Supporting Allies: Afghan Refugees, NATO, Ukraine, Taiwan, & Israel
With Honor Action’s work in this policy area during the 118th Congress broadly covers four global hot spots: Afghanistan, Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel.
We remain committed to taking care of the Afghans who fought alongside us for over 20 years and were instrumental in a major expansion of the Afghan special immigrant visa program for translators and interpreters in early 2024, an effort led by former For Country Caucus Co-Chair, Representative Jason Crow, and caucus member, Representative Brad Wenstrup. We also played a large role in the establishment in law of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts office, which centralizes the federal government’s vetting and resettlement efforts, an initiative led by former For Country Caucus Vice Chair, Representative Jim Baird.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, With Honor Action has played a prominent role in multiple bills passed to support our allies in Ukraine, especially major legislation passed in 2024, which dedicated $60.8 billion to supporting Ukraine, including $23.2 billion to replenish our stockpiles of defense articles and rejuvenate defense manufacturing capabilities across America. And believing in the strength of multilateral partnerships, we were proud to support an initiative to invest in the NATO Innovation Fund, a standalone venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO allies, deploying over $1 billion to support technology startups.
Drawing from the work of the Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its Chairman, For Country Caucus member Representative Mike Gallagher, legislation passed over the last two years heavily emphasized the importance of deterring an invasion of Taiwan and uncovering the true scope of the threat posed by the CCP. The success of American cyber operations in Ukraine before the Russian invasion ensured that national critical infrastructure was kept online. These programs will be extended to Taiwan through the Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act, a bill led by caucus members Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Mike Gallagher. And despite the CCP’s stated commitment to counternarcotics, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act imposes costs on their lax oversight of Chinese-based companies trafficking synthetic opioids through Mexico.
Finally, in the aftermath of the horrific October 8, 2023 Hamas attack, With Honor Action supported legislation that would hold accountable both the terrorist organization and its backer, Iran. Through our efforts, the For Country Caucus-endorsed the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act, which passed in 2024. The legislation uncovers the ways Iranian petroleum companies evade U.S. sanctions and punishes foreign ports and refineries that continue processing petroleum exported from Iran.
The 15 laws in this category of supporting our allies that we helped pass follow.
1. Afghan Allies Protection Act (AAPA) of 2023 [H.R. 2882, Sec. 7034(d)(9)]
Led by Representatives Jason Crow and Brad Wenstrup, key provisions of this legislation were passed which authorized an additional 12,000 Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for Afghan translators and interpreters and extended the program through 2025. This was the largest expansion of the Afghan SIV program since the program’s creation in 2009, a 31% increase over the previously authorized 38,500 visas, with the potential to facilitate continued evacuations of over 130,000 Afghan allies and their families still stranded abroad.
2. Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act [H.R. 815, Division F]
Once the Russian invasion of Ukraine ends, the reconstruction of Ukraine’s economy, infrastructure, and communities will require large-scale investment. The Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act, supported by members of the For Country Caucus, including Co-Chairs Representatives Tony Gonzales and Jason Crow, empowered the President to confiscate an estimated $6 billion of Russian assets in U.S. banks and direct them toward Ukraine’s reconstruction. In December 2024, the Treasury Department announced that it would use the profits generated by these frozen assets as collateral for a $20 billion loan to Ukraine as part of a larger $50 billion package provided by G7 nations through the World Bank.
3. Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act [H.R. 815, Division J]
Revenue generated from Iranian oil sales has enabled the Iranian military to enhance its nuclear program and support Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel. To punish bad actors that economically benefit from the Iranian oil trade, the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act, endorsed by the For Country Caucus, mandates and expands the President’s authority to sanction foreign ports and refineries that process Iranian petroleum. It additionally requires regular reports to Congress about the state of Iranian oil exports, especially to China.
4. Strengthening Tools to Counter the Use of Human Shields Act [H.R. 815, Division O]
Led by Representative Mike Gallagher, the Strengthening Tools to Counter the Use of Human Shields Act expands the President’s authority to sanction additional terrorist organizations and individuals, specifically Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestine Islamic Jihad, for using humans as shields during combat. The act would also require a report on the Department of Defense’s strategies to address the use of human shields.
5. Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act [H.R. 815, Division E]
The U.S. is facing a severe drug crisis, with over 74,000 fentanyl overdoses in 2023. This is in no small part due to the lax oversight by the Chinese government over the trafficking of precursor chemicals and synthetic opioids from Chinese-based companies through Mexico. To tackle this, With Honor Action supported the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, which declared fentanyl trafficking a national emergency, mandated sanctions on key members of drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and allowed the use of forfeited assets from traffickers to support law enforcement efforts.
6. United States Foundation for International Conservation Act of 2023 [H.R. 5009, Title LI, Subtitle A]
Endorsed by the For Country Caucus and cosponsored by twenty-five of its thirty members, the U.S. Foundation for International Conservation Act, which was included in the FY25 NDAA, establishes a novel public-private partnership that has the potential to leverage $3 billion over the next ten years for global conservation efforts and the protection of biodiversity, wildlife, and parklands from exploitation by adversarial powers like the CCP and Russia.
7. Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts Authorization Act of 2024 [H.R. 5009, Sec. 7810: Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts]
Since the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts in the State Department has centralized the federal government’s vetting and resettlement efforts and issued over 45,000 Special Immigrant Visas to Afghan translators and interpreters. This provision, led by Representative Jim Baird, establishes this State Department office in law for three years, as it previously operated under executive authority. You can learn more about With Honor Action’s work on this bill from Representative Jim Baird here.
8. To provide authority to contribute to the NATO Innovation Fund [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1051: Authority to contribute to innovation fund]
This provision authorizes the Department of Defense to contribute up to $200 million over the next five years to the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), a venture capital fund which is leveraging over $1 billion to invest in cutting-edge startups across various sectors, including artificial intelligence and biotechnology. This authorization also allows U.S. startup companies to access the NIF’s venture capital funds, backed by 24 of the 32 NATO allies as of November 2024.
9 .Building Options for the Lasting Security of Taiwan through European Resolve (BOLSTER) Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 5121: Improving multilateral cooperation to improve the security of Taiwan]
This provision, which incorporates part of the BOLSTER Act, strengthens America’s sanctions coordination mechanisms with members of the European Union and the United Kingdom in the case of a People’s Republic of China (PRC) invasion of Taiwan. It additionally seeks a report from the President on the economic effects of a 30-day and 180-day blockade or quarantine of Taiwan by the PRC.
10. Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1518: Military cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan]
In 2019, the Taiwanese government estimated that it faces 20 to 40 million cyberattacks monthly, with its National Security Bureau alone facing roughly 100,000 hacking attempts each month. This bill, led by Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Mike Gallagher, requires the Department of Defense to expand cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan, including conducting combined cybersecurity training activities and exercises and leveraging United States commercial and military cybersecurity technology to harden Taiwan’s critical national networks, infrastructure, and systems.
11. Oversight of Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1308]
This provision strengthens congressional oversight of the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act by adding reporting requirements of the actions taken to establish or expand comprehensive military training programs with Taiwan, consultative mechanisms with appropriate Taiwanese government officials, and multi-year plans to provide for the acquisition of defensive capabilities. This enhancement was a recommendation of the Select Committee on the CCP’s “Ten for Taiwan” report.
12. Report on Department of Defense roles and responsibilities in support of National Strategy for the Arctic Region [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Jimmy Panetta, directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report detailing the Department’s efforts supporting the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, including implementation plans for each military department and the Office of Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict. This follows With Honor Action’s previous work on the passage of the Arctic Security Initiative Act in 2021 as Russia increases its military presence in the Arctic by reopening Soviet-era military installations.
13. China Defense Spending Transparency Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1313: Studies on defense budget transparency of the People’s Republic of China and the United States ]
This provision, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Department of Defense to conduct a comparative study on the transparency of the People’s Republic of China’s public defense spending. This followed a 2023 report that China’s defense spending may be as much as double current estimates.
14. Briefing on multi-year plan to fulfill defense requirements of military forces of Taiwan [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing on the status of efforts to develop and implement the joint multi-year plan to fulfill the defense requirements of the military forces of Taiwan that was a statutory requirement passed in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. This expansion in oversight was a recommendation of the Select Committee on the CCP’s “Ten for Taiwan” report, which found that deliveries of certain missile and weapons systems approved by Congress for sale to Taiwan have faced yearslong delays.
15. Cooperation Among U.S. Defense Partners [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing on ways in which the Department can work with partner countries to provide advice and assistance to Taiwan, especially concerning cybersecurity, reserve force management and conscription, counter-disinformation campaigns, and civil missile defense. This briefing was a recommendation of the Select Committee on the CCP’s “Ten for Taiwan” report and seeks transparency in the coordination efforts directed by the Department of Defense.
National Security Modernization: Biosecurity, AI, & Other Emerging Technologies
The U.S. government and its national security organizations are lagging behind the rapid technological advancements driven in part by the AI revolution. With Honor Action began working with the For Country Caucus on modernizing our national security infrastructure and talent pipeline in 2020 with the bipartisan National Security Commission on AI. In the 118th Congress, we helped pass 35 bipartisan laws that range from AI and cybersecurity to critical mineral supply chains and intellectual property, defense procurement, research and development timelines, and other emerging threats, such as biosecurity. With regard to biosecurity, we anticipate being highly engaged in the 119th Congress to help advance the forthcoming recommendations of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology that With Honor Action, and the veterans we support, helped establish.
The laws we helped pass included the TikTok “divest-or-ban” legislation, a key recommendation of the Select Committee on the CCP, and the establishment in law, and support for, the Defense Innovation Unit as well as the Joint Energetics Transition Office.
The 34 laws in this category of national security and emerging technologies that we helped pass follow.
1. Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (a.k.a “TikTok divest-or-ban bill”) [H.R. 815, Division I]
This bill forces divestment of TikTok from CCP direct and indirect ownership, or risk a ban. This legislation also creates a process for the President to designate specific media apps subject to a foreign adversary’s control that pose a significant national security risk. Such a designation could prohibit app store availability and web hosting services in the U.S. unless the designated apps sever ties to the entity identified as being controlled by a foreign adversary.
2. Establishment of Department of Defense working group on multilateral artificial intelligence coordination [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1807]
Formerly the Five AIs Act, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, this provision was spearheaded in the FY25 NDAA by Representative Nick LaLota. It establishes a working group in the Department of Defense to coordinate artificial intelligence initiatives among allies and partners, including comparative testing, evaluation, and procurement of AI systems. It will also accelerate the interoperability of intelligence-sharing and battlespace awareness systems.
3. Independent assessment of cyber organizational models [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1544]
This provision, led by Representative Morgan Luttrell, seeks an independent assessment of the military’s current cyber organizational structure and capabilities that advises on further refinements or evolutions of the current model and the potential of establishing a separate Cyber Force. This effort is built upon a report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies which found that the U.S. military, despite widely reported shortages in cyber and digital professionals, lacks a centralized branch for recruiting and training cyber operators.
4. Pilot program on development of near-term use cases and demonstration of artificial intelligence toward biotechnology applications for national security [H.R. 5009, Sec. 236]
This provision, co-led by Senator Todd Young, establishes a five-year public-private partnership pilot program for the Department of Defense to study and develop near-term applications of artificial intelligence to biotechnology for national security purposes, such as AI-driven drug discovery, synthetic biology, and regenerative medicine.
5. Modification of public reporting of Chinese military companies operating in the United States [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1346]
This provision, led by Representative Seth Moulton, requires a printed justification in the Federal Register for decisions on listing or delisting companies from the Department of Defense’s list of entities identified as “Chinese military companies” operating in the United States. The provision additionally clarifies the conditions under which companies may be listed in recognition of the complex web of ownership and affiliations these companies may operate under. The so-called “1260H” list identifies Chinese companies operating in the United States that appear civilian in nature but actually contribute to the modernization efforts of the CCP’s People’s Liberation Army. Continual updates and associated measures to protect against these companies remains an enduring priority of the Select Committee on the CCP.
6. Biotech Futures Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 242: Biotechnology roadmap]
Currently, the most proximate usages for biotechnology have been researched and developed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services. This provision directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan with goals and metrics to guide the Department of Defense’s own biotechnology work, including coordination with the relevant agencies and the private sector. The plan will encompass funding sources, technology maturity, rapid acquisition and fielding opportunities, risk analyses, and biotechnology workforce development.
7. Establishment of national security capital forum [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1092]
This provision, led by Representative Pat Ryan, establishes a convening organization for the Department of Defense to bring together domestic and international finance experts, capital providers, investors, entrepreneurs, and others to exchange relevant information to support the national security of the United States and institutes rigorous vetting procedures and selection criteria, including disallowing fund participants with significant investments in or from certain countries of concern.
8. Defense Quantum Acceleration Act of 2024 [H.R. 5009, Sec. 244: Strategic plan for quantum information science technologies within the Department of Defense]
This provision incorporates part of the Defense Quantum Acceleration Act of 2024 and directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a strategy plan for the research, development, testing, evaluation, procurement, and implementation of quantum information science (QIS) technologies at the Department of Defense over the next five years and to submit to Congress an assessment which includes the appropriateness of current budget proposals for QIS-related activities. Quantum computing, in its most basic terms, is an advancement in the capabilities of computers to “think” probabilistically, utilizing basic principles of quantum mechanics that will allow future machines to solve problems in minutes that would take current machines hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
9. Biodefense posture reviews [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1069]
Currently, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response is responsible for the whole-of-government National Biodefense Strategy, which minimizes the Department of Defense’s key role in countering biothreats. This provision, led by Representative Jack Bergman, directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct two comprehensive reviews of the Department’s biodefense policies, practices, programs, and initiatives and to provide an accompanying briefing no later than December 31, 2026, and December 31, 2029.
10. Restoring the National Defense Stockpile [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1411]
A November 2023 report found that as of April of that year, current stockpiles would only cover 37.9% of projected military shortfalls, 7.5% of essential civilian demand shortfalls, and only 6.2% of total net shortfalls in national emergency scenarios. A September 2024 report further found that the Department of Defense relies on foreign suppliers for 59% of current material shortfalls, and only has a single domestic source for an additional 32% of shortfall materials. This provision tasks the Secretary of Defense with developing a plan that identifies strategic and critical minerals for both military and civilian needs for which there is a shortfall in the National Defense Stockpile, along with a strategy to resolve those shortfalls and the associated costs.
11. Joint Energetics Transition Office [H.R. 2670, Sec. 241]
Energetic materials are substances which are used as propellants and explosives. This provision, led by Representative Mike Gallagher in 2023, directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a Joint Energetics Transition Office. The office is tasked with developing a comprehensive approach to supporting and coordinating research, development, testing, and evaluation efforts in the Department of Defense, industry, and academia and is responsible for evaluating the current regulatory environment and acquisition processes and speeding the development and fielding of advanced energetic materials used in explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics.
12. Modification of certain requirements relating to the Joint Energetics Transition Office [H.R. 5009, Sec. 211]
This provision, passed in 2024, requires the Secretary of Defense to formally establish a budget line for the Joint Energetics Transition Office, ensuring transparency and accountability over how much funding the office receives.
13. Authority to modernize recruitment for the Army [H.R. 5009, Sec. 538]
This section reflects a broad push to modernize Army recruitment by introducing new technologies, specialized roles, and data-driven strategies. Specifically, this provision provides the authority for the Secretary of the Army to establish a new Military Occupational Specialty for enlisted members who specialize in talent acquisition, create a force of warrant officers specializing in talent acquisition, and identify regions in the U.S. that yield the highest number of recruits.
14. Plan to improve access by members of the Armed Forces to safe, high-quality pharmaceuticals [H.R. 5009, Sec. 739]
This provision requires the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Military Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Vulnerability Working Group, to develop a plan to improve access to safe, high-quality pharmaceuticals for Armed Forces members. This report will include specifics on corrections to the supply chain, reputable suppliers, and the feasibility of carrying out this plan. This plan complements the ongoing work of the Defense Logistics Agency, announced in July 2024, to map, identify, and mitigate dependence on foreign sources for the over 200 drugs on the Food and Drug Administration’s essential medicine list.
15. To require the Secretary of Defense to designate the Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network as a subordinate unified command under the United States Cyber Command [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1502: Department of Defense Information Network subordinate unified command]
This provision, led by Representative Don Bacon, elevates the Department of Defense’s primary organization for its networks, the Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network, to a subordinate unified command under U.S. Cyber Command. This move reflects the elevation of the Cyber National Mission Force to a subordinate unified command in 2022.
16. BioTech Innovation and National Security Continuation Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1084: Modification of National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology]
In 2021, With Honor Action helped establish the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology with Senator Todd Young and Representatives Seth Moulton and Mike Gallagher. The commission is studying and will make recommendations on how the federal government can better approach and support biotechnology research and development for national security purposes. This provision extends the Commission’s authority to appoint members, the due date for its final report by six months, and its termination date to December 31, 2026.
17. Supply chain illumination incentives [H.R. 5009, Sec. 849]
This provision directs the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement incentives for defense contractors to assess and monitor their supply chains for goods provided to the Department for potential vulnerabilities and noncompliance risks.
18. Report and updated guidance on continued risk management for pharmaceutical supply chains of the Department of Defense [H.R. 5009, Sec. 850]
This provision, built upon efforts led by Representatives Mikie Sherrill and Michael Waltz, requires the Department of Defense to include temperature monitoring as a factor in the pharmaceutical supply chain and provide a report on the key starting material for pharmaceuticals that the Department may be relying on high-risk foreign suppliers to source from to assess potential vulnerabilities and any obstacles to obtaining that information.
19. Bolstering America’s Defenses Against Potentially Perilous Software (BAD APPS) Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1546]
This provision, led by Representatives Mikie Sherrill and Jack Bergman, tasks the Department of Defense to create a framework to assess the national risk of mobile applications that originate from countries of concern and are used on cell phones of servicemembers and other U.S. government employees working in national security.
20. Updated acquisition and sustainment training [H.R. 5009, Sec. 832]
This provision tasks the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment with developing field teams to train acquisition and sustainment personnel on rapid acquisition procedures. This effort complements the Department of Defense’s 2024 Acquisition and Sustainment Workforce Framework, which seeks not only to train up existing acquisition professionals, but to recruit and retain a professionalized corps that can seek, identify, and acquire capabilities for the Department to match the pacing threat.
21. Enhancing requirements for information relating to supply chain risk [H.R. 5009, Sec. 841]
This provision cuts red tape by authorizing the Secretary of Defense to delegate supply chain risk management authority to defense agency directors and removes (1) the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and Chief Information Officer joint recommendation requirement, (2) the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security risk assessment, and (3) the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment concurrence requirement for supply chain risk management acquisition.
22. Department of Defense Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1536: Authority to conduct pilot program on Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve]
This provision authorizes the Department of the Army to establish a Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve to leverage non-military cybersecurity expertise in a reserve capacity to bolster America’s cyber defense capabilities and to strengthen our cyber infrastructure.
23. Artificial Intelligence in U.S. Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Jeff Jackson, directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing on how the Department currently incorporates AI into Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) and any plans to do so over the Future Years Defense Program.
24. Codification & Elevation of the Defense Innovation Unit [H.R. 2670, Sec. 913]
Established in 2015 by then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) is the Department of Defense’s organization dedicated to rapidly acquiring and using emerging commercial technologies that may have a defense-purpose. This provision, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, establishes the DIU in law, allowing it to continue specializing in identifying, investing in, and adopting commercial dual-use technology at speed and scale. It also clarifies that its director, as the principal staff assistant to the Secretary of Defense, is responsible for the issues under its jurisdiction.
25. Organization & Management of the Defense Innovation Unit [H.R. 2670, Sec. 913: Support for Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships]
This subsection, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, authorizes the Defense Innovation Unit to identify and support multi-stakeholder research and innovation across the whole of society, including institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, for-profit commercial enterprises, and departments or agencies of the federal government.
26. To establish in the National Nuclear Security Administration a Cybersecurity Risk Inventory, Assessment, and Mitigation Working Group [H.R. 2670, Sec. 3113]
This provision, led by Representatives Salud Carbajal, Don Bacon and Mike Gallagher, is based on the Government Accountability Office’s recommendations to shore up the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) cybersecurity resources. It creates a working group responsible for developing a strategy to assess and identify at-risk NNSA systems in the operational technology and nuclear weapons information technology environments and implement risk mitigation actions.
27. Critical Mineral Independence Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1414]
This provision, led by Senator Gary Peters, tasks the Department of Defense to assess vulnerabilities in its supply chain, identify and recommend changes to acquisition laws, regulations, and policies, and prioritize recommendations to achieve critical mineral supply chain independence.
28. Pilot program for the use of innovative intellectual property strategies [H.R. 2670, Sec. 808]
This provision, led by Representative Jimmy Panetta, directs the Department of Defense to establish a pilot program to develop and use innovative strategies to acquire the necessary data rights required for the swift acquisition and sustainment of fieldable technologies. Such a strategy could include the use of an escrow account to verify and hold intellectual property data to be released to the Department of Defense only under extreme conditions, such as a contractor going out of business. This arrangement would help ensure that the Department maintains access and control over intellectual property it has already paid for developed by contractors and subcontractors.
29. Study on the occupational resiliency of the Cyber Mission Force [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1538]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan and Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Department of Defense to conduct a study on the ability of Cyber Mission Force personnel to mitigate unique psychological factors that degrade mental health and job performance, including the accessibility of available resources and a determination regarding the adequacy and accessibility of such resources and programs.
30. Plan for an integrated and resilient satellite communications architecture for the Space Force [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1611]
This provision, led by Representative Jack Bergman, tasks the Department of the Air Force with developing a plan to integrate nuclear-survivable communications satellite constellations for the United States into Space Force capabilities.
31. Matters pertaining to hypersonic capabilities and testing strategies [H.R. 2670, Sec. 218]
Building upon an effort led by Representative Morgan Luttrell, this provision tasks the Department of Defense with regularly updating and providing a report to Congress on the Department’s hypersonics testing strategy, including identifying new testing ranges and investments in testing infrastructure.
32. Seaplane procurement and employment [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Department of Defense to provide an analysis of the feasibility and utility of the Department procuring seaplanes, a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing in water, and amphibious aircraft for usage in the Indo-Pacific region.
33. Plan to expedite integration of Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles into legacy aircraft fleets [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Department of Defense to submit a plan to integrate Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASMs) into legacy aircraft fleets. A recommendation of the Select Committee on the CCP, LRASMs are semi-autonomous precision-guided missiles whose incorporation into legacy planes would boost existing capabilities in the Indo–Pacific region while concurrently building new aircraft capable of utilizing LRASMs.
34. Insider Threat Assessment Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 7308: Insider Threats]
Following airman Jack Teixeira’s leaks of highly classified Pentagon information, this provision, led by Representative Pat Ryan, directs the Director of National Intelligence to conduct assessments and audits of compliance with each aspect of the intelligence community’s insider threat detection mechanisms, including those in the Department of Defense, to identify gaps and shortfalls and the resources needed to address them.
35. Beagle Brigade Act of 2023 [H.R. 759]
Led by For Country Caucus member Rep. Jack Bergman and With Honor Action Senate ally Senator Joni Ernst, this provision provides statutory funding authority for the National Detector Dog Training Center, responsible with training dogs to detect illegal agricultural products, invasive species, and contraband at ports of entry. By enhancing the effectiveness of animal detection teams, this provision seeks to strengthen U.S. biosecurity, protect the agricultural industry, and prevent the spread of harmful pests and diseases.
National Service: AmeriCorps, Selective Service System, & JROTC
For some of the over half-million high school-aged participants, the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps is the first step to uniformed service, but for all, it is a crucial course in civic education and leadership. That is why With Honor Action previously worked with the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service and the leadership of the For Country Caucus to introduce the Inspire to Serve Act, a comprehensive piece of legislation led by founding For Country Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives Jimmy Panetta and Don Bacon, that would usher in a new era of public service. With Honor Action has since advocated for the expansion of the JROTC program and worked alongside Senator Roger Wicker and other members of the For Country Caucus on national service issues. Due to that work, the JROTC program was expanded in 2023 to at least 3,400 units and in 2024 to at least 3,500 units. With Honor Action also supported an effort led by founding For Country Caucus Vice Chairs, Representative Chrissy Houlahan and Representative Michael Waltz, to protect JROTC units at smaller schools. The 14 laws in this category of national service that we helped pass follow.
1. Number of Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units [H.R. 5009, Sec. 545]
This provision, led by Senator Roger Wicker, increases the minimum number of nationally authorized Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) units by 100. This increase will expand the JROTC program to more schools, providing additional opportunities for students to participate in a high school program, which has been shown to produce “higher graduation rates, higher rates of attendance, and lower suspension rates.”
2. Preserving JROTC Programs Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 543: Minimum number of participating students required to establish or maintain a unit of JROTC]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan and Representative Michael Waltz, reduces the minimum number of participating students required to establish or maintain a JROTC unit from 100 to 50. Decreasing this threshold will ensure that smaller schools can keep their JROTC programs.
3. Provision of information regarding Federal service to certain persons determined not qualified to enlist in certain Armed Forces [H.R. 5009, Sec. 536]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, requires the Secretary of Defense to create regulations directing the military services to provide information on federal or other public service opportunities to individuals ineligible to enlist in one of the covered Armed Forces. This provision helps those disqualified from military service explore alternative pathways to contribute to our national service through the public sector.
4. Extension of Troops-to-Teachers Program [H.R. 5009, Sec. 572]
This provision extends the Troops-to-Teachers Program to 2029 and reduces the participant cap from 5,000 veterans to 3,000, preserving the stipend amount. These minor corrections ensure that veterans will continue to receive financial assistance and counseling if they’re interested in teaching.
5. Extension of JROTC programs to the Job Corps [H.R. 5009, Sec. 542]
The Job Corps is a national program that provides education and job training to young people aged 16-24, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. This provision adds Job Corps centers to the list of institutions eligible to host JROTC units, which will broaden the number of high school students aware of JROTC programs in their area.
6. Promoting military, national, and public service [H.R. 5009, Sec. 532]
This provision updates the type of information the Selective Service System can share with the Department of Defense, including full names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers, and mailing addresses. This provision will enable the Selective Service to communicate more effectively with and reach registrants regarding military, national, or public service opportunities.
7. Expansion of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps [H.R. 2670, Sec. 551]
This provision from 2023, led by Senator Roger Wicker, requires the Department of Defense to establish and support not less than 3,400 and not more than 4,000 Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units, an expansion from the existing 3,275 units.
8. Troops-to-Teachers Program: expansion; extension [H.R. 2670, Sec. 574]
This provision, led by Representative Michael Waltz, expands the Troops-to-Teachers program to allow veterans to become instructors and administrators for the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and extends the program from 2025 to 2027. Between Fiscal Years 2014 and 2020, the Government Accountability Office reports that the program registered approximately 50,000 participants.
9. Report on National Service Information Sharing for Recruitment [FY24 NDAA, House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, directs the Secretary of Defense to work with AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, the Selective Service System, and the Office of Personnel Management to provide a report that would include strategies to share applicant information with other federal agencies when an applicant either chooses not to join or is ineligible to participate and to explore mutually beneficial ways to promote each agency’s service opportunities. This provision follows With Honor Action’s previous work on the Inspire to Serve Act and broader national service priorities.
10. Enforcement of program requirements for the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps [H.R. 2670, Sec. 555]
This provision, led by Senator Roger Wicker and building upon the work of Representative Michael Waltz, allows the Secretary of Defense to place on probation a unit of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps that fails to comply with program requirements to mitigate program deficiencies, or to protect the safety of program participants. The Secretary will also submit to Congress a report that includes justification for reinstating any unit suspended or placed on probation.
11. Extension of Troops-to-Teachers program to the Jobs Corps [H.R. 2670, Sec. 573]
This provision allows for participants in the Troops-to-Teachers program to seek positions in the Jobs Corps, a program administered by the Department of Labor that offers free education and vocational training to over 60,000 young men and women annually.
12. Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Administrator and Instructor Compensation [H.R. 2670, Sec. 553]
This provision, led by Representative Michael Waltz, allows the Secretary of a military department to authorize an expansion of the individuals qualified to serve as administrators and instructors in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps but prohibits any reduction in the pay of current instructors as a result of its implementation.
13. Stop Funding JROTC at CCP-Owned Schools Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 553: Prohibition of Establishment or Maintenance of a Unit of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at an Education Institution Owned, Operated, or Controlled by the Chinese Communist Party]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan and Representative Michael Waltz, would bar the Department of Defense from maintaining JROTC units at educational institutions owned, operated, or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese military, or a Chinese military company.
14. Service Academies: number of nominations by Members of Congress and appointments by the Secretaries of the military departments [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Michael Waltz, increases the number of nominations by Members of Congress from 10 to 15 people and appointments by Secretaries of the military departments from 150 to 250 people.
Military Food Insecurity, Quality of Life, & Veterans
With Honor Action helped founding For Country Caucus leaders Reps. Don Bacon and Chrissy Houlahan establish the House Armed Services Committee’s Military Quality of Life Panel as one of the most consequential bipartisan initiatives in the 118th Congress. Reps. Don Davis and Morgan Luttrell in the For Country Caucus also joined as members of the Panel.
The following seventeen of the Panel’s recommendations were incorporated into law in the FY25 NDAA, and the bill itself was named to reflect their bipartisan work: the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. The cornerstone of this effort was a significant 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted service members, which will dramatically reduce the existence of military food insecurity.
As recent reporting from the New York Times exposed the invisible cost of repeated, concussive blasts on service members’ brain health, With Honor Action worked to raise awareness about the harmful effects of our own weaponry on service members. Following a June 13, 2024 meeting with the Jean Perkins Foundation, the For Country Caucus would endorse the Blast Overpressure Safety Act, legislation led by With Honor Action ally Senator Joni Ernst. Certain provisions of the legislation which passed hold the Department of Defense accountable and mandate the establishment of various initiatives to address TBIs and brain health in the military.
Concurrently, With Honor Action worked with key Veterans Service Organizations in support of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, a major piece of legislation that finally recognizes the sacrifices made by veteran caregivers and gives them the support they need to carry on their lifesaving work. Numerous priorities championed by With Honor Action and For Country Caucus Members were incorporated into the Dole Act, including the Gerald’s Law Act and the VA Same-Day Scheduling Act, noted below.
Additionally, With Honor Action helped initiate and pass several key pieces of legislation supporting new military families, including the Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act, led by For Country Caucus members Representatives Zach Nunn and Jeff Jackson, and the Maintaining our Obligation to Moms who Serve (MOMS) Act, led by Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Don Bacon. These two new laws help tens of thousands of military families each year by expanding eligibility for parental leave beyond just birthing mothers to all new parents for all members of the National Guard and reserve components and instituting mental health programs for perinatal and postpartum service women, respectively.
The complete list of the 66 bipartisan laws focused on military quality of life and veterans that With Honor Action helped pass in the 118th Congress follows.
Recommendations of the Military Quality-of-Life Panel – 17 Laws Passed
1. Reform to basic pay rates [H.R. 5009, Sec. 601]
This major provision includes a targeted 10% pay increase for junior enlisted service members in pay grades E-1 to E-4, in addition to a 4.5% across-the-board raise. This 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted personnel will significantly help those struggling to afford necessities. This raise equals a $3,000 to $6,000 increase in annual base pay. For example, E-1 service members will see their annual pay increase to $27,828 from $24,206, while E-4 service members with at least six years of experience will earn $44,107, up from $38,368.
2. Basic needs allowance for members on active service in the Armed Forces: expansion of eligibility; increase of amount [H.R. 5009, Sec. 621]
Under current law, service members with dependents making less than 150% of the federal poverty line are eligible for a Basic Needs Allowance (BNA), which would make up the difference in their gross monthly income and the 150% threshold, a threshold under which an estimated 2,500 service members would be eligible for. This provision expands the eligibility threshold and the amount of the Basic Needs Allowance to 200% of the federal poverty guideline, benefitting, for example, service members making $40,880 for a family of two.
3. Evaluation of the rates of the basic allowance for subsistence [H.R. 5009, Sec. 627]
The Basic Allowance for Subsistence is a benefit paid to service members to offset the cost of food. Under current law, the method of calculating this benefit does not account for a number of factors which reflect the service members’ varied needs. This provision directs the Department of Defense to evaluate its current calculation method and to incorporate geographic location and number of dependents in its calculations.
4. Report regarding the calculation of cost-of-living allowances [H.R. 5009, Sec. 628]
The Cost of Living Allowance is a benefit paid to service members to offset the cost of living in high-cost areas both within the United States and abroad. Through its work, the Panel found evidence to suggest that the Department’s calculation method for these allowances incorporates flawed assumptions and was, at times, unable to keep pace with price hikes such as the one affecting the utility bills of service members residing in Germany caused by the conflict in Ukraine. This provision directs the Department of Defense to evaluate the current threshold for the payment of cost-of-living allowance percentage for sufficiency, including the appropriate average spendable income of service members and location-specific costs.
5. Authority to pay basic allowance for housing to junior enlisted members on sea duty [H.R. 5009, Sec. 622]
Under current law, junior enlisted service members without dependents cannot receive a housing allowance if they are assigned to sea duty, which can last up to 6-9 months abroad. During this interim, sailors may lose this allowance as they move onto the ship. This provision expands the statutory authority for a service secretary to authorize a Basic Allowance for Housing for service members in pay grades E-6 and below assigned to sea duty so that they maintain their on-shore housing.
6. Parent fees at military child development centers for child care employees [H.R. 5009, Sec. 633]
As an incentive to attract workers to Department of Defense Child Development Centers, current law allows for the service branches to totally eliminate the child care fees for the first child of a child care employee. However, only the Air Force has exceeded the 50% minimum fee reduction. This provision requires the military services to cover 100% of childcare fees for the first child of staff enrolled in the Department of Defense Child Development Program and authorizes the service branches to cover up to 100% of childcare fees for any additional child of said staff.
7. Competitive pay for Department of Defense child care personnel [H.R. 5009, Sec. 583]
This provision requires that employees directly involved in military installation child development programs be paid at rates competitive with their localities while not falling below the Department’s minimum compensation rates. Currently, rates of pay for child care personnel are relative to similar positions within the military installation, not by the surrounding locality.
8. Expansion of annual briefing regarding waiting lists for military child development centers [H.R. 5009, Sec. 586]
This provision directs the Secretary of Defense to provide briefings regarding childcare services at military child development centers, including personnel and facility needs, at the twenty military installations with the longest waiting lists.
9. Budget justification for certain Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization projects [H.R. 5009, Sec. 2821]
This provision requires each military department to include information on prior expenditures and facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization requirements at unaccompanied housing facilities in the annual budget request. In recent years, the Department of Defense has deferred maintenance due to budget constraints or competing priorities, with the goal in recent years to budget for 80% sustainment.
10. Independent assessment of estimated costs of certain strategies to address shortages of covered military unaccompanied housing [H.R. 5009, Sec. 2831]
This provision requires an independent assessment of the lifecycle costs for building and sustaining covered military unaccompanied housing compared to the cost of alternative options, including Basic Allowance for Housing payments.
11. Strategy for use of existing leasing authorities to address shortages of covered military unaccompanied housing required [H.R. 5009, Sec. 2830]
This provision requires the Department to develop a strategy for using existing property leasing authorities to address military housing needs and authorize appropriations for potential leasing actions.
12. Access to broadband internet access service for certain members of the Armed Forces H.R. 5009, Sec. 651]
This provision authorizes the Secretaries of the military departments to provide high-speed internet access and wireless network connections to Armed Forces members who reside in unaccompanied housing within the United States without charge.
13. TRICARE program: waiver of referral requirement under TRICARE Prime for certain care in a military medical treatment facility [H.R. 5009, Sec. 703]
This provision requires the Secretary of Defense to expand direct access, without referrals, to medical appointments in military medical treatment facilities for active duty servicemembers seeking certain health care services, including physical therapy, nutrition, audiology, optometry, and podiatry.
14. Retention of health care providers: surveys; briefing; reports [H.R. 5009, Sec. 718]
This provision directs each of the military service secretaries to survey military health care providers to determine the reasons why military providers remain in service or separate.
15. Military Spouse Career Accelerator Program [H.R. 5009, Sec. 582]
This provision authorizes the Military Spouse Career Accelerator program until January 1, 2031. Facilitated through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Program was initially established in 2023 as a pilot program, and early indicators show it to be a success. In 2023, the program met and exceeded the 400-fellow goal, eventually closing the year with 422 fellows, 85% of which were offered a permanent job with an average salary above $65,000.
16. Interstate compacts for portability of occupational licenses of military spouses: permanent authority [H.R. 5009, Sec. 581]
This provision authorizes the Secretary of Defense to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Council of State Governments to develop interstate licensure compacts for military spouses, making it easier to transfer licenses and certificates across state lines for vocations like teaching, medicine, and nursing.
17. Child care services and youth program services for dependents: period of services for a member with a spouse seeking employment [H.R. 5009, Sec. 589]
This provision expands eligibility for unemployed military spouses seeking employment to receive childcare in Department of Defense Child Development Programs, both on and off installation, from 90 to 180 days.
Blast Overpressure Safety Act
18. Blast Overpressure Safety Act [H.R. 5009, Subtitle C, Secs. 721-725: Matters Relating to Brain Health]
As discussed earlier in this report, With Honor Action and the For Country Caucus focused on passing legislation this Congress after extensive coverage by the New York Times revealed severe health challenges faced by veterans who served in and near artillery units that fired heavy munitions – often at a far higher volume than before. Led by Senator Joni Ernst, the laws that resulted hold the Department of Defense accountable for mitigating and protecting service members from repeated blast exposures and the resulting traumatic brain injuries (TBI) they may be exposed to in the line of duty. These provisions create a Defense Intrepid Network for TBI and Brain Health, establish an intensive brain health and trauma program, task the Department with developing a traumatic brain injury oversight strategy and action plan, and establish performance parameters for new weapon systems to minimize blast overpressure exposure.
Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act
19. Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act [H.R. 8371]
This bill is the largest veterans’ affairs bill since the PACT Act, and the cornerstone of the legislation is the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act, led by Representative Jack Bergman. The bill expands access to home- and community-based services at every VA medical center in recognition of the daily life-saving work veterans and military caregivers render to those who served our country.
20. Gerald’s Law Act [H.R. 8371, Sec. 301]
Terminally ill veterans who pass away in a non-VA facility while receiving hospice care are currently not eligible for the Non-Service Connected Burial and Plot benefit, a benefit covering up to $800 worth of burial expenses. Representative Jack Bergman’s Gerald’s Law Act, named after Gerald Elliott, a veteran whose family was denied this burial benefit, would close this loophole and expand eligibility to include veterans who pass away at a non-VA facility under hospice care. You can learn more about With Honor Action’s work on this bill from Representative Jack Bergman here.
21. VA Same-Day Scheduling Act of 2023 [H.R. 815, Sec. 153]
While the VA has sought to expand appointment scheduling through its website, healthcare facilities, and updated internet applications, veterans still face difficulties scheduling appointments. To cut down on excessive wait times, Representative Jim Baird’s VA Same-Day Scheduling Act directs the VA to develop a plan so that any covered veteran who makes a phone call requesting care can schedule an appointment during that phone call. A “covered veteran” is enrolled in the VA health care system. You can learn more about With Honor Action’s work on this bill from Representative Jim Baird here.
Other Key Legislation
22. Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 601: Parental leave parity for members of certain reserve components of the Armed Forces]
This bill, led by Representative Zach Nunn and Representative Jeff Jackson, expands parental leave eligibility for Reserve and National Guard members to cover all new parents, not just birthing mothers. In November, With Honor Action helped form a national coalition of VSOs including Blue Star Families, the Military Officers Association of America, the National Guard Association of the United States, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars in support of this bill.
23. Maintaining our Obligations to Moms who Serve (MOMS) Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 705: Program to prevent perinatal mental health conditions in pregnant and postpartum members of the Armed Force]
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that one in three female servicemembers experience maternal mental health conditions, almost double the national average for civilian women. This provision, led by Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Don Bacon, implements evidence-based programs across the military to reduce the incidence of mental health conditions in pregnant and postpartum members of the Armed Forces and their spouses.
24. Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act [S. 2825]
Dustoff crews during the Vietnam War flew medevac (medical evacuation) missions into combat to rescue their fellow service members. Crews consisted of four people: two pilots, a medic, and a crew chief. They flew unarmed Hueys and were virtually defenseless as they evacuated over 900,000 casualties during the Vietnam War. The Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act, supported by the For Country Caucus and two of the last Vietnam veterans in Congress, awarded a Congressional Gold Medal to the estimated 800 remaining Dustoff crewmembers. With Honor Action combined efforts with the national law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth to advocate for these veterans, highlighted by an op-ed from Mike Kerrigan, partner at the law firm. Hunton Andrews Kurth has also been an exceptional pro bono partner to With Honor Action in advocating for our Afghan allies, an initiative former Managing Partner and With Honor PAC Partner Wally Martinez started at the firm in 2020.
25. Authority to accept gifts of services for professional military education institutions [H.R. 5009, Sec. 556]
This provision, led by Representative Seth Moulton, with support from Senator Dan Sullivan, standardizes the law governing acceptable gifts to military museums and schools by clarifying that professional military education institutions, like Marine Corps University, may accept “gifts of service” from associations created to support the institution, such as the Marine Corps University Foundation. Such gifts may include adjunct faculty salaries paid for through the associated foundation.
26. Military Housing Transparency & Accountability Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 2825: Additional requirements for database of complaints made regarding housing units of Department of Defense]
This provision, led by Representative Salud Carbajal, requires the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing to submit an annual report on housing complaints across privatized military housing, unaccompanied housing, and barracks for three years, categorizing complaints into physiological, psychological, safety hazards, and maintenance issues, and detailing the actions taken to address them.
27. Analysis of housing availability for critical civil and contractor personnel near rural military installations [H.R. 5009, Sec. 2828]
This provision requires the Secretary of Defense to revise the Department’s Housing Management manual to include an analysis of housing availability for civilian personnel and defense contractors who provide critical services near rural military installations, seeking to ensure that levels of staff responsible for the oversight and maintenance of military housing are not hindered by a lack of surrounding housing.
28. Ensuring Military Access to Higher Education Benefits Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 559B: Ensuring access to certain higher education benefits]
This provision, led by Representative Don Davis, requires the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education to complete a data-matching process to identify Department of Defense employees, both military and civilian, who made qualifying student loan payments through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. This process will make it easier for qualified current and former military service members to have their federal student loans forgiven.
29. Reserve and National Guard Military Leave Enhancement Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 1109: Increase in military leave accrual and accumulation for Federal employees]
This provision, co-led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, increases the amount of leave federal employees who are a part of the National Guard or Reserve components may take for military service from fifteen days to twenty days, bringing their benefits more in line with those of active duty personnel.
30. Coast Guard Reserve Parental Leave Parity Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 603: Extension of parental leave to members of the Coast Guard Reserve]
Building upon With Honor Action’s work in 2023 to expand parental leave parity to members of the National Guard and Reserves, this provision, led by Representative Zach Nunn and Representative Jeff Jackson, expands leave eligibility and parity to members of the Coast Guard Reserve of both genders who choose to adopt or foster a new child.
31. MilTax Awareness Act of 2023 [H.R. 5009, Sec. 653: Promotion of tax preparation assistance program]
This provision, led by Representative Jimmy Panetta, requires the Secretary of Defense to ensure that each member of the Armed Forces receives a notice by March 1 each year about the MilTax program and other tax preparation assistance programs. Additionally, within six months of the bill’s enactment, the Secretary must submit a report to Congress on the participation rates of military members in these programs.
32. ROTC and DEP Benefits Improvement Act [H.R. 5009, Sec. 631: Expansion of eligibility for certain benefits that arise from the death of a member of the Armed Forces]
This provision, led by Representative Salud Carbajal and Representative Michael Waltz, authorizes the payment of a death gratuity and casualty assistance for ROTC cadets and midshipmen who pass away as a result of a sanctioned training event.
33. Establishment of the Military Family Readiness Working Group for Military Housing [H.R. 2670, Sec. 2821]
This provision establishes a Working Group for Military Housing within the Department of Defense’s Military Family Readiness Council, a crucial step towards addressing the shortcomings in oversight of privatized military housing, composed of officers and enlisted service members from across the Armed Services, military spouses, and senior Department and branch officials. The Working Group will meet no less than twice a year and make recommendations to the Secretary of Defense on policies for covered military housing.
34. Annual report regarding overdoses by certain members of the Armed Forces [H.R. 2670, Sec. 724]
In response to a September 2022 letter, the Department of Defense reported 322 fatal overdoses among active duty servicemembers between 2017 and 2021 and as many as 14,961 non-fatal overdoses from 2017 to the present. Led by Representative Seth Moulton, this provision requires the Secretary of Defense to provide to Congress a report on the number of annual overdoses among servicemembers and their families, and annually for four years after that.
35. Military Spouse Employment Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1112]
This bill, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan in the FY24 NDAA, allows executive agencies to appoint military spouses to remote work positions where current appointment authority does not explicitly extend to remote positions.
36. Including military service in determining Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) eligibility for Federal employees [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1114]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, allows military service time to count towards the one-year employment requirement for eligibility to use FMLA for veterans who are now Federal employees.
37. Department of Defense PFAS Cleanup Transparency Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 321: Report on schedule and cost estimates for completion of testing and remediation of contaminated sites; publication of cleanup information]
This provision, co-led by Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Jack Bergman, requires the Secretary of Defense to regularly update and publish on a publicly available website information on the status of the cleanup of sites for which the Secretary has obligated amounts for environmental restoration activities at military installations concerning perfluoroalkyl substances and polyperfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
38. Military Spouse Career Support Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 635: Expansion of qualifying events for which a member of the uniformed services may be reimbursed for spousal relicensing or business costs due to the member’s relocation]
This provision expands qualifying events under which military spouses may be reimbursed for relicensing and business costs to include transfers from a regular component of a uniformed service into the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve.
39. Junior Enlisted Housing Affordability Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 622: Improved calculation of Basic Allowance for Housing for junior enlisted members]
This provision grants the Department of Defense more flexibility in determining housing stipends for service members.
40. Dual Basic Allowance for Housing for training [H.R. 2670, Sec. 624]
This provision authorizes a dual Basic Allowance for Housing for reservists without dependents who are called or ordered to active duty to attend training for at least 140 days but fewer than 365 days.
41. Comforting Our Military Families through On-Base or Remote Treatment (COMFORT) Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 581: Non-medical counseling services for military families]
This provision increases access to counseling services on military bases by allowing Military and Family life counselors to work outside of the state where they are licensed. This flexibility addresses the shortage of behavioral health professionals and allows the Department of Defense to increase resources in areas responding to traumatic events, natural disasters, or significant deployments.
42. Seaman Xavier Sandor Support for Sailors Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 623: Basic Allowance for Housing for members assigned to vessels undergoing maintenance]
This provision was partially incorporated into the FY24 NDAA and authorizes a Basic Allowance for Housing for sailors who are assigned to a ship undergoing extended maintenance. Named after Seaman Xavier Sandor, who was one of the three tragic suicide deaths in two weeks aboard the USS George Washington in 2022, the legislation addresses the Navy’s findings that subpar living conditions on the ship, which was undergoing maintenance which lasted over 2,100 days, had contributed to a cluster of sailors who died by suicide within 28 days of each other.
43. Modification of calculation of gross household income for basic needs allowance to address areas of demonstrated need [H.R. 2670, Sec. 621]
This provision, led by Representatives Jimmy Panetta and Sanford Bishop, authorizes the Secretaries of the military branches to exclude from gross income any portion of the Basic Allowance for Housing paid to a service member for eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance.
44. Cost-of-living allowance in the continental United States: High Cost Areas [H.R. 2670, Sec. 625]
This provision expands eligibility for the cost-of-living allowance for service members stationed in the continental United States by lowering the threshold for “high-cost areas” from 108% to 105% of the average cost of living.
45. OCONUS (outside the continental United States) cost-of-living allowance: Adjustments [H.R. 2670, Sec. 627]
This provision limits the Department of Defense’s ability to decrease the overseas cost-of-living allowance (OCOLA), a non-taxable allowance received by roughly 230,000 service members on top of their regular pay to offset cost differences while serving abroad. To combat significant decreases in the OCALA, the Department may only decrease it twice per calendar year and is limited in how much the allowance may be reduced.
46. Military Families Mental Health Services Act [H.R. 2670, Sec. 701: Waiver of cost-sharing for three mental health outpatient visits for certain beneficiaries under the TRICARE program]
This provision aims to cut costs for active duty military families and expand access to mental health care services by providing family members covered by TRICARE, the military’s health insurance provider, with three free outpatient mental health visits per year, an estimated savings of $90 per person, per year.
47. Protection and legal preparedness for members of the Armed Forces abroad [H.R. 2670, Sec. 1229]
This provision, led by Representative Nick LaLota, tasks the Department of Defense and the Department of State to review the legal protections in place for service members deployed to foreign countries with which the United States maintains a Status of Forces Agreement and to review and improve training and education materials for members of the Armed Forces covered by such protections. This follows the tragic story of Lt. Ridge Alkonis, who was involved in a fatal car crash in Fujinomiya, Japan, and was sentenced to a three-year prison term despite multiple diagnoses of “acute mountain sickness,” which affected Alkonis’s motor abilities.
48. Expansion of authority to pay a member of the Armed Forces who is absent without leave or over leave for such absence [H.R. 2670, Sec. 603]
This provision, led by Representative Nick LaLota, authorizes the Secretary of Defense to continue paying and making allowances to certain Armed Forces members absent without leave. This follows the tragic story of Lt. Ridge Alkonis, who was involved in a fatal car crash in Fujinomiya, Japan, and was sentenced to a three-year prison term despite multiple diagnoses of “acute mountain sickness,” which affected Alkonis’s motor abilities. Alkonis’s pay and allowances had been initially revoked when military officers classified him as “absent in violation of orders,” but were restored in the federal funding bill passed at the end of 2022.
49. Due date for report on efforts to prevent and respond to deaths by suicide in the Navy [H.R. 2670, Sec. 592]
This provision extends the statutory deadline for the Department of Defense’s Inspector General’s office to conclude its report on the suicides that occurred in 2022 among service members assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
50. Family Separation Allowance: Increase, Review [H.R. 2670, Sec. 626]
This provision, led by Representative Tony Gonzales, increases the Family Separation Allowance (FSA) by $150, totaling $400 per month. The FSA is an additional compensation paid to service members whose family members cannot live with or near them at their permanent duty station and is currently capped at $250 per month.
51. Report on the provision of mental health services via telehealth to members of the Armed Forces and their dependents [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing on the Department’s efforts to offer telehealth mental health services, including any challenges experienced by service members and their families in obtaining continuing care when moving states or to a location outside of the United States and how the Department accommodates members of the Armed Forces who benefit from continued care from a specific mental health provider.
52. Servicemember Mental Health Support Act [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing detailing the mental health care referral policies of the Armed Forces and making any related legislative recommendations that the Secretary deems appropriate.
53. Government Accountability Office study on process for determining cost-of-living allowances for members of the uniformed services assigned to the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and overseas locations [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision directs the Comptroller General of the United States to study the methods for determining cost-of-living allowances for service members. The study will examine the fairness and equity of the determination process and whether certain out-of-pocket expenses should be included in such calculations.
54. Sense of Congress on access to mental health services through TRICARE [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision expresses Congress’s support for the Department of Defense’s efforts to ensure that members of the National Guard and their covered dependents enrolled in TRICARE have timely access to mental health services.
55. Report on plan for coverage of certain devices capable of preventing and treating migraines for military personnel [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Don Davis, directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing on whether to cover specific migraine prevention devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat and prevent migraines for military personnel.
56. Annual review and update of online information relating to suicide prevention [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision directs the Department of Defense to review and update publicly available information online for suicide prevention efforts, including contact information, and to provide a briefing to Congress indicating the completion of this review and update.
57. Study on non-clinical mental health services of the Department of Defense [FY24 NDAA Conference, Directive Report Language]
This provision directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing regarding the Department’s non-clinical mental health services, including how these programs are implemented across the Department, the distribution of non-clinical mental health professionals, their effectiveness, and recommendations for the future of non-clinical mental health programs including the Military and Family Life Counseling Program.
58. Report on Access to Breastfeeding Support [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, directs the Department of Defense to provide a report on breastfeeding support services offered by the Department, including sanitary expression, appropriate storage, safe transport of breastmilk, and to provide clarity on how many service women remain in need of breastfeeding support.
59. Report on improving fertility support services for geographically distant service members [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, directs the Department of Defense to provide a report that includes the number of service members who have accessed fertility care at a military treatment facility, an analysis of commercial entities that offer fertility services, estimated cost comparisons to Department facilities, and estimates of potential savings that service members could realize if fertility services were available without the need for travel.
60. Report on TRICARE coverage issues for National Guardsmen and Reservists [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, addresses gaps in coverage and providers in TRICARE for National Guardsmen and Reservists who switch between TRICARE Reserve Select and TRICARE Prime as they shift to active-duty service and back. Such changes result in gaps that leave Reservists and National Guardsmen responsible for paying insurance deductibles multiple times yearly. In response, the Department of Defense will provide a report outlining the costs and feasibility of extending TRICARE coverage during transition periods, extending coverage to active duty service, waiving deductibles, and lowering the initial premium payment from a two- to one-month premium.
61. Protecting Widows of Servicemembers from Financial Exploitation [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representatives Nick LaLota and Jimmy Panetta, directs the Department of Defense to submit a report on what financial advice programs are available to service members and their families, efforts to decrease conflicts of interest, and whether these programs are duplicative of existing programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
62. Indoor Air Quality Monitoring and Remediation [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Don Davis, directs the Department of Defense to prepare a plan for a pilot program to implement integrated air quality monitoring and remediation systems in military housing, healthcare facilities, and other Department facilities.
63. Comptroller General Report on Perinatal Mental Health in the Military [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, directs the Comptroller General to conduct a review of related Department of Defense efforts to provide perinatal mental health services to members of the Armed Forces and their families, including a review of the specific training, certification, and resources the Defense Health Agency (DHA) makes available to obstetric and pediatric providers and an assessment of the availability of perinatal mental health care within DHA facilities. This provision, passed in 2023, would ultimately lead to the passage of the Maintaining our Obligation to Moms who Serve Act in 2024.
64. Report on Insurance for Military Housing Projects [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Don Bacon, directs the Department of Defense to provide a report on alternative insurance options for the construction and operation of military family housing and unaccompanied housing, noting that these insurance agreements were, in many cases, established over two decades ago.
65. Report on Military Enlistment with Dependents [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, directs the Department of Defense to provide a report on the cost and potential of implementing faster waiver processes for single-parent enlistment and consideration of offering waivers for enlistment above currently maximum allowable dependents based on spousal income. Currently, while the services prohibit enlistment with dependents without a waiver, this prohibition ends a few months after initial training. With nearly 4% of all active duty service members being single parents, this policy does not reflect its actual application and places undue restraint on recruitment.
66. Report on TRICARE Delays [FY24 NDAA House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
This provision, led by Representative Chrissy Houlahan, directs the Department of Defense to provide a report that includes an accounting of access to care metrics for beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE to military treatment facilities, a description of business rules for referrals to civilian providers, and potential options for increasing these referrals to improve access to care.