---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 118a"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "118a"
heading: "Quadrennial quality of life review"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/118a"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 2 — Department of Defense"
---

# §118a. Quadrennial quality of life review

- (a) **Review Required.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall every four years conduct a comprehensive examination of the quality of life of the members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) (to be known as the “quadrennial quality of life review”). The review shall include examination of the [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1), projects, and activities of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, including the morale, welfare, and recreation activities.
  - (2) The quadrennial quality of life review shall be designed to result in determinations, and to foster policies and actions, that reflect the priority given the quality of life of members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) as a primary concern of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense leadership.
- (b) **Conduct of Review.—** Each quadrennial quality of life review shall be conducted so as—
  - (1) to assess quality of life priorities and issues consistent with the most recent [National Security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) Strategy prescribed by the President pursuant to section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 ([50 U.S.C. 3043](/usc/50/3043.md));
  - (2) to identify actions that are needed in order to provide members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) with the quality of life reasonably necessary to encourage the successful execution of the full [range](/usc/10/101.md?p=f-1) of missions that the members are called on to perform under the [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) strategy; and
  - (3) to identify other actions that have the potential for improving the quality of life of the members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4).
- (c) **Considerations.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall consider addressing the following matters as part of the quadrennial quality of life review:
  - (1) Infrastructure.
  - (2) [Military construction](/usc/10/2801.md?p=a).
  - (3) Physical conditions at [military installations](/usc/10/2801.md?p=c-4) and other [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense [facilities](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2).
  - (4) Budget plans.
  - (5) Adequacy of medical care for members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) and their [dependents](/usc/10/1072.md?p=2).
  - (6) Adequacy of housing and the basic allowance for housing and basic allowance for subsistence.
  - (7) Housing-related utility costs.
  - (8) Educational opportunities and costs.
  - (9) Length of deployments.
  - (10) [Rates](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-9) of [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) and [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) differentials between the [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) of members and the [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) of civilians.
  - (11) Retention and recruiting efforts.
  - (12) Workplace safety.
  - (13) Support services for [spouses](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-5) and children.
  - (14) Other elements of [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) and Government policies and [programs](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) that affect the quality of life of members.
  - (15) Support services for Gold Star families.
- (d) **Submission to Congressional Committees.—**
  - (1) The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) shall submit a report on each quadrennial quality of life review to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives. The report shall include the following:
    - (A) The assumptions used in the review.
    - (B) The results of the review, including a comprehensive discussion of how the quality of life of members of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) affects the [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) strategy of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
  - (2) The report shall be submitted in the year following the year in which the review is conducted, but not later than the date on which the President submits the budget for the next fiscal year to Congress under [section 1105(a) of title 31](/usc/31/1105.md?p=a).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title V, § 581(a)(1), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2559; amended Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(c)(2), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3508; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title X, § 1061(a)(1), (b), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1909.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Another section 118a was renumbered section 118b of this title.

### Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 117–81, § 1061(a)(1), which directed renumbering of the “second section 118a” of this title, relating to quadrennial quality of life review, as section 118b of this title could not be executed because there was no second section 118a of this title after the renumbering of another section 118a of this title, relating to National Defense Sustainment and Logistics Review, as section 118b by Pub. L. 117–81, § 311(b)(1)(B), (C). See 2021 Amendment note set out under section 118b of this title.

Subsec. (c)(15). Pub. L. 117–81, § 1061(b), which directed the addition of par. (15) to subsec. (c) of section 118b of this title, as redesignated by Pub. L. 117–81, § 1061(a)(1), was executed by adding par. (15) to subsec. (c) of this section to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See above.

2014—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted “(50 U.S.C. 3043)” for “(50 U.S.C. 404a)”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Termination of Reporting Requirements

For termination, effective Dec. 31, 2021, of provisions in subsec. (d) of this section requiring submittal of report to Congress, see section 1061 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 111 of this title.

### First Quadrennial Quality of Life Review

Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title V, § 581(b), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2561, directed that the first quadrennial quality of life review under this section would be conducted during 2003, and that the report on such review was to be submitted not later than the date on which the President submitted the budget for fiscal year 2005 to Congress.