§412 Residents of Retirement Home

Summary

Allows certain former members of the Armed Forces to live in the Retirement Home. To qualify, a person must have served in the Armed Forces with at least half of their service being non‑commissioned (not counting time as a warrant officer or limited‑duty officer) and fit one of five groups: long‑term veterans with 20 or more years of active service; people with a service‑connected disability as determined by the Chief Operating Officer (COO); those who served in a war theater in a Congress‑declared war or were eligible for hostile‑fire pay under 37 U.S.C. 310 or 351 and who have related injuries, disease, or disability per COO rules; women who served in a women’s component before June 12, 1948 and have compelling personal reasons under COO rules; and certain retirees eligible for retired pay under 10 U.S.C. 1223 who also meet specified VA, DoD, or accepted health‑plan conditions. People are barred from residency if they have been convicted of a felony or were discharged under other than honorable conditions. Applicants with substance abuse or mental health issues may be admitted only after evaluation, a finding that the Home can safely accommodate them, and agreement to any required conditions. Applicants must apply to the facility administrator in the form the COO requires. The COO will set priorities when demand exceeds space. A spouse of an accepted resident may be admitted if the spouse is a “covered beneficiary” under 10 U.S.C. 1072(5), is not otherwise ineligible, and applies; the spouse’s residency follows the same rules unless the COO decides otherwise.