Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed ServicesRelease 119-110
§1016 Pay Statements: Descriptions of Types of Pay
Title 37 › CHAPTER 19 — ADMINISTRATION › § 1016
Summary
The Secretary of Defense must give each service member, at the same time as their pay statement, a short plain-language note for every kind of pay, allowance, or deduction listed. It must explain the legal reason, the purpose, who can get it, and how eligibility might change (including suspension or end). They must be on a website that can be printed with it and be easy to understand.
Full Legal Text
Title 37, §1016
Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In General.—
The Secretary of Defense shall make available contemporaneously with each pay statement provided to a member of the Armed Forces, for each type of pay, allowance, and deduction listed on the statement, a brief and plain-language description of— (1)
(2)the purpose of a pay, allowance, or deduction;
(3)the criteria for determining eligibility of members for a pay, allowance, or deduction; and
(4)possible changes in the eligibility of the member for a pay, allowance, or deduction, including the circumstances under which a pay, allowance, or deduction may be suspended or modified or may expire.
(b)Requirements.—
The descriptions required to be made available with a pay statement under paragraph (1) shall be—
(1)published on a website accessible by a member and printable with the pay statement of the member; and
(2)presented in language easily understood by individuals without specialized knowledge of military finance, accounting, or law.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VI, § 661(b), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 914, provided that: “The requirements of section 1016 of title 37, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply with respect to pay statements issued on or after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 18, 2025].”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
37 U.S.C. § 1016
Title 37, Pay and Allowances of the Uniformed Services
Last Updated
Sep 22, 2026
Release point: 119-110