TRAVEL ENTITLEMENT FOR MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO A VESSEL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SEC. 624. TRAVEL ENTITLEMENT FOR MEMBERS ASSIGNED TO A VESSEL UNDER CONSTRUCTION (a) Authorization for Travel Allowance.—(1) Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 406b the following new section: “§ 406c. Travel and transportation allowances: members assigned to a vessel under construction “(a) Allowance Authorized.—(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, a member of the uniformed services who is assigned to permanent duty aboard a ship that is under construction at a location other than— “(A) the designated home port of the ship; or “(B) the area where the dependents of the member are residing, is entitled to transportation, or an allowance for transportation under section 404(d)(3) of this title, for round-trip travel from the port of construction to either of those locations as provided in paragraph (2). “(2) A member referred to in paragraph (1) shall be entitled to such transportation or allowance on or after the thirty-first day (and every sixtieth day after the thirty-first day) after the later of— “(A) the date on which the ship enters the construction port; and “(B) the date on which the member becomes permanently assigned to the ship. 103 STAT. 1448 “(3) The amount of reimbursement for personally procured transportation or the allowance for transportation under this subsection may not exceed the cost of Government-procured commercial round-trip air travel. “(b) Dependents Travel.—(1) In lieu of the entitlement of a member of the uniformed services to transportation under subsection (a), the Secretary concerned may provide transportation in kind, reimbursement for personally procured transportation, or a monetary allowance in place of the cost of transportation as provided in section 404(d)(1) of this title for the travel of the dependents of the member from the location that was the home port of the ship before commencement of construction to the port of construction. “(2) The total reimbursement for transportation for the member’s dependents under paragraph (1) may not exceed the cost of Government-procured commercial round-trip travel. “(c) Change of Home Port.—In any case in which a member of the uniformed services assigned to permanent duty aboard a ship that undergoes a change of home port to the port at which the ship is being constructed, the dependents of such member may be provided the transportation allowances prescribed in subsections (a) and (b) in lieu of the transportation authorized by section 406 of this title and section 2634 of title 10. “(d) Application of Other Law.—Section 420 of this title does not apply with respect to transportation or allowances provided under this section.”. (2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 406b the following new item: “406c. Travel and transportation allowances: members assigned to a vessel under construction.”. (b) Clarifying Amendment.—Subsection (c) of section 406b of such title is amended to read as follows: “(c) In any case in which a member of the uniformed services is assigned to permanent duty aboard a ship that undergoes a change of home port to the overhaul or inactivation port, the dependents of the member may be provided transportation allowances prescribed in subsections (a) and (b) in lieu of the transportation authorized by section 406 of this title and section 2634 of title 10.”.