Modernizing the Department of Defense & Emerging Technology
1. Establishment of Department of Defense working group on multilateral artificial intelligence coordination [Sec. 1807]
Formerly the Five AIs Act when led by former Representative Mike Gallagher, this provision was spearheaded in the NDAA by Representative Nick LaLota. It establishes a working group in the Department of Defense to coordinate artificial intelligence initiatives amongst allies and partners, including comparative testing, evaluation, and procurement of AI systems. It will also accelerate interoperability of systems used for intelligence sharing and battlespace awareness.
2. Independent assessment of cyber organizational models [Sec. 1544]
Led by Representative Morgan Luttrell, this provision aims to procure 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 feasibility and advisability of the creation of establishing a separate Cyber Force.
3. Pilot program on development of near-term use cases and demonstration of artificial intelligence toward biotechnology applications for national security [Sec. 236]
This provision 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.
4. Modification of public reporting of Chinese military companies operating in the United States [Sec. 1346]
This provision 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 such companies may operate under.
5. Biotech Futures Act [Sec. 242: Biotechnology roadmap]
This provision directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a plan that includes goals and metrics to guide the Department’s biotechnology work. The plan will encompass funding sources, technology maturity, opportunities for rapid acquisition and fielding, risk analyses, and biotechnology workforce development.
6. Establishment of national security capital forum [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 to institute rigorous vetting procedures and selection criteria, including disallowing fund participants with significant investments in or from certain countries of concern.
7. Defense Quantum Acceleration Act of 2024 [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.
8. Defense Quantum Acceleration Act of 2024 [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.
9. Restoring the National Defense Stockpile [Sec. 1411]
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 alongside a strategy to resolve those shortfalls with the associated costs.
10. Modification of certain requirements relating to the Joint Energetics Transition Office [Sec. 211]
This provision requires the Secretary of Defense to formally establish a budget line for the Joint Energetics Transition Office. Last year, With Honor Action supported the establishment of this office, led in Congress by former Representative Mike Gallagher. 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. Energetic materials are substances which are used as propellants and explosives.
11. Authority to modernize recruitment for the Army [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 MOS 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.
12. Plan to improve access by members of the Armed Forces to safe, high-quality pharmaceuticals [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.
13. 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 [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 cyber defense, the Joint Force Headquarters-DOD Information Network, to a subordinate unified command under U.S. Cyber Command. This move reflects the elevation of the Department’s offensive cyber office, the Cyber National Mission Force, to subordinate unified command in 2022.
14. BioTech Innovation and National Security Continuation Act [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 Representative Seth Moulton and former Representative Mike Gallagher. The commission studies 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.
15. Supply chain illumination incentives [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.
16. Report and updated guidance on continued risk management for pharmaceutical supply chains of the Department of Defense [Sec. 850]
This provision, led by Representative Mikie Sherrill, 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.
17. Bolstering America’s Defenses Against Potentially Perilous Software (BAD APPS) Act [Sec. 1546]
This provision, led by Representatives Mikie Sherrill and Jack Bergman, tasks the Department of Defense with providing a report on the feasibility and advisability of creating a framework to assess the risk of mobile applications originating from countries of concern. This framework would help the Department decide whether the regular usage of specific apps on service members’ and the civilian DoD workforce’s phones poses an unacceptable national security risk.
18. Updated acquisition and sustainment training [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.
19. Enhancing requirements for information relating to supply chain risk [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.
Providing for Our Servicemembers, Veterans, and their Families
1. Blast Overpressure Safety Act [Subtitle C, Secs. 721-725: Matters Relating to Brain Health]
Led by With Honor Action ally Senator Joni Ernst, these provisions seek to better mitigate and protect service members from blast overpressure and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) they may be exposed to in the line of duty. These specific provisions will create a Defense Intrepid Network for Traumatic Brain Injury and Brain Health, establish an intensive brain health and trauma program, development of a traumatic brain injury oversight strategy and action plan, and the establishment of performance parameters for new weapon systems in order to minimize blast overpressure exposure.
2. Maintaining our Obligations to Moms who Serve (MOMS) Act [Sec. 705: Program to prevent perinatal mental health conditions in pregnant and postpartum members of the Armed Force]
This provision, led by Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Don Bacon, would implement 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. 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.
3. Authority to accept gifts of services for professional military education institutions [Sec. 556]
This provision, led by Representative Seth Moulton, 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.
4. Reform to basic pay rates [Sec. 601]
This major provision, led by Representatives Don Bacon and Chrissy Houlahan, includes a 10% pay increase for service members in pay grades E-1 to E-4, in addition to a 4.5% across-the-board raise. This total 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted personnel will significantly help those struggling to afford basic necessities. The raise will add approximately $3,000 to $6,000 annually, depending on rank. For example, E-1s will see their annual pay increase to $27,828 from $24,206, while E-4s with at least six years of experience will earn $44,107, up from $38,368.
5. Military Housing Transparency & Accountability Act [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.
6. Ensuring Military Access to Higher Education Benefits Act [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 within one year to identify Department of Defense employees, both military and civilian, who made qualifying student loan payments through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. This process will make it easier for qualified current and former military service members to have their federal student loans forgiven.
7. Reserve and National Guard Military Leave Enhancement Act [Sec. 1109: Increase in military leave accrual and accumulation for Federal employees]
This provision 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.
8. Coast Guard Reserve Parental Leave Parity Act [Sec. 603: Extension of parental leave to members of the Coast Guard Reserve]
Building upon With Honor Action’s work last year to expand parental leave parity to members of the National Guard and Reserves, this provision, led by Representatives Jeff Jackson and Zach Nunn, expands leave eligibility and parity to members of the Coast Guard Reserve of both genders who choose to adopt or foster a new child.
9. MilTax Awareness Act of 2023 [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 Act’s enactment, the Secretary must submit a report to Congress on the participation rates of military members in these programs.
10. ROTC and DEP Benefits Improvement Act [Sec. 631: Expansion of eligibility for certain benefits that arise from the death of a member of the Armed Forces]
This provision, led by Representatives Salud Carbajal and Mike Waltz, authorizes the payment of a death gratuity and casualty assistance for ROTC cadets who pass away as a result of a sanctioned training event.
11. Analysis of housing availability for critical civil and contractor personnel near rural military installations [Sec. 2828]
This provision requires the Secretary of Defense to revise the DoD manual responsible with Housing Management to include an analysis of housing availability for civilian personnel and defense contractors who provide critical services near rural military installations.
12. Evaluation of the rates of the basic allowance for subsistence [Sec. 627]
This provision directs the Department of Defense to include geographic location and number of dependents in its calculation of the Basic Allowance for Subsistence.
13. Report regarding the calculation of cost-of-living allowances [Sec. 628]
This provision directs the Department of Defense to evaluate the current threshold for the payment of cost-of-living allowance (COLA) percentage for sufficiency that includes the appropriate average spendable income of service members and location-specific costs.
14. Basic needs allowance for members on active service in the Armed Forces: expansion of eligibility; increase of amount [Sec. 621]
This provision expands the eligibility threshold and the amount of the Basic Needs Allowance to 200% of the federal poverty guideline.
15. Authority to pay basic allowance for housing to junior enlisted members on sea duty [Sec. 622]
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 initial field or sea duty.
16. Parent fees at military child development centers for child care employees [Sec. 633]
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 military services to cover up to 100% of childcare fees for any additional child of said staff.
17. Competitive pay for Department of Defense child care personnel [Sec. 583]
This provision requires that employees directly involved in military installation child development programs are paid at rates competitive with their localities while not falling below Department minimum compensation rates.
18. Expansion of annual briefing regarding waiting lists for military child development centers [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.
19. Budget justification for certain Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization projects [Sec. 2821]
This provision requires each military department to include information on prior expenditures and facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization (FSRM) requirements at unaccompanied housing facilities in the annual budget request.
20. Independent assessment of estimated costs of certain strategies to address shortages of covered military unaccompanied housing [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.
21. Strategy for use of existing leasing authorities to address shortages of covered military unaccompanied housing required [Sec. 2830]
This provision requires the Department to develop a strategy for using existing property leasing authorities to address the needs of military housing and authorize appropriations for potential leasing actions.
22. Access to broadband internet access service for certain members of the Armed Forces [Sec. 651]
This provision authorizes the Secretaries of the military departments to provide high-speed internet access and wireless network connections to members of the Armed Forces who reside in unaccompanied housing within the United States, without charge.
23. TRICARE program: waiver of referral requirement under TRICARE Prime for certain care in a military medical treatment facility [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 service members seeking certain health care services, including for physical therapy, nutrition, audiology, optometry, and podiatry.
24. Retention of health care providers: surveys; briefing; reports [Sec. 718]
This provision directs each of the service secretaries to conduct a survey of military health care providers to determine the reasons why military providers remain in service or separate.
25. Military Spouse Career Accelerator Program [Sec. 582]
This provision authorizes the Military Spouse Career Accelerator program until January 1, 2031.
26. Interstate compacts for portability of occupational licenses of military spouses: permanent authority [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.
27. Child care services and youth program services for dependents: period of services for a member with a spouse seeking employment [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, to 180 days.
Supporting Our Allies Abroad
1. United States Foundation for International Conservation Act of 2024 [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 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 protection of biodiversity, wildlife, and lands from exploitation by adversarial powers.
2. Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts Authorization Act of 2024 [Sec. 7810: Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts]
Since the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts has coordinated the federal government’s vetting efforts and issued over 45,000 Special Immigrant Visas to Afghan translators and interpreters. This provision codifies this office in the State Department for three years, as it previously operated under executive authority.
3. To provide authority to contribute to the NATO Innovation Fund [Sec. 1051: Authority to contribute to innovation fund]
This provision, led by former Representative and now Senator Andy Kim, authorizes the Department of Defense to contribute no more than $200 million over the next five years to the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), which invests 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, which is supported by 24 of the 32 NATO allies as of November 2024.
4. Building Options for the Lasting Security of Taiwan through European Resolve (BOLSTER) Act [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 an invasion of Taiwan by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). 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.
National Service and the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)
1. Number of Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units [Sec. 545]
This provision 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 [Sec. 543: Minimum number of participating students required to establish or maintain a unit of JROTC]
Led by Representatives Mike Waltz and Chrissy Houlahan, this provision 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 are able to maintain their JROTC programs.
3. Provision of information regarding Federal service to certain persons determined not qualified to enlist in certain Armed Forces [Sec. 536]
This provision requires the Secretary of Defense to create regulations directing the military services to provide information on federal or other public service opportunities to individuals who are ineligible to enlist in one of the covered Armed Forces. This provision helps those who may be disqualified from military service to explore alternative pathways to contribute to our national service through the public sector.
4. Extension of Troops-to-Teachers Program [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 [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 [Sec. 532]
This provision updates the type of information the Selective Service System can share with the Department of Defense, which now includes 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.