Washington – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Cyber, Information Technology and Innovation Subcommittee, joined his House colleagues today in voting for H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. The bill passed the House of Representatives with a bi-partisan majority of 217 to 199.

“For the 64th consecutive year, the House of Representatives has passed bi-partisan legislation providing for the common defense and supporting our servicemembers and military families,” said Bacon. “I commend Speaker Johnson, Chairman Rogers, and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle on this significant legislative achievement.”

The title and base text of this year’s House NDAA is based on the legislative recommendations of the bi-partisan HASC Military Quality of Life Panel led by Chairman Bacon over the last year. 

“We must never forget that the All-Volunteer Force is the foundation of America’s military strength”, said Bacon.  “The quality of life of our servicemembers and military families is a central national security issue.  This landmark legislation takes aggressive steps to address the clear warning signs that more must be done to protect and preserve the All-Volunteer Force.”   

In addition to the substantial military quality of life reforms proposed by Chairman Bacon, the FY2025 NDAA also includes provisions that fully fund the modernization of America’s strategic nuclear deterrent, mandate merit-based personnel management policies across the Department of Defense, prohibit the promotion and implementation of various CRT and other race-based theories in Department of Defense schools, repeals the exemption allowing local commanders to permit the display of unauthorized flags at military installations, and prohibits the Pentagon from contracting with various firms to rate domestic news and information sources engaging in lawful, Constitutionally-protected speech.

Provisions in the House FY 2025 defense bill led by Chairman Bacon include:

• More than 30 recommendations totaling over $4.5 billion to improve military quality of life championed by Rep. Bacon who chaired a year-long effort to understand challenges faced by military servicemembers and families including:

• A targeted 19.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted personnel with other structural pay and benefit improvements
• A requirement for the military services to fully fund unaccompanied housing maintenance accounts and strengthen oversight of military housing programs
• A requirement for the military services to fully fund childcare fee assistance programs and take steps to mitigate childcare staffing shortages at Department of Defense childcare facilities
• Measures to improve access to mental health providers and increase healthcare accessibility for servicemembers
• Measures to expand military spouse employment and provide flexibilities to federally-employed military spouses when their spouse changes duty stations  

• Language directing the Secretary of Defense to establish a subordinate unified command under U. S. Cyber Command to conduct defensive cyber operations
• Language establishing the Department of Defense Hackathon Program
• Language authorizing the Secretary of the Air Force to designate former Airmen who previously supported the space mission as Legacy Guardians
• Language directing the Department of Defense to maintain current contract information for surviving next of kin for fallen servicemembers
• Language authorizing remarried spouses of fallen servicemembers to retain access to Military OneSource
• Language directing the Department of Defense to prepare an assessment of space and satellite security concerns for allies and partners in the Middle East, including the State of Israel
• Language directing the Department of Defense to provide information on supplemental health insurance for servicemembers and families
• Language directing the Air Force to conduct a pilot program on rapid response language training
• Language directing the Department of Defense to develop campaign modeling and simulation capabilities for joint electromagnetic spectrum operations 
• Language mandating minimum student-teacher ratios at Department of Defense schools
• Language authorizing expansion of military copyright protections for faculty of Department of Defense academic institutions
• Language requiring the Secretary of Defense to make a recommendation on the restoration of retired rank for Air Force General John D. Lavelle
• Language directing the Secretary of Defense to prepare an updated force posture assessment of U.S Army and Air Force units in Europe
• Additional funding for USSTRATCOM’s Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3) Rapid Engineering Architecture Collaboration Hub (REACH) initiative
• Additional funding for USSTRATCOM’s affiliated research center at the University of Nebraska

When compiled, the text of H.R. 8070 can be found here.