147 
(1) the Under Secretary of Defense for Re-
search and Engineering; 
(2) the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisi-
tion and Sustainment; 
(3) the Secretaries of the military departments; 
and 
(4) such other officials of the Department of 
Defense as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(d) SUBMITTAL TO CONGRESS; UPDATES.— 
(1) INITIAL SUBMISSION.—Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congres-
sional defense committees the roadmap developed 
under subsection (a). 
(2) ANNUAL
UPDATES.—Not less frequently 
than once every two years following the submittal of 
the initial roadmap under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall— 
(A) review and update the roadmap; and 
(B) submit an updated version of the road-
map to the congressional defense committees. 
(3) FORM.—Each version of the roadmap re-
quired to be submitted under this subsection may be 
submitted in classified form, but if so submitted, 
shall include an unclassified executive summary.
148 
(e) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—On annual basis, the 
Secretary shall make an unclassified version of the most 
recent roadmap submitted under subsection (d) available 
on a publicly accessible website of the Department of De-
fense. 
(f) BIOTECHNOLOGY DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘biotechnology’’ means the application of science and 
technology to living organisms and to parts, products and 
models of such organisms to alter living or non-living ma-
terials for the production of knowledge, goods, or services. 
SEC. 244. AUTHORITY FOR SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO 
ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR AN ASSESS-
MENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES OF 
ADVERSARIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall seek to enter into an agreement with a federally 
funded research and development center to conduct an as-
sessment related to biotechnology and provide rec-
ommendations to the Secretary. 
(b) AGREEMENT ELEMENTS.—Under an agreement 
between the Secretary and a federally funded research and 
development center under this section, the center shall 
agree to— 
(1) conduct an assessment of—
149 
(A) 
scientific 
topics 
related 
to 
bio-
technology; 
(B) scientific capabilities of potential ad-
versaries of the United States, such as China, 
Iran, and the Russian Federation, related to 
biotechnology; and 
(C) the current gaps and future scientific 
and technological needs for adversaries of the 
United States to be successful with respect to 
biotechnology capabilities; and 
(2) develop recommendations with respect to 
useful indications of any advancement of such adver-
saries regarding such capabilities. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES OF SECRETARY.—Under an 
agreement between the Secretary and a federally funded 
research and development center under this section, the 
Secretary shall agree to— 
(1) appoint appropriate Department of Defense 
employees as liaisons to the center to support the 
timely conduct of the assessment described in sub-
section (b)(1); 
(2) provide the center with access to materials 
relevant to the conduct of such assessment, con-
sistent with the protection of sources and methods 
and other critically sensitive information; and
150 
(3) ensure that appropriate members and staff 
of the center have the necessary clearances, obtained 
in an expedited manner, to conduct such assessment. 
(d) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary enters into 
an agreement with a federally funded research and 
development center under this section, not later than 
October 1, 2025, the Secretary shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees and the National 
Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology a 
report that includes the findings and recommenda-
tions of the center developed pursuant to the assess-
ment described in subsection (b)(1). 
(2) FORM OF REPORT.—The report under para-
graph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, 
but may contain a classified annex. 
(3) TRANSMITTAL TO OTHER DEPARTMENT EN-
TITIES.—The Secretary shall transmit to relevant of-
fices of the Department of Defense, including the of-
fices of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisi-
tion and Sustainment, the Under Secretary of De-
fense for Research and Engineering, the Under Sec-
retary of Defense for Policy, the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Intelligence and Security, and the Office
151 
of Net Assessment, a copy of the report under para-
graph (1). 
SEC. 245. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON RESEARCH AND DEVEL-
OPMENT OF SOLID ROCKET MOTOR MIXING 
TECHNOLOGY AND THE MISSILE INDUSTRIAL 
BASE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Domestic production capabilities for solid 
rocket motors have inherent limitations due to the 
mixing technology that is currently in use, a tech-
nology that hasn’t changed for over 60 years, for 
which there is a single supplier, and which is par-
ticularly vulnerable to foreign object debris. 
(2) New, efficient, and ecologically friendly solid 
rocket motor mixing technologies have the potential 
to assist in ramping-up tactical missile production in 
anticipation of increased global instability. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Secretary of the Air Force should pursue 
efforts to research, develop, and demonstrate advanced 
propellant mixing technologies for solid rocket motor pro-
pulsion systems that can be inserted into current or 
planned production facilities in order to provide additional 
surge capabilities to meet near-term supply needs.
152 
SEC. 246. FUNDING FOR DEMONSTRATION OF HIGH-PRES-
SURE WATERJET CUT AND CAPTURE SYSTEM 
TO DEMILITARIZE UNDERWATER MUNITIONS. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated in section 201 for research, 
development, test and evaluation, Army, as specified in the 
corresponding funding table in section 4201, for advanced 
component development and prototypes, environmental 
quality technology—DEM/VAL, line 060 (PE 0603779A) 
is hereby increased by $5,000,000 (to be available for the 
demonstration of high-pressure waterjet cut and capture 
system to demilitarize underwater munitions). 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 201 for research, develop-
ment, test and evaluation, Defense-wide, as specified in 
the corresponding funding table in section 4201, for basic 
research, defense research sciences, line 002 (PE 
0601101E) is hereby reduced by $5,000,000. 
SEC. 247. MODIFICATION TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 
EDUCATION STRATEGY. 
Section 256 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92; 133 Stat. 
1290) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
153 
‘‘(d) ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
AND
MACHINE 
LEARNING EDUCATION PLATFORMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of the National De-
fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, each 
Secretary of a military department shall provide per-
sonnel in that Secretary’s department with distance 
education courses on— 
‘‘(A) the foundational concepts of artificial 
intelligence and machine learning; and 
‘‘(B) the responsible and ethical use of ar-
tificial intelligence and machine learning appli-
cations. 
‘‘(2) REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report on the progress of the Secre-
taries of the military departments in implementing 
paragraph (1).’’. 
SEC. 248. REPORT ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WORK-
FORCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense com-
mittees a report that includes—
154 
(1) an assessment of the effectiveness of the ar-
tificial intelligence workforce of the Department of 
Defense; 
(2) identification of any gaps in the skills and 
training of such workforce; and 
(3) a description of any actions that may be 
carried out to preserve and enhance such workforce 
to ensure the global technological competitiveness of 
the United States. 
(b) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WORKFORCE DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘artificial intelligence 
workforce’’ means members of the Armed Forces and civil-
ian personnel of the Department Defense with responsibil-
ities relating to the research, development, procurement, 
or operational use of artificial intelligence technology. 
SEC. 249. INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR HIGH-HYPERSONIC 
DETONATION PROPULSION RESEARCH AND 
TECHNOLOGY. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated in section 201 for RDT&E, 
Air Force for Aerospace Propulsion, line 008 as specified 
in the corresponding funding table in section 4201, for 
high-hypersonic detonation propulsion research and tech-
nology is hereby increased by $5,000,000; and
155 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 301 for O&M, Air Force for 
Administration, line 410, as specified in the corresponding 
funding table in section 4301, for program decrease is 
hereby reduced by $5,000,000. 
SEC. 250. INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR ADAPTIVE AND IN-
TELLIGENT ADVERSARY-THREAT MODELS. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated in section 201 for RDT&E, 
Army for Soldier Lethality Technology, line 010 as speci-
fied in the corresponding funding table in section 4201, 
for adaptive and intelligent adversary-threat models is 
hereby increased by $5,000,000. 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 301 for O&M, Army for 
Other Personnel Support, line 470 as specified in the cor-
responding funding table in section 4301, for program de-
crease is hereby reduced by $5,000,000. 
SEC. 251. FUNDING FOR SURFACE AND SHALLOW WATER 
MINE COUNTER-MEASURES. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
156 
thorized to be appropriated in section 201 for research, 
development, test and evaluation, Navy, as specified in the 
corresponding funding table in section 4201, for advanced 
component development and prototypes, surface and shal-
low 
water 
mine 
countermeasures, 
line 
035 
(PE 
0603502N), is hereby increased by $9,000,000. 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 201 for research, develop-
ment, test and evaluation, Navy, as specified in the cor-
responding funding table in section 4201, for advanced 
component development and prototypes, chalk coral, line 
063 (PE 0603734N), is hereby reduced by $9,000,000. 
SEC. 252. REPORT ON POTENTIAL INCLUSION OF ISRAEL IN 
THE NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND INDUS-
TRIAL BASE. 
(a) ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
assess the feasibility and advisability of including Israel 
in the national technology and industrial base. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The assessment under subsection 
(a) shall include the following: 
(1) A detailed assessment of the potential ben-
efit to the national security of the United States of 
including Israel in the national technology and in-
dustrial base.
158 
(d) FORM.—The report required under subsection (c) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include 
a classified annex. 
(e) NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRIAL BASE 
DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘national technology 
and industrial base’’ has the meaning given that term in 
section 4801 of title 10, United States Code. 
SEC. 253. PLAN ON HACKING FOR DEFENSE EXPANSION. 
(a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Defense shall submit to the congressional defense commit-
tees a plan for the expansion of the Hacking for Defense 
program of the Department of Defense over the period 
of three fiscal years following the date of the plan. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The plan required under subsection 
(a) shall include measures— 
(1) to increase the number of institutions of 
higher education participating in Hacking for De-
fense programs; 
(2) to expand support for certain elite teams 
after Hacking for Defense course completion; 
(3) to expand opportunities after Hacking for 
Defense course completion in countries that are 
members of— 
(A) the AUKUS partnership;
159 
(B) the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue; or 
(C) the North Atlantic Treaty Organiza-
tion; 
(4) to partner with other organizations and ele-
ments of the Department of Defense to expand the 
Hacking for Defense curriculum to a second semes-
ter prototyping course; and 
(5) to support the development of professional 
military education programs in the National Defense 
University system that are similar to the Hacking 
for Defense program. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘AUKUS partnership’’ means the 
enhanced trilateral security partnership between 
Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United 
States announced in September 2021. 
(2) The term ‘‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue’’ 
means the strategic security dialogue between— 
(A) India; 
(B) Japan; 
(C) Australia; and 
(D) the United States.
160 
SEC. 254. REPORT ON POTENTIAL STRATEGIC PARTNER-
SHIP BETWEEN THE DEFENSE INNOVATION 
UNIT AND THE TAIWAN MINISTRY OF NA-
TIONAL DEFENSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall as-
sess the feasibility and advisability of establishing a stra-
tegic partnership between the Defense Innovation Unit 
and the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense, pursuant 
to which the Unit and the Ministry would— 
(1) coordinate on defense industrial priorities; 
(2) collaborate on the development of dual-use 
defense capabilities. 
(3) establish mechanisms to streamline emerg-
ing defense technology research and development 
and microchip supply chain security; 
(4) create additional pathways to market for 
relevant defense technology startups; and 
(5) carry out other activities to— 
(A) enhance market opportunities for 
United States-based and Taiwan-based defense 
technology companies; 
(B) bolster Taiwan’s defense industrial 
base; 
(C) harmonize global security posture 
through emerging technology; and
161 
(D) counter the development of dual-use 
defense technologies by the Chinese Communist 
Party. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a re-
port on the results of the assessment conducted under sub-
section (a). 
SEC. 255. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE CONTINUING NEED 
FOR INNOVATION IN THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that Congress encourages the Armed Forces to con-
tinue innovating, including by using technological methods 
that incorporate artificial intelligence, quantum informa-
tion science, advanced air mobility, and counter-UAS sys-
tems to ultimately maintain, bolster, and augment military 
readiness, wartime preparedness, and ensure the overall 
national security of the United States. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘advanced air mobility’’ means a 
transportation system that transports people and 
property by air between two points in the United 
States using aircraft with advanced technologies, in-
cluding electric aircraft or electric vertical take-off
162 
and landing aircraft, in both controlled and uncon-
trolled airspace. 
(2) The term ‘‘artificial intelligence’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 5002 of the Na-
tional Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 
(15 U.S.C. 9401). 
(3) The term ‘‘counter-UAS system’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 44801(5) of title 
49, United States Code. 
(4) The term ‘‘quantum information science’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the 
National Quantum Initiative Act (15 U.S.C. 8801). 
SEC. 256. FUNDING FOR ALTERNATIVE DOMESTIC SOURCE 
C-130J IRSS. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated in section 201 for research, 
development, test, and evaluation, Defense-wide, as speci-
fied in the corresponding funding table in section 4201, 
for operational system development, Aviation Systems, line 
281 (PE 1160403BB) is hereby increased by $6,000,000 
(with the amount of such increase to be made available 
for Alternative Domestic Source C–130J IRSS). 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized
163 
to be appropriated in section 201 for research, develop-
ment, test, and evaluation, Defense-wide, as specified in 
the corresponding funding table in section 4201, for oper-
ational system development, industrial base analysis and 
sustainment support, line 214 (PE 0607210D8Z) is here-
by reduced by $6,000,000. 
SEC. 257. FUNDING FOR VIRTUAL ENGINEERING FOR ARMY 
READINESS AND SUSTAINMENT. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated in section 201 for Research, 
Development, Test and Evaluation, Next-Generation Com-
bat Vehicle Advanced Technology, line 43, as specified in 
the corresponding funding table in section 4201, for Vir-
tual Engineering for Army Readiness and Sustainment, 
is hereby increased by $7,000,000. 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 301 for Operations and 
Maintenance, Defense-Wide, for the office of the Secretary 
of Defense, line 470, as specified in the corresponding 
funding table in section 4301, is hereby reduced by 
$7,000,000.
164 
SEC. 258. FUNDING FOR HUMANITARIAN AIRBORNE MO-
BILE INFRASTRUCTURE CAPABILITY. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated in section 201 for Research, 
Development, Test and Evaluation, Army for Ground Ad-
vanced Technology, line 38, as specified in the cor-
responding funding table in section 4201, for Humani-
tarian Airborne Mobile Infrastructure Capability, is here-
by increased by $4,200,000. 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 301 for Operations and 
Maintenance, Defense-Wide, for the office of the Secretary 
of Defense, line 470, as specified in the corresponding 
funding table in section 4301, is hereby reduced by 
$4,200,000. 
SEC. 259. FUNDING FOR FUEL CELL MULTI-MODULAR USE 
UTILIZING HYDROGEN. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated in section 201 for Research, 
Development, Test and Evaluation, Army for Ground Ad-
vanced Technology, line 38, as specified in the cor-
responding funding table in section 4201, for Fuel Cell
165 
Multi-Modular Use (FC-MMU) Utilizing Hydrogen, is 
hereby increased by $10,000,000. 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 301 for Operation and Main-
tenance, Defense-Wide, for the office of the Secretary of 
Defense, line 470, as specified in the corresponding fund-
ing table in section 4301, is hereby reduced by 
$10,000,000. 
TITLE III—OPERATION AND 
MAINTENANCE 
Subtitle A—Authorization of 
Appropriations 
SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for 
fiscal year 2025 for the use of the Armed Forces and other 
activities and agencies of the Department of Defense for 
expenses, not otherwise provided for, for operation and 
maintenance, as specified in the funding table in section 
4301.
166 
Subtitle B—Energy and 
Environment 
SEC. 311. EXTENSION OF REQUIREMENT TO ESTABLISH A 
SCHEDULE OF BLACK START EXERCISES TO 
ASSESS THE ENERGY RESILIENCE AND EN-
ERGY SECURITY OF MILITARY INSTALLA-
TIONS. 
Section 2920(d)(2)(C)(ii) of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘2027’’ and inserting 
‘‘2032’’. 
SEC. 312. EXTENSION OF PROHIBITION ON REQUIRED DIS-
CLOSURE. 
Section 318(a)(2) of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31) is 
amended by striking ‘‘one-year period’’ and inserting 
‘‘five-year period’’. 
SEC. 313. MODIFICATIONS TO PILOT PROGRAM ON USE OF 
SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL. 
Section 324(g) of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2023 is amended by striking para-
graph (2) and inserting the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(2) The term ‘applicable material’ means the 
following: 
‘‘(A) Monoglycerides, diglycerides, and 
triglycerides.
167 
‘‘(B) Free fatty acids. 
‘‘(C) Fatty acid esters. 
‘‘(D) Municipal solid waste. 
‘‘(E) Renewable natural gas. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘biomass’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 45K(c)(3) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘lifecycle greenhouse gas emis-
sions reduction percentage’ means, with respect to 
non-petroleum-based jet fuel, the percentage reduc-
tion in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions achieved 
by such fuel as compared with petroleum-based jet 
fuel, as determined using the following: 
‘‘(A) The most up-to-date Carbon Offset-
ting and Reduction Scheme for International 
Aviation which has been adopted by the Inter-
national Civil Aviation Organization with the 
agreement of the United States. 
‘‘(B) The most up-to-date determinations 
under the model known as the ‘Greenhouse 
gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in 
Technologies’ model developed by Argonne Na-
tional Laboratory.
168 
‘‘(5) The term ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ means 
the portion of liquid fuel that is not kerosene and 
that— 
‘‘(A) meets the requirements of— 
‘‘(i) ASTM International Standard 
D7566; or 
‘‘(ii) the Fischer Tropsch provisions of 
ASTM International Standard D1655, 
Annex A1; 
‘‘(B) is not derived from coprocessing an 
applicable material (or materials derived from 
an applicable material) with a feedstock which 
is not biomass; 
‘‘(C) is not derived from palm fatty acid 
distillates or petroleum; and 
‘‘(D) has a lifecycle greenhouse gas emis-
sions reduction percentage of at least 50 per-
cent.’’. 
SEC. 314. MODIFICATION OF TEMPORARY MORATORIUM ON 
INCINERATION 
BY 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
DE-
FENSE OF PERFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES, 
POLYFLUOROALKYL 
SUBSTANCES, 
AND 
AQUEOUS FILM FORMING FOAM. 
Section 343(a)(2) of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81; 10
169 
U.S.C. 2701 note) is amended by inserting before the pe-
riod at the end the following: ‘‘or issues an interim guid-
ance on the destruction and disposal of PFAS substances 
and materials containing PFAS substances’’. 
SEC. 315. INITIATIVE TO CONTROL AND COMBAT THE 
SPREAD OF COCONUT RHINOCEROS BEETLE 
IN HAWAII. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
enhance efforts to manage, control, and interdict the coco-
nut rhinoceros beetle on military installations in Hawaii. 
(b) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—The efforts required 
under subsection (a) shall include the following: 
(1) Carrying out science-based management 
and control programs to reduce the effect of the co-
conut rhinoceros beetle on military installations and 
to prevent the introduction or spread of the coconut 
rhinoceros beetle to areas where such beetle has not 
yet been established. 
(2) Providing support for interagency and inter-
governmental response efforts to control, interdict, 
monitor, and eradicate the coconut rhinoceros beetle. 
(3) Pursuing chemical, biological, and other 
control techniques, technology transfer, and best 
practices to support management, control, interdic-
170 
tion and, where possible, eradication of the coconut 
rhinoceros beetle from Hawaii. 
(4) Establishing an early detection and rapid 
response mechanism to monitor and deploy coordi-
nated efforts if the coconut rhinoceros beetle, or an-
other newly detected invasive alien species, is de-
tected at new sites on military installations in Ha-
waii. 
(5) Carrying out such other activities as the 
Secretary determines appropriate to manage, con-
trol, and interdict the coconut rhinoceros beetle on 
military installations in Hawaii. 
(c) ANNUAL BRIEFINGS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually 
thereafter for each of the next three years, the Assistant 
Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Envi-
ronment shall provide to the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the House of Representatives and the Senate a 
briefing on the implementation of this section, which shall 
include detailed information about the efforts of the Sec-
retary to manage, control, and interdict the coconut rhi-
noceros beetle on military installations in Hawaii.
171 
SEC. 316. REVIEW AND PLAN REGARDING BIOSECURITY 
PROTOCOLS FOR HAWAII. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of De-
fense, in consultation with each Secretary of a military 
department, the commanders of United States Indo-Pa-
cific Command and its component commands, and State, 
local, and non-governmental organizations, shall submit to 
the congressional defense committees a report on biosecu-
rity protocols and procedures to prevent the introduction 
and spread of invasive species to the State of Hawaii. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under sub-
section (a) shall include each of the following: 
(1) A review of current Department of Defense 
protocols and procedures, including gaps and dif-
ferences between military installations, for biosecu-
rity and to prevent the introduction and spread of 
invasive species in the State of Hawaii. 
(2) A review of the efforts and progress of the 
Department of Defense in implementing the relevant 
recommendations of the 2015 Regional Biosecurity 
Plan for Micronesia and Hawaii. 
(3) A plan to— 
(A) improve coordination and alignment 
between Department of Defense components in 
Hawaii to prevent the introduction and spread
172 
of invasive species, including through early de-
tection on Department of Defense assets; 
(B) develop and implement best practices 
to improve biosecurity protocols while mini-
mizing the effects on military operations, in-
cluding during military exercises; and 
(C) improve coordination with State and 
local government entities and non-governmental 
organizations to enhance biosecurity and to pre-
vent the introduction and spread of invasive 
species. 
(c) UPDATE.—Not later than five years after the date 
of the submission of the report required under subsection 
(a), the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the congres-
sional defense committees an update on the progress of 
the Department of Defense in implementing the plan re-
ferred to in subsection (b)(3). 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘invasive species’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 10(a)(4) of the Fish 
and Wildlife Coordination Act (16 U.S.C. 666c- 
1(a)(4)). 
(2) The term ‘‘biosecurity’’ means measures 
taken to protect against biological agents that pose
173 
a threat to public health, plant or animal health, or 
the environment. 
SEC. 317. PILOT PROGRAM TO INSTALL PROPANE-POW-
ERED GENERATORS AT A DOMESTIC DE-
FENSE INDUSTRIAL BASE FACILITY. 
(a) PROGRAM REQUIRED.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and the 
Environment shall carry out a pilot program under which 
the Assistant Secretary shall install propane-powered gen-
erators at an organic industrial base facility. Under the 
pilot program, such generators shall— 
(1) be used in tandem with an on-site microgrid 
in order to improve the resiliency and redundancy of 
power generation at the facility; and 
(2) be powered by conventional or renewable 
propane. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘microgrid’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 641(b)(6) of the United 
States Energy Storage Competitiveness Act of 2007 
(42 U.S.C. 17231(b)(6)). 
(2) The term ‘‘propane’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 3(6) of the Propane Education 
and Research Act of 1006 (15 U.S.C. 6402(6)).
174 
(c) TERMINATION.—The authority to carry out the 
pilot program under this section shall terminate on the 
date that is five years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
SEC. 318. PROHIBITION ON IMPLEMENTATION OF REGULA-
TION RELATING TO MINIMIZING RISK OF CLI-
MATE CHANGE. 
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by 
this Act or otherwise made available for the Department 
of Defense for fiscal year 2025 may be used to finalize 
or implement any rule based on the advanced notice of 
proposed rulemaking titled ‘‘Federal Acquisition Regula-
tion: Minimizing the Risk of Climate Change in Federal 
Acquisitions’’ (October 15, 2021; 86 Fed. Reg. 57404). 
SEC. 319. STORMWATER DISCHARGE PERMITS FOR DE-
PARTMENT OF DEFENSE FACILITIES. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, with respect to each permit under section 
402(p) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1342(p)) that applies to a Department of Defense 
facility, the Secretary of Defense shall request from the 
State that issued the permit, or the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, as applicable, approval 
of a modification to such permit, or a revision to an appli-
cable stormwater management plan, to require—
175 
(1) monitoring of discharges of perfluoroalkyl 
and polyfluoroalkyl substances not less frequently 
than quarterly; and 
(2) implementation of appropriate best manage-
ment practices or control technologies to reduce such 
discharges consistent with the requirements of such 
Act. 
SEC. 320. EXTENSION OF PERIOD FOR COOPERATIVE 
AGREEMENTS 
UNDER 
NATIVE 
AMERICAN 
LANDS ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 2713(c)(3) of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘two calendar years’’ and inserting 
‘‘five calendar years’’. 
Subtitle C—Logistics and 
Sustainment 
SEC. 331. PLANS REGARDING CONDITION AND MAINTE-
NANCE OF PREPOSITIONED STOCKPILES OF 
NAVY, AIR FORCE, AND MARINE CORPS. 
(a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Com-
mandant of the Marine Corps shall each develop a plan 
to—
176 
(1) improve the required inspection procedures 
for the prepositioned stockpiles of the Armed Force 
concerned, for the purpose of identifying deficiencies 
and conducting maintenance repairs at levels nec-
essary to ensure such prepositioned stockpiles are 
mission capable; and 
(2) with respect to the Navy and Marine Corps, 
provide an analysis of the readiness of ships that 
hold or facilitate the off-loading of prepositioned 
stocks and suggestions for improving inspection pro-
cedures of such ships. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date on which the Secretary or the Commandant com-
pletes the development of a plan under subsection (a), and 
not less frequently than twice each year thereafter for the 
three-year period beginning on the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary or the Commandant shall inspect 
the prepositioned stockpiles of the Armed Force concerned 
in accordance with the procedures under such plan. 
(c) BRIEFINGS.— 
(1) BRIEFING ON PLAN.—Not later than 120 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretaries and the Commandant shall each provide 
to the congressional defense committees a briefing 
on the plan developed under subsection (a).
177 
(2) BRIEFINGS ON STATUS OF PREPOSITIONED 
STOCKPILES.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and every 180 
days thereafter for the three-year period beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secre-
taries and the Commandant shall each provide to the 
congressional defense committees a briefing on the 
status and condition of the prepositioned stockpiles 
of the Armed Force concerned. 
(d) ARMED FORCE CONCERNED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘Armed Force concerned’’ means— 
(1) the Navy, with respect to the Secretary of 
the Navy; 
(2) the Marine Corps with respect to the Com-
mandant of the Marine Corps; and 
(3) the Air Force, with respect to the Secretary 
of the Air Force. 
SEC. 332. PILOT PROGRAM ON IMPROVING MARINE CORPS 
SUPPLY CHAIN AND LOGISTICS THROUGH 
THE INTEGRATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTEL-
LIGENCE AND MACHINE LEARNING SOFT-
WARE SOLUTIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, the Commandant of the Marine
178 
Corps may select a unit within the Marine Corps to carry 
out a pilot program to improve military supply chain read-
iness, budget efficiency, and logistics productivity through 
the integration and use of artificial intelligence (‘‘AI’’) and 
machine learning software solutions. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—The Commandant of the Marine 
Corps shall seek to carry out the pilot program under sub-
section (a) in partnership with a federally funded research 
and development center, a University Affiliated Research 
Center, a center of excellence, a military service labora-
tory, or 1 or more private-sector entities with experience 
in machine learning-driven logistics planning and decision 
support tools in an effort to streamline and modernize the 
Marine Corps logistics operations and any other partners 
the commandant deems necessary. 
(c) GOALS.—The goals of the pilot program are to 
leverage AI solutions to— 
(1) optimize logistics operations and inventory 
management, specifically within the United States 
Indo-Pacific Command Area of Responsibility; 
(2) improve military force readiness; 
(3) streamline materiel distribution and logis-
tics optimization; 
(4) improve situational awareness by providing 
predictions driven by a modular, probabilistic sim-
179 
ulation of logistics processes in the face of uncer-
tainty; 
(5) enhance productivity by minimizing and, 
where possible, automating reporting and inter- ac-
tions with data systems; and 
(6) scale Marine Corps integration of AI-en-
hanced logistics and supply chain solutions to solve 
operational challenges. 
(d) BRIEFING.—By December 1 of each year in 
which the pilot program is carried out, the Commandant 
of the Marine Corps shall provide to the congressional de-
fense committees a report that includes— 
(1) a description of the logistics and supply 
chain problem sets that were evaluated by the pilot 
program; 
(2) an assessment of the impact of using AI to 
solve supply chain and logistics challenges, including 
any changes to readiness, budget efficiency, and pro-
ductivity of military equipment and materiel; 
(3) any barriers identified to using AI to solve 
supply chain and logistics challenges; 
(4) recommendations regarding how the De-
partment of Defense can better leverage artificial in-
telligence to address supply chain and logistics chal-
lenges in a contested environment;
180 
(5) an assessment of the impact of AI software 
solutions on visibility of materiel at different levels 
of command within the Marine Corps; and 
(6) the viability of expanding these software so-
lutions to other units and areas of responsibility. 
(e) TERMINATION.—The pilot program under this 
section shall terminate on the date that is 3 years after 
the date on which the Marine Corps enters into the first 
agreement with a qualified entity under subsection (b). 
SEC. 333. RESPONSIVENESS TESTING OF DEFENSE LOGIS-
TICS 
AGENCY 
PHARMACEUTICAL 
CON-
TRACTS. 
The Director of the Defense Logistics Agency shall 
modify Defense Logistics Agency Instructions 5025.03 
and 3110.01— 
(1) to require Defense Logistics Agency Troop 
Support to coordinate annually with customers in 
the military departments to conduct responsiveness 
testing of the Defense Logistics Agency’s contin-
gency contracts for pharmaceuticals; and 
(2) to include the results of such testing, as re-
ported by customers in the military departments, in 
the annual reports of the Warstopper Program.
181 
SEC. 334. INVESTMENT PLAN FOR DEPARTMENT OF DE-
FENSE DEPOTS AND INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) the current state of Department of Defense 
depots and industrial facilities is concerning; 
(2) charged with maintaining critical equipment 
and complex weapons systems, these Government- 
owned, Government-operated installations are vital 
to supporting military readiness and conflict deter-
rence; 
(3) robust funding should be provided for sus-
tained facilities modernization; and 
(4) facilities and equipment modernization will 
cost hundreds of billions and require sustained man-
agement attention over many years. 
(b) INVESTMENT PLAN.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of each of 
the military departments, shall submit to the congres-
sional defense committees an investment plan that in-
cludes detailed information about the minimum annual in-
vestment in Department of Defense depots and industrial 
facilities that is needed to prevent further infrastructure 
deterioration. The minimum investment level included in 
the plan shall reflect a percentage of the 3-year rolling
182 
average of maintenance, repair, and overhaul workload 
funded at all Department depots and industrial facilities. 
Modernization efforts addressed in the plan shall account 
for future technological demands, labor needs, and threats 
to facility security including those posed by extreme 
weather and natural disasters. 
Subtitle D—Studies and Reports 
SEC. 341. JOINT SAFETY COUNCIL REPORT AND BRIEFING 
REQUIREMENTS. 
Section 185 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (k)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Chair’’ and inserting 
‘‘Chairperson’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘semi-annual’’ and in-
serting ‘‘biannual’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘, 2023, and not 
later than’’ and inserting ‘‘and’’; 
(II) by striking ‘‘thereafter’’; and 
(III) by inserting ‘‘biannual’’ be-
fore ‘‘report’’;
183 
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 
(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iv) by adding at the end the following 
new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) for the year covered by the report— 
‘‘(i) releasable information regarding any 
mishap that occurred during such year; and 
‘‘(ii) an identification of any corrective or 
preventative action implemented pursuant to a 
recommendation made in a safety or legal in-
vestigation report of such a mishap.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(j) BIANNUAL BRIEFINGS.—Not later than March 
31 and December 31 of each year, the Chairperson of the 
Joint Council shall provide to the congressional defense 
committees a briefing on the contents of the report re-
quired under subsection (k) for the corresponding date.’’.
184 
SEC. 342. CHANGE IN TIMEFRAME FOR REPORT ON ABILITY 
OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO MEET RE-
QUIREMENTS FOR ENERGY RESILIENCE AND 
ENERGY SECURITY MEASURES ON MILITARY 
INSTALLATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 2920(g) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘2029’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2027’’. 
(b) BRIEFING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than June 
30, 2025, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the 
congressional defense committees a briefing on the 
progress of the Secretary in meeting the requirements 
under section 2920(a) of title 10, United States Code. 
SEC. 343. MODIFICATIONS TO COMPTROLLER GENERAL AN-
NUAL REVIEWS OF F–35 SUSTAINMENT EF-
FORTS. 
Section 357 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (Public Law 117–81) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025’’ and 
inserting ‘‘2025, 2026, and 2027’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘(including’’ and in-
serting ‘‘, which may include’’; and
185 
(ii) by striking the closing paren-
thesis; and 
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘ as a re-
sult of such review’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b) by striking ‘‘of the fol-
lowing:’’ and all that follows through the period at 
the end of paragraph (4) and inserting ‘‘of matters 
regarding the sustainment or affordability of the F– 
35 Lighting II aircraft program that the Comp-
troller General, after consulting with staff from the 
Committees on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Senate, determines to be of crit-
ical importance to the long-term viability of such 
program.’’. 
SEC. 344. STUDY ON FIREFIGHTER RAPID INTERVENTION 
TEAM TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT AT DE-
PARTMENT OF DEFENSE FACILITIES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense shall conduct 
a study of the training standards for firefighter rapid 
intervention teams and the use of equipment by such 
teams at Department of Defense facilities. Such study 
shall include— 
(1) an identification of such training standards 
and equipment that, as of the date of the enactment 
of this Act, are in use by such teams and the extent
186 
to which such training and equipment is standard 
across firefighter rapid intervention teams located at 
different Department facilities; 
(2) an identification of such training standards 
and equipment that, as of the date of the enactment 
of this Act, are in use by such teams at Department 
naval and port facilities and a determination by the 
Secretary of whether such training and equipment is 
sufficient to prepare such teams for fires on the var-
ious ships that dock at such facilities; and 
(3) a description of any incident that— 
(A) occurred during the ten-year period 
preceding the date of the enactment of this Act 
in which a firefighter was injured or killed at 
a Department facility; and 
(B) the Secretary finds could have been 
prevented if the firefighters involved had re-
ceived different training or equipment; and 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Sep-
tember 30, 2025, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
House of Representatives a report containing the results 
of the study required under subsection (a). 
(c) FIREFIGHTER RAPID INTERVENTION TEAM DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘firefighter rapid inter-
187 
vention team’’ means a designated firefighting crew that 
serves as a stand-by rescue team at the scenes of fires 
and other emergencies and is available for the immediate 
search and rescue of missing, trapped, or injured fire-
fighters if required. 
SEC. 345. JOINT SAFETY COUNCIL REVIEW OF COMP-
TROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON FATIGUE OF 
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) REVIEW.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Joint Safety Council es-
tablished under section 185 of title 10, United States 
Code, shall review the issues identified in the report of 
the Comptroller General of the United States titled ‘‘Mili-
tary Readiness: Comprehensive Approach Needed to Ad-
dress Service Member Fatigue and Manage Related Ef-
forts’’ (GAO-24-105917), including— 
(1) insufficient oversight authority at the De-
partment of Defense level; 
(2) a lack of assigned leadership on fatigue-re-
lated matters within the Armed Forces; and 
(3) fragmented fatigue-related research efforts 
across the Department; 
(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than September 1, 2025, 
the Joint Safety Council shall provide to the congressional 
defense committees a briefing on the steps the Council is
188 
taking to address the findings of the Comptroller General 
and to reinvigorate efforts to limit the fatigue of members 
of the Armed Forces. 
SEC. 346. STUDY ON USE AND PRESENCE OF TOXIC CHEMI-
CALS IN PANAMA CANAL ZONE. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—Not later than December 31, 
2025, the Armed Forces Pest Management Board shall 
conduct a study on the use and presence of herbicide 
agents and toxic chemicals by the Department in the Pan-
ama Canal Zone during the period beginning on January 
1, 1958, and ending on December 31, 1999. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study conducted under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
(1) An assessment to determine the degree to 
which herbicide agents, including those known as 
‘‘rainbow herbicides’’, and other toxic chemicals were 
used, tested, stored, or otherwise dispensed within 
the Panama Canal Zone while members of the 
United States Armed Forces were stationed there. 
(2) An assessment of how many members of the 
United States Armed Forces may have been affected 
by the usage of herbicide agents and other toxic 
chemicals. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
189 
(1) The term ‘‘herbicide agent’’ means a chem-
ical in an herbicide. 
(2) The term ‘‘rainbow herbicide’’ means herbi-
cides known as Agent Pink, Agent Purple, Agent 
Blue, Agent Green, Agent White, and Agent Orange. 
(3) The term ‘‘toxic chemicals’’ means per-
sistent organic pollutants, as defined by the Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency. 
SEC. 347. REPORT ON WILDFIRE FIGHTING CAPABILITIES 
OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IN HA-
WAII. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to Congress a report that contains— 
(1) an assessment of the wildfire fighting capa-
bilities of the Department of Defense in Hawaii, in-
cluding any shortfalls in firefighting equipment, fa-
cilities, training, plans, or personnel; 
(2) a determination of the feasibility of estab-
lishing a wildfire training institute on O‘ahu; 
(3) an identification of any additional authori-
ties or resources required to integrate the capabili-
ties of the Department of Defense with the capabili-
ties of other Federal, State, and local emergency re-
sponders; and
190 
(4) an identification of any memoranda or other 
agreements between the Department and State, 
local, Federal, or other disaster response organiza-
tions regarding wildland fire mitigation, prevention, 
response, and recovery. 
SEC. 348. BRIEFING ON ARMY ORGANIZATIONAL CLOTHING 
AND EQUIPMENT USED IN COLD AND EX-
TREME COLD WEATHER ENVIRONMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than March 31, 2025, 
the Secretary of the Army shall provide to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives a briefing on the modernization and 
sustainment plans of the Army for organizational clothing 
and equipment used in cold and extreme cold weather en-
vironments. The briefing shall include the following topics: 
(1) The planned requirement of the Army for 
organizational clothing and equipment used in cold 
and extreme cold weather environments. 
(2) The current inventory of the Army of such 
clothing and equipment. 
(3) The modernization plan of the Army with 
respect to such clothing and equipment. 
(4) Any relevant investments currently pro-
grammed for such clothing and equipment in the 
Future Years Defense Program.
191 
(5) The cost and timeline associated with imple-
menting such plan, including any additional outlays 
by Congress necessary to fulfil the plan. 
(6) Such other matters as the Secretary finds 
appropriate. 
(b) ORGANIZATIONAL CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT 
USED IN COLD AND EXTREME COLD WEATHER ENVI-
RONMENTS.—In this section, the term ‘‘organizational 
clothing and equipment used in cold and extreme cold 
weather environments’’ includes extreme cold weather 
clothing, footwear, handwear, shelters, sleep systems, sleep 
mats, snowshoes, and skis. 
Subtitle E—Other Matters 
SEC. 351. EXPANDED LICENSE RECIPROCITY FOR DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE VETERINARIANS. 
Section 1060c of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘in 
emergencies’’; 
(2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘for the pur-
poses described in subsection (c)’’; and 
(3) by striking subsection (c).
192 
SEC. 352. PROVISION OF SPORTS FOODS AND THIRD-PARTY 
CERTIFIED DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS TO MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) USE OF AMOUNTS.—The Secretary of Defense 
may use amounts authorized to be appropriated to the De-
partment of Defense for Operation and Maintenance for 
the procurement of sports foods and third-party certified 
dietary supplements and the distribution of such foods and 
supplements to members of the Armed Forces. 
(b) ACQUISITION AND DISTRIBUTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall author-
ize registered dietitians and health care providers of 
the Department at the operational unit level to ac-
quire sports foods and third-party certified dietary 
supplements and to distribute such foods and sup-
plements to members of the Armed Forces. 
(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to— 
(A) augment morale, welfare, and recre-
ation funds or activities; or 
(B) augment or replace the budget or serv-
ices of dining facilities of the Department. 
(c) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall require that any 
dietary supplements and sports foods procured under this 
section are tested by an appropriate non-Department of 
Defense entity to ensure that product labels for content
193 
type and amount are accurate and that the product is free 
of substances banned by the Department. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘dietary supplement’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 201(ff) of the 
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 
321(ff)). 
(2) The term ‘‘sports food’’ means a product 
with a nutrition facts label that is meant to support 
daily macronutrient and caloric needs in support of 
fueling and hydration of members of the Armed 
Forces to enhance combat readiness, which may be 
used to improve physical performance and long-term 
cognitive health and optimize recovery. 
SEC. 353. FUNDING FOR BASE SUPPORT. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, the amount au-
thorized to be appropriated in section 301 for operating 
forces, line 090 as specified in the corresponding funding 
table in section 4301 for Operations and Maintenance, for 
base support, is hereby increased by $5,000,000. 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 301 for Administration and 
Service-Wide Activities for line 410 as specified in the cor-
194 
responding funding table in section 4301, for Administra-
tion is hereby reduced by $5,000,000. 
SEC. 354. AVAILABILITY OF OPERATION AND MAINTE-
NANCE APPROPRIATIONS FOR SOFTWARE. 
Section 2241(a) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(8) Acquisition, development, modification, 
and sustainment of software.’’. 
TITLE IV—MILITARY 
PERSONNEL AUTHORIZATIONS 
Subtitle A—Active Forces 
SEC. 401. END STRENGTHS FOR ACTIVE FORCES. 
The Armed Forces are authorized strengths for active 
duty personnel as of September 30, 2025, as follows: 
(1) The Army, 442,300. 
(2) The Navy, 332,300. 
(3) The Marine Corps, 172,300. 
(4) The Air Force, 320,000. 
(5) The Space Force, 9,800. 
Subtitle B—Reserve Forces 
SEC. 411. END STRENGTHS FOR SELECTED RESERVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Armed Forces are authorized 
strengths for Selected Reserve personnel of the reserve 
components as of September 30, 2025, as follows:
195 
(1) The Army National Guard of the United 
States, 325,000. 
(2) The Army Reserve, 175,800. 
(3) The Navy Reserve, 57,700. 
(4) The Marine Corps Reserve, 32,500. 
(5) The Air National Guard of the United 
States, 107,700. 
(6) The Air Force Reserve, 67,000. 
(7) The Coast Guard Reserve, 7,000. 
(b) 
END
STRENGTH
REDUCTIONS.—The 
end 
strengths prescribed by subsection (a) for the Selected Re-
serve of any reserve component shall be proportionately 
reduced by— 
(1) the total authorized strength of units orga-
nized to serve as units of the Selected Reserve of 
such component which are on active duty (other 
than for training) at the end of the fiscal year; and 
(2) the total number of individual members not 
in units organized to serve as units of the Selected 
Reserve of such component who are on active duty 
(other than for training or for unsatisfactory partici-
pation in training) without their consent at the end 
of the fiscal year. 
(c) END STRENGTH INCREASES.—Whenever units or 
individual members of the Selected Reserve of any reserve
196 
component are released from active duty during any fiscal 
year, the end strength prescribed for such fiscal year for 
the Selected Reserve of such reserve component shall be 
increased proportionately by the total authorized strengths 
of such units and by the total number of such individual 
members. 
SEC. 412. END STRENGTHS FOR RESERVES ON ACTIVE 
DUTY IN SUPPORT OF THE RESERVES. 
Within the end strengths prescribed in section 
411(a), the reserve components of the Armed Forces are 
authorized, as of September 30, 2025, the following num-
ber of Reserves to be serving on full-time active duty or 
full-time duty, in the case of members of the National 
Guard, for the purpose of organizing, administering, re-
cruiting, instructing, or training the reserve components: 
(1) The Army National Guard of the United 
States, 30,845. 
(2) The Army Reserve, 16,511. 
(3) The Navy Reserve, 10,132. 
(4) The Marine Corps Reserve, 2,400. 
(5) The Air National Guard of the United 
States, 25,736. 
(6) The Air Force Reserve, 6,311.
197 
SEC. 413. END STRENGTHS FOR MILITARY TECHNICIANS 
(DUAL STATUS). 
The minimum number of military technicians (dual 
status) as of the last day of fiscal year 2025 for the re-
serve components of the Army and the Air Force (notwith-
standing section 129 of title 10, United States Code) shall 
be the following: 
(1) For the Army National Guard of the United 
States, 22,294. 
(2) For the Army Reserve, 6,492. 
(3) For the Air National Guard of the United 
States, 10,744. 
(4) For the Air Force Reserve, 6,697. 
SEC. 414. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF RESERVE PERSONNEL AU-
THORIZED TO BE ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR 
OPERATIONAL SUPPORT. 
During fiscal year 2025, the maximum number of 
members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces 
who may be serving at any time on full-time operational 
support duty under section 115(b) of title 10, United 
States Code, is the following: 
(1) The Army National Guard of the United 
States, 17,000. 
(2) The Army Reserve, 13,000. 
(3) The Navy Reserve, 6,200. 
(4) The Marine Corps Reserve, 3,000.
198 
(5) The Air National Guard of the United 
States, 16,000. 
(6) The Air Force Reserve, 14,000. 
Subtitle C—Authorization of 
Appropriations 
SEC. 421. MILITARY PERSONNEL. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Funds 
are hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 
2025 for the use of the Armed Forces and other activities 
and agencies of the Department of Defense for expenses, 
not otherwise provided for, for military personnel, as spec-
ified in the funding table in section 4401. 
(b) CONSTRUCTION OF AUTHORIZATION.—The au-
thorization of appropriations in the subsection (a) super-
sedes any other authorization of appropriations (definite 
or indefinite) for such purpose for fiscal year 2025. 
Subtitle D—Reports 
SEC. 431. ANNUAL DEFENSE MANPOWER PROFILE REPORT: 
EXPANSION OF JUSTIFICATIONS FOR END 
STRENGTHS. 
Section 115a of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘Congress’’ 
and inserting ‘‘to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and
199 
furnish to any Member of Congress upon request,’’; 
and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Sec-
retary’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) The justification and explanation required by 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
‘‘(A) An assessment of the most important 
threats facing the United States, disaggregated by 
geographic combatant command. 
‘‘(B) An explanation of how personnel end 
strength level requests address threats described in 
subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(C) The rationale for recommended increases 
or decreases in active, reserve, and civilian personnel 
for each component of the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(D) The rationale for recommended increases 
or decreases in active, reserve, and civilian personnel 
for each of the geographic combatant commands. 
‘‘(E) The primary functions or missions of ac-
tive, reserve, and civilian personnel in each geo-
graphic combatant command.
200 
‘‘(F) An assessment of any areas in which de-
creases in active, reserve, or civilian personnel would 
not result in a decrease in readiness. 
‘‘(G) The actual end strength number for each 
armed force for the prior fiscal year, compared to 
authorized end strength levels. 
‘‘(H) The shortfall in recruiting by each armed 
force as a percentage, as the Secretary determines 
appropriate. 
‘‘(I) The number of applicants who were found 
to be ineligible for service in the Department of De-
fense during the prior fiscal year as a result of cur-
rent enlistment standards, disaggregated by armed 
force and reason for disqualification.’’. 
TITLE V—MILITARY PERSONNEL 
POLICY 
Subtitle A—Officer Policy 
SEC. 501. GRADE OF SURGEON GENERAL OF THE NAVY. 
(a) MODIFICATION TO DISTRIBUTION OF COMMIS-
SIONED OFFICERS ON ACTIVE DUTY IN GENERAL OFFI-
CER AND FLAG OFFICER GRADES.—Section 525 of title 
10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(3)(B) by striking ‘‘34’’ 
and inserting ‘‘35’’ ; and
201 
(2) in subsection (a)(3)(C) by striking ‘‘49’’ 
and inserting ‘‘48’’. 
(b) GRADE OF SURGEON GENERAL OF THE NAVY.— 
Section 8077 of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) GRADE.—The Surgeon General, while so serv-
ing, shall hold the grade of O–9.’’. 
SEC. 502. REDISTRIBUTION OF GENERAL OFFICERS OF THE 
MARINE CORPS ON ACTIVE DUTY. 
Section 525(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘17’’ and 
inserting ‘‘18’’; and 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘22’’ and 
replacing with ‘‘21.’’ 
SEC. 503. REMOVAL OF EXEMPTION RELATING TO ATTEND-
ING PHYSICIAN TO THE CONGRESS FOR CER-
TAIN DISTRIBUTION AND GRADE LIMITA-
TIONS. 
Section 525 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (f); and 
(2) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-
section (f).
202 
SEC. 504. AUTHORITY TO EXCLUDE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS 
FROM LIMITATIONS ON THE NUMBER OF 
GENERAL OFFICERS AND FLAG OFFICERS ON 
ACTIVE DUTY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 526 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (g) through (j) 
as subsections (h) through (k), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting, after subsection (f), the fol-
lowing new subsection (g): 
‘‘(g) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ADAPTIVE FORCE AC-
COUNT.—The Secretary of Defense may designate up to 
45 general officer and flag officer positions for exclusion 
from the limitations in subsection (a) and in section 
525(a) of this title.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (3) of 
subsection (a) of section 501 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114– 
328; 10 U.S.C. 525 note) is hereby repealed. 
SEC. 505. MODIFICATION TO GRADE OF ATTENDING PHYSI-
CIAN TO THE CONGRESS. 
Section 715 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 715. Attending Physician to the Congress: grade 
‘‘An officer serving as Attending Physician to the 
Congress, while so serving, holds the grade of O–6.’’.
203 
SEC. 506. AUTHORITY TO SEPARATE A REGULAR OFFICER 
AFTER A BOARD OF INQUIRY RECOMMENDS 
RETAINING SUCH OFFICER. 
Section 1182(d)(1) of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘If’’ and inserting ‘‘(A) Subject 
to subparagraph (B), if’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraphs: 
‘‘(B) If the board determines that there is a substan-
tiated basis for separating the officer and the Chief of the 
armed force concerned recommends separation, the Sec-
retary of the military department concerned may deter-
mine, pursuant to the process under subparagraph (C), 
whether to involuntarily separate the officer under sub-
paragraph (D). 
‘‘(C) The process under this subparagraph shall in-
clude the following: 
‘‘(i) The provision of notice to the officer re-
garding such process. 
‘‘(ii) An opportunity for the officer to present 
evidence to the Secretary of the military department 
concerned. 
‘‘(D) Subject to subparagraph (E), the Secretary of 
the military department concerned may involuntarily sepa-
204 
rate the officer if, after reviewing all the evidence in the 
record, such Secretary determines that— 
‘‘(i) the recommendation of the board is clearly 
contrary to the substantial weight of such evidence; 
‘‘(ii) the officer’s conduct— 
‘‘(I) discredits the armed force concerned; 
‘‘(II) adversely affects good order and dis-
cipline; or 
‘‘(III) adversely affects the officer’s per-
formance of duty; and 
‘‘(iii) separation is essential to the interests of 
justice, discipline, and proper administration of the 
armed force concerned. 
‘‘(E)(i) The least favorable characterization of a sep-
aration under subparagraph (D) shall be general (under 
honorable conditions). 
‘‘(ii) The Secretary of the military department con-
cerned may delegate the authority to make a determina-
tion under subparagraph (D) only to a civilian official of 
such military department who was appointed by the Presi-
dent, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.’’.
205 
SEC. 507. INCLUSION OF SERVICE IN SROTC IN THE COM-
PUTATION OF LENGTH OF SERVICE OF AN 
OFFICER 
APPOINTED 
FOR 
COMPLETING 
SROTC. 
Subsection (c) of section 2106 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘August 1, 1979, as a member 
of the Selected Reserve’’ and inserting an em dash; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(1) August 1, 1979, as a member of the Se-
lected Reserve; or 
‘‘(2) the date of the enactment of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, re-
gardless of the component in which the officer per-
formed such enlisted service.’’. 
SEC. 508. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO MEDICAL OFFICER 
OF THE MARINE CORPS POSITION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 806 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 8048. Medical Officer of the Marine Corps 
‘‘(a) There is a Medical Officer of the Marine Corps 
who shall be appointed from among flag officers of the 
Navy.
206 
‘‘(b) The Medical Officer of the Marine Corps, while 
so serving, shall hold the grade of rear admiral (lower 
half).’’. 
(b) EXCLUSION FROM CERTAIN DISTRIBUTION LIMI-
TATIONS.—Section 525 of such title is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-
section (h); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-
lowing new subsection (g): 
‘‘(g) A naval officer while serving as the Medical Offi-
cer of the Marine Corps is in addition to the number that 
would otherwise be permitted for the Navy for officers 
serving on active duty in the grade of rear admiral (lower 
half) under subsection (a).’’. 
(c) EXCLUSION FROM ACTIVE DUTY STRENGTH LIM-
ITATIONS.—Section 526 of such title is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (g) through (j) 
as subsections (h) through (k), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-
lowing new subsection (g): 
‘‘(g) EXCLUSION OF MEDICAL OFFICER OF MARINE 
CORPS.—The limitations of this section do not apply to 
the flag officer who is serving as the Medical Officer of 
the Marine Corps.’’.
207 
SEC. 509. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT OF ONE YEAR OF AC-
TIVE DUTY SERVICE FOR ORIGINAL APPOINT-
MENT AS A WARRANT OFFICER IN THE DE-
PARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE. 
Section 9160 of title 10, United States Code, is re-
pealed. 
SEC. 509A. PILOT PROGRAM ON PEER AND SUBORDINATE 
EVALUATIONS OF CERTAIN OFFICERS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary con-
cerned shall implement, in an Armed Force, a five-year 
pilot program, pursuant to which— 
(1) an officer described in subsection (b) shall 
be anonymously evaluated by peers and subordi-
nates; and 
(2) the results of such evaluations shall be fur-
nished to a command selection or command quali-
fication board concerned; and 
(3) the command selection or command quali-
fication board shall consider such results in deter-
mining whether to recommend such officer for such 
selection or qualification. 
(b) COVERED OFFICERS.—An officer described in 
this subsection is a regular officer— 
(1) eligible for consideration for command; 
(2) in grade O-5 or O-6; and
208 
(3) in a career field— 
(A) specified in subsection (c); or 
(B) determined by the Secretary con-
cerned. 
(c) COVERED CAREER FIELDS.—The career fields 
specified in this subsection are the following: 
(1) In the Navy, surface warfare, submarine 
warfare, special warfare, or explosive ordnance dis-
posal. 
(2) In the Marine Corps, infantry, logistics, or 
field artillery. 
(3) In the Air Force, operations or logistics. 
(4) In the Space Force, space operations. 
(5) In the Coast Guard, afloat or engineering 
and command, control, communications, computers, 
cyber, and intelligence. 
(d) SELECTION
OF EVALUATORS.—The Secretary 
concerned may select an individual to evaluate an officer 
under the pilot program if the Secretary determines such 
individual has worked with the officer closely enough to 
have an informed opinion regarding the officer’s leader-
ship abilities. An officer may not have any input regarding 
the selection of an individual who shall evaluate such offi-
cer.
209 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than three months after the 
termination of a pilot program, a Secretary concerned 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report regarding the pilot program. Elements of each 
such report shall include the following: 
(1) The determination of the Secretary con-
cerned whether the pilot program improved the com-
mand selection or command qualification process of 
the Armed Force. 
(2) The determination of the Secretary con-
cerned whether to continue to use peer or subordi-
nate evaluations in the command selection or com-
mand qualification process of such Armed Force. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services of 
the House of Representatives; 
(B) the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; 
(C) the Committee on Armed Services of 
the Senate; and 
(D) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate.
210 
(2) The terms ‘‘regular’’ and ‘‘Secretary con-
cerned’’ have the meanings given such term in sec-
tion 101 of title 10, United States Code. 
Subtitle B—Reserve Component 
Management 
SEC. 511. GRADES OF CERTAIN CHIEFS OF RESERVE COM-
PONENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) 
CHIEF
OF
ARMY
RESERVE.—Section 
7038(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(4) The Chief of Army Reserve, while so serving, 
holds the grade of lieutenant general.’’. 
(2) 
CHIEF
OF
NAVY
RESERVE.—Section 
8083(b) of such title is amended by striking para-
graph (4) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(4) The Chief of Navy Reserve, while so serving, 
holds the grade of vice admiral.’’. 
(3) COMMANDER, MARINE FORCES RESERVE.— 
Section 8084(b) of such title is amended by striking 
paragraph (4) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(4) The Commander, Marine Forces Reserve, while 
so serving, holds the grade of lieutenant general.’’.
211 
(4) CHIEF OF AIR FORCE RESERVE.—Section 
9038(b) of such title is amended by striking para-
graph (4) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(4) The Chief of Air Force Reserve, while so serving, 
holds the grade of lieutenant general.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on the day that is one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply 
to appointments made after such date. 
SEC. 512. EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY TO CONTINUE RE-
SERVE OFFICERS IN CERTAIN MILITARY SPE-
CIALTIES ON THE RESERVE ACTIVE-STATUS 
LIST. 
Section 14701(a) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘(in-
cluding an officer described in subparagraph 
(C))’’ after ‘‘or a reserve officer’’; 
(B) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
subparagraph (D); and 
(C) by inserting, after subparagraph (B), 
the following new subparagraph (C): 
‘‘(C) An officer described in this subparagraph is a 
reserve officer in a grade above O-2 who has a military
212 
occupational specialty, rating, or specialty code in a mili-
tary specialty designated, in regulations prescribed by the 
Secretary of the military department concerned, as subject 
to a shortage of personnel.’’; and 
(2) by redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) as 
paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; and 
(3) by inserting, after paragraph (5), the fol-
lowing new paragraph (6): 
‘‘(6) A reserve officer described in paragraph (1)(C) 
and continued on the reserve active-status list pursuant 
to this section shall, if not earlier retired, transferred to 
the Retired Reserve, or discharged, be separated in ac-
cordance with section 14513 or 14514, as applicable, on 
the first day of the month after the month in which the 
officer completes 40 years of commissioned service.’’. 
SEC. 513. FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A UNIT OF THE 
NATIONAL GUARD IN AMERICAN SAMOA AND 
IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN 
MARIANA ISLANDS. 
(a) DETERMINATION REQUIRED.—The Secretary of 
Defense shall determine the feasibility of establishing— 
(1) a unit of the National Guard in American 
Samoa; and 
(2) a unit of the National Guard in the Com-
monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
213 
(b) FORCE STRUCTURE ELEMENTS.—In making the 
feasibility determination under subsection (a), the Sec-
retary of Defense shall consider the following: 
(1) The allocation of National Guard force 
structure and manpower to American Samoa and 
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 
in the event of the establishment of a unit of the 
National Guard in American Samoa and in the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, 
and the impact of this allocation on existing Na-
tional Guard units in the 50 States, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, 
and the District of Columbia. 
(2) The Federal funding that would be required 
to support pay, benefits, training operations, and 
missions of members of a unit of the National Guard 
in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, based on the allocation 
derived from paragraph (1), and the equipment, in-
cluding maintenance, required to support such force 
structure. 
(3) The presence of existing infrastructure to 
support a unit of the National Guard in American 
Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, and the requirement for additional
214 
infrastructure, including information technology in-
frastructure, to support such force structure, based 
on the allocation derived from paragraph (1). 
(4) How a unit of the National Guard in Amer-
ican Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Island would accommodate the National 
Guard Bureau’s ‘‘Essential Ten’’ homeland defense 
capabilities (i.e., aviation, engineering, civil support 
teams, security, medical, transportation, mainte-
nance, logistics, joint force headquarters, and com-
munications) and reflect regional needs. 
(5) The manpower cadre, both military per-
sonnel and fulltime support, including National 
Guard technicians, required to establish, maintain, 
and sustain a unit of the National Guard in Amer-
ican Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, and the ability of American Samoa 
and of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands to support demographically a unit of the Na-
tional Guard at each location. 
(6) The ability of a unit of the National Guard 
in American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands to maintain unit readi-
ness and the logistical challenges associated with
215 
transportation, communications, supply/ resupply, 
and training operations and missions. 
(c) SUBMISSION OF CONCLUSION.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Defense shall notify the congressional defense 
committees of the results of the feasibility determination 
made under subsection (a). If the Secretary determines 
that establishment of a unit of the National Guard in 
American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands (or both) is feasible, the Secretary shall 
include in the notification the following: 
(1) A determination of whether the executive 
branch of American Samoa and of the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has enacted 
and implemented statutory authorization for an or-
ganized militia as a prerequisite for establishing a 
unit of the National Guard, and a description of any 
other steps that such executive branches must take 
to request and carry out the establishment of a Na-
tional Guard unit. 
(2) A list of any amendments to titles 10, 32, 
and 37, United States Code, that would have to be 
enacted by Congress to provide for the establishment 
of a unit of the National Guard in American Samoa
216 
and in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands. 
(3) A description of any required Department 
of Defense actions to establish a unit of the National 
Guard in American Samoa and in the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. 
(4) A suggested timeline for completion of the 
steps and actions described in the preceding para-
graphs. 
SEC. 514. AMENDMENT TO EXTEND TIME PERIOD FOR 
TRANSFER 
OR 
DISCHARGE 
OF 
CERTAIN 
ARMY AND AIR FORCE RESERVE COMPONENT 
GENERAL OFFICERS. 
Section 14314 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), 
(3), and (4) as subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), 
and (D), respectively; 
(B) by striking ‘‘Within’’ and inserting 
‘‘(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), with-
in’’; and 
(C) by inserting at the end the following 
new paragraph (2):
217 
‘‘(2) For any general officer covered by para-
graph (1) who is released from a joint duty assign-
ment or other non-joint active-duty assignment, the 
Secretary concerned shall complete the transfer or 
discharge required by paragraph (1) not later than 
60 days after the officer’s release.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(a)(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(1)(C)’’. 
Subtitle C—General Service 
Authorities and Military Records 
SEC. 521. TRANSFER TO THE SPACE FORCE OF COVERED 
SPACE FUNCTIONS OF THE AIR NATIONAL 
GUARD OF THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) TRANSFER OF COVERED SPACE FUNCTIONS.— 
During the transition period, the Secretary of the Air 
Force may transfer to the Space Force the covered space 
functions of the Air National Guard of the United States. 
Any such transfer shall occur subject to section 104 of 
title 32, United States Code, and section 18238 of title 
10, United States Code. 
(b) TRANSFER OF UNITS.—Upon the transfer to the 
Space Force of the covered space functions of a unit of 
the Air National Guard of the United States, the Sec-
retary of the Air Force may change the status of the unit
218 
from a unit of the Air National Guard of the United 
States to a unit of the United States Space Force; 
(c) TRANSFER OF COVERED MEMBERS.— 
(1) OFFICERS.—During the transition period, 
the Secretary of Defense may, with the officer’s con-
sent, transfer a covered officer of the Air National 
Guard of the United States to, and appoint the offi-
cer in, the Space Force. 
(2) ENLISTED MEMBERS.—During the transi-
tion period, the Secretary of the Air Force may 
transfer each covered enlisted member of the Air 
National Guard of the United States to the Space 
Force, other than those covered enlisted members 
who do not consent to transfer. Upon such a trans-
fer, the covered enlisted member so transferred 
ceases to be a member of the Air National Guard of 
the United States and is discharged from the enlist-
ment of such covered enlisted member as a Reserve 
of the Air Force. 
(3) EFFECTIVE
DATE
OF
TRANSFERS.—Each 
transfer under this subsection shall be effective on 
the date specified by the Secretary of Defense, in the 
case of an officer, or the Secretary of the Air Force, 
in the case of an enlisted member, but not later than 
the last day of the transition period.
219 
(4) MAXIMUM NUMBER OF TRANSFERS.—Not 
more than 580 members of the Air National Guard 
may be transferred under this subsection. 
(d) REGULATIONS.—Transfers under subsection (c) 
shall be carried out under regulations prescribed by the 
Secretary of Defense. In the case of an officer, applicable 
regulations shall include those prescribed pursuant to sec-
tion 716 of title 10, United States Code. 
(e) TERM OF INITIAL ENLISTMENT IN THE SPACE 
FORCE.—In the case of a covered enlisted member who 
is transferred to the Space Force in accordance with sub-
section (c), the Secretary of the Air Force may accept the 
initial enlistment of the enlisted member in the Space 
Force for a period of less than two years, but only if the 
period of enlistment in the Space Force is not less than 
the period remaining, as of the date of the transfer, in 
the enlisted member’s term of enlistment in a reserve com-
ponent of the Air Force. 
(f) END STRENGTH ADJUSTMENTS UPON TRANS-
FERS FROM THE AIR NATIONAL GUARD OF THE UNITED 
STATES.—During the transition period, upon the transfer 
to the Space Force of a covered space function of the Air 
National Guard of the United States— 
(1) the end strength authorized for the Space 
Force pursuant to section 115(a)(1)(A) of title 10,
220 
United States Code, for the fiscal year during which 
the transfer occurs shall be increased by the number 
of billets associated with that mission; and 
(2) the end strength authorized for the Air Na-
tional Guard of the United States pursuant to sec-
tion 115(a)(2) of such title for such fiscal year shall 
be decreased by the same number. 
(g) ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.—For purposes of 
the transfer of covered members of the Air National 
Guard of the United States in accordance with subsection 
(c)— 
(1) the Air National Guard of the United 
States and the Space Force shall be considered to be 
components of the same Armed Force; and 
(2) the Space Force officer list shall be consid-
ered to be an active-duty list of an Armed Force. 
(h) RETRAINING AND REASSIGNMENT FOR MEMBERS 
NOT TRANSFERRING.—If a covered member of the Air 
National Guard of the United States does not consent to 
transfer to the Space Force in accordance with subsection 
(a), the Secretary of the Air Force shall provide the cov-
ered member retraining and reassignment within a reserve 
component of the Air Force. 
(i) SPACE FORCE UNITS IN AFFECTED STATES.—In 
order to reduce the cost of transferring to the Space Force
221 
the covered space functions of the Air National Guard of 
the United States, and to reduce the impact of such trans-
fer on the affected State, the following provisions apply: 
(1) After a covered space function is trans-
ferred to the Space Force from the Air National 
Guard of the United States, the Space Force shall 
continue to perform the covered space function with-
in the affected State; 
(2) Except when the Secretary of the Air Force 
determines that it would not be in the best interests 
of the United States, the Secretary shall seek to 
enter into an agreement with the Governor of an af-
fected State, to provide for the Space Force to be-
come a tenant organization on an installation of the 
National Guard of the affected State at which a cov-
ered space function was executed. 
(j) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than January 31 of 
each year during the transition period, the Secretary of 
Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate and House of Representatives a report 
on the progress of the transfer of covered space functions 
of the Air National Guard of the United States to the 
Space Force. Each such report shall include the following 
elements with respect to the year preceding the date of 
the report:
222 
(1) A detailed description of actions taken to 
transfer the covered space functions to the Space 
Force. 
(2) An assessment of the effect of the transfers 
on the readiness and capabilities of the Space Force 
and the Air National Guard. 
(3) A summary of any challenge encountered 
during the transfer and steps taken to overcome 
such challenge. 
(4) The number of officers and enlisted mem-
bers transferred to the Space Force. 
(5) Any recommendation of the Secretary, in-
cluding additional legislation, to improve such trans-
fer. 
(k) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered space functions of the 
Air National Guard of the United States’’ means all 
Federal missions, units, personnel billets, equipment, 
and resources of the Air National Guard of the 
United States associated with the performance of a 
space-related function that is (as determined by the 
Secretary of the Air Force, in consultation with the 
Chief of Space Operations)— 
(A) a core space-related function of the 
Space Force; or
223 
(B) otherwise integral to the mission of the 
Space Force. 
(2) The term ‘‘affected State’’ means a State or 
territory the National Guard of that would be af-
fected by the transfer of covered space functions to 
the Space Force. 
(3) The term ‘‘covered’’, with respect to a mem-
ber of the Air National Guard of the United States, 
has the meaning provided in section 1733(g) of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 676). 
(4) The term ‘‘transition period’’ means the pe-
riod beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
Act and ending on the last day of the fourth fiscal 
year beginning after the date of the enactment of 
this Act. 
SEC. 522. AUTHORITY TO DESIGNATE CERTAIN SEPARATED 
MEMBERS OF THE AIR FORCE AS HONORARY 
SEPARATED 
MEMBERS 
OF 
THE 
SPACE 
FORCE. 
Chapter 933 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
224 
‘‘§ 9254. Authority to designate certain separated 
members of the Air Force as honorary 
separated members of the Space Force 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of the Air Force 
may prescribe regulations that authorize an eligible indi-
vidual to be designated as an honorary separated member 
of the Space Force. An eligible individual so designated 
may be referred to as a ‘Legacy Guardian’. 
‘‘(b) ELEMENTS.—Regulations prescribed under this 
section may include the following elements: 
‘‘(1) Eligibility criteria, including applicable 
dates of service and constructive service credit, for 
designation under this section. 
‘‘(2) An application process through which an 
eligible individual, or a survivor of a deceased eligi-
ble individual, may apply for such designation of 
such eligible individual. 
‘‘(3) A certificate, approved device, or other in-
signia of such designation. 
‘‘(c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Designation of an 
eligible individual under this section shall not be construed 
to entitle such eligible individual to any benefit in addition 
to those established by this section or pursuant to regula-
tions prescribed under this section. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘eligible individual’ means an individual—
225 
‘‘(1) whom the Secretary of the Air Force de-
termines served in support of space operations as a 
member of the Air Force; and 
‘‘(2) who separates (or previously separated) 
from the armed forces as a member of the Air 
Force.’’. 
SEC. 523. MERIT-BASED PRINCIPLES FOR MILITARY PER-
SONNEL DECISIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
ensure that each personnel decision regarding a covered 
member, including military accession, promotion, and 
command selection, is— 
(1) based on the individual merit and dem-
onstrated performance of the covered member; 
(2) without regard to the political affiliation, 
race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or marital 
status, of the covered member; and 
(3) with proper regard for the privacy and con-
stitutional rights of the covered member. 
(b) ADDITIONAL PROTECTIONS.—The Secretary shall 
protect a covered member against— 
(1) arbitrary action, personal favoritism, and 
coercion for partisan political purposes; and
226 
(2) reprisal for the lawful disclosure of informa-
tion by a covered member that the covered member 
reasonably believes to evince— 
(A) a violation of any law, rule, or regula-
tion; or 
(B) mismanagement, a gross waste of 
funds, or an abuse of authority. 
(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
prescribe new regulations to carry out this section not 
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
(d) COVERED MEMBER DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘covered member’’ means— 
(1) a member of the Army, Navy, Marine 
Corps, Air Force, or Space Force; or 
(2) an individual who has an active application 
to be a member described in paragraph (1). 
SEC. 524. NEXT OF KIN OF DECEASED MEMBERS OF CER-
TAIN ARMED FORCES: DATABASE; PRIVACY. 
(a) DATABASE.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall prescribe regulations that establish and maintain a 
database of the Department of Defense that contains up- 
to-date contact information for the next of kin of members
227 
of the covered Armed Forces. Such regulations shall en-
sure that— 
(1) a commander in a grade higher than O-5 
may access the contact information for the next of 
kin of a member who died while a member of the 
unit under the command of such commander, re-
gardless of whether such member served under such 
commander; and 
(2) an individual named in such database 
may— 
(A) elect to not be contacted by an officer 
described in paragraph (1); and 
(B) change such election at any time. 
(b) PRIVACY.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall ensure that the DD Form 93 (‘‘Record of Emergency 
Data’’) used in a covered Armed Force complies with the 
terms of section 552a of title 5, United States Code. 
(c) COVERED ARMED FORCE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered Armed Force’’ means the Army, 
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force. 
SEC. 525. MARINE CORPS PERMEABILITY PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—The Commandant of the Marine 
Corps (hereinafter ‘‘Commandant’’) may carry out a pilot 
program under which a member may move between the
228 
active component and reserve components of the Marine 
Corps more easily, in accordance with the following: 
(1) Up to 50 officers and 200 enlisted members 
of the regular component of the Marine Corps may 
be transferred to the Selected Reserve of the Marine 
Corps and returned to active duty at the end of the 
period of transfer under subsection (b). 
(2) An officer in a grade below O-6 who returns 
to active duty at the end of such period of transfer 
shall be reappointed as a regular officer by the 
President. 
(3) The Commandant may not approve a trans-
fer under the pilot program after September 30, 
2028. 
(b) PERIOD OF TRANSFER FROM ACTIVE DUTY; EF-
FECTS OF TRANSFER.— 
(1) PERIOD
OF
TRANSFER.—The period of 
transfer from active duty under a pilot program 
under this section shall be such period as the Com-
mandant shall specify in the agreement of the mem-
ber under subsection (c), except that such period 
may not exceed three years. 
(2) YEARS
OF
SERVICE.—Any service by a 
transferred reserve officer while participating in a 
pilot program under this section shall be included in
229 
computation of the total years of service of such offi-
cer pursuant to section 14706(a) of title 10, United 
States Code. 
(3) RETIREMENT.—Any period of participation 
of a transferred member in a program under this 
section shall count toward— 
(A) eligibility for retirement or transfer to 
the Ready Reserve under chapter 841 or 1223 
of title 10, United States Code; or 
(B) computation of retired or retainer pay 
under chapter 841 or 1223 of title 10, United 
States Code. 
(c) AGREEMENT.—Each member of the Marine Corps 
who participates in a pilot program under this section 
shall enter into a written agreement with the Com-
mandant, under which the member shall agree to terms 
including the following: 
(1) To undergo, during a period of transfer 
under subsection (b), such training as the Com-
mandant shall require, including requirements under 
section 10147 of title 10, United States Code. 
(2) Following completion of a period of transfer 
under subsection (b), to serve up to two months as 
a member of the Marine Corps on active duty for 
each month of such period of transfer. Following
230 
completion of an initial period of transfer, a member 
may request a waiver of the period of obligated serv-
ice under this paragraph. If the Commandant waives 
such period of obligated service, the member shall 
remain in the Selected Reserve, entitled to pay, al-
lowances, and benefits of a member of the uniformed 
services in the grade and years of service of such 
member. 
(d) PAY, ALLOWANCES, AND LEAVE.— 
(1) BASIC
PAY; ALLOWANCES
OTHER
THAN 
TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION ALLOWANCES.—Dur-
ing a period of transfer under subsection (b), a 
member shall receive any applicable pay or allowance 
other than a travel and transportation allowance 
under title 37, United States Code, for a reserve 
member of the uniformed services in the grade and 
years of service of the member. 
(2) SPECIAL OR INCENTIVE PAY.— 
(A) AGREEMENT TO REMAIN ON ACTIVE 
DUTY.—A member who participates in a pilot 
program under this section shall not be deter-
mined to violate an existing agreement to re-
main on active duty relating to special or incen-
tive pay under chapter 5 of title 37, United 
States Code, solely on the basis of such partici-
231 
pation. The period of such agreement shall be 
suspended for the period of transfer under sub-
section (b), resume at the end of such period of 
transfer, and be in addition to any period of ob-
ligated service under subsection (c). 
(B) EXPIRATION.—If, at the end of a pe-
riod of transfer under subsection (b), the spe-
cial or incentive pay relating to an existing 
agreement to remain on active duty described in 
subparagraph (A) is no longer authorized by 
law, the member shall not be entitled to such 
special or incentive pay. 
(C) REPAYMENT.—A member who is ineli-
gible for payment of a special or incentive pay 
described in subparagraph (B) shall be subject 
to the requirements for repayment of such pay 
or bonus in accordance with the terms of the 
applicable agreement of the member under 
chapter 5 of title 37, United States Code. 
(3) TRAVEL
AND
TRANSPORTATION
ALLOW-
ANCES.—A member who participates in a pilot pro-
gram under this section is entitled to travel and 
transportation allowances under section 452 of title 
37, United States Code, to relocate—
232 
(A) from the residence of the member at 
the beginning of a period of transfer under sub-
section (b), to the location in the United States 
designated by the member as the residence of 
such member during such period of transfer; 
and 
(B) from the residence designated under 
subparagraph (A) to the residence of the mem-
ber after the end of such period of transfer. 
(4) LEAVE.—A member who participates in a 
pilot program is entitled to carry, in accordance with 
section 701 of title 10, United States Code, the leave 
accrued by such member until the day before the be-
ginning of a period of transfer under subsection (b). 
(e) PROMOTION.— 
(1) OFFICERS.—An officer participating in a 
pilot program under this section may be eligible for 
consideration for promotion as a member of the re-
serve component in accordance with section 14005 
and 14305 of title 10, United States Code, during 
the period of transfer under subsection (b). Upon 
the return of an officer to active duty after comple-
tion of a period transfer under subsection (b)— 
(A) the Commandant may adjust the date 
of rank of the officer to a date as appropriate
233 
in accordance with the standards prescribed by 
the Secretary of Defense; and 
(B) the officer shall be eligible for consid-
eration for promotion when officers of the same 
competitive category, grade, and seniority are 
eligible for consideration for promotion. 
(2) ENLISTED MEMBER.—An enlisted member 
participating in a pilot program under this section 
may be eligible for consideration for promotion as a 
member of the reserve component during the period 
of transfer under subsection (b). 
(f) CONTINUED ENTITLEMENTS.—A member partici-
pating in a pilot program under this section shall, while 
participating in the pilot program, be treated as a member 
of the Marine Corps on active duty for a period of more 
than 30 days for purposes of— 
(1) the entitlement of the member and of the 
dependents of the member to medical and dental 
care under the provisions of chapter 55 of title 10, 
United States Code; 
(2) retirement or separation for physical dis-
ability under the provisions of chapters 55 and 61 
of title 10, United States Code; 
(3) the entitlement of the member and of the 
survivors of the member to all death benefits under
234 
the provisions of chapter 75 of title 10, United 
States Code; 
(4) the provision of all travel and transpor-
tation allowances for the survivors of deceased mem-
bers to attend burial ceremonies under section 
453(f) of title 37, United States Code; and 
(5) the eligibility of the member for general 
benefits as provided in part II of title 38, United 
States Code. 
(g) REGULATIONS.—Before carrying out a pilot pro-
gram under this section, the Commandant shall prescribe 
regulations under this section. Such regulations shall in-
clude additional terms of an agreement under subsection 
(c), including instructions to a member regarding the obli-
gations of a member during a period of transfer under 
subsection (b). 
(h) ORDER TO ACTIVE DUTY.—Under regulations 
prescribed by the Commandant, a member of the Marine 
Corps participating in a pilot program under this section 
may, at the discretion of the Commandant, be required 
to terminate participation in the pilot program and return 
to active duty.
235 
SEC. 526. RESTORATION OF RETIRED RANK OF GENERAL 
JOHN D. LAVELLE. 
Not later than December 31, 2024, the Secretary of 
Defense shall issue a recommendation to the President 
and the Senate regarding the restoration of the retired 
rank of General John D. Lavelle based on recently declas-
sified records and the most recent recommendation of the 
Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records. 
SEC. 527. PROHIBITION OF REQUIREMENT IN THE DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE TO WEAR A MASK TO 
STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. 
The Secretary of Defense may not require an indi-
vidual to wear a mask while on a military installation in 
the United States to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
SEC. 528. ELIMINATION OF OFFICES OF DIVERSITY, EQ-
UITY, AND INCLUSION AND PERSONNEL OF 
SUCH OFFICES. 
Every office of the Armed Forces and of the Depart-
ment of Defense established to promote diversity, equity, 
and inclusion is eliminated and the employment of all per-
sonnel of each such office is terminated. 
SEC. 529. POSTHUMOUS COMMISSION AS CAPTAIN IN THE 
REGULAR ARMY FOR MILTON HOLLAND. 
(a) POSTHUMOUS
COMMISSION.—Milton Holland, 
who, while sergeant major of the 5th Regiment, United 
States Colored Infantry, was awarded the Medal of Honor
236 
in recognition of his action on September 29, 1864, during 
the Battle of Chapin’s Farm, Virginia, when, as the cita-
tion for the medal states, he ‘‘took command of Company 
C, after all the officers had been killed or wounded, and 
gallantly led it’’, shall be deemed for all purposes to have 
held the grade of captain in the regular Army, effective 
as of that date and continuing until his separation from 
the Army. 
(b) PROHIBITION OF BENEFITS.—Section 1523 of 
title 10, United States Code, applies in the case of the 
posthumous commission described in subsection (a). 
SEC. 529A. AUTHORIZATION OF MEMBERS AWARDED CER-
TAIN DECORATIONS TO WEAR THE UNIFORM 
WHEN NOT ON ACTIVE DUTY. 
Section 772 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(k)(1) A member awarded a decoration specified in 
paragraph (2) may wear the uniform prescribed by the 
Secretary concerned on the same basis as a retired officer 
under subsection (c) while such member attends a special 
event (including a wedding). 
‘‘(2) The decorations specified in this paragraph are 
the following: 
‘‘(A) The Purple Heart.
237 
‘‘(B) The Medal of Honor. 
‘‘(C) The Distinguished Service Cross. 
‘‘(D) The Navy Cross. 
‘‘(E) The Air Force Cross. 
‘‘(F) The Coast Guard Cross. 
‘‘(G) The Bronze Star.’’. 
SEC. 529B. REVIEW OF ADVERSE ACTION AGAINST A CHAP-
LAIN WHO REQUESTED EXEMPTION FROM 
THE COVID-19 VACCINATION MANDATE. 
(a) REVIEW REQUIRED.—Not later than six months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
concerned shall establish a board under section 1552 or 
1553 of title 10, United States Code, as applicable, to re-
view the military personnel record, or the characterization 
of a discharge or dismissal, of a current or former chaplain 
in an Armed Force who suffered an adverse personnel ac-
tion as a result of, arising from, or in conjunction with, 
requesting a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vac-
cination mandate. 
(b) SCOPE OF REVIEW.—A review under this section 
shall cover all adverse personnel actions against a chaplain 
on or after August 24, 2021. 
(c) DIRECTED DETERMINATION.—A board estab-
lished under this section shall consider any adverse per-
238 
sonnel action against a chaplain to be the result of such 
request. unless there is evidence such chaplain— 
(1) was disciplined for a reason other than a re-
quest described in subsection (a); or 
(2) breached good order and discipline. 
(d) PRIORITY.—A board shall consider a request 
under this section before any other request on the docket 
of such board. 
(e) DODIG REPORT.—No later than one year after 
enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the De-
partment of Defense shall submit to the congressional de-
fense committees a report setting forth the results of an 
investigation by the Inspector General during that one- 
year period regarding the compliance of the Secretaries 
concerned with the terms of this section. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘adverse personnel action’’ in-
cludes— 
(A) discrimination; 
(B) a denial of promotion, schooling, train-
ing, or assignment; 
(C) discharge; 
(D) dismissal; 
(E) separation;
239 
(F) a lowered or noncompetitive perform-
ance report; 
(G) revocation of permanent change of sta-
tion; 
(H) revocation of temporary duty travel or-
ders; and 
(I) any other restriction or negative con-
sequence. 
(2) The term ‘‘performance report’’ means a re-
port of an Armed Force (including an officer effi-
ciency report)— 
(A) that measures the efficiency, leader-
ship, and effectiveness of an officer; and 
(B) is used as a basis for promotion selec-
tions. 
Subtitle D—Recruitment 
SEC. 531. SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM: AUTOMATIC REG-
ISTRATION. 
(a) AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION.—The Military Selec-
tive Service Act (50 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.) is amended by 
striking section 3 (50 U.S.C. 3802) and inserting the fol-
lowing new section 3: 
‘‘SEC. 3. (a)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this 
title, every male citizen of the United States, and every 
other male person residing in the United States, between
240 
the ages of eighteen and twenty-six, shall be automatically 
registered under this Act by the Director of the Selective 
Service System. 
‘‘(2) This section shall not apply to any alien lawfully 
admitted to the United States as a nonimmigrant under 
section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1101) for so long as he continues to maintain 
a lawful nonimmigrant status in the United States. 
‘‘(b) Regulations prescribed pursuant to this section 
(a) may require— 
‘‘(1) a person subject to registration under this 
section to provide, to the Director, information (in-
cluding date of birth, address, social security ac-
count number, phone number, and email address) 
regarding such person; 
‘‘(2) a Federal entity to provide, to the Direc-
tor, information described in paragraph (1) that the 
Director determines necessary to identify or register 
a person subject to registration under this section; 
and 
‘‘(3) the Director to provide, to a person reg-
istered under this section, written notification that— 
‘‘(A) such person has been so registered; 
and
241 
‘‘(B) if such person is not required to be 
so registered, the procedure by which such per-
son may correct such registration.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
The Military Selective Service Act is further amended— 
(1) in section 4 (50 U.S.C. 3803)— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘required to register’’ 
each place it appears and inserting ‘‘reg-
istered’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘at the time fixed for 
his registration,’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘who is required to 
register’’ and inserting ‘‘registered’’; 
(B) in subsection (k)(2), in the matter fol-
lowing subparagraph(B), by striking ‘‘liable for 
registration’’ and inserting ‘‘registered’’; 
(2) in section 6(a) (50 U.S.C. 3806(a))— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘required to be’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘subject to registra-
tion’’ and inserting ‘‘registered’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘liable for registration 
and training’’ and inserting ‘‘registered 
and liable for training’’;
242 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘required 
to be’’ each place it appears; 
(3) in section 10(b)(3) (50 U.S.C. 3809(b)(3)) 
by striking ‘‘registration,’’; 
(4) in section 12 (50 U.S.C. 3811)— 
(A) in subsection (d)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘, neglecting, or refus-
ing to perform the duty of registering im-
posed by’’ and inserting ‘‘registration 
under’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘, or within five years 
next after the last day before such person 
does perform his duty to register, which-
ever shall first occur’’; 
(B) in subsection (e)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Federal agencies’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘by a proclamation of 
the President’’ and inserting ‘‘to be reg-
istered’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘to present themselves 
for and submit to registration under such 
section’’; and
243 
(iv) by striking ‘‘by the Secretary’’; 
and 
(C) by striking subsection (g) (50 U.S.C. 
3811(g)); and 
(5) in section 15(a) (50 U.S.C. 3813(a)), by 
striking ‘‘upon publication by the President of a 
proclamation or other public notice fixing a time for 
any registration under section 3’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 532. PROHIBITION ON CANNABIS TESTING FOR EN-
LISTMENT 
OR 
COMMISSION 
IN 
CERTAIN 
ARMED FORCES. 
Subject to subsection (a) of section 504 of chapter 
31 of title 10, United States Code, the Secretary of the 
military department concerned may not require an indi-
vidual to submit to a test for cannabis as a condition of 
enlistment of such individual as a member, or the commis-
sion of such individual as an officer, of an Armed Force.
244 
SEC. 533. REIMBURSEMENT OF APPLICANTS TO CERTAIN 
ARMED 
FORCES 
FOR 
CERTAIN 
MEDICAL 
COSTS INCURRED DURING MILITARY EN-
TRANCE PROCESSING. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Defense may re-
imburse an individual who applies to join a covered Armed 
Force for costs incurred by such individual for a medical 
appointment required for military entrance processing. 
(b) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The maximum amount an 
individual may be reimbursed under this section is $100. 
(c) COVERED ARMED FORCE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered Armed Force’’ means the Army, 
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force. 
SEC. 534. MODERNIZATION OF RECRUITMENT FOR THE 
ARMY. 
(a) MODERNIZATION.—Not later than September 30, 
2025, the Secretary of the Army shall modernize recruit-
ment for the Army in order to attract and retain fit and 
ready individuals to serve as members of the Army. To 
carry out such modernization, the Secretary shall take 
steps including the following: 
(1) Establish a military occupational specialty 
for enlisted members who specialize in talent acqui-
sition. 
(2) Establish a professional recruiting force of 
warrant officers who specialize in talent acquisition,
245 
data analytics, and other human resource functions 
necessary to develop expertise in recruiting and mili-
tary accessions. 
(3) Routinely determining which areas of the 
United States yield greater-than-average numbers of 
recruits and, with regard to each such area— 
(A) build relationships with sources of such 
recruits, including schools; and 
(B) assign additional recruiting personnel. 
(4) Consider using a commercially available, 
off-the-shelf, recruiting platform. 
(b) BRIEFINGS.—Not later than the last day of each 
quarter of fiscal year 2025, the Secretary of the Army 
shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and House of Representatives a briefing on the im-
plementation of this section. Each such briefing shall in-
clude the following: 
(1) An up-to-date timeline, milestones, re-
sources used, and resources needed for such imple-
mentation. 
(2) The number of enlisted members, officers, 
and civilian employees of the Army required to carry 
out this section.
246 
(3) Policies altered or prescribed by the Sec-
retary to carry out this section and recruit a capable 
and ready all-volunteer force. 
(4) Related legislative recommendations of the 
Secretary. 
SEC. 535 RECRUITMENT STRATEGY FOR MEMBERS OF THE 
ARMED FORCES WHO WERE DISCHARGED OR 
DISMISSED ON THE SOLE BASIS OF FAILURE 
TO OBEY A LAWFUL ORDER TO RECEIVE A 
VACCINE FOR COVID-19. 
(a) RECRUITMENT STRATEGY REQUIRED.—Not later 
than six months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the 
Secretaries of the military departments or, with respect 
the Coast Guard, the Secretary of the department in which 
the Secretary is operating when the Coast Guard is not 
operating as a service in the Navy, shall develop and im-
plement a strategy to specifically recruit covered individ-
uals to be reinstated in the Armed Force concerned. 
(b) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered individual’’ means an individual 
discharged or dismissed from an Armed Force on the sole 
basis of failure to obey a lawful order to receive a vaccine 
for COVID-19.
247 
SEC. 536. PROGRAM OF MILITARY RECRUITMENT AND EDU-
CATION AT THE NATIONAL SEPTEMBER 11 
MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—Not later than September 30, 
2025, the Secretary of Defense shall seek to enter into 
an agreement with the entity that operates the National 
September 11 Memorial and Museum (in this section re-
ferred to as ‘‘the Museum’’) under which the Secretary 
and such entity shall carry out a program at the Museum 
to promote military recruitment and education. 
(b) PROGRAM.—A program under subsection (a) shall 
include the following: 
(1) Provision of informational materials to pro-
mote enlistment in the covered Armed Forces, by the 
Secretary to such entity, for distribution at the Mu-
seum. 
(2) Education and exhibits, developed jointly by 
the Secretary and such entity, and provided to the 
public by employees of the Museum, to— 
(A) enhance understanding of the military 
response to the attacks on September 11, 2001; 
and 
(B) encourage enlistment and re-enlist-
ment in the covered Armed Forces.
248 
(c) COVERED ARMED FORCE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered Armed Force’’ means the Army, 
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force. 
SEC. 537. MILITARY RECRUITER PHYSICAL ACCESS TO 
CAMPUSES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart 2 of Part F of title VIII 
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq.) is amended by inserting after 
section 8528 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 8528A. MILITARY RECRUITER ACCESS TO SECONDARY 
SCHOOL CAMPUSES. 
‘‘Each local educational agency receiving assistance 
under this Act shall provide military recruiters the same 
access to the campus of each secondary school served by 
the local educational agency for the purpose of recruiting 
students who are at least 17 years of age that is provided 
to any prospective employer, institution of higher edu-
cation, or other recruiter.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(c) COMPLIANCE MONITORING AND REPORTING.— 
On an annual basis, the Secretary of Defense shall— 
(1) collect information from military recruiters 
regarding the compliance of local educational agen-
249 
cies with the requirements of section 8528A of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(as added by subsection (a)); and 
(2) based on such information, prepare and 
submit to the Secretary of Education a report 
that— 
(A) identifies each local educational agency 
that the Secretary of Defense determines to be 
in violation of such section; and 
(B) explains the reasons for such deter-
mination. 
SEC. 538. IMPROVING OVERSIGHT OF MILITARY RECRUIT-
MENT PRACTICES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY 
SCHOOLS. 
The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congres-
sional defense committees an annual report on military re-
cruitment practices in public secondary schools during cal-
endar year 2024 and each subsequent calendar year. Each 
such report shall include, for the year covered by the re-
port— 
(1) the zip codes of public secondary schools 
visited by military recruiters; 
(2) the number of recruits from public sec-
ondary schools by zip code and local education agen-
cy; and
250 
(3) a demographic analysis, including race, eth-
nicity, and gender, of recruits from public secondary 
schools by zip code. 
SEC. 539. EXPANSION OF REPORT ON FUTURE SERVICE-
MEMBER PREPARATORY COURSE. 
Section 546(d) of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 10 U.S.C. 
520 note) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as para-
graph (6); and 
(2) by inserting, after paragraph (3), the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(4) The determination of the Secretary regard-
ing the effectiveness of the preparatory course. 
‘‘(5) Recommendations of the Secretary regard-
ing— 
‘‘(A) how to improve the preparatory 
course; 
‘‘(B) whether to expand the preparatory 
course.’’.
251 
Subtitle E—Member Training and 
Education 
SEC. 541. INCREASE TO MAXIMUM FUNDING FOR THE RE-
GIONAL DEFENSE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. 
Section 345(d) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘$35,000,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$50,000,000’’. 
SEC. 542. EXPANSION OF INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT 
AUTHORITIES FOR SERVICE ACADEMIES. 
Section 347 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended, in subsection (a)(1)(B), by striking ‘‘60’’ and 
inserting ‘‘80’’. 
SEC. 543. REDUCTION TO MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICI-
PATING STUDENTS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH 
OR MAINTAIN A UNIT OF JROTC. 
Section 2031(b)(1)(A) of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘100’’ and inserting ‘‘50’’. 
SEC. 544. NUMBER OF FOREIGN MILITARY MEDICAL STU-
DENTS WHO MAY ATTEND UNIFORMED SERV-
ICES UNIVERSITY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES 
UNDER AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM. 
Section 2114(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘40 persons’’ and inserting ‘‘50 
persons’’.
252 
SEC. 545. PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION: TECH-
NICAL CORRECTION TO DEFINITIONS. 
Section 2151 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended, in subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘‘National De-
fense Intelligence College’’ and inserting ‘‘National Intel-
ligence University’’. 
SEC. 546. AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT GIFTS OF SERVICES FOR 
PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION INSTI-
TUTIONS. 
Section 2601(a)(2)(A) of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘or a professional military 
education institution’’ after ‘‘museum program’’ each 
place it appears. 
SEC. 547. SERVICE ACADEMIES: APPOINTMENTS AND ADDI-
TIONAL APPOINTEES. 
(a) UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY.— 
(1) APPOINTMENTS.—Section 7442 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘subsection (j)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsection (k)’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘as 
established by competitive examinations’’ 
and inserting ‘‘as determined by candidate 
composite score rank’’; and
253 
(iii) in the matter following paragraph 
(10)— 
(I) in the second sentence, by in-
serting ‘‘(in which event selection 
shall be in order of merit as deter-
mined by candidate composite score 
rank)’’ after ‘‘without ranking’’; and 
(II) in the third sentence, by in-
serting ‘‘, including qualified alter-
nates and additional appointees’’ be-
fore the period at the end; 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
subsections 
(b) 
through (j) as subsections (c) through (k), re-
spectively; 
(C) by inserting after subsection (a) the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(b) There shall be appointed each year at the Acad-
emy 275 cadets selected in order of merit as determined 
by candidate composite score rank by the Secretary of the 
Army from qualified alternates nominated pursuant to 
paragraphs (3) through (10) of subsection (a) and all 
other qualified, non-selected candidates holding nomina-
tions from any other source pursuant to this chapter.’’; 
(D) in subsection (c), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (B)—
254 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘one 
hundred selected by the President’’ and in-
serting ‘‘up to one hundred selected by the 
President in order of merit as determined 
by candidate composite score rank’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (2)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘85 nominated’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; 
(iii) in paragraph (3)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘85 nominated’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; 
(iv) in paragraph (4)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘20 nominated’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
255 
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; and 
(v) by striking paragraph (5); 
(E) in subsection (f), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection (c)’’; 
(F) in subsection (h), as so redesignated— 
(i) by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘subsection 
(c)’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (4), by striking 
‘‘subsection (e)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 
(f)’’; and 
(G) by adding at the end the following new 
subsections: 
‘‘(l) Qualifications of candidates for admission shall 
be determined by use of, among others, a candidate com-
posite score uniformly calculated for each applicant. Com-
ponents of such composite score shall include the can-
didate’s standardized test scores, weighted at not less than 
30 percent of the overall composite score. Any subjective 
component of such composite score shall be weighted at 
not more than 10 percent of the overall composite score. 
Candidates’ composite scores shall be used to determine 
order of merit. Race and ethnicity shall not be considered
256 
in any component of the candidate composite score, eval-
uation of candidates or selection for appointment. 
‘‘(m) Not later than October 1 of each year, the Sec-
retary of the Army shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Represent-
atives a report including— 
‘‘(1) with respect to the preceding admissions 
cycle— 
‘‘(A) the established minimum candidate 
composite score and college entrance examina-
tion rank (CEER) score used in such cycle; and 
‘‘(B) the total number of waivers of such 
minimum candidate composite score, including 
the candidate composite score and CEER score 
of each cadet to whom the waiver relates, a 
brief explanation of the reasons for such waiver, 
and the category of appointment under which 
each such cadet was appointed (and if congres-
sional, the type of slate that nominated the 
waived appointee); and 
‘‘(2) for each cadet who, during the four-year 
period preceding the date of the report, received a 
waiver for the established minimum candidate com-
posite score, the status of each such cadet, including 
whether the cadet still at the Academy, the cir-
257 
cumstances of such cadet’s departure (if applicable), 
the cumulative academic GPA, cumulative military 
GPA, any major conduct or honor violations, any re-
medial measures undertaken, and any other note-
worthy information concerning such cadet.’’. 
(2) ADDITIONAL APPOINTEES.—Section 7443 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in the section heading, by striking 
‘‘appointment’’ and inserting ‘‘additional 
appointments’’; 
(B) in the first sentence— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before ‘‘If it is 
determined’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘from other qualified 
candidates who competed for nomination’’ 
and inserting ‘‘from other qualified can-
didates who hold a nomination’’; 
(C) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘(8)’’ and inserting ‘‘(10)’’; 
(D) by inserting after the second sentence 
the following: ‘‘Subject to the preceding sen-
tence, the first 100 such vacancies shall be 
filled with candidates who are selected in order 
of merit as determined by candidate composite 
score rank (as described in section 7442 of this
258 
title), after which all remaining vacancies may 
be filled with candidates who are selected out of 
merit rank order.’’; and 
(E) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) Not later than October 1 of each year, the Sec-
retary of the Army shall submit to the congressional de-
fense committees a report that includes, with respect to 
the preceding admissions cycle— 
‘‘(1) the composite scores and college entrance 
examination rank scores of the ten candidates nomi-
nated under this section with the lowest combined 
scores that were selected; 
‘‘(2) the total number of qualified and not se-
lected candidates nominated under this section; and 
‘‘(3) the composite scores and college entrance 
examination rank scores of the ten candidates nomi-
nated under this section with the highest combined 
scores that were qualified and not selected.’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY.— 
(1) APPOINTMENTS.—Section 8454 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘subsection (h)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subsection (i)’’;
259 
(ii) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘as 
established by competitive examination’’ 
and inserting ‘‘as determined by candidate 
composite score rank’’; and 
(iii) in the matter following paragraph 
(10)— 
(I) in the second sentence, by in-
serting ‘‘(in which event selection 
shall be in order of merit as deter-
mined by candidate composite score 
rank)’’ after ‘‘without ranking’’; and 
(II) in the third sentence, by in-
serting ‘‘, including qualified alter-
nates and additional appointees’’ be-
fore the period at the end; 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
subsections 
(b) 
through (h) as subsections (c) through (i), re-
spectively; 
(C) by inserting after subsection (a) the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(b) There shall be appointed each year at the Acad-
emy 275 midshipmen selected in order of merit as deter-
mined by candidate composite score rank by the Secretary 
of the Navy from qualified alternates nominated pursuant 
to paragraphs (3) through (10) of subsection (a) and all
260 
other qualified, non-selected candidates holding nomina-
tions from any other source pursuant to this chapter.’’; 
(D) in subsection (c), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘one 
hundred selected by the President’’ and in-
serting ‘‘up to one hundred selected by the 
President in order of merit as determined 
by candidate composite score rank’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (2)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘85 nominated’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; 
(iii) in paragraph (3)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘85 nominated’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; 
(iv) in paragraph (4)—
261 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘20 nominated’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; and 
(v) by striking paragraph (5); 
(E) in subsection (f), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection (c)’’ both places it 
appears; and 
(F) by adding at the end the following new 
subsections: 
‘‘(j) Qualifications of candidates for admission shall 
be determined by use of, among others, a candidate com-
posite score uniformly calculated for each applicant. Com-
ponents of such composite score shall include the can-
didate’s standardized test scores, weighted at not less than 
30 percent of the overall composite score. Any subjective 
component of such composite score shall be weighted at 
not more than 10 percent of the overall composite score. 
Candidates’ composite scores shall be used to determine 
order of merit. Race and ethnicity shall not be considered 
in any component of the candidate composite score, eval-
uation of candidates, or selection for appointment.
262 
‘‘(k) Not later than October 1 of each year, the Sec-
retary of the Navy shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Represent-
atives a report including— 
‘‘(1) with respect to the preceding admissions 
cycle— 
‘‘(A) the established minimum candidate 
composite score and college entrance examina-
tion rank (CEER) score used in such cycle; and 
‘‘(B) the total number of waivers of such 
minimum candidate composite score, including 
the candidate composite score and CEER score 
of each midshipman to whom the waiver relates, 
a brief explanation of the reasons for such waiv-
er, and the category of appointment under 
which each such midshipman was appointed 
(and if congressional, the type of slate that 
nominated the waived appointee); and 
‘‘(2) for each midshipman who, during the four- 
year period preceding the date of the report, received 
a waiver for the established minimum candidate 
composite score, the status of each such mid-
shipman, including whether the midshipman is still 
at the Academy, the circumstances of such mid-
shipman’s departure (if applicable), the cumulative
263 
academic GPA, cumulative military GPA, any major 
conduct or honor violations, any remedial measures 
undertaken, and any other noteworthy information 
concerning such midshipman.’’. 
(2) ADDITIONAL APPOINTEES.—Section 8456 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in the section heading, by inserting 
‘‘additional appointments’’ after ‘‘Mid-
shipmen’’; 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in the first sentence, by striking 
‘‘from other qualified candidates who com-
peted for nomination’’ and inserting ‘‘from 
other qualified candidates who hold a nom-
ination’’; 
(ii) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘(8)’’ and inserting ‘‘(10)’’; and 
(iii) by inserting after the second sen-
tence the following: ‘‘Subject to the pre-
ceding sentence, the first 100 such vacan-
cies shall be filled with candidates who are 
selected in order of merit as determined by 
candidate composite score rank (as de-
scribed in section 8454 of this title), after 
which all remaining vacancies may be filled
264 
with candidates who are selected out of 
merit rank order.’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) Not later than October 1 of each year, the Sec-
retary of the Navy shall submit to the congressional de-
fense committees a report that includes, with respect to 
the preceding admissions cycle— 
‘‘(1) the composite scores and college entrance 
examination rank scores of the ten candidates nomi-
nated under this section with the lowest combined 
scores that were selected; 
‘‘(2) the total number of qualified and not se-
lected candidates nominated under this section; and 
‘‘(3) the composite scores and college entrance 
examination rank scores of the ten candidates nomi-
nated under this section with the highest combined 
scores that were qualified and not selected.’’. 
(c) UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY.— 
(1) APPOINTMENTS.—Section 9442 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘subsection (j)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsection (k)’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘as 
established by competitive examination’’
265 
and inserting ‘‘as determined by candidate 
composite score rank’’; and 
(iii) in the matter following paragraph 
(10)— 
(I) in the second sentence, by in-
serting ‘‘(in which event selection 
shall be in order of merit as deter-
mined by candidate composite score 
rank)’’ after ‘‘without ranking’’; and 
(II) in the third sentence, by in-
serting ‘‘, including qualified alter-
nates and additional appointees’’ be-
fore the period at the end; 
(B) 
by 
redesignating 
subsections 
(b) 
through (j) as subsections (c) through (k), re-
spectively; 
(C) by inserting after subsection (a) the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(b) There shall be appointed each year at the Acad-
emy 275 cadets selected in order of merit as determined 
by candidate composite score rank by the Secretary of the 
Air Force from qualified alternates nominated pursuant 
to paragraphs (3) through (10) of subsection (a) and all 
other qualified, non-selected candidates holding nomina-
tions from any other source pursuant to this chapter.’’;
266 
(D) in subsection (c), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘one 
hundred selected by the President’’ and in-
serting ‘‘up to one hundred selected by the 
President in order of merit as determined 
by candidate composite score rank’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (2)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘85 nominated’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; 
(iii) in paragraph (3)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘85 nominated’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; 
(iv) in paragraph (4)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘up to’’ before 
‘‘20 nominated’’; and
267 
(II) by inserting ‘‘, selected in 
order of merit as determined by can-
didate composite score rank’’ before 
the period at the end; and 
(v) by striking paragraph (5); 
(E) in subsection (f), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection (c)’’; 
(F) in subsection (h), as so redesignated— 
(i) by striking ‘‘subsection (b)’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘subsection 
(c)’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (4), by striking 
‘‘subsection (e)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection 
(f)’’; and 
(G) by adding at the end the following new 
subsections: 
‘‘(l) Qualifications of candidates for admission shall 
be determined by use of, among others, a candidate com-
posite score uniformly calculated for each applicant. Com-
ponents of such composite score shall include the can-
didate’s standardized test scores, weighted at not less than 
30 percent of the overall composite score. Any subjective 
component of such composite score shall be weighted at 
not more than 10 percent of the overall composite score.
268 
Candidates’ composite scores shall be used to determine 
order of merit rank order. Race and ethnicity shall not 
be considered in any component of the candidate com-
posite score, evaluation of candidates, or selection for ap-
pointment. 
‘‘(m) Not later than October 1 of each year, the Sec-
retary of the Air Force shall submit to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives a report including— 
‘‘(1) with respect to the preceding admissions 
cycle— 
‘‘(A) the established minimum candidate 
composite score and college entrance examina-
tion rank (CEER) score used in such cycle; and 
‘‘(B) the total number of waivers of such 
minimum candidate composite score, including 
the candidate composite score and CEER score 
of each cadet to whom the waiver relates, a 
brief explanation of the reasons for such waiver, 
and the category of appointment under which 
each such cadet was appointed (and if congres-
sional, the type of slate that nominated the 
waived appointee); and 
‘‘(2) for each cadet who, during the four-year 
period preceding the date of the report, received a
269 
waiver for the established minimum candidate com-
posite score, the status of each such cadet, including 
whether the cadet still at the Academy, the cir-
cumstances of such cadet’s departure (if applicable), 
the cumulative academic GPA, cumulative military 
GPA, any major conduct or honor violations, any re-
medial measures undertaken, and any other note-
worthy information concerning such cadet.’’. 
(2) ADDITIONAL APPOINTEES.—Section 9443 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in the section heading, by striking 
‘‘appointment’’ and inserting ‘‘additional 
appointments’’; 
(B) in the first sentence— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ before ‘‘If it is 
determined’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘from other qualified 
candidates who competed for nomination’’ 
and inserting ‘‘from other qualified can-
didates who hold a nomination’’; 
(C) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘(8)’’ and inserting ‘‘(10)’’; 
(D) by inserting after the second sentence 
the following: ‘‘Subject to the preceding sen-
tence, the first 100 such vacancies shall be
270 
filled with candidates who are selected in order 
of merit as determined by candidate composite 
score rank (as described in section 9442 of this 
title), after which all remaining vacancies may 
be filled with candidates who are selected out of 
merit rank order.’’; and 
(E) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) Not later than October 1 of each year, the Sec-
retary of the Navy shall submit to the congressional de-
fense committees a report that includes, with respect to 
the preceding admissions cycle— 
‘‘(1) the composite scores and college entrance 
examination rank scores of the ten candidates nomi-
nated under this section with the lowest combined 
scores that were selected; 
‘‘(2) the total number of qualified and not se-
lected candidates nominated under this section; and 
‘‘(3) the composite scores and college entrance 
examination rank scores of the ten candidates nomi-
nated under this section with the highest combined 
scores that were qualified and not selected.’’.
271 
SEC. 548. ALTERNATIVE SERVICE OBLIGATION FOR A 
CADET OR MIDSHIPMAN WHO BECOMES A 
PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE. 
(a) UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY.—Section 
7448 of title 10, United States Code, is amended as fol-
lows: 
(1) Paragraph (5) of subsection (a) is amended 
to read as follows: ‘‘That if the cadet obtains em-
ployment as a professional athlete before completing 
the commissioned service obligation of such cadet, 
the cadet shall be subject to the alternative obliga-
tion under subsection (b)(4).’’ 
(2) Subsection (b) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 
Secretary of the Army’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject 
to paragraph (4), the Secretary of the Army’’; 
and 
(B) by striking paragraph (4) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(4) The Secretary of the Army may transfer a cadet 
who violates paragraph (5) of subsection (a) to the Se-
lected Reserve of the Army— 
‘‘(A) as a commissioned officer in an appro-
priate grade or rating, as determined by the Sec-
retary of the Army; and 
‘‘(B) for a period not to exceed 10 years.’’.
272 
(3) Paragraph (2) of subsection (c) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) that a cadet transferred under subsection 
(b)(4) shall, as part of the alternative obligation 
under such subsection, participate in efforts to re-
cruit and retain members of the Army.’’. 
(4) Subsection (f) is amended by striking ‘‘the 
alternative obligation’’ and inserting ‘‘an alternative 
obligation’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY.—Section 
8459 of title 10, United States Code, is amended as fol-
lows: 
(1) Paragraph (5) of subsection (a) is amended 
to read as follows: ‘‘That if the midshipman obtains 
employment as a professional athlete before com-
pleting the commissioned service obligation of such 
cadet, the midshipman shall be subject to the alter-
native obligation under subsection (b)(4).’’ 
(2) Subsection (b) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 
Secretary of the Navy’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject 
to paragraph (4), the Secretary of the Navy’’; 
and 
(B) by striking paragraph (4) and insert-
ing the following:
273 
‘‘(4) The Secretary of the Navy may transfer a mid-
shipman who violates paragraph (5) of subsection (a) to 
the Selected Reserve of the Navy or the Marine Corps— 
‘‘(A) as a commissioned officer in an appro-
priate grade or rating, as determined by the Sec-
retary of the Navy; and 
‘‘(B) for a period not to exceed 10 years.’’. 
(3) Paragraph (2) of subsection (c) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) that a midshipman transferred under sub-
section (b)(4) shall, as part of the alternative obliga-
tion under such subsection, participate in efforts to 
recruit and retain members of the Navy and Marine 
Corps.’’. 
(4) Subsection (f) is amended by striking ‘‘the 
alternative obligation’’ and inserting ‘‘an alternative 
obligation’’. 
(c) UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY.—Section 
9448 of title 10, United States Code, is amended as fol-
lows: 
(1) Paragraph (5) of subsection (a) is amended 
to read as follows: ‘‘That if the cadet obtains em-
ployment as a professional athlete before completing 
the commissioned service obligation of such cadet,
274 
the cadet shall be subject to the alternative obliga-
tion under subsection (b)(4).’’ 
(2) Subsection (b) is amended— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 
Secretary of the Air Force’’ and inserting ‘‘Sub-
ject to paragraph (4), the Secretary of the Air 
Force’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraph (4) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(4) The Secretary of the Army may transfer a cadet 
who violates paragraph (5) of subsection (a) to the Se-
lected Reserve of the Air Force or Space Force— 
‘‘(A) as a commissioned officer in an appro-
priate grade or rating, as determined by the Sec-
retary of the Air Force; and 
‘‘(B) for a period not to exceed 10 years.’’. 
(3) Paragraph (2) of subsection (c) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(2) that a cadet transferred under subsection 
(b)(4) shall, as part of the alternative obligation 
under such subsection, participate in efforts to re-
cruit and retain members of the Air Force and 
Space Force.’’.
275 
(4) Subsection (f) is amended by striking ‘‘the 
alternative obligation’’ and inserting ‘‘an alternative 
obligation’’. 
SEC. 549. SERVICE ACADEMIES: BOARDS OF VISITORS. 
(a) UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY.— 
(1) MEMBERSHIP.—Section 7455 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended, in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Vice 
President or the President pro tempore of the 
Senate, two of whom are members of the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the Senate’’ and in-
serting ‘‘Majority Leader of the Senate (one of 
whom shall be a member of the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate) and three other 
members designated by the Minority Leader of 
the Senate (one of whom shall be a member of 
the Committee on Appropriations of the Sen-
ate)’’; 
(B) in paragraph (4), striking ‘‘, two of 
whom are members of the Committee on Appro-
priations of the House of Representatives’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(one of whom shall be a member of 
the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives) and three other members 
designated by the Minority Leader of the House
276 
of Representatives (one of whom shall be a 
member of the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives)’’; 
(C) by striking paragraph (5); 
(D) by redesignating paragraphs (1) 
through (4) as subparagraphs (A) through (D), 
respectively; 
(E) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘A Board’’; 
and 
(F) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) At least one member designated by each Member 
of Congress specified in subparagraph (B) or (D) shall 
be a graduate of the Academy.’’. 
(2) TERMS; REPLACEMENTS.—Such section is 
further amended, in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘designated by the Presi-
dent’’ and inserting ‘‘designated under sub-
section (a)’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘appointed by the Presi-
dent’’ and inserting ‘‘appointed under sub-
section (a)’’; and 
(C) by striking the second sentence. 
(3) TERMINATION.—Such section is further 
amended, in subsection (c)—
277 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘If’’; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or is terminated under 
paragraph (2)’’ after ‘‘resigns’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2)(A) If a member of the Board designated 
under subsection (a) fails to attend two consecutive 
meetings of the Board, unless such absence is ap-
proved in advance and for good cause by the Board 
chairman, shall be subject to termination from the 
Board. 
‘‘(B) A member of the Board who is not a 
Member of Congress may be made terminated only 
by the chairman of the Board, as determined by the 
chairman. 
‘‘(C) A member of the Board who is a Member 
of Congress may be made terminated only by the of-
ficial who designated such member, as determined 
by such official. 
‘‘(D) A member designated under subsection 
(a) shall be provided notice of the provisions of this 
paragraph at the time of such designation.’’. 
(4) VISITS.—Such section is further amended, 
in subsection (d)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘twice’’ before ‘‘annually’’;
278 
(B) by striking ‘‘With the approval’’ and 
inserting ‘‘After consultation with’’; and 
(C) by inserting ‘‘or other personnel’’ after 
‘‘Superintendent’’. 
(5) DUTIES.—Such section is further amended, 
in subsection (e)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘, and make recommenda-
tions regarding,’’ after ‘‘inquire into’’; and 
(B) by adding ‘‘In accordance with any ap-
plicable law regarding the disclosure of informa-
tion, the Superintendent shall provide informa-
tion the Board requests.’’ at the end. 
(6) REPORTS.—Such section is further amend-
ed, in subsection (f)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘its annual’’ and inserting 
‘‘a’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘report to the President’’ 
and inserting ‘‘report to the Secretary of De-
fense and the Committees on Armed Services of 
the Senate and House of Representatives’’; 
(C) by striking ‘‘submitted to the Presi-
dent’’ and inserting ‘‘submitted’’; 
(D) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘Within’’; 
and
279 
(E) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(2) The Board shall publish a report under para-
graph (1) on the same day it submits such a report. 
‘‘(3) A member of the Board or a minority of the 
Board may elect to submit a report to the recipients under 
paragraph (1).’’. 
(7) ADVISERS.—Such section is further amend-
ed, in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘Upon approval by 
the Secretary, the’’ and inserting ‘‘The’’. 
(8) PROCEDURE.—Such section is further 
amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsections: 
‘‘(j) Subject to subsections (a) through (d) of section 
1009 of title 5, the Board shall adopt rules and proce-
dures. 
‘‘(k) The Chairman shall be elected by the members 
of the Board to serve a one-year term.’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY.—Section 
8468 of such title is amended to read identically to 7455 
of such title, as amended by subsection (a). 
(c) UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY.—Section 
9455 of such title is amended to read identically to 7455 
of such title, as amended by subsection (a).
280 
SEC. 549A. INCLUSION OF CERTAIN INFORMATION IN AN-
NUAL 
MILITARY 
SERVICE 
ACADEMY 
RE-
PORTS. 
(a) UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY.—Section 
7461(d)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and 
(C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph (B): 
‘‘(B) The number of such substantiated cases 
for which there is a reason to believe that the victim 
was targeted, or discriminated against, or both, for 
status in a group.’’. 
(b) UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY.—Section 
8480(d)(2) of such title is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and 
(C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph (B): 
‘‘(B) The number of such substantiated cases 
for which there is a reason to believe that the victim 
was targeted, or discriminated against, or both, for 
status in a group.’’. 
(c) UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY.—Section 
9461(d)(2) of such title is amended—
281 
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) and 
(C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph (B): 
‘‘(B) The number of such substantiated cases 
for which there is a reason to believe that the victim 
was targeted, or discriminated against, or both, for 
status in a group.’’. 
SEC. 549B. NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL: FUNCTION. 
(a) FUNCTION.—Section 8541 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended, in the matter preceding para-
graph (1), by striking ‘‘to provide advanced instruction 
and professional and technical education and research op-
portunities for commissioned officers of the naval service’’ 
and inserting ‘‘to conduct research, to conduct wargaming, 
to conduct innovation, and to provide advanced instruc-
tion, professional, technical, and research and education, 
and innovation opportunities for commissioned and non-
commissioned officers of the naval service’’. 
(b) PRESIDENT; ASSISTANTS.—Section 8542(b)(1) of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘professional and technical edu-
cation’’ and inserting ‘‘professional, technical, and 
research and education’’; and
282 
(2) by striking ‘‘research opportunities’’ and in-
serting ‘‘research and innovation opportunities’’. 
SEC. 549C. REQUIRED TRAINING ON CONSTITUTION OF THE 
UNITED STATES FOR COMMISSIONED OFFI-
CERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that all com-
missioned officers of the Armed Forces receive training 
on the Constitution of the United States prior to commis-
sioning. The training shall include— 
(1) education on the centrality of the Constitu-
tion to the commitment officers make to serve in the 
Armed Forces; 
(2) emphasis on the loyalty of officers to the 
Constitution; and 
(3) instruction on certain aspects of the Con-
stitution relevant to military service, including— 
(A) civil-military relations; 
(B) separation of powers; and 
(C) domestic use of military force. 
SEC. 549D. ENSURING ACCESS TO CERTAIN HIGHER EDU-
CATION BENEFITS. 
(a) DATA MATCHING REQUIRED.—Not later than 
one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Education shall 
jointly complete a data matching process—
283 
(1) to identify each individual who, while serv-
ing as a covered employee of the Department of De-
fense, made one or more student loan payments eli-
gible to be counted for purposes of the Public Serv-
ice Loan Forgiveness program under section 455(m) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1087e(m)); and 
(2) without requiring further information or ac-
tion from such individual— 
(A) to certify the total period of such em-
ployment for purposes of such program; and 
(B) to count the total number of qualifying 
payments made by the individual for purposes 
of such program during such period. 
(b) COVERED EMPLOYEE DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘covered employee’’ means an individual who, at 
any time beginning on or after October 1, 2007, was— 
(1) a member of the Armed Forces serving on 
active duty for a period of more than 30 consecutive 
days; or 
(2) a civilian employee of the Department of 
Defense.
284 
SEC. 549E. SERVICE ACADEMIES: REFERRAL OF DENIED AP-
PLICANTS TO THE SENIOR MILITARY COL-
LEGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act the Secretary of Defense 
shall establish a system whereby a covered individual may 
elect to have the Secretary share information regarding 
such covered individual with a senior military college. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered individual’’ means an in-
dividual whose application for an appointment as a 
cadet or midshipman at a Service Academy is de-
nied. 
(2) The term ‘‘senior military college’’ means a 
school specified in section 2111a of title 10, United 
States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘Service Academy’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 347 of title 10, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 549F. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE GRADUATE EDU-
CATION 
OPPORTUNITIES 
FOR 
ENLISTED 
MEMBERS OF THE ARMY AND NAVY. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of the Navy and the 
Secretary of the Army shall jointly conduct a pilot pro-
gram (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Program’’) under 
which certain enlisted personnel of the covered Armed
285 
Forces may enroll in a master’s degree program at the 
Naval Postgraduate School. 
(b) PROGRAM
REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretaries 
concerned shall carry out the Program— 
(1) in accordance with such regulations as may 
be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for pur-
poses of the Program; and 
(2) in a manner consistent with the Graduate 
Education Program–Enlisted pilot program of the 
Marine Corps. 
(c) ELIGIBILITY OF PARTICIPANTS.—The Secretaries 
concerned shall establish criteria for determining the eligi-
bility of enlisted members of the covered Armed Forces 
for participation in the Program. In establishing such cri-
teria, the Secretaries concerned may consider the following 
criteria used under the Graduate Education Program–En-
listed pilot program of the Marine Corps: 
(1) Eligibility may be limited to active duty 
members of the covered Armed Forces with no more 
than 16 years of service by end of degree completion 
and prior to being assigned to duties that use such 
degree. 
(2) A member should not have been passed over 
for selection to the next higher grade.
286 
(3) A member should meet reenlistment re-
quirements established by the component of the 
Armed Force responsible for such requirements to 
ensure four years of service are attainable after de-
gree completion. 
(4) Any Primary Military Occupational Spe-
cialty may be eligible to apply. 
(5) A minimum of four years should remain on 
the member’s contract at the time of completion of 
the degree program. A member should be willing to 
re-enlist or extend a contract to meet the require-
ments under this paragraph. 
(6) A minimum of 24 months on station is rec-
ommended for applicants in assignments within the 
continental United States or 24 months for appli-
cants in assignments outside the continental United 
States prior to the commencement studies at the 
Naval Postgraduate School, with the potential for 
exceptions. 
(7) All applicants should possess an institution-
ally accredited baccalaureate degree and should have 
the Academic Profile Code prescribed for the re-
quested curricula. The Naval Postgraduate School 
should determine the official Academic Profile Code 
for each applicant and such official Academic Profile
287 
Code should be used as the basis in determining aca-
demic eligibility for participation in the Program. 
The application criteria for the Naval Postgraduate 
School may be further described, promulgated, and 
updated on the website of the School’s admissions 
office. 
(8) The member should hold, or be eligible for, 
a security clearance if required for— 
(A) placement in a course of study under 
the Program; or 
(B) the member’s duty assignment after 
completion of such Program. 
(9) Applicants should have completed all nec-
essary professional military education for their cur-
rent rank prior to executing orders. 
(d) SELECTION
AND
PLACEMENT
OF
PARTICI-
PANTS.— 
(1) NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS.—The number 
of enlisted members selected for participation in the 
Program from each covered Armed Force shall be 
equal to the number of officers from that Armed 
Force who are enrolled in the Naval Postgraduate 
school at the time the selection is made. 
(2) SELECTION FACTORS.—Such selection hall 
be based on consideration of—
288 
(A) the eligibility criteria established under 
subsection (c); 
(B) professional performance; 
(C) promotion potential; 
(D) retention potential; 
(E) academic background, capabilities, and 
accomplishments; 
(F) the needs of the Navy and Army; 
(G) input from the admissions office of the 
Naval Postgraduate School; and 
(H) input from the component within each 
Armed Force with primary responsibility for de-
termining the duty assignments of enlisted 
members. 
(e) POST-PARTICIPATION SERVICE.—Subject to such 
terms, conditions, and exceptions as the Secretaries con-
cerned may establish, an enlisted member who receives a 
master’s degree under the Program, shall serve for a pe-
riod of not less than two years in a duty assignment that 
is relevant to the degree obtained by the member under 
the Program. 
(f) FRAMEWORK FOR FILLING BILLETS.—In con-
junction with selecting enlisted members for participation 
in the Program as described in subsection (d), the Secre-
taries concerned shall establish a framework for assigning
289 
enlisted personnel who are not participating in the Pro-
gram— 
(1) to fill the billets of the members partici-
pating in the Program while such members are com-
pleting a course of study at the Naval Postgraduate 
School; and 
(2) to fill the billets of members who received 
a master’s degree under the Program while such 
members are engaged in post-participation service as 
described in subsection (e). 
(g) IDENTIFICATION OF DEGREE PROGRAMS.—The 
Secretaries concerned shall coordinate with the President 
of the Naval Postgraduate School to identify specific mas-
ter’s degree programs offered by the School in which Pro-
gram participants may enroll. In identifying such pro-
grams, the Secretaries shall consider— 
(1) the needs of the Navy and Army; 
(2) the capacity of the Naval Postgraduate 
School; and 
(3) the extent to which enrollment in a specific 
program is expected to have a positive effect on the 
career trajectories of participants. 
(h) INFORMATION DISSEMINATION.—The Secretaries 
concerned shall take such actions as are necessary to no-
tify and inform enlisted members about the Program.
290 
(i) REPORT.—Before the expiration of the six-year 
period described in subsection (i)(1), the Secretaries con-
cerned, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, 
shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives a report that 
includes— 
(1) an assessment of whether and to what ex-
tent the Program has met the needs of the covered 
Armed Forces and had positive effects on partici-
pating enlisted members, including with respect to— 
(A) career trajectory, including potential 
pay increases; 
(B) retention; 
(C) recruitment; 
(D) job performance; 
(E) merit-based promotions and merit- 
based promotion reorder; and 
(F) compatibility with the objectives out-
lined in the 2022 National Defense Strategy to 
modernize the Armed Services, spur innovation, 
and outpace and outthink adversaries of the 
United States; 
(2) the recommendations of the Secretaries re-
garding whether the Program should be extended or 
made permanent;
291 
(3) an assessment of the funding and capabili-
ties that may be needed to make the Program per-
manent; and 
(4) any other matters the Secretaries determine 
to be relevant. 
(j) SUNSET; OPTIONAL EXTENSION.— 
(1) TERMINATION.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Program shall terminate six years after the date 
on which the Program commences under this sec-
tion. 
(2) EXTENSION.—The Secretaries concerned 
may extend the Program beyond the six-year period 
specified in paragraph (1) if, not later than 30 days 
before the expiration of such period, the Secretaries, 
in consultation with the President of the Naval Post-
graduate School, submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives— 
(A) notice of the intent of the Secretaries 
to extend the Program; and 
(B) an explanation of the reasons for ex-
tending the Program. 
(k) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered Armed Forces’’ means 
the Army and the Navy.
292 
(2) The term ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of the Army, with re-
spect to matters concerning the Army; and 
(B) the Secretary of the Navy, with re-
spect to matters concerning the Navy. 
SEC. 549G. AIR FORCE RAPID RESPONSE LANGUAGE PILOT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Air Force shall establish a pilot program to enable— 
(1) agile response to sudden requirements for 
skills in new languages where capability is limited or 
non-existent; 
(2) agile response to surge for any language re-
quired due to responses to conflict, humanitarian 
disaster, or other military requirements; and 
(3) development of innovative language learning 
technologies for delivering synchronous and asyn-
chronous language training for Air Force linguists 
and other Air Force language enabled personnel. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives, on the results of the pilot program, including
293 
the number of courses developed, the number of personnel 
trained, the languages taught, the proficiency levels at-
tained, response time to develop courses and train per-
sonnel, and availability for training personnel while on the 
job. 
(c) BRIEFING.—Not later than July 1, 2025, the Sec-
retary shall brief the Committees on Armed Services of 
the Senate and House of Representatives on implementa-
tion of this section and plans regarding continuing lan-
guage education described in subsection (a). 
(d) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
expire on September 30, 2028. 
SEC. 549H. MILITARY TRAINING AND COMPETENCY DATA-
BASE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF DATABASE.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall establish— 
(A) a centralized database, to be known as 
the ‘‘Military Training and Competency Data-
base’’ (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Data-
base’’), to record and maintain information re-
lating to training performed by members of the 
Armed Forces; and 
(B) a process to make the information in 
the database available to States and potential
295 
flect the training and qualifications acquired by 
members of the Armed Forces. 
(b) COMPETENCY REPORTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Based on the information in 
the Database the Secretary of Defense shall provide 
to each member of the Armed Forces a document 
that outlines the training and qualifications acquired 
by a member while serving in the Armed Forces. 
Such document shall be known as a ‘‘competency re-
port’’. 
(2) FORMAT AND CONTENTS.—The Secretary of 
Defense shall develop a standardized format for 
competency reports, which shall include, at a min-
imum, the following information: 
(A) Relevant personal details about the 
member. 
(B) Description of training courses, certifi-
cations, and qualifications obtained. 
(C) Date and duration of each completed 
training. 
(D) Authorized signatures and other nec-
essary authentication. 
(3) AVAILABILITY.—Competency reports shall 
be provided to members of the Armed Forces upon
296 
their separation or retirement from the Armed 
Forces. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall establish the necessary regu-
lations, procedures, and timelines for the implemen-
tation of this section. 
(2) RESOURCES.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall allocate sufficient resources to ensure the effec-
tive establishment, maintenance, and accessibility of 
the Database and the development and distribution 
of competency reports to members of the Armed 
Forces. 
(d) REPORT
TO CONGRESS.—Not later than two 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report on the implementation and effective-
ness of the Database and any recommendations of the 
Secretary for improving the Database. The report shall 
include feedback and recommendations from States and 
other employers regarding the usability and accuracy of 
the Database and the competency reports described in 
subsection (b).
297 
SEC. 549I. MILITARY VEHICLE OPERATOR TRAINING PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF TRAINING CURRICULUM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall establish a standardized 
training curriculum for military vehicle operations, 
encompassing both classroom and practical training 
components. 
(2) DEVELOPMENT.—The training curriculum 
under paragraph (1) shall be developed in collabora-
tion with subject matter experts, experienced mem-
bers of the Armed Forces, and relevant stakeholders, 
and shall cover essential topics such as vehicle dy-
namics, safety procedures, hazard recognition and 
avoidance, defensive driving techniques, and vehicle 
recovery methods. 
(3) UPDATES.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
ensure that the training curriculum under paragraph 
(1) is regularly updated to incorporate emerging 
best practices and technological advancements in 
military vehicle operations. 
(b) CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall establish a certification program to validate the
298 
proficiency of members of the Armed Forces in mili-
tary vehicle operations. 
(2) DESIGN
OF
PROGRAM.—The certification 
program shall be designed to ensure that all mem-
bers of the Armed Forces, regardless of deployment 
status, receive adequate training in military vehicle 
operations before being assigned to operational duty. 
(3) ASSESSMENTS.—The certification program 
shall include written exams, practical assessments, 
and evaluations of demonstrated competence. 
(4) NOTICE OF COMPLETION.—Notice shall be 
issued to members of the Armed Forces who suc-
cessfully complete the training program and meet 
the established proficiency criteria. 
(c) DEADLINES.— 
(1) DEADLINE
FOR
COMMENCEMENT.—Not 
later than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall commence 
the development and implementation of the training 
curriculum under subsection (a) and the certification 
program under subsection (b). 
(2) DEADLINE FOR FULL INTEGRATION.—Not 
later than three years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the training curriculum under sub-
section (a) and the certification program under sub-
299 
section (b) shall be fully integrated into military 
training programs. 
(d) TRAINING DELIVERY METHODS.—In carrying 
out this section, the Secretary of Defense shall— 
(1) develop a comprehensive and interactive 
training methodology that combines traditional 
classroom instruction with hands-on, practical train-
ing exercises: 
(2) encourage the use of modern training tech-
nologies, simulators, and realistic training environ-
ments to enhance effectiveness of the training pro-
gram; and 
(3) ensure that training materials are up-to- 
date, accessible, and tailored to the specific vehicle 
types and operational environments members of the 
Armed Forces are likely to encounter. 
(e) 
INFORMATION
COLLECTION
AND
EVALUA-
TIONS.—In carrying out this section, the Secretary of De-
fense shall— 
(1) update reporting mechanisms used to collect 
and analyze data related to military vehicle inci-
dents, including vehicle rollovers, and the causes of 
such incidents; 
(2) conduct regular evaluations of the effective-
ness of the training under this section in reducing
300 
incidents and improving the proficiency of military 
vehicle operators; and 
(3) promptly implement any recommendations 
for program improvements based on the results of 
such data and evaluations. 
SEC. 549J. SPEECH DISORDERS OF CADETS AND MID-
SHIPMEN. 
(a) TESTING.—The Superintendent of a military 
service academy shall provide testing for speech disorders 
to incoming cadets or midshipmen under the jurisdiction 
of that Superintendent. 
(b) NO EFFECT ON ADMISSION.—The testing under 
subsection (a) may not have any affect on admission to 
a military service academy. 
(c) RESULTS.—The Superintendent shall provide 
each cadet or midshipman under the jurisdiction of that 
Superintendent the result of the testing under subsection 
(a) and a list of warfare unrestricted line officer positions 
and occupation specialists that require successful perform-
ance on the speech test. 
(d) THERAPY.—The Superintendent shall furnish 
speech therapy to a cadet or midshipman under the juris-
diction of that Superintendent at the election of the cadet 
or midshipman.
301 
(e) RETAKING.—A cadet or midshipman whose test-
ing indicate a speech disorder or impediment may elect 
to retake the testing once each academic year while en-
rolled at the military service academy. 
SEC. 549K. ANNUAL TRAINING ON THE PREVENTION OF 
SEXUAL ABUSE FOR STUDENTS IN THE JUN-
IOR RESERVE OFFICERS’ TRAINING CORPS. 
Chapter 102 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 2037. Training on prevention of sexual abuse 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Defense, 
acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Per-
sonnel and Readiness, shall establish training for students 
enrolled in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps 
regarding prevention of sexual abuse. 
‘‘(b) ELEMENTS.—The training established under 
this section shall— 
‘‘(1) be age-appropriate; 
‘‘(2) be evidence-based in polyvictimization re-
search; 
‘‘(3) be comprehensive, including elements re-
garding— 
‘‘(A) grooming; 
‘‘(B) bullying, including cyberbullying;
302 
‘‘(C) appropriate relationships and inter-
actions between such students and instructors; 
‘‘(D) signs of inappropriate behavior be-
tween adults and adolescents; and 
‘‘(E) digital abuse; and 
‘‘(4) provide such students with the contact in-
formation of local resources through which a student 
may report alleged sexual abuse or receive treatment 
and support for such abuse. 
‘‘(c) PROVISION.—The Secretary shall ensure that 
each such student receives training established under this 
section— 
‘‘(1) from an entity other than an administrator 
or instructor of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Train-
ing Corps; and 
‘‘(2) once each year. 
‘‘(d) METRICS.—The Secretary shall establish and 
maintain metrics regarding the effectiveness of the train-
ing established under this section. 
‘‘(e) SEXUAL ABUSE DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘sexual abuse’ means an offense covered by section 
920, 920b, 920c, or 930 of this title (article 120, 120b, 
120c, or 130 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice).’’.
303 
SEC. 549L. EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY TO DETAIL MEM-
BERS TO LAW EDUCATION PROGRAMS. 
(a) EXPANSION.—Section 2004 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘The Sec-
retary’’; 
(B) by striking the second sentence; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary of the military department 
concerned may pay expenses incident to the detail, under 
this subsection, of an officer or enlisted member for a pe-
riod of training described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(B) Not more than 25 officers and enlisted members 
from each military department may, in any single fiscal 
year, begin a period of training described in paragraph 
(1) for which the Secretary of the military department 
concerned pays expenses under this paragraph. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary of the military department con-
cerned may detail an officer or enlisted member under 
paragraph (1) without paying expenses under paragraph 
(2).’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘either’’ 
and inserting ‘‘in the case of a member for
304 
whose training the Secretary of the military de-
partment concerned pays expenses under sub-
section (a)(2), either’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (C) of paragraph 
(3)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘period of two years’’ 
and all that follows and inserting an em 
dash; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the following 
new clauses: 
‘‘(i) in the case of a member for 
whose training the Secretary of the mili-
tary department concerned pays expenses 
under subsection (a)(2), two years; or 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a member de-
scribed in subsection (a)(3), one year for 
each year or part thereof of legal training 
under subsection (a).’’; 
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and 
(3) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following new paragraph (2): 
‘‘(2) in the case of a member described in sub-
section (a)(3), either—
305 
‘‘(A) have served on active duty for a pe-
riod of not less than two years nor more than 
eight years and be an officer in the grade of O– 
3 or below as of the time the training is to 
begin; or 
‘‘(B) have served on active duty for a pe-
riod of not less than four years nor more than 
ten years and be an enlisted member in the 
grade of E–5, E–6, or E–7 as of the time the 
training is to begin;’’; and 
(E) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘under 
this section’’ and inserting ‘‘paid under sub-
section (a)(2) of’’. 
(b) BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING DURING DE-
TAIL.— 
(1) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Section 403 of 
title 37, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) by redesignating subsection (q) as sub-
section (r); and 
(B) by inserting after subsection (p) the 
following new subsection (q): 
‘‘(q) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR CERTAIN DE-
TAIL.—A member of the armed forces may not be denied 
an allowance under this section solely on the basis that
306 
such member has been detailed for a period of training 
under section 2004 of title 10.’’. 
(2) RETROACTIVE EFFECT.—A member of the 
Armed Forces who, on or after August 1, 2023, the 
Secretary of the military department concerned de-
termined, under section 502 of title 37, United 
States Code, was absent for a period that is longer 
than the leave authorized by section 701 of title 10, 
United States Code, because the member was de-
tailed or assigned by the Secretary of the military 
department concerned as a full-time student to a ci-
vilian institution to pursue a program of education, 
is entitled to the basic allowance for housing under 
section 403 of title 37, United States Code, to which 
the member would have been entitled if the member 
were not so absent. 
SEC. 549M. DIVE SCHOOL REQUIRED ELEMENT OF QUALI-
FICATION AS A COMBAT CONTROLLER OF 
THE AIR FORCE. 
The Secretary of the Air Force shall require that 
training to qualify as a combat controller of the Air Force 
includes dive school.
307 
Subtitle F—Military Justice and 
Other Legal Matters 
SEC. 551. AUTHORITY OF SPECIAL TRIAL COUNSEL WITH 
RESPECT TO CERTAIN OFFENSES OCCUR-
RING BEFORE EFFECTIVE DATE OF MILITARY 
JUSTICE REFORMS. 
Section 824a(d) of title 10, United States Code, as 
added by section 531 of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 
Stat. 258), is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ‘‘section 
920 (article 120),’’ and inserting ‘‘section 919a (ar-
ticle 119a), section 920 (article 120), section 920a 
(article 120a),’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (2) as para-
graph (3); 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(2) THE STANDALONE OFFENSE OF SEXUAL 
HARASSMENT.—After January 1, 2025, a special 
trial counsel may, at the sole and exclusive discre-
tion of the special trial counsel, exercise authority 
over the following offenses:
308 
‘‘(A) The standalone offense of sexual har-
assment punishable under section 934 of this 
title (article 134) in each instance in which— 
‘‘(i) the offense occurs after January 
26, 2022, and on or before January 1, 
2025; and 
‘‘(ii) a formal complaint is substan-
tiated in accordance with regulations pre-
scribed by the Secretary concerned. 
‘‘(B) A conspiracy to commit an offense 
specified in subparagraph (A) as punishable 
under section 881 of this title (article 81). 
‘‘(C) A solicitation to commit an offense 
specified in subparagraph (A) as punishable 
under section 882 of this title (article 82). 
‘‘(D) An attempt to commit an offense 
specified in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) as 
punishable under section 880 of this title (arti-
cle 80).’’; and 
(4) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘or 
(2)’’ after ‘‘paragraph (1)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘paragraph (1)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection
309 
(c)(2)(A) or paragraph (1) or (2) of this sub-
section’’. 
SEC. 552. DETAILING OF APPELLATE DEFENSE COUNSEL. 
Subsection (b) of section 865 of title 10, United 
States Code (article 65 of the Uniform Code of Military 
Justice), is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘the Judge Advocate Gen-
eral shall forward the record’’ and inserting the 
following: ‘‘the Judge Advocate General shall 
forward— 
‘‘(A) the record’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), as designated by 
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, by striking 
the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) a copy of the record of trial to an ap-
pellate defense counsel who shall be detailed to 
review the case and, upon request of the ac-
cused, to represent the accused before the 
Court of Criminal Appeals.’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)—
310 
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 
by striking ‘‘shall’’ and inserting ‘‘shall, 
upon written request of the accused’’; 
(ii) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘, upon 
request of the accused,’’; and 
(iii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘upon 
written request of the accused,’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘accused’’ and all that 
follows through ‘‘waives’’ and inserting 
‘‘accused waives’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘; or’’ and inserting a 
period; and 
(iii) by striking clause (ii). 
SEC. 553. MODIFICATION TO OFFENSE OF AIDING THE 
ENEMY UNDER THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILI-
TARY JUSTICE. 
Section 903b(2) of title 10, United States Code (arti-
cle 103b(2) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice), is 
amended by inserting ‘‘provides military education, mili-
tary training, or tactical advice to,’’ after ‘‘gives intel-
ligence to,’’.
311 
SEC. 554. MODIFICATION OF TIMELINE FOR POTENTIAL IM-
PLEMENTATION OF STUDY ON UNANIMOUS 
COURT-MARTIAL VERDICTS. 
Section 536(c)(3) of the National Defense Authoriza-
tion Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public Law 118–31; 137 
Stat. 263) is amended by striking ‘‘2027’’ and inserting 
‘‘2025’’. 
SEC. 555. EXPANDED COMMAND NOTIFICATIONS TO VIC-
TIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. 
Section 549 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92; 10 U.S.C. 
806b note) is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘, or a case of an alleged 
domestic violence-related offense (as defined by 
the Secretary),’’ after ‘‘of title 10, United 
States Code)’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘periodically notify the vic-
tim’’ and inserting ‘‘periodically notify the vic-
tim (or the victim’s legal counsel if so requested 
by the victim)’’; and 
(2) in the last sentence, by striking ‘‘notify the 
victim’’ and inserting ‘‘notify the victim (or the vic-
tim’s legal counsel if so requested by the victim)’’.
312 
SEC. 556. PROHIBITING THE BROADCAST AND DISTRIBU-
TION OF DIGITALLY MANIPULATED INTIMATE 
IMAGES. 
(a) RECOMMENDATIONS
REQUIRED.—The Joint 
Service Committee on Military Justice shall develop rec-
ommendations for modifying the offense of indecent view-
ing, visual recording, or broadcasting under section 920c 
of title 10, United States Code (article 120c of the Uni-
form Code of Military Justice) to clarify its applicability 
to the broadcasting and distribution of digitally manipu-
lated intimate images. 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing recommenda-
tions under subsection (a), the Joint Service Committee 
on Military Justice shall consider— 
(1) the advisability of modifying section 920c of 
title 10, United States Code (article 120c of the 
Uniform Code of Military Justice)— 
(A) to prohibit the broadcasting or dis-
tribution of an intimate digital depiction of an-
other person that the offender knew or reason-
ably should have known was made without the 
other person’s consent and under circumstances 
in which that person has a reasonable expecta-
tion of privacy; and 
(B) to define the term ‘‘intimate digital de-
piction’’ (as used in subparagraph (A)) as a
313 
digital depiction of an individual that has been 
created or altered using digital manipulation 
and that depicts— 
(i) the private area of an identifiable 
individual; or 
(ii) an identifiable individual engaging 
in sexually explicit conduct (as defined in 
section 917a(b) of title 10, United States 
Code (article 117a(b)(4) of the Uniform 
Code of Military Justice)); and 
(2) such other approaches to the modification 
of such section 920c (article 120c) as the Committee 
considers appropriate to address digitally manipu-
lated intimate images. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Joint Service Committee 
on Military Justice shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Represent-
atives a report that includes— 
(1) the recommendations developed under sub-
section (a); and 
(2) draft legislative text that sets forth all 
amendments and modifications to law that may be 
needed to effectively implement such recommenda-
tions.
314 
SEC. 557. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN RECORDS OF CRIMINAL 
INVESTIGATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 79 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1552 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1552a. Treatment of certain records of criminal in-
vestigations 
‘‘(a) GUIDANCE REQUIRED.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall develop and implement uniform guidance pro-
viding for the modification of titling and indexing systems 
to ensure that a record identifying a member or former 
member of the Armed Forces as the subject of a criminal 
investigation is removed from such system if that member 
or former member is cleared of wrongdoing as described 
in subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) DISPOSITION OF INVESTIGATIONS.—A member 
or former member of the Armed Forces who is the subject 
of a criminal investigation shall be considered to have been 
cleared of wrongdoing for purposes of subsection (a) if— 
‘‘(1) an investigation conducted by a defense 
criminal investigative organization or another Fed-
eral or civilian law enforcement agency determines 
that— 
‘‘(A) no probable cause exists to support 
that the member or former member is respon-
sible for the alleged offense; or
315 
‘‘(B) the member or former member was 
mistakenly identified as a subject; or 
‘‘(2) the reasons specified for the charges for 
which the member or former member was under in-
vestigation are unsupported by probable cause as de-
termined by— 
‘‘(A) a court-martial or other proceeding 
brought under chapter 47 of this title; or 
‘‘(B) a civilian court. 
‘‘(c) PROHIBITION ON INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION.— 
No member of an Armed Force may be involuntarily sepa-
rated solely for an offense for which the member is cleared 
of wrongdoing as described in subsection (b). 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘defense criminal investigative 
organization’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Army Criminal Investigation 
Command; 
‘‘(B) the Naval Criminal Investigative 
Service; 
‘‘(C) the Air Force Office of Special Inves-
tigations; 
‘‘(D) the Coast Guard Investigative Serv-
ice;
316 
‘‘(E) the Defense Criminal Investigative 
Service; and 
‘‘(F) any other organization or element of 
the Department of Defense or an Armed Force 
that is responsible for conducting criminal in-
vestigations. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘indexing’ means the practice of 
submitting an individual’s name or other personally 
identifiable information to the Federal Bureau of In-
vestigation’s Interstate Identification Index, or any 
successor system. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘titling’ means the practice of 
identifying an individual as the subject of a criminal 
investigation in the records of a military criminal in-
vestigative organization and storing such informa-
tion in a database or other records system. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘titling and indexing system’ 
means any database or other records system used by 
a defense criminal investigative organization for pur-
poses of titling and indexing, including the Defense 
Central Index of Investigations (commonly known as 
‘DCII’).’’. 
(b) REVIEW AND DOCUMENTATION.—Not later than 
60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, each 
Secretary concerned, pursuant to the guidance issued by
317 
the Secretary of Defense under section 1552a of title 10, 
United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), and in 
consultation with the appropriate Judge Advocate Gen-
eral, shall— 
(1) review the titling and indexing systems of 
the defense criminal investigative organizations 
under the jurisdiction of such Secretary to identify 
each record in such system that pertains to a mem-
ber or former member of the Armed Forces who has 
been cleared of wrongdoing as described in sub-
section (b) of such section 1552a; 
(2) notify the defense criminal investigative or-
ganization involved of each record identified under 
paragraph (1); and 
(3) direct the head of the organization to re-
move the record in accordance with subsection (c). 
(c) DEADLINE FOR REMOVAL.—The head of a de-
fense criminal investigative organization that receives a 
notice under subsection (b)(2) with respect to a record in 
a titling or indexing system shall ensure that the record 
is removed from such system by not later than 30 days 
after the date on which the notice is received. 
(d) EFFECT ON OTHER LAW.—The requirements of 
this section and the amendments made by this section are 
in addition to any requirements imposed under section 549
318 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2023 (Public Law 117–263; 10 U.S.C. 1552 note). This 
section and the amendments made by this section shall 
supersede any provision of section 549 of that Act that 
is inconsistent with this section or such amendments, but 
only to the extent of the inconsistency. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The terms ‘‘defense criminal investigative 
organization’’, ‘‘indexing’’, ‘‘titling’’, and ‘‘titling 
and indexing system’’ have the meanings given those 
terms in section 1552a(d) of title 10, United States 
Code (as added by subsection (a)). 
(2) The term ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 101(a) of title 
10, United States Code. 
SEC. 558. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REVISIONS TO MILI-
TARY RULES OF EVIDENCE TO PROTECT PA-
TIENT PRIVACY. 
(a) RECOMMENDATIONS
REQUIRED.—The Joint 
Service Committee on Military Justice shall develop rec-
ommendations for modifying rule 513 of the Military 
Rules of Evidence (as set forth in part III of the Manual 
for Courts-Martial) to include diagnoses of a patient and 
treatments prescribed to a patient as confidential commu-
nications subject to the psychotherapist-patient privilege.
319 
(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing recommenda-
tions under subsection (a), the Joint Service Committee 
on Military Justice shall consider— 
(1) the advisability of modifying Military Rule 
of Evidence 513 to cover psychotherapy diagnoses 
and treatments; and 
(2) such other approaches to the modification 
of Military Rule of Evidence 513 as the Committee 
considers appropriate to address victim privacy 
rights. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Joint Service Committee 
on Military Justice shall submit to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Represent-
atives a report that includes— 
(1) the recommendations developed under sub-
section (a); and 
(2) draft legislative text that sets forth all 
amendments and modifications to law that may be 
needed to effectively implement such recommenda-
tions. 
SEC. 559. CORRECTION OF CERTAIN CITATIONS IN TITLE 
18, UNITED STATES CODE, RELATING TO SEX-
UAL OFFENSES. 
Part I of title 18, United States Code, is amended—
320 
(1) in section 2241(c)— 
(A) in the second sentence, by inserting 
‘‘or an offense under the Uniform Code of Mili-
tary Justice’’ after ‘‘State offense’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘either such provision’’ and 
inserting ‘‘any such provision’’; 
(2) in section 2251(e), by striking ‘‘section 920 
of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code of Mili-
tary Justice), or under’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘the Uniform Code of Military Justice or’’; 
(3) in section 2252(b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘section 
920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice), or under’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Uniform Code of Military Justice or’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘section 
920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice), or under’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Uniform Code of Military Justice or’’; 
(4) in section 2252A(b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘section 
920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice), or under’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Uniform Code of Military Justice or’’; and
321 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘section 
920 of title 10 (article 120 of the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice), or under’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Uniform Code of Military Justice or’’; 
(5) in section 2426(b)(1)(B), by inserting ‘‘or 
the Uniform Code of Military Justice’’ after ‘‘State 
law’’; and 
(6) in section 3559(e)(2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘State sex offense’’ and 
inserting ‘‘State or Military sex offense’’; 
and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘or the Uniform Code 
of Military Justice’’ after ‘‘State law’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘or 
Military’’ after ‘‘State’’. 
Subtitle G—Member Transition 
SEC. 561. MODIFICATIONS TO TRANSITION ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM. 
(a) WAIVER FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE RE-
SERVE COMPONENTS.—Paragraph (4) of subsection (a) of 
section 1142 of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) The Secretary concerned may waive the 
requirement for preseparation counseling under
322 
paragraph (1) in the case of a member of a reserve 
component if— 
‘‘(i) the member requests such a waiver; 
‘‘(ii) the member received preseparation 
counseling during the three-year period pre-
ceding the date of such request; and 
‘‘(iii) the matters covered by such coun-
seling, as specified in subsection (b), have not 
changed since the member last received such 
counseling.’’. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY OF A MEMBER WHO REENLISTS TO 
RECEIVE
PRESEPARATION
COUNSELING.—Such sub-
section is further amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) The commanding officer of a member of the 
armed forces whose discharge (regardless of character of 
discharge) or release from active duty is anticipated as 
of a specific date may, on a space available basis, author-
ize such member to receive preseparation counseling, re-
gardless of whether such member reenlists or agrees to 
a new period of obligated service.’’. 
SEC. 562. MINIMUM DURATION OF PRESEPARATION COUN-
SELING REGARDING FINANCIAL PLANNING. 
Section 1142(b)(9) of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended—
323 
(1) by inserting ‘‘and counseling’’ after ‘‘assist-
ance’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘, which counseling shall be for 
a period not shorter than one hour’’ after ‘‘taxes’’. 
SEC. 563. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: PRESEN-
TATION IN PRESEPARATION COUNSELING TO 
PROMOTE BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO VET-
ERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1142(b) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(20) A presentation that promotes the benefits 
available to veterans under the laws administered by 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Such presen-
tation— 
‘‘(A) shall be standardized; 
‘‘(B) shall, before implementation, be re-
viewed and approved by the Secretary of Vet-
erans Affairs in collaboration with veterans 
service organizations that provide claims assist-
ance under the benefits delivery at discharge 
program of the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
‘‘(C) shall be submitted by the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to the Committees on Vet-
erans’ Affairs of the Senate and the House of
324 
Representatives for review at least 90 days be-
fore implementation; 
‘‘(D) where available, shall be presented 
with the participation of— 
‘‘(i) a representative of a veterans 
service organization recognized under sec-
tion 5902 of title 38; or 
‘‘(ii) an individual— 
‘‘(I) recognized under section 
5903 of such title; and 
‘‘(II) authorized by the Secretary 
concerned to so participate; 
‘‘(E) shall include information on how a 
veterans service organization may assist the 
member in filing a claim described in paragraph 
(19); 
‘‘(F) may not encourage the member to 
join a particular veterans service organization; 
and 
‘‘(G) may not be longer than one hour.’’. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not less than frequently than 
once each year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit, to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House 
of Representatives, and to the Committees on Veterans’
325 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives, a re-
port that— 
(1) identifies each veterans service organization 
that participated in a presentation under paragraph 
(20) of section 1142(b) of title 10, United States 
Code, as added by subsection (a); 
(2) contains the number of members of the 
Armed Forces who attended such presentations; and 
(3) includes any recommendations of the Sec-
retary regarding changes to such presentation or to 
such paragraph. 
SEC. 564. ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNSELING PATHWAY IN 
THE TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR 
MEMBERS OF CERTAIN RESERVE COMPO-
NENTS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
Section 1142(c)(1) of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 
by inserting ‘‘(including one pathway for members of the 
reserve components of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air 
Force, or Space Force)’’ after ‘‘military department con-
cerned’’.
326 
SEC. 565. PATHWAY FOR INDIVIDUALIZED COUNSELING 
FOR MEMBERS OF THE RESERVE COMPO-
NENTS UNDER TAP. 
Section 1142(c)(1) of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended, in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 
by inserting ‘‘(including one pathway for members of the 
reserve components)’’ after ‘‘military department con-
cerned’’. 
SEC. 566. TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: DEPART-
MENT OF LABOR EMPLOYMENT NAVIGATOR 
AND PARTNERSHIP PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the 
Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is 
operating when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall carry out a 
pilot program to be known as the ‘‘Employment Navigator 
and Partnership Pilot Program’’. The pilot program shall 
supplement the program under section 1144 of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the pilot program 
under this section, the Secretary of Labor, in consultation 
with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the depart-
ment in which the Coast Guard is operating when it is
327 
not operating as a service in the Navy, and the Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs, shall— 
(1) seek to enter into contracts with public, pri-
vate, and nonprofit entities under which such enti-
ties provide individualized employment counseling 
for members of the Armed Forces and their spouses; 
(2) prioritize entering into contracts with quali-
fied private entities that have experience providing 
instruction to members of the Armed Forces eligible 
for assistance under the pilot program carried out 
under this section on— 
(A) private sector culture, resume writing, 
career networking, and training on job search 
technologies; 
(B) academic readiness and educational 
opportunities; or 
(C) other relevant topics, as determined by 
the Secretary; 
(3) prioritize entering into a contract with a 
qualified private entity that is an existing Employ-
ment Navigator and Partnership Pilot Program 
partner with experience integrating members of the 
Armed Forces into local communities across the en-
tire nation, to:
328 
(A) Lead the program in clause (2) and, 
following person-to-person interactions and dis-
cussions with the individuals seeking assistance, 
provide referrals to the organizations under 
contract with the Secretary based on the Armed 
Forces member or veterans preferences, geo-
graphic location, and other factors; 
(B) Provide comprehensive wrap-around 
services to the those individuals receiving assist-
ance under this title, to include services with 
other matters related to transition, and remain 
in contact with the individuals through person- 
to-person engagements throughout the process; 
(iii) Provide close coordination with 
contracted organizations and follow-up 
communications with those enrolled in the 
Employment Navigator and Partnership 
Pilot Program to ensure a smooth transi-
tion; 
(iv) Ensure the Secretary is provided 
with appropriate data on referrals, out-
comes, and issues that arise to enable 
proper oversight of the program; 
(4) give a preference to any private entity 
that—
329 
(A) has a national or international geo-
graphical area of service; 
(B) provides multiple forms of career as-
sistance and placement services to— 
(i) active duty members of the Armed 
Forces; 
(ii) spouses of active duty members of 
the Armed Forces; 
(iii) veterans; and 
(iv) spouses of veterans; 
(C) provides services to at least 1,000 indi-
viduals who are— 
(i) active duty members of the Armed 
Forces; 
(ii) spouses of active duty members of 
the Armed Forces; 
(iii) veterans; or 
(iv) spouses of veterans; 
(D) has continuously, for at least the 
three-year period immediately preceding the 
date of the contract, provided services to indi-
viduals who are— 
(i) active duty members of the Armed 
Forces;
330 
(ii) spouses of active duty members of 
the Armed Forces; 
(iii) veterans; and 
(iv) spouses of veterans; and 
(E) has a demonstrated record of success 
in providing assistance with employment serv-
ices, as indicated by— 
(i) the average wages or earnings of 
people who receive employment services 
provided by the entity; 
(ii) prior completion of Federal grants 
or contracts; 
(iii) having at least 75 percent of its 
participants find full-time employment 
within six months of initially receiving em-
ployment services provided by the entity; 
and 
(iv) other employment performance in-
dicators, as determined by the Secretary; 
and 
(5) seek to enter into contracts with not fewer 
than 10, but not more than 60, private entities 
under which each such entity is compensated at a 
rate agreed upon between the Secretary and the en-
tity for each individual who receives employment
331 
services provided by the entity and is in unsub-
sidized employment during the second quarter after 
exit from the program; and 
(6) conduct such other activities as may be nec-
essary for the delivery of individualized employment 
counseling and other employment services under this 
section. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than October 1 of each year 
during the term of the pilot program, the Secretary of 
Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the 
Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is 
operating when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, 
and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall submit to the 
Committees on Armed Services, the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure of the House of Representa-
tives, and the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Sen-
ate and House of Representatives a report on the pilot 
program under this section, including the employment out-
comes for members of the Armed Forces and their spouses 
who receive employment services under the program on 
the following indicators of performance— 
(1) the percentage of program participants who 
are in unsubsidized employment during the second 
quarter after exit from the program;
332 
(2) the percentage of program participants who 
are in unsubsidized employment during the fourth 
quarter after exit from the program; and 
(3) the median earnings of program partici-
pants who are in unsubsidized employment during 
the second quarter after exit from the program. 
(d) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall termi-
nate five years after the date on which the Secretary of 
Labor begins to carry out the pilot program. 
SEC. 567. PILOT PROGRAM ON SECURE, MOBILE PERSONAL 
HEALTH RECORD FOR MEMBERS OF THE 
ARMED 
FORCES 
PARTICIPATING 
IN 
THE 
TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Defense shall commence a pilot program under which ac-
tive duty members of the Armed Forces who are enrolled 
in the Transition Assistance Program use a covered health 
record platform to collect their records before separating 
from active duty. 
(b) SELECTION OF ARMED FORCES.—The Secretary 
shall select not less than one Armed Force in which to 
carry out the pilot program under subsection (a). 
(c) CONTRACTS.—
333 
(1) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary shall seek to 
enter into a contract using competitive procedures 
with an appropriate entity for the provision of the 
covered health record platform under the pilot pro-
gram under subsection (a). 
(2) NOTICE OF COMPETITION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall issue a request for proposals for 
the contract described in paragraph (1). 
(B) 
OPEN
COMPETITION.—A 
request 
under subparagraph (A) shall be full and open 
to any contractor that has an existing covered 
health record platform. 
(3) SELECTION.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall award a contract to an appropriate entity pur-
suant to the request for proposals under paragraph 
(2) if at least one acceptable offer is submitted. 
(d) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out the pilot program under subsection (a) for a pe-
riod of not less than one year.
334 
(2) TERMINATION
OR
EXTENSION
OF
PRO-
GRAM.—At the end of the one-year period specified 
in paragraph (1), the Secretary may— 
(A) terminate the pilot program under sub-
section (a); 
(B) continue the pilot program; 
(C) expand the pilot program; or 
(D) implement the use of a covered health 
record platform in the Transition Assistance 
Program throughout the Armed Forces. 
(e) PROHIBITION
ON NEW APPROPRIATIONS.—No 
additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to 
carry out the requirements of this section. Such require-
ments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise au-
thorized to be appropriated for the Department of De-
fense. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED HEALTH RECORD PLATFORM.— 
The term ‘‘covered health record platform’’ means a 
secure personal health record platform that meets 
the following requirements: 
(A) Has web-based capabilities. 
(B) Has the capability to store and share 
records with the Department of Veterans Af-
fairs or any other designated care provider.
335 
(C) Has the capability to store records in 
the cloud. 
(D) Does not have a requirement for inte-
gration to receive or share records. 
(E) Has the capability to instantly share 
data based on a combination of access key and 
personal identifier. 
(F) Has the capability to provide secure 
data storage and records transfer upon separa-
tion of a member of the Armed Forces from ac-
tive duty. 
(G) Does not require a business associate 
agreement with any parties. 
(H) Has secure data isolation with access 
controls. 
(I) Has, at a minimum, data security that 
would require separate encryption for each doc-
ument, relying on AES256 algorithm with keys 
encryption using RSA2048 algorithm, or any 
successor similar algorithm. 
(2) TRANSITION
ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘‘Transition Assistance Program’’ means the 
program of the Department of Defense for 
preseparation counseling, employment assistance,