10 U.S.C. § 2856: Military unaccompanied housing: standards

In the construction, acquisition, and improvement of covered military unaccompanied housing, the Secretary concerned shall ensure that the floor areas of such housing in a particular locality (as designated by the Secretary concerned for purposes of this section) do not exceed the floor areas of similar housing in the private sector in that locality, except for purposes of meeting minimum area requirements under subsection (b)(1)(A). provide a minimum area of floor space, not including bathrooms or closets, per individual occupying a unit of covered military unaccompanied housing; ensure that not more than two individuals may occupy such a unit; and criteria of design; quality of construction material to be used; and levels of maintenance to be required. For purposes of this section, section 2856a, and section 2856b, the term “covered military unaccompanied housing” means Government-owned military housing intended to be occupied by members of the armed forces serving a tour of duty unaccompanied by dependents. The Secretary of Defense, in carrying out the satisfaction survey requirement under section 3058 of the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (division B of Public Law 116–92 ; 10 U.S.C. 2821 note), shall update guidance to the Secretaries of the military departments to ensure that members of the Armed Forces living in military unaccompanied housing are surveyed in a consistent and comparable manner. The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a review of the processes and methodologies by which the Secretaries of the military departments calculate condition scores for military unaccompanied housing facilities under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned. the physical condition of the facility; and the effect of that condition on the quality of life of members of the Armed Forces; and aim to increase methodological consistency among the military departments. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act [ Dec. 18, 2025 ], the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the results of the review conducted under paragraph (1). The Secretary of Defense shall include with the submission to Congress by the President of the annual budget of the Department of Defense under section 1105(a) of title 31 , United States Code, an accounting of unaccompanied members of the Armed Forces whose rank would require that they live in military unaccompanied housing, but that also receive a basic allowance for housing under section 403 of title 37 , United States Code. the number of members of the Armed Forces described in such paragraph; the total value of basic allowance for housing payments provided to those members; and such other information as the Secretary considers appropriate. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a military department shall develop a means for centralized tracking, at the service level, of all military construction requirements related to military unaccompanied housing that have been identified at the installation level, regardless of whether or not such requirements are submitted for funding. In this section, the term ‘military unaccompanied housing’ has the meaning given that term in section 2871 of title 10 , United States Code.” ensure that the uniform design standards required under section 2856(b)(1) of title 10 , United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1)(D), are completed, issued, and submitted to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives]; or explaining in detail why such standards are not completed and issued; indicating when such standards are expected to be completed and issued; and specifying the names of the personnel responsible for the failure to complete and issue such standards. Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of each military department shall ensure that all covered military unaccompanied housing located on a military installation under the jurisdiction of such Secretary complies with the uniform standards established under section 2856(b)(1) of title 10 , United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1)(D). The requirement under paragraph (1) may not be waived. In this subsection, the term ‘covered military unaccompanied housing’ has the meaning given in section 2856 of title 10 , United States Code (as amended by subsection (a)).”