Sec. 526. Report on adequacy of reimbursement for costs of permanent change of station
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Not later than March 31, 2028, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the adequacy of reimbursements for expenses incurred by members of the Armed Forces undergoing a permanent change of station. In preparing the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall— conduct a comprehensive survey of not fewer than 10,000 members of the Armed Forces who complete a permanent change of station during fiscal year 2026 or 2027 that— collects detailed information on actual expenses incurred, both reimbursed and unreimbursed; includes options for members to upload receipts and documentation electronically, provided that such uploads are supplemental and optional; is designed to ensure statistical validity; achieves response rates sufficient to ensure representative samples from each military department and pay grade category; and includes questions regarding financial stress, debt incurrence, and impact on military retention decisions; conduct follow-up surveys with a subset of respondents to gather additional detail on specific cost categories; survey military spouses separately regarding employment-related costs and career impacts of permanent changes of station; and consult with military relief societies regarding financial assistance patterns and trends relating to permanent changes of station.
For each of the categories described in subparagraph (B), the report required by subsection
(a)shall include— an identification of all expenses intended to be covered; an identification of related expenses that are not covered; the average actual costs incurred by members of the Armed Forces for both covered and uncovered expenses, based on survey data from not fewer than 10,000 permanent changes of station conducted during fiscal years 2025 and 2026, accounting for peak and non-peak cycles; a comparison of actual costs to reimbursement amounts; a justification for the inclusion or exclusion of specific expenses; and recommendations for modifications to coverage or reimbursement rates. The categories described in this subparagraph are as follows: Dislocation allowance. Temporary lodging expense and temporary lodging allowance. Per diem allowances. Monetary allowance in lieu of transportation. Personally procured move reimbursements. Household goods shipment and storage entitlements. Dependent travel allowances. Pet transportation reimbursement. Any other allowances or reimbursements related to permanent changes of station. The report required under subsection
(a)shall include an examination of expenses commonly incurred but not reimbursed, including— security deposits and advance rent payments; utility and telecommunication connection and disconnection fees; contract termination penalties; State vehicle registration and driver’s license fees; pet transportation costs; temporary storage beyond authorized limits; childcare registration for dependents; and replacement of household items damaged or unsuitable for new location. The report required under subsection
(a)shall include an analysis of the financial impact of permanent changes of station on members of the Armed Forces, including— average out-of-pocket expenses by pay grade; percentage of members incurring debt due to expenses related to a permanent change of station; impact on the emergency savings of members of the Armed Forces; and utilization rates of military relief society assistance for financial hardship relating to permanent changes of station. The report required under subsection
(a)shall include recommendations for establishing an annual review and adjustment process for reimbursements for costs relating to a permanent change of station that accounts for— inflation and cost-of-living changes; regional variations in moving costs, including those related to status of forces agreements, currency fluctuation, local housing markets, and pet importation or quarantine requirements; changes in typical household composition and needs; and emerging categories of relocation expenses. The report required by subsection
(a)shall include all data disaggregated by— permanent changes of station within the continental United States; permanent changes of station from the continental United States to locations outside the continental United States; permanent changes of station from locations outside the continental United States to the continental United States; permanent changes of station between locations outside the continental United States; pay grade of the members undergoing a permanent change of station; family status of the member; distance between the permanent station from which the member is transferring to the permanent station to which the member is transferring; duty status of the member; whether the member participates in the Exceptional Family Member Program; and origin and destination installation. The report shall, to the maximum extent practicable, incorporate and reconcile data from existing systems of the Department of Defense. The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that all data collected to carry out this section remains under the custody and control of the Department of Defense. The Secretary shall prohibit any contractor supporting implementation of this section from use of data collected to carry out this section other than for purposes of this section, including with respect to use in artificial intelligence model training, commercial applications, or other derivative purposes. Not later than March 31, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall provide the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives an interim briefing on preliminary findings and anticipated recommendations of the report required under subsection (a).