ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE ROUTINE R 301245Z AUG 01 ZYB MIN PSN 877416J33 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN UNCLAS //N07220// NAVADMIN 230/01 MSGID/GENADMIN/N1// SUBJ/CHANGES IN BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING (BAH) POLICY FOR MEMBERS /WITH DEPENDENTS// REF/A/DOC/TITLE 37 USC SECTION 403/26JAN1998// REF/B/DOC/OASD/06JUN2001// REF/C/INST/SECNAV 7220.82/31JUL1987// NARR/REF A IS BAH STATUTE. REF B IS OSD MEMO ANNOUNCING THE NEW AUTHORITY. REF C IS SECNAVINST FOR BAH BASED ON DEPENDENT'S LOCATION.// POC/BRYANT/LT/N130C4/-/TEL:(703) 695-3304/TEL:DSN 225// RMKS/1. THIS NAVADMIN ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO BAH POLICY ENHANCING RATE PROTECTION FOR MEMBERS WITH DEPENDENT FAMILY MEMBERS. THESE CHANGES ARE DESIGNED TO CORRECT INEQUITIES IN ENTITLEMENT RULES INVOLVING ADJACENT HOUSING AREAS WITH DIFFERENT BAH RATES FOR ALL SERVICE MEMBERS AND PROVIDE GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN HOUSING OPTIONS FOR UNACCOMPANIED MEMBERS TRANSFERRING OVERSEAS. REQUEST WIDEST DISSEMINATION. 2. PER REF A, MEMBERS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS WERE AUTHORIZED TO USE THE BAH RATE AT THEIR OLD PERMANENT DUTY STATION (PDS) WHEN THEY WERE REASSIGNED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES UNDER NO COST/CLOSE PROXIMITY PCS MOVES. THE FY-01 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT (NDAA) ADDED THE SAME PROVISION FOR MEMBERS WITH DEPENDENTS. FOR EXAMPLE: A NAVY RECRUITER CURRENTLY RESIDES IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS (A SUBURB LOCATED BETWEEN DALLAS AND FORT WORTH) AND IS ASSIGNED TO A RECRUITING STATION IN METROPOLITAN DALLAS, BUT WILL BE REASSIGNED TO A RECRUITING STATION IN FORT WORTH UNDER NO COST PCS ORDERS. THE MEMBER, WHETHER WITH OR WITHOUT DEPENDENTS, WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DRAW BAH AT THE HIGHER DALLAS RATE RATHER THAN THE LOWER FORT WORTH RATE IF HE DOES NOT EXECUTE A MOVE UNDER THE NEW ORDERS. THIS WILL ALLOW THE SERVICE MEMBER TO MAINTAIN FINANCIAL STABILITY SINCE PRESUMABLY THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN RESIDENCE, JUST A CHANGE IN PDS. 3. ADDITIONALLY, THE FY-01 NDAA CREATED A NEW OPTION FOR MEMBERS WITH DEPENDENT FAMILY MEMBERS RESIDING SEPARATELY BECAUSE OF PCS ORDERS OVERSEAS. FOR EXAMPLE: A SAILOR LIVES IN OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA (NEAR CAMP PENDLETON) AND IS ASSIGNED TO A SHIP HOMEPORTED IN SAN DIEGO, AND THEREFORE, IS DRAWING BAH AT THE SAN DIEGO RATE BASED ON CURRENT PDS. WHEN THE MEMBER ELECTS AN UNACCOMPANIED OR DEPENDENT-RESTRICTED PCS MOVE TO JAPAN, HE NOW HAS THE OPTION OF LEAVING HIS FAMILY IN OCEANSIDE AND CONTINUE DRAWING BAH AT THE OLD PDS RATE (I.E., THE HIGHER SAN DIEGO RATE). PREVIOUSLY, THE MEMBER WAS ONLY AUTHORIZED THE LOWER CAMP PENDLETON RATE BASED UPON DEPENDENT'S LOCATION OR HE COULD HAVE ELECTED TO MOVE HIS FAMILY TO A "DESIGNATED PLACE" AND DRAW BAH AT THAT LOCALITY RATE. 4. PERSONNEL WHO EXECUTE FULLY-FUNDED ORDERS WITHIN CONUS AND WHO CHOOSE NOT TO RESIDE WITH THEIR FAMILIES ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THIS POLICY CHANGE. FOR EXAMPLE, A MEMBER STATIONED IN SAN DIEGO EXECUTES A PCS MOVE TO NORFOLK AND DEPENDENT TRAVEL IS AUTHORIZED. IF THE MEMBER ELECTS TO LEAVE HIS FAMILY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, HE IS NOT ENTITLED TO CONTINUE TO DRAW BAH AT THE SAN DIEGO RATE. 5. MEMBERS SERVING TOURS AS DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPHS 2 AND 3 ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE HIGHER BAH RATE, REGARDLESS OF THE DATE OF PCS, BEGINNING 1 JULY 2001 PER REF B. NO RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS FOR PERIODS PRIOR TO 1 JULY 2001 ARE AUTHORIZED. REF C REQUIRES PERSONNEL TO REQUEST A WAIVER FROM PERS-454C IF THEY WISH TO DRAW BAH AT ANY LOCATION OTHER THAN THEIR PDS. THIS WAIVER REQUIREMENT IS EXTENDED TO APPLY TO MEMBERS WHO EXECUTE ORDERS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OUTLINED IN THIS MESSAGE. CHANGES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT REVISION OF REF C. 6. RELEASED BY VADM NORB RYAN, JR., N1.// BT