5 U.S.C. § 5911 : Government Organization And Employees — Allowances — Quarters — Employees — Pay And Allowances — Quarters And Facilities; Employees In The United States

  • Date:
(a)
For the purpose of this section—

(1) “Government” means the Government of the United States;

(2) “agency” means an Executive agency, but does not include the Tennessee Valley Authority;

(3) “employee” means an employee of an agency;

(4) “United States” means the several States, the District of Columbia, and the territories and possessions of the United States including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;

(5) “quarters” means quarters owned or leased by the Government; and

(6) “facilities” means household furniture and equipment, garage space, utilities, subsistence, and laundry service.

(b) The head of an agency may provide, directly or by contract, an employee stationed in the United States with quarters and facilities, when conditions of employment or of availability of quarters warrant the action.
(c) Rental rates for quarters provided for an employee under subsection (b) of this section or occupied on a rental basis by an employee or member of a uniformed service under any other provision of statute, and charges for facilities made available in connection with the occupancy of the quarters, shall be based on the reasonable value of the quarters and facilities to the employee or member concerned, in the circumstances under which the quarters and facilities are provided, occupied, or made available. The amounts of the rates and charges shall be paid by, or deducted from the pay of, the employee or member of a uniformed service, or otherwise charged against him in accordance with law. The amounts of payroll deductions for the rates and charges shall remain in the applicable appropriation or fund. When payment of the rates and charges is made by other than payroll deductions, the amounts of payment shall be credited to the Government as provided by law.
(d) When, as an incidental service in support of a program of the Government, quarters and facilities are provided by appropriate authority of the Government to an individual other than an employee or member of a uniformed service, the rates and charges therefor shall be determined in accordance with this section. The amounts of payment of the rates and charges shall be credited to the Government as provided by law.
(e) The head of an agency may not require an employee or member of a uniformed service to occupy quarters on a rental basis, unless the agency head determines that necessary service cannot be rendered, or that property of the Government cannot adequately be protected, otherwise.
(f) The President may prescribe regulations governing the provision, occupancy, and availability of quarters and facilities, the determination of rates and charges therefor, and other related matters, necessary and appropriate to carry out this section. The head of each agency may prescribe regulations, not inconsistent with the regulations of the President, necessary and appropriate to carry out the functions of the agency head under this section.
(g) Subsection (c) of this section does not repeal or modify any provision of statute authorizing the provision of quarters or facilities, either without charge or at rates or charges specifically fixed by statute.
(h)
A member of the uniformed service on a permanent change of duty station or temporary duty orders and occupying unaccompanied personnel housing—

(1) is exempt from the requirement of subsection (c) to pay a rental rate or charge based on the reasonable value of the quarters and facilities provided; and

(2) shall pay such lesser rate or charge as the Secretary of Defense establishes by regulation.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 508; Pub. L. 99–145, title VIII, § 809(c), Nov. 8, 1985, 99 Stat. 681.)

Historical and Revision Notes

Derivation

U.S. Code

Revised Statutes and

Statutes at Large

(a)

5 U.S.C. 3121.

Aug. 20, 1964, Pub. L. 88–459, § 1, 78 Stat. 557.

(b)

5 U.S.C. 3122.

Aug. 20, 1964, Pub. L. 88–459, § 2, 78 Stat. 557.

(c)

5 U.S.C. 3123.

Aug. 20, 1964, Pub. L. 88–459, § 3, 78 Stat. 557.

(d)

5 U.S.C. 3124.

Aug. 20, 1964, Pub. L. 88–459, § 4, 78 Stat. 557.

(e)

5 U.S.C. 3125.

Aug. 20, 1964, Pub. L. 88–459, § 5, 78 Stat. 557.

(f)

5 U.S.C. 3126.

Aug. 20, 1964, Pub. L. 88–459, § 6, 78 Stat. 558.

(g)

5 U.S.C. 3127.

Aug. 20, 1964, Pub. L. 88–459, § 7, 78 Stat. 558.

In subsection (a)(2), the term “Executive agency” is coextensive with and substituted for “each executive department of the Government”, “each agency or independent establishment in the executive branch of the Government”, “each corporation owned or controlled by the Government”, and “the General Accounting Office” in view of the definition of “Executive agency” in section 105.

In subsection (a)(3), the term “employee” is substituted for “civilian officer or employee” in view of the definition of “employee” in section 2105.

Subsection (a)(7) of former section 3121 is omitted as unnecessary in view of the definition of “uniformed services” in section 2101.

Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.


Amendments

1985—Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 99–145 added subsec. (h).


Effective Date of 1985 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 99–145 effective Oct. 1, 1985, see section 813 of Pub. L. 99–145, formerly set out in a Military Family Policy and Programs note under section 113 of Title 10, Armed Forces.


Delegation of Functions

Authority of President under subsec. (f) of this section to issue regulations provided for therein (relating to provision, occupancy, and availability of quarters and facilities, determination of rates and charges therefor, and other related matters, as are necessary and appropriate to carry out provisions of this section) delegated to Director of Office of Management and Budget, see section 9(1) of Ex. Ord. No. 11609, July 22, 1971, 36 F.R. 13747, set out as a note under section 301 of Title 3, The President.


Pilot Program To Establish Government Lodging Program

Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title IX, § 914, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3474, provided that:


“(a) Authority.— Notwithstanding the provisions of section 5911 of title 5, United States Code, the Secretary of Defense may, for the period of time described in subsection (b), establish and carry out a Government lodging program to provide Government or commercial lodging for employees of the Department of Defense or members of the uniformed services under the Secretary’s jurisdiction performing duty on official travel, and may require such travelers to occupy adequate quarters on a rental basis when available.

“(b) Program Duration.— The authority to establish and execute a Government lodging program under this section expires on December 31, 2019.

“(c) Limitation.— A Government lodging program developed under the authority in subsection (a), and a requirement under subsection (a) with respect to an employee of the Department of Defense, may not be construed to be subject to a duty to negotiate under chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code.

“(d) Reports.—


“(1) Initial report.— Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 19, 2014], the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the exercise of authority provided by subsection (a). The report shall include a detailed description of the facets of the Government lodging program, a description of how the program will increase travel efficiencies within the Department, a description of how the program will increase the safety of authorized travelers of the Department of Defense, and an estimate of the savings expected to be achieved by the program.


“(2) Annual reports.— Each year, the Secretary shall include with the materials submitted to Congress by the Secretary in support of the budget submitted by the President under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, a report that provides actual savings achieved (or costs incurred) under the Government lodging program to date and a description of estimated savings for the fiscal year budget being submitted, any changes to program rules made since the prior report, and an overall assessment to date of the program’s effectiveness in increasing efficiency of travel and safety of Department employees.


“(3) Final report.— With the budget materials submitted to Congress by the Secretary in support of the budget submitted by the President for fiscal year 2019, the Secretary shall include a final report providing the Secretary’s overall assessment of the effectiveness of the Government lodging program established under subsection (a), including a statement of savings achieved (or costs incurred) as of that date, and a recommendation for whether the program shall be made permanent. The Secretary may, in consultation with the heads of other Federal agencies, make a recommendation on whether the program should be expanded and made permanent with respect to those other Federal agencies.


“(4) Appropriate committees of congress defined.—

In this subsection, the term ‘appropriate committees of Congress’ means—
“(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
“(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.”


Deposit in Special Fund of Rents and Charges Collected for Use or Occupancy of Quarters


Deposit in Special Fund of Rents and Charges Collected for Use or Occupancy of Quarters

Pub. L. 98–473, title I, § 101(c) [title III, § 320], Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 1837, 1874, as amended by Pub. L. 100–446, title III, § 316, Sept. 27, 1988, 102 Stat. 1826; Pub. L. 101–121, title III, § 317, Oct. 23, 1989, 103 Stat. 745, provided that:

“Notwithstanding title 5 of the United States Code or any other provision of law, after September 30, 1984, rents and charges collected by payroll deduction or otherwise for the use or occupancy of quarters of agencies funded by this Act [probably means Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act, 1985, as set forth in section 101(c) of Pub. L. 98–473] shall thereafter be deposited in a special fund in each agency, to remain available until expended, for the maintenance and operation of the quarters of that agency: Provided, That nothing contained herein shall prohibit an agreement between an Indian tribe or tribal organization and the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination Act, as amended ( 25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) [former 25 U.S.C. 450f et seq., now 25 U.S.C. 5321 et seq.], under which such tribe or tribal organization may retain rents and charges for the operation, maintenance, and repair of such quarters.”

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