---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 2856b"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "2856b"
heading: "Covered military unaccompanied housing: standards for habitability"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/2856b"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part IV — Service, Supply, and Property"
  - "Chapter 169 — Military Construction and Military Family Housing"
  - "Subchapter III — Administration of Military Construction and Military Family Housing"
---

# §2856b. Covered military unaccompanied housing: standards for habitability

- (a) **Standards Required.—** For the purposes of assigning a member of the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) to a unit of covered [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) unaccompanied housing, the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall establish uniform minimum [standards](/usc/10/3011.md?p=3) for covered [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) unaccompanied housing, that shall include minimum requirements for—
  - (1) condition;
  - (2) habitability, health, and environmental comfort;
  - (3) safety and security; and
  - (4) any other element the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense determines appropriate.
- (b) **Limitation on Issuance of Waivers.—** Any waiver of a uniform standard described in [subsection (a)](#a) may only be issued by a [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6).
- (c) **Certification.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense shall include, in conjunction with the submission of the budget of the President to Congress pursuant to [section 1105 of title 31](/usc/31/1105.md), a certification from each [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) to the [congressional defense committees](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-16) that the cost for all needed repairs and improvements for each occupied covered [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) unaccompanied housing [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) under the jurisdiction of such [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) does not exceed 20 percent of the replacement cost of such [facility](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2), as mandated by [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense Manual 4165.63 titled “DoD Housing Management” and dated October 28, 2010 (or a successor document).

## Source credit

(Added and amended Pub. L. 118–31, div. B, title XXVIII, §§ 2832(a), 2834, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 754, 757.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Pub. L. 118–31, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2832(a), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 754, which directed amendment of “Subchapter III of title 10” by adding this section after section 2856a of this title, was executed to subchapter III of chapter 169 of this title, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

### Amendments

2023—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 118–31, § 2834, added subsec. (c).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Guidance

Pub. L. 118–31, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2832(b), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 754, provided that: “Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary of Defense develops the uniform standards under section 2856b of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), the Secretary of Defense shall issue to each Secretary of a military department guidance on such uniform standards.”

### Definitions

For definition of “covered military unaccompanied housing” as used in this section, see section 2856(c) of this title.