Below is a list of With Honor Action’s priorities included in the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), broken up into three categories: National Security, Military Quality of Life, and Improving Civic Education and Service Opportunities.

National Security

• Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act [Sec. 1518: Military cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan]
  In 2019, the Taiwanese government estimated that it faces 20 to 40 million cyber attacks monthly, with its National Security Bureau alone facing roughly 100,000 hacking attempts each month. This bill, led by Senators Jacky Rosen and Mike Rounds and For Country Caucus members Representatives Mike Gallagher and Chrissy Houlahan, 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.
• Intellectual Property Strategy [Sec. 808: Pilot program for the use of innovative intellectual property strategies]
  Led by For Country Caucus member Representative Jimmy Panetta, this provision directs the Department of Defense to establish a pilot program for the use of innovative intellectual property strategies to acquire the necessary data rights required for swift acquisition and sustainment of fieldable technologies.
• Oversight of Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act [Sec. 1308]
  Strengthens oversight of the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act by adding reporting requirements on 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.
• Report on Department of Defense roles and responsibilities in support of National Strategy for the Arctic Region [Conference Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Representative Jimmy Panetta, directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report detailing the Department’s lines of efforts in support of the National Strategy for the Arctic Region, which includes 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.
• Codification & Elevation of the Defense Innovation Unit [Sec. 913]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Representative Mike Gallagher, would codify the Defense Innovation Unit, an organization in the Department of Defense that specializes in identifying, investing in, and adopting commercial dual-use technology at speed and scale and clarifies its Director as the principal staff assistant to the Secretary of Defense on the issues under its jurisdiction.
• Organization & Management of the Defense Innovation Unit [Sec. 913: Support for Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships]
  This subsection 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.
• Plan for an integrated and resilient satellite communications architecture for the Space Force [Sec. 1611]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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.
• Joint Energetics Transition Office [Sec. 241]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a Joint Energetics Transition Office 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.
• China Defense Spending Transparency Act [Sec. 1313: Studies on defense budget transparency of the People’s Republic of China and the United States ]
  This provision, led by Senators Mitt Romney, Angus King, Joe Manchin, Dan Sullivan, and For Country Caucus member 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 follows reports that China’s defense spending may be as much as double current estimates.
• Critical Mineral Independence Act [Sec. 1414]
  This provision, led by Senators Mitt Romney, Dan Sullivan, and 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.
• Matters pertaining to hypersonic capabilities and testing strategies [Sec. 218]
  This provision, building upon a provision led by For Country Caucus member Representative Morgan Luttrell, tasks the Department of Defense with regularly updating and providing a report to Congress on the Department’s hypersonics testing strategy to include the identification of new testing ranges and investments in testing infrastructure.
• Insider Threat Assessment Act [Sec. 7308: Insider Threats]
  Following the leaks of highly classified Pentagon information by airman Jack Teixeira, this provision led by For Country Caucus member Representative Pat Ryan directs the Director of National Intelligence to conduct assessments and audits of compliance of each aspect of the intelligence community’s insider threat detection mechanisms, including those in the Department of Defense, and to identify gaps and shortfalls and the resources needed to address them.
• Briefing on multi-year plan to fulfill defense requirements of military forces of Taiwan [Conference, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 military forces of Taiwan that was a statutory requirement passed in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.
• Seaplane procurement and employment [Conference, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Department of Defense to provide an analysis on the feasibility and utility of the Department procuring seaplanes and amphibious aircraft.
• Plan to expedite integration of Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles into legacy aircraft fleets [Conference, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Representative Mike Gallagher, directs the Department of Defense to submit a plan to integrate Long-Range Anti-Ship Missiles into legacy aircraft fleets.
• Artificial Intelligence in U.S. Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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.
• Cooperation Among U.S. Defense Partners [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 including in regards to cybersecurity, reserve force management and conscription, counter-disinformation campaigns, and civil missile defense.
• Sec. 1536: Authority to conduct pilot program on Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve
  Building upon previous work, this provision led by Senators Jacky Rosen and Marsha Blackburn 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.
• Cybersecurity Risk Inventory, Assessment, and Mitigation Working Group [Sec. 3113]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus members Representatives Salud Carbajal, Don Bacon, and Mike Gallagher, is based on recommendation by the Government Accountability Office recommendation to shore up the cybersecurity resources for the National Nuclear Security Administration. It would Create 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.
• Stop Funding JROTC at CCP-Owned Schools Act [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 Senator Ted Cruz and For Country Caucus Members Representatives Michael Waltz and Chrissy Houlahan, would bar the Department of Defense from maintaining JROTC units at educational institutions that are owned, operated, or controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese military, or a Chinese military company.

Military Quality of Life

• Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act [Sec. 601: Parental leave parity for members of certain reserve components of the Armed Forces]
  Led by Senators Maggie Hassan and Lisa Murkowski and For Country Caucus members Representatives Zach Nunn and Jeff Jackson, this bill expands parental leave eligibility for Reserve and National Guard members to cover all new parents, not just birthing mothers. In November, With Honor Action led a letter signed by Blue Star Families, the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in support of this bill.
• Including military service in determining Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) eligibility for Federal employees [Sec. 1114]
  Allows military service time to count towards the one year employment requirement for eligibility to use FMLA for veterans who are now Federal employees.
• Military Spouse Employment Act [Sec. 1112]
  Led by Senators Maggie Hassan and James Lankford and For Country Caucus member Representative Chrissy Houlahan, this bill allows executive agencies to appoint military spouses to remote work positions where current appointment authority does not specifically extend to remote positions.
• Annual report regarding overdoses by certain members of the Armed Forces [Sec. 724]
  In response to a September 2022 letter, the Department of Defense reported 322 fatal overdoses among active duty service members between 2017 and 2021 and as many as 14,961 non-fatal overdoses from 2017 to the present. Led by Senators Lisa Murkowski and Ed Markey as well as For Country Caucus member Representative Seth Moulton, this provision requires the Secretary of Defense to provide to Congress a report on the number of annual overdoses among service members and their families, and annually for four years after that.
• Establishment of the Military Family Readiness Working Group for Military Housing [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.
• DOD PFAS Cleanup Transparency Act [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 For Country Caucus members Representatives Jack Bergman and Chrissy Houlahan, 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 with respect to perfluoroalkyl substances and polyperfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
• Military Spouse Career Support Act [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, led by Senators Jon Ossoff and Eric Schmitt, 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.
• Junior Enlisted Housing Affordability Act [Sec. 622: Improved calculation of Basic Allowance for Housing for junior enlisted members]
  This provision, led by Senators Jon Ossoff and Eric Schmitt, provides the Department of Defense with more flexibility to determine housing stipends for service members.
• Dual Basic Allowance for Housing for training [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.
• Comforting Our Military Families through On-Base or Remote Treatment (COMFORT) Act [Sec. Non-medical counseling services for military families]
  This provision, led by Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Dan Sullivan, increases access to counseling services on military bases by allowing Military and Family life counselors to work outside of the state they are licensed, addressing the behavioral health professionals shortage and allowing the Department of Defense to surge resources to areas in response to traumatic events, natural disasters, or deployments.
• Seaman Xavier Sandor Support for Sailors Act [Sec. 623: Basic Allowance for Housing for members assigned to vessels undergoing maintenance]
  This provision, named after Seaman Xavier Sandor, who was one of the three tragic suicide deaths in the span of two weeks aboard the USS George Washington in 2022, was incorporated in part and authorizes a Basic Allowance for Housing for sailors who are assigned to a ship undergoing extended maintenance.
• Modification of calculation of gross household income for basic needs allowance to address areas of demonstrated need [Sec. 621]
  This provision, based on efforts led by Senators Tammy Duckworth and Lisa Murkowski and For Country Caucus members Representatives Jimmy Panetta and Sanford D. Bishop, authorizes the Secretaries of the military branches to exclude from gross income, for the purposes of eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance, any portion of the Basic Allowance for Housing paid to a service member.
• Cost-of-living allowance in the continental United States: High Cost Areas
  This provision expands eligibility for the cost-of-living allowance for service members stationed in CONUS (continental United States) by lowering the threshold for “high cost areas” from 108% to 105% of the average cost of living.
• OCONUS (outside the continental United States) cost-of-living allowance: Adjustments [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 large decreases in the OCALA, the Department may only decrease the OCALA twice per calendar year and is limited in how much the OCALA may be decreased.
• Military Families Mental Health Services Act [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.
• Due date for report on efforts to prevent and respond to deaths by suicide in the Navy [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.
• Family Separation Allowance: Increase, Review
  The Family Separation Allowance 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. This provision, led by For Country Caucus Co-Chair Representative Tony Gonzales, will increase this allowance by $150, totaling $400 per month.
• Report on the provision of mental health services via telehealth to members of the Armed Forces and their dependents [Conference, Directive Report Language]
  This provision directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing on the Department’s efforts to provide 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.
• Service member Mental Health Support Act [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.
• 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 [Conference, Directive Report Language]
  This provision directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on determining cost-of-living allowances for service members which includes the fairness of equity of the determination process and whether certain out-of-pocket expenses should be included in such calculations.
• Expansion of authority to pay a member of the Armed Forces who is absent without leave or over leave for such absence [Sec. 603]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Representative Nick LaLota, authorizes the Secretary of Defense to continue to issue pay and allowances to certain members of the Armed Forces who are absent without leave. This follows the tragic, ongoing 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 originally been 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.
• Sense of Congress on access to mental health services through TRICARE [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 who are enrolled in TRICARE have timely access to mental health services.
• Report on plan for coverage of certain devices capable of preventing and treating migraines for military personnel [Conference, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Representative Don Davis, directs the Department of Defense to provide a briefing on whether to cover certain migraine prevention devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration capable of treating and preventing migraines for military personnel.
• Annual review and update of online information relating to suicide prevention [Conference, Directive Report Language]
  This provision directs the Department of Defense to review and update online, publicly available information for suicide prevention efforts, including contact information, and to provide a briefing to Congress indicating the completion of this review and update.
• Study on non-clinical mental health services of the Department of Defense [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.
• Report on Access to Breastfeeding Support [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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, and safe transport of breastmilk and to provide clarity on how many servicewomen remain in need of breastfeeding support.
• Report on improving fertility support services for geographically distant service members [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 (MTF), an analysis of commercial entities that provide fertility services and 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.
• Report on TRICARE coverage issues for National Guardsmen and Reservists [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 per year. In response, the Department of Defense will provide a report that outlines the costs and feasibility of extending TRICARE coverage during transition periods, extending coverage to the entirety of active duty service, and waiving deductibles and lowering the initial premium payment from s two- to one-month premium.
• Protecting Widows of Service Members from Financial Exploitation [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus members Representatives Nick LaLota and Jimmy Panetta, directs the Department of Defense to submit a report on what programs are available to service members and their families that provide financial advice, efforts to decrease conflicts of interest, and if these programs are duplicative of existing programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Indoor Air Quality Monitoring and Remediation [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country caucus member Representative Don Davis, directs the Department of Defense to prepare a plan for a pilot program to omplement integrated air quality monitoring and remediation systems in military housing, healthcare facilities, and other facilities of the Department.
• Comptroller General Report on Perinatal Mental Health in the Military [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision directs to 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.
• Report on Insurance for Military Housing Projects [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 some cases, established over two decades ago.
• Report on Military Enlistment with Dependents [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Representative Chrissy Houlahan, directs the Department of Defense to provide a report on the cost and feasibility 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 the real applications of this policy and places and undue restraint on recruitment.
• Report on TRICARE Delays [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 and a description of business rules for referrals to civilian providers and potential options for increasing these referrals to improve access to care.
• Study on the occupational resiliency of the Cyber Mission Force [Sec. 1538]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus members Representatives Mike Gallagher and Chrissy Houlahan, 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.
• Protection and legal preparedness for members of the Armed Forces abroad [Sec. 1229]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 (SOFA) and to review and improve training and education materials for members of the Armed Forces covered by such protections. This follows the tragic, ongoing 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.

Improving Civic Education and Service Opportunities

• Troops-to-Teachers Program: expansion; extension [Sec. 574]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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.
• Enforcement of program requirements for the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps [Sec. 555]
  This provision, led by Senator Roger Wicker and building upon the work of For Country Caucus member 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 which includes justification for the reinstatement of any unit suspended or placed on probation.
• Extension of Troops-to-Teachers program to the Jobs Corps [Sec. 573]
  This provision allows for participants in the Troops-to-Teachers program to seek positions the in 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.
• Expansion of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps [Sec. 551]
  This provision, 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 units of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, an expansion from the existing 3,275 units.
• Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Administrator and Instructor Compensation [Sec. 553]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 pay of current instructors as a result of the implementation of this provision.
• Report on National Service Information Sharing for Recruitment [House Armed Services Committee, Directive Report Language]
  This provision, led by For Country Caucus member 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 which 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 follows With Honor Action’s previous work on the Inspire to Serve Act and broader national service priorities.

Charlotte, NC – With Honor Action works alongside the veteran, cross-partisan For Country Caucus (FCC) in the U.S. House to initiate, advance, and pass into law bipartisan efforts that matter for our nation and world. 2022 was an especially productive year as With Honor Action supported and helped pass into law the following 35 pieces of bipartisan legislation:

Increasing Public Service and Civic Education in America

1. Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Expansion Act [NDAA Sec. 519A]

JROTC provides invaluable leadership training and civic education to tens thousands of young Americans across the nation. Initiated by For Country Caucus Co-Chair Representative Don Bacon as a recommendation from the National Commission on Military, National Service, and Public Service, this act tasks the Secretary of Defense with expanding the number of JROTC units and developing a plan that would ensure greater access in rural, low-income, and historically underserved communities.

2. Expansion of Eligibility to Serve as Instructors in the JROTC [NDAA Sec. 512]

Current law states that JROTC instructors must be military retirees. This provision addresses the JROTC instructor shortage by expanding eligibility to servicemembers that have served at least eight years and received an honorable discharge.

3. Supporting Education Recognition for Veterans During Emergencies (SERVE) Act [NDAA Sec. 5127]

Tasks the Department of Veterans Affairs with creating an online database of veterans who self report service-connected medical training. In moments of healthcare crises, this database will allow for the VA to call on these veterans for assistance.

Defending International Allies and Alliances

4. Modification to Annual Report on Military & Security Developments Involving the Russian Federation [NDAA Sec. 1243]

Immediately following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, For Country Caucus Co-Chairs Jared Golden and Don Bacon prioritized building relationships with counterparts in the Ukrainian Parliament and engaging caucus members on all major pieces of legislation involving Ukraine. This provision tasks the Department of Defense with studying and distilling key lessons learned from the first year of this escalated conflict.

5. Sense of Congress on Taiwan Defense Relations [NDAA Sec. 5512]

Expresses the sense of Congress that Taiwan’s future will be determined by peaceful means, not Chinese force, and that the United States should continue to support the development of capable, ready, and modern Taiwanese defense forces that are prepared to repel a Chinese assault.

6. Extension of the Afghan Allies Protection Act [H.R.2617 Omnibus Appropriations Act]

This legislation championed by For Country Caucus members Representatives Peter Meijer and Seth Moulton (the recipients of this year’s With Honor Action Principles Before Politics Award), among other veterans in Congress, extends the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program until December 31, 2024. It further allows for an increase of 4,000 additional visas.

7. Baltic Reassurance Act [NDAA Sec. 1272]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made it clear that defending democracies abroad requires strong, multilateral institutions and partnerships to respond to cyber threats. The Baltic Reassurance Act, led by For Country Caucus member Representative August Pfluger, directs the Department of Defense to continue its comprehensive, multilateral Baltic Defense Assessment. This assessment focuses on interoperability between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with NATO and efforts to improve resilience to hybrid and cyber threats in these countries.

Modernizing our National Security Infrastructure

8. Department of Defense Cyber & Digital Service Academy [NDAA Sec. 1535]

Championed by For Country Caucus Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Mike Gallagher, the DoD Cyber and Digital Academy establishes a scholarship-for-service program for students pursuing tech-related programs with a mandatory service requirement in the Department of Defense. This legislation, a recommendation from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (AI), will help strengthen technical talent, modernize our military, and prepare for the sweeping technological advancements we face in AI and other areas.

9. DHS Roles & Responsibilities in Cyberspace Act [NDAA Sec. 7124]

Tasks the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security with conducting a review of its incident response plans and sets the conditions for improvements to our cyber incident response framework.

10. Cyber Diplomacy Act [NDAA Sec. 9502]

In April 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the creation of a Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to address “the national security challenges, economic opportunities, and implications for U.S. values associated with cyberspace, digital technologies, and digital policy.” Section 9502 codifies the Secretary’s announcement. This bureau will be led by the first-ever U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel Fick, a Marine who served formerly on the With Honor Action Advisory Board.

11. Short Course on Emerging Technologies for Senior Officials [NDAA Sec. 9507]

This provision, a priority of both the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and a recommendation of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a short course addressing how recent technological advances affect the activities of the Defense Department.

12. Support for R&D of Bioindustrial Manufacturing Processes [NDAA Sec. 215]

Bioindustrial manufacturing uses living organisms, cells, tissues, or enzymes, to produce materials that can be more environmentally sustainable and may help create a more resilient supply chain. This provision authorizes the Secretary of Defense to strengthen our bioindustrial manufacturing infrastructure through the creation of regional bioindustrial networks. This initiative intends to help strengthen bioindustrial manufacturing in the U.S., securing supply chains essential to the production of critical chemicals and materials. For Country Caucus Members Representatives Seth Moulton and Mike Gallagher helped establish a new bipartisan National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology that aims to provide insight and recommendations to the 118th Congress. We plan to help pass many of these recommendations into law in this important and dynamic area of rapid technological advancement.

13. Improvements to Principal Cyber Advisors [NDAA Sec. 1501]

Codifies the offices and roles of the Principal Cyber Advisors (PCA) and authorizes the PCA to the Secretary of Defense to certify portions of the Department’s Cyberspace Activities Budget. It simultaneously integrates and streamlines a budgetary process for defense-related cyber capability development and security.

14. Cybersecurity Grants for Schools [NDAA Sec. 7104]

With cyberattacks targeting vulnerable schools on the rise, this provision fulfills a Cyberspace Solarium Commission recommendation to increase funding for K-12 cybersecurity education, both for educators and students.

15. Enhancing Maritime Cybersecurity [NDAA Sec. 11224]

Cyber attacks on the maritime ports that are integral to the supply chain increased by 400% in 2020. This provision tasks the Commandant of the Coast Guard and relevant cybersecurity agencies with developing a list of tools and resources open to the public. They will be designed to assist maritime operators in identifying, responding to, and recovering from cyber incidents.

16, Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program [C&S, Sec. 10235] & Federal Cyber Scholarship-For-Service Program [C&S, Sec. 10316]

A recommendation from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, the Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program will award funding to minority-serving or historically-black institutions of higher education to establish or expand cybersecurity programs, build public-private partnerships, and improve research and development efforts. The Federal Cyber Scholarship-For-Service provision enhances the existing CyberCorps program which provides funding to students in return for a period of service working in the federal government.

17. International Standards Development [C&S, Sec. 10245] & Standards Development Organization Grants [C&S, Sec. 10248]

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence need standardization and guidelines – the U.S. will be stronger if our small businesses and industry leaders help lead that effort. This provision, a recommendation from the National Security Commission on AI, creates a 5-year pilot program to award grants to small businesses to support their participation in international standards development organizations.

18. Cyber Workforce Development Research & Development [C&S, Sec. 10315]

A recommendation from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission this provision tasks the Director of NIST to award grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to carry out studies on the cyber workforce, its constitution, current trends, and factors influencing retention, growth, and development of that workforce.

19. Office of Research Security & Policy [C&S, Sec. 10331]

A recommendation from the National Security Commission on AI, this provision establishes an Office of Research Security and Policy within the National Science Foundation. The NSF will coordinate efforts to identify and address potential security risks that threaten research integrity to prevent intellectual property theft.

Enhancing Services to Military Families and Veterans

20. Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act [S.3373]

The culmination of years of effort from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and many other Veterans Service Organizations With Honor Action partners with, this major legislation aims to help an estimated 5 million-plus veterans who may have been impacted by toxic exposures while serving our country. In addition to providing this healthcare, the PACT Act invests in new research on post-9/11 veterans’ health trends. With Honor Action endorsed the PACT Act and assisted with the bipartisan negotiations to get it passed. We plan to stay engaged with implementation of this legislation and allocation of resources.

21. Report on the Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences for Servicemembers [NDAA House Bill, Directive Report Language]

Initiated by For Country Caucus founding member Representative Seth Moulton, this provision directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), one of the most significant risk factors for suicide and future mental and physical health crises, among service members. An ACE is a potentially traumatic event that occurs between the ages of 0 and 17. With Honor worked alongside Stop Soldier Suicide in support of this legislation, which we aim to see as a first step to implementing ACEs screening for every American entering the armed forces. Please contact me if you would like to support this multiyear initiative.

22. Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environments (SERVICE) Act [H.R.4571/S.2102]

According to a 2021 study, female veterans are nearly three times more likely to develop invasive breast cancer than the rest of the population. Championed by For Country Caucus Member and medical doctor Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, this law helps address these concerning disparities by extending access to mammograms for all female veterans who served in areas with burn pits or other toxic exposures, regardless of their age, symptoms or family history.

23. Making Advances in Mammography and Medical Options for Veterans (MAMMO) Act [H.R.4794/S.2533]

Led by For Country Caucus Member and medical doctor Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, this law requires the VA to develop a strategic plan to improve breast imaging services, create a telemammography pilot program for veterans in areas where the VA does not offer in-house mammography, and expand veterans’ access to clinical trials through partnerships with the National Cancer Institute.

24. Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act [H.R.7939 Student Veteran Emergency Relief Act of 2022]

According to a 2020 report released by the Department of Defense, more than two-thirds of military service members have reported that their spouse’s career prospects influence their reenlistment decisions. With nearly 50% of military spouses working in fields that require licenses, relocation based on military orders can be enormously burdensome to military spouses who must then seek to regain their professional licensure, a process which can take up valuable time and money. This provision, co-led by For County Caucus Vice Chair Representative Salud Carbajal, removes this barrier, requiring states to recognize the valid professional licenses of a military spouse that was obtained in another state.

25. Annual Report on Members Separating from the Active Duty Who File Claims for Disability Benefits [NDAA Sec. 563]

The U.S. has an obligation to acknowledge service-related disabilities. This provision requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report which details the number of Armed Service members who have filed claims for disability benefits since 2019. The report must include how these claims were handled, when the claim was submitted relative to their discharge date from active duty, and whether a mental health check was completed.

26. VITAL Assessment Act [H.R.5516 passed as part of H.R.2617 Omnibus Appropriations Act]

Initiated by For Country Caucus member Jake Ellzey, this law aims to provide critical mental health care and support to student veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Integration Academic Leadership Program.

27. Army Rangers Veterans of WWII Congressional Gold Medal Act [H.R.3577/S.1872]

The U.S. Army Rangers earned their motto, “Rangers, lead the way”, scaling the staggering cliffs of Pointe du Hoc and vanquishing the enemy through brutal hand-to-hand combat on D-Day. This law, championed by For Country Caucus member and Army Ranger Representative Jason Crow in the House and Iowa Army National Guard veteran Joni Ernst in the Senate, awards the Congressional Gold Medal – “the highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions” – to these brave Army Rangers.

28. Requirements to Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs of Members of the Armed Forces for Uniform Items [NDAA Sec. 390]

Directs the Secretary of Defense to track out-of-pocket costs for uniforms incurred by service members. The findings will be used to develop an appropriate uniform replacement allowance for officers of the Armed Forces.

29. Fairness for Federal Firefighters [NDAA Sec. 5305]

Creates a presumption of service-connected disabilities stemming from serious diseases. This will ensure that an estimated 10,000 federal firefighters receive the same access to job-related disability and retirement benefits as state, county, and municipal firefighters.

30. Treatment of Personally Identifiable Information Regarding Prospective Recruits [NDAA Sec. 531]

Strengthens the privacy safeguards surrounding the collection of Personally Identifiable Information in military recruitment. It authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish the Military Recruiting Modernization Program as a pilot program to evaluate the usage of more modern technologies in handling personally identifiable information.

31. Increases in Maximum Allowable Income for Purposes of Eligibility for Basic Needs Allowance [NDAA Sec. 611]

It is estimated that 24% of servicemembers face food insecurity. This legislation addresses this unacceptable problem by increasing eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance. Championed by founding For Country Caucus Co-Chair, Jimmy Panetta, the provision raises eligibility from household incomes that fall below 130% federal poverty guidelines to 150%, and it empowers the Secretary of Defense to increase eligibility threshold to 200% for specific cases.

32. Post-Widow’s Tax Repeal SBP Open Enrollment for Service-Disabled Veterans Act [NDAA Sec. 643]

In the 116th Congress, Representative Jared Golden and other members of the For Country Caucus successfully repealed what was dubbed as the “Widow’s Tax.” Although the repeal helped many families, nearly 1,600 service-disabled veterans had withdrawn from the Survivor Benefits Plan and stopped paying premiums. This provision creates a special open enrollment period for this targeted veteran population, allowing them to re-enroll, catch up on any missed premiums, and collect the benefits.

33. Demonstration Project on Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services for Children of the Armed Forces [Compromise NDAA, Directive Report Language]

Directs the Secretary of Defense to brief the Committees on Armed Services on the adequacy and availability of mental health services for military children with mental health needs.

Making Congress More Effective and Working Across Party Lines

34. Electoral Count Reform Act (ECRA) [H.R.2617 Omnibus Appropriations Act]

Reforms and modernizes the outdated 1887 Electoral Count Act, ensuring that electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s public vote for President. This provision passed in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, replaced ambiguous provisions of the 19th-century law with clear procedures that maintain appropriate state and federal roles in selecting the President and Vice President of the United States. With Honor Action endorsed the Electoral Count Reform Act and advocated for its passing alongside For Country Caucus member Representative Adam Kinzinger and other veterans of both parties.

35. Bipartisan Safer Communities Act [S.2938]

This major piece of legislation is the first gun reform and mental health bill to pass Congress in recent history. The bill was led on the House Republican side by For Country Caucus member Representative Anthony Gonzales, whose district in Texas includes Uvalde. Representative Gonzales worked with Representative Jason Crow, and Army Ranger whose district in Colorado includes Columbine, and other For Country Caucus members to pass this bill into law. While it does not fit neatly into one of the five priority areas With Honor Action and the For Country Caucus have aligned on, it is a significant accomplishment that was enabled in part by the bipartisan relationships that With Honor Action helps initiate and support.