A member of the armed forces—

(1) A member of the armed forces shall be liable to the United States for damage to any family housing unit or unaccompanied personnel housing unit, or damage to or loss of any equipment or furnishings of any family housing unit or unaccompanied personnel housing unit, assigned to or provided such member if (as determined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy) the damage or loss was caused by the abuse or negligence of the member (or a dependent of the member) or of a guest of the member (or a dependent of the member).

A member of the armed forces—

(A) who is assigned or provided a family housing unit; and

(B) who fails to clean satisfactorily that housing unit (as determined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy) upon termination of the assignment or provision of that housing unit,

The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, may establish limitations on liability under this section, including (in the case of liability under subsection (a)(1)) different limitations based upon the degree of abuse or negligence involved, and may compromise or waive a claim of the United States under this section.

The Secretary concerned may deduct from a member’s pay an amount sufficient to pay for the cost of any repair or replacement made necessary as the result of any abuse or negligence referred to in subsection (a)(1), or the cost of any cleaning made necessary by a failure to clean satisfactorily a family housing unit referred to in subsection (a)(2), for which the member is liable. Regulations implementing this section may also provide for the collection of amounts owed under this section by any other authorized means.

(1) The Secretary concerned may deduct from a member’s pay an amount sufficient to pay for the cost of any repair or replacement made necessary as the result of any abuse or negligence referred to in subsection (a)(1), or the cost of any cleaning made necessary by a failure to clean satisfactorily a family housing unit referred to in subsection (a)(2), for which the member is liable. Regulations implementing this section may also provide for the collection of amounts owed under this section by any other authorized means.

(2) The final determination of an amount to be deducted from the pay of an officer of an armed force in accordance with regulations prescribed under this section shall be deemed to be a special order authorizing such deduction for the purposes of section 1007 of title 37.

Amounts received under this section shall be credited to the family housing operations and maintenance account, in the case of damage to a family housing unit (or the equipment or furnishings of a family housing unit) or failure to clean satisfactorily a family housing unit, or to the operations and maintenance account, in the case of damage to an unaccompanied personnel housing unit (or the equipment or furnishings of an unaccompanied personnel housing unit), of the military department or defense agency concerned, or the operating expenses account of the Coast Guard, as appropriate. Amounts so credited shall be available for use for the same purposes and under the same circumstances as other funds in those accounts.

The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. Such regulations shall include—

(1) regulations for determining the cost of repairs and replacements made necessary as the result of abuse or negligence for which a member is liable under subsection (a)(1);

(2) regulations for determining the cost of cleaning made necessary as a result of the failure to clean satisfactorily for which a member is liable under subsection (a)(2); and

(3) provisions for limitations of liability, the compromise or waiver of claims, and the collection of amounts owed under this section.

(Added Pub. L. 96–418, title V, § 506(a), Oct. 10, 1980, 94 Stat. 1765; amended Pub. L. 97–214, § 10(a)(6), July 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 175; Pub. L. 98–407, title VIII, § 801(a)(1), Aug. 28, 1984, 98 Stat. 1517; Pub. L. 99–167, title VIII, § 802(a)–(d)(1), Dec. 3, 1985, 99 Stat. 986; Pub. L. 99–661, div. A, title XIII, § 1343(a)(19), Nov. 14, 1986, 100 Stat. 3993; Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(b)(1), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2314.)