be a prerequisite to eligibility for or receipt of any other service or assistance from, or to participation in, any other program under this title.

**(b)** Patient records prepared or obtained under this subchapter shall be held confidential in the same manner and under the same conditions prescribed in section 7332 of this title.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 93–82, title I, § 109(a), Aug. 2, 1973, 87 Stat. 187, § 653; amended Pub. L. 94–581, title I, § 111(b), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2852; Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, § 402(d)(1), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 239; renumbered § 1753, Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(a), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 406.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1991— renumbered  as this section.

Subsec. (b).  substituted “7332” for “4132”.

1976—Subsec. (b).  substituted “Patient records prepared or obtained under this subchapter shall be held confidential in the same manner and under the same conditions prescribed in ” for “The Administrator shall promulgate rules and regulations to insure that all information and patient records prepared or obtained under this subchapter shall be held confidential except for (1) such information as the patient (or his guardian) requests in writing to be released or (2) statistical data compiled without reference to patient names or other identifying characteristics”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1976 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .

### Effective Date

Section effective , see , set out as an Effective Date of 1973 Amendment note under .