---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 8246"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "8246"
heading: "Subsistence in hospital messes: hospital ration"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/8246"
units:
  - "Subtitle C — Navy and Marine Corps"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 827 — Rations"
---

# §8246. Subsistence in hospital messes: hospital ration

- (a) [Enlisted members](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-4) of the naval service on duty in hospitals and [enlisted members](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-4) of the naval service, including retired members and members of the Fleet [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) and the Fleet [Marine Corps](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-2) [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6), when sick in hospitals, may be subsisted in hospital messes. When subsistence is furnished under this subsection, the appropriation chargeable with the maintenance of the hospital mess shall be credited at the [rate](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-9) prescribed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/8720.md?p=4) of the [Navy](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-1) as the value of the hospital ration.
- (b) Under such regulations as the [Secretary](/usc/10/8720.md?p=4) prescribes, [officers](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-5) in the Nurse Corps may be subsisted in hospital messes. Each [officer](/usc/10/8001.md?p=a-5) so subsisted shall [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) for her subsistence at the [rate](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-9) fixed by the regulations.

## Source credit

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 380, § 6086; renumbered § 8246, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(8), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1835.)

## Notes

| Historical and Revision Notes |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| 6086 | 34 U.S.C. 901a (less 1st and 2d sentences). | Aug. 2, 1946, ch. 756, § 17(a) (less 1st and 2d sentences), 60 Stat. 855. |
|  | 34 U.S.C. 43h(a) (1st 21 words of 2d proviso). | Apr. 16, 1947, ch. 38, § 208(a) (1st 25 words of 2d proviso), 61 Stat. 50. |

In subsection (a) the words “active duty” before the words “enlisted personnel” are omitted as surplusage since there is no authority to hospitalize an enlisted member in a naval hospital under conditions where he would not be entitled to a hospital ration. The words “active and inactive” before the words “retired enlisted personnel” are omitted as surplusage. The word “members” is substituted for the word “personnel” for uniformity. The words “the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve” are inserted for clarity since the term “Fleet Reserve” in the source statute is used in a generic sense and includes members of the Fleet Marine Corps Reserve.

In subsection (b) the words “that nothing contained in this section shall deprive such nurses of allowances for subsistence now or after August 2, 1946, provided by law” are omitted as surplusage. Section 301 of the Career Compensation Act of 1949 (37 U.S.C. 251) authorizes a basic allowance for subsistence for all officers entitled to basic pay.

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Pub. L. 115–232 renumbered section 6086 of this title as this section.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.