WASHINGTON, D.C. – Led by Chairwoman Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), the Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel today released their proposals for the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Subcommittee will meet at 3:30pm ET on Wednesday, July 28 in Rayburn 2118 and via the WebEx platform. The markup will be live streamed on the committee’s website. The Subcommittee's mark is available here. 
 
Specifically, this year's proposal authorizes the End Strength Request from the Military Services and includes:

Military Service members and Families:
 
  • Increase in Basic Pay - Supports increase in military basic pay by 2.7 percent.
  • Basic Needs Allowance for Low-Income Service Members - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to pay a basic needs allowance to a qualified service member.
  • One-Year Extension of Certain Expiring Bonus and Special Pay Authorities - Extension of critical recruitment and retention incentive programs.
  • Naval Community College - Establishes the Naval Community College as a degree granting institution for enlisted sailors.
  • Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center - Authorizes the Defense Language Institute to confer Bachelor’s degrees, in addition to Associate degrees, to graduates that meet the appropriate requirements for that degree. 
  • Parental Leave for Service Members - Increases the allowable leave parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers including foster parents.
  • Child Care - Expands the in-home childcare pilot program providing financial assistance for in-home childcare.
  • Exceptional Family Members - Establishes an Exceptional Family Member Program Advisory Council to better support military families who have members with special needs.
  • Domestic Violence Reforms - Expedites the process to authorize Exceptional Eligibility for Certain Benefits to victims of domestic abuse and requires the Secretary of Defense to make violations of Civilian Protective Orders punishable under UCMJ. In addition, the bill strengthens military installation relationships with civilian Family Advocacy organizations and aims to improve awareness and training about Family Advocacy Programs for military leaders and beneficiaries.
  • Casualty Assistance Program - Establishes a Casualty Assistance Reform Working Group to assess the casualty affairs programs across the Department of Defense.
  • Professional Military Education - Requires the Secretary of Defense to review, assess, and standardize the definition of professional military education across the Department of Defense.
  • Digital Technical Skills - Directs the Secretary of Defense to review the personnel recommendations of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) and provide a report on digital and cyber military personnel requirements and the feasibility of a US Digital Service Academy. 
 
Sexual Assault/Uniform Code of Military Justice/Legal Matters:
 
  • Increased Notification for Survivors of Sexual Assault - Directs the Services to notify survivors of sexual assault about the outcomes of any administrative action taken against their perpetrator. 
  • Improvements to the Administrative Separation Process - Directs the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, Coast Guard and the Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, to ensure every separation board has a detailed legal officer as recorder.
  • Information on Civilian Victim Services - Requires the Secretary of Defense to provide a list of approved civilian victim service organizations from which the victim may seek legal assistance, legal representation, or other related services. This section also would require the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office of the Department of Defense to carry out activities to ensure the widespread distribution, throughout the Department, of information on the availability of services from civilian victim service organizations.  
 
Healthcare:
 
  • Autism Care Demonstration - Requires an independent review of the Department of Defense Comprehensive Autism Care Demonstration program to be completed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
  • Blast Injury Health Policy Review - Mandates a review of Military Health System’s blast injury policy to include Traumatic Brain Injury, neurotrauma prevention and an assessment of the impact of broadening the definition of a military acute concussive event
  • Post-Partum Care Improvements - Requires a pilot program in support of post-natal care, to include pelvic health rehabilitation, and the issuance of policy guidance to develop and to implement standard protocols across the Military Health System to treat obstetric hemorrhage.
  • Fraud, Waste and Abuse Prevention - Establishes a program to prevent fraud and abuse in the Military Health System.
  • Modification to Limitation on the Realignment or Reduction of Military Medical Manning End Strength - Makes additional changes to previous limitations on the realignment or reduction of military medical manning end strength in light of emerging requirements.
  • Expansion of Cardiac Screening - Expands ongoing pilot to conduct cardiac screening for incoming candidates at the military service academies.
  • Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients - Requires a briefing on the development of a domestic production capability for critical active pharmaceutical ingredients and final dosage form medicines.
  • Suicide Definitions - Directs the Department of Defense to standardize suicide attempt and suicidal ideation definitions across all of the military services.
  • National Disaster Medical System - Requires a report on the medical, surveillance, and preventive medicine capabilities of the National Disaster Medical System that would be used to support a global pandemic and health-related homeland defense missions
  • Vaccine Tracking System - Requires the Secretary of Defense to establish a system to track and record information on administration of all vaccines.

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