§1056. Relocation assistance programs

(a) Requirement to Provide Assistance.-The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a program to provide relocation assistance to members of the armed forces and their families as provided in this section. In addition, the Secretary of Defense shall make every effort, consistent with readiness objectives, to stabilize and lengthen tours of duty to minimize the adverse effects of relocation.

(b) Types of Assistance.-(1) The Secretary of each military department, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense, shall provide relocation assistance, through military relocation assistance programs described in subsection (c), to members of the armed forces who are ordered to make a change of permanent station which includes a move to a new location (and for dependents of such members who are authorized to move in connection with the change of permanent station).

(2) The relocation assistance provided shall include the following:

(A) Provision of destination area information and preparation (to be provided before the change of permanent station takes effect), with emphasis on information with regard to moving costs, housing costs and availability, child care, spouse employment opportunities, cultural adaptation, community orientation, education systems, school enrollment procedures, and State-specific provisions under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

(B) Provision of counseling about financial management, home buying and selling, renting, stress management aimed at intervention and prevention of abuse, property management, and shipment and storage of household goods (including motor vehicles and pets).

(C) Provision of settling-in services, with emphasis on available government living quarters, private housing, child care, spouse employment assistance information, cultural adaptation, community orientation, and educational resources for dependent children, including school transition assistance, academic continuity, and special education services.

(D) Provision of home finding services, with emphasis on services for locating adequate, affordable temporary and permanent housing.

(E) Educational planning and support services for dependent children with disabilities, including procedures for transferring individualized education programs and coordinating with the Exceptional Family Member Program.

(F) Provision of information regarding available assistance under this section and any other assistance relating to a change of permanent station available under any other provision of law, including-

(i) information on family assistance programs authorized under section 1788 of this title, including financial planning resources, spouse employment support, and community integration services;

(ii) guidance on available housing assistance, including on-base housing options, rental protections, and resources for off-base relocation;

(iii) mental health and well-being support services, including those accessible during the period of transition for a change of permanent station;

(iv) educational resources for dependent children, including school transition assistance and special education services;

(v) information on available legal and financial counseling programs; and

(vi) any other assistance programs that support members of the armed forces and their families during relocation.

(3) The Secretary of each military department shall ensure that relocation assistance required to be provided under this subsection is provided not later than 45 days before the date on which a change of permanent station takes effect for a member of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of such Secretary.

(4) The Secretary of each military department shall-

(A) incorporate the information required to be provided under this subsection into accessible materials and briefings provided to members of the armed forces relating to a change of permanent station;

(B) ensure that the program under this section provides accessible materials and briefings at military installations and through online resources;

(C) develop a communication strategy, including digital outreach and printed materials, to increase awareness of the program under this section and assistance available under other provisions of law relating to a change of permanent station; and

(D) assess the satisfaction of members of the armed forces with the information provided under this subsection.

(c) Military Relocation Assistance Programs.-(1) The Secretary shall provide for the establishment of military relocation assistance programs to provide the relocation assistance described in subsection (b). The Secretary shall establish such a program in each geographic area in which at least 500 members of the armed forces are assigned to or serving at a military installation. A member who is not stationed within a geographic area that contains such a program shall be given access to such a program. The Secretary shall ensure that persons on the staff of each program are trained in the techniques and delivery of professional relocation assistance.

(2) The Secretary shall ensure that information available through each military relocation assistance program shall be managed through a computerized information system that can interact with all other military relocation assistance programs of the military departments, including programs located outside the continental United States.

(3) Duties of each military relocation assistance program shall include assisting personnel offices on the military installation in using the computerized information available through the program to help provide members of the armed forces who are deciding whether to reenlist information on locations of possible future duty assignments.

(d) Director.-The Secretary of Defense shall establish the position of Director of Military Relocation Assistance Programs in the office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Force Management and Personnel). The Director shall oversee development and implementation of the military relocation assistance programs under this section.

(e) Regulations.-This section shall be administered under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

(f) Inapplicability to Coast Guard.-This section does not apply to the Coast Guard.

(Added Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, §1481(c)(1), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1705 ; amended Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title IX, §903(d), title X, §1062(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 402 , 443; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title IX, §901, Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2617 ; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title X, §1048(a)(9), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1223 ; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VI, §662(a), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 914 .)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title VI, §661(a)–(g), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1463 , which was set out as a note under section 113 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–510, §1481(c)(3).

Amendments

2025-Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 119–60, §662(a)(1)(A), substituted "community orientation, education systems, school enrollment procedures, and State-specific provisions under the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children" for "and community orientation".

Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 119–60, §662(a)(1)(B), substituted "community orientation, and educational resources for dependent children, including school transition assistance, academic continuity, and special education services" for "and community orientation".

Subsec. (b)(2)(E), (F). Pub. L. 119–60, §662(a)(1)(C), added subpars. (E) and (F).

Subsec. (b)(3), (4). Pub. L. 119–60, §662(a)(2), added pars. (3) and (4).

2001-Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 107–107 struck out ", not later than September 30, 1991," before "information available".

1996-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 104–106, §903(a), (d), which directed repeal of subsec. (d), eff. Jan. 31, 1997, was repealed by Pub. L. 104–201.

Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 104–106, §1062(a), redesignated subsec. (g) as (f) and struck out former subsec. (f) which read as follows: "Annual Report.-Not later than March 1 each year, the Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of Military Relocation Assistance Programs, shall submit to Congress a report on the program under this section and on military family relocation matters. The report shall include the following:

"(1) An assessment of available, affordable private-sector housing for members of the armed forces and their families.

"(2) An assessment of the actual nonreimbursed costs incurred by members of the armed forces and their families who are ordered to make a change of permanent station.

"(3) Information (shown by military installation) on the types of locations at which members of the armed forces assigned to duty at military installations live, including the number of members of the armed forces who live on a military installation and the number who do not live on a military installation.

"(4) Information on the effects of the relocation assistance programs established under this section on the quality of life of members of the armed forces and their families and on retention and productivity of members of the armed forces."

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Implementation of Relocation Assistance Programs

Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIV, §1481(c)(4), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1705 , provided that: "The program required to be carried out by section 1056 of title 10, United States Code, as added by paragraph (1), shall be established by the Secretary of Defense not later than October 1, 1990. The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to implement that section not later than July 1, 1990."

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Oversight Requirements for Contracts Relating to Relocation Logistics for Household Goods

Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title III, §346, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 827 , provided that:

"(a) Requirements.-The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that any covered contract includes the following oversight requirements:

"(1) The prime contractor shall submit to the Secretary a document summarizing the key terms and conditions of each subcontract relating to capacity, performance, or compliance with the requirements of the subcontract, which shall include the following:

"(A) The guaranteed capacity of each subcontractor to perform the work required under the subcontract (including with respect to location, volume, and peak season commitment).

"(B) Performance metrics and service level agreements applicable to each subcontractor.

"(C) Provisions for monitoring and enforcing subcontractor performance.

"(D) Termination clauses and penalties for noncompliance.

"(E) Data sharing and security requirements.

"(2) Each subcontractor shall provide to the prime contractor, upon request, certifications and copies of training completion relating to compliance with the requirements under the subcontract.

"(3) The prime contractor shall submit to the Secretary regular performance reports on each subcontractor, including metrics relating to on-time pickup, on-time delivery, damage claim rates, customer satisfaction, and compliance with the requirements of the subcontract.

"(4) The prime contractor shall submit to the Secretary a subcontractor management plan outlining the processes of the prime contractor for selecting, monitoring, and managing subcontractors, including a description of how the prime contractor ensures subcontractor compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and the requirements of the subcontract.

"(5) The prime contractor shall maintain a comprehensive risk management plan that addresses potential disruptions to the performance of work by subcontractors of the prime contractor, such as financial instability, natural disasters, or labor disputes.

"(6) Not less frequently than on a monthly basis for the duration of the covered contract, the prime contractor shall submit to the Secretary the subcontractor rating system used by the prime contractor, with current scoring results under such system.

"(7) The prime contractor shall submit to the Secretary the subcontractor rates for each move to be performed under the subcontract.

"(8) The prime contractor shall establish clear escalation procedures for addressing subcontractor performance issues, including steps for resolving disputes, implementing corrective actions, and terminating non-performing subcontractors.

"(9) The Federal Government may audit subcontractor records with reasonable notice to the prime contractor.

"(10) The covered contract shall include a fixed-price line item for monthly overhead costs, separate from the rates associated with the costs of individual moves performed under the covered contract.

"(11) The prime contractor shall establish a database that the Secretary may access on a real-time basis to ensure compliance with this section.

"(b) Additional Considerations.-During the development of an acquisition strategy and execution strategy for any covered contract, the Secretary shall consider, in addition to the requirements under subsection (a), the following:

"(1) Entering into a single contract pursuant to the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation if the move to be performed under such contract would involve the use of a shipping lane that accounts for more than one percent of the total volume of permanent change of station moves and entering into a services contract if the move to be performed under such contract would not involve the use of such a lane.

"(2) Tiered incentive awards for higher levels of capacity.

"(c) Covered Contract.-In this section, the term 'covered contract'-

"(1) means a contract with an entity that provides relocation logistics for the household goods of members of the Armed Forces undergoing a permanent change of station (commonly referred to as a 'single move manager'); and

"(2) does not include a contract or other agreement for the relocation of a private vehicle owned or leased by a member of the Armed Forces."