---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 1599b"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "1599b"
heading: "Employees abroad: travel expenses; health care"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/1599b"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 81 — Civilian Employees"
---

# §1599b. Employees abroad: travel expenses; health care

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may provide civilian employees, and members of their families, abroad with benefits that are comparable to certain benefits that are provided by the Secretary of State to members of the Foreign Service and their families abroad as described in subsections [(b)](#b) and [(c)](#c). The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may designate the employees and members of families who are eligible to receive the benefits.
- (b) **Travel and Related Expenses.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) travel expenses and related expenses for purposes and in amounts that are comparable to the purposes for which, and the amounts in which, travel and related expenses are paid by the Secretary of State under section 901 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ([22 U.S.C. 4081](/usc/22/4081.md)).
- (c) **Health Care Program.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may establish a [health care](/usc/10/1072.md?p=10) [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) that is comparable to the [health care](/usc/10/1072.md?p=10) [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) established by the Secretary of State under section 904 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 ([22 U.S.C. 4084](/usc/22/4084.md)).
- (d) **Assistance.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense may enter into agreements with the heads of other [departments](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) and [agencies](/usc/10/3451.md?p=3) of the Government in order to facilitate the payment of expenses authorized by [subsection (b)](#b) and to carry out a [health care](/usc/10/1072.md?p=10) [program](/usc/10/2101.md?p=1) authorized by [subsection (c)](#c).
- (e) **Abroad Defined.—** In this section, the term “abroad” means outside—
  - (1) the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1); and
  - (2) the territories and [possessions](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-3) of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XVI, § 1604(a), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2735.)