Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of H.R. 1735,
the National Defense Authorization Act for
FY2016
Pat Towell
Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget
May 5, 2015
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R44019

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Selected Highlights of H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act

Following are selected highlights of H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
for FY2016 approved by the House Armed Services Committee in the early hours of April 30,
2015. At the end of a markup session that began the morning of April 29, the committee voted 60-
2 to report the amended bill to the House, where floor action is anticipated the week of May 11.
This CRS Fact Sheet, based on the draft bill and committee report (H.Rept. 114-102), is designed
as a time-urgent product offering Members the best available information about the bill pending
publication of a CRS report on the FY2016 Defense Authorization and Appropriations legislation.
Table 1. FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act Authorization Levels
(amounts in millions of dollars of discretionary budget authority)
House
Senate
committee-
committee-
Administration
reported
reported
Conference

Request
H.R. 1735
bill
Report
Base Budget
Procurement 106,967,393
109,735,699


Research and Development
69,779,182
68,352,509


Operation and Maintenance
176,517,228a 136,562,778


Military Personnel
136,734,676 136,443,184


Defense Health Program and
35,917,538 37,860,421


Other Authorizations
Military Construction and Family
8,306,510a 7,151,000


Housing
Subtotal: DOD Base Budget
534,222,527
496,105,591


Atomic Energy Defense Activities
19,031,483
18,856,186


TOTAL: National Defense Budget
553,254,010 514,961,777


Function Base Budget
Overseas Contingency Operations
50,949,561 50,949,104


(OCO)
OCO Funding for
0.0a 38,290,000a


Base Budget Requirements
Subtotal: OCO
50,949,561
89,239,104


GRAND TOTAL: FY2016 NDAA
604,203,571
604,200,881


Source: H.Rept. 114-102, Report of the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on
H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2016
Note:
a. The House Armed Services Committee authorized in the OCO section of its bill (a) 134 Operation and
Maintenance (O&M) programs for which the Administration requested a total of $38.3 billion in the base
budget and (b) 10 military construction projects for which the Administration requested a total of $532
million in the base budget. According to the House committee’s Fact Sheet on the bill, this was done “in
order to comply with the Budget Control Act as well as meet our national security operations....”
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Selected Highlights of H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act

Table 2. Selected Administration Policy and Cost-Cutting Proposals
House committee-
Administration
reported bill
Senate committee-
Proposal
H.R. 1735
reported bill
Conference Report
1.3% Raise in Military
No change to proposal


Basic Pay in lieu of the
2.3% raise that would occur
under existing lawa
Reduce Commissary
Rejects proposal (Section


Subsidy ($1.48 billion
642): authorizes an
requested in FY2016) by
additional $322 million to
efficiencies and reduction of
continue current policy in
store hours but without
FY2016
closing storesa
Slow rate of increase in
Rejects proposal;


Housing Allowance to
authorizes an additional
eventually cover 95% of
$400 million to continue
rental costs in lieu of current current policy in F20Y16
99% coveragea
Changes to TRICARE
Authorizes none of the


medical insurance including
proposed changes
enrol ment fee for
TRICARE-for-Life (for
retirees) and increased
pharmacy co-pays for
non-active duty beneficiaries
Remove each of 11 Aegis
Requires that each of the


cruisers from service for a
cruisers being modernized
four-year modernization
in FY2016 be out of service
after which they would
for no more than two
replace unmodernized
years (Section 1023)
cruisers as the latter retire
Move all Apache attack
Bars Apache moves until


helicopters from
60 days after a commission
National Guard units to
report (Section 1053);
Army units; Re-equip some
Authorizes an additional
of those Guard units with
$136.8 million to buy new
Black Hawk troop carriersb
Black Hawks and
modernize older ones for
Guard units
Continue mothballing A-10
Bars retirement of A-10s


ground-attack aircraftc
(Section 133); Reduces to
18 the number that can be
sidelined (Section 132);
Authorizes an additional
$603.1 million to keep
operating all other A-10s
a. For background, see CRS Report RL33446, Military Pay: Key Questions and Answers, by Lawrence Kapp and
Barbara Salazar Torreon.
b. For background, see CRS Report R43808, Army Active Component (AC)/Reserve Component (RC) Force Mix:
Considerations and Options for Congress, by Andrew Feickert and Lawrence Kapp
c. For background, see CRS Report R43843, Proposed Retirement of A-10 Aircraft: Background in Brief, by
Jeremiah Gertler.
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Selected Highlights of H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act

Table 3. Selected Congressional Budget Increases and Policy Additions
House-passed
Senate committee-
Issue
H.R. 1735
reported bill
Conference Report
F/A-18E/F Navy fighters
Adds $1.15 billion for 12


(none requested)a
F/A-18E/Fs
F-35 Joint Strike
Adds an additional $1.0


Fighter ($11.0 billion
billion for 6 Marine Corps
requested for 57 planes)b
versions (F-35B)
LX(R) amphibious
Adds $250 million for


landing ship (no
components so first LX(R)
procurement funds
can be funded sooner than
requested for vessels)c
FY2020 (the current plan)
Israeli missile defense
Adds $329.8 million for


systems R&D ($102.8
various Israeli missile
million requested)
defense systems
U.S.-built replacement for
Adds $184.4 million to


Russian-built RD-180
development a replacement
rocket motor for
for RD-180 (Section 1603)
satellite launch vehicles
Construction of a ballistic
Adds $30.0 million to plan


missile defense site
and design East Coast site;
near the East Coast (in
requires deployment of SBX
addition to current sites in
radar on East Coast
Alaska and California)
(Section 1673)
Russian violation of 1989
Adds $25 million to develop

INF [Intermediate-
countermeasures; requires
range Nuclear Force]
report on discussions with
Treaty (reported by
allies concerning collective
Administration)d
response (Section 2143)
Changes to Military
Modifies the system for new

Retirement Systeme
servicemembers, with some
changes proposed by a
national commission,
including portable Thrift
Savings Plan (Sections 631-
634)
Lethal military assistance
Adds $200 million to train


to Ukraine
and equip Ukrainian forces
(Section 1532)
Provision of military
Requires that 25% of anti-


assistance directly to
ISIL funds for Iraqi
Sunni and Kurdish
government be al ocated to
forces inside Iraq
Kurdish and Sunni forces
(Section 1223)
a. For background, see CRS Report RL30624, Navy F/A-18E/F and EA-18G Aircraft Program, by Jeremiah Gertler.
b. For background, see CRS Report RL30563, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, by Jeremiah Gertler.
c. For background, see CRS Report R43543, Navy LX(R) Amphibious Ship Program: Background and Issues for
Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
d. For background, see CRS Report R43832, Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF)
Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress, by Amy F. Woolf.
e. CRS Report RL34751, Military Retirement: Background and Recent Developments, by Kristy N. Kamarck
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Selected Highlights of H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act

Table 4. Selected Congressional Prohibitions and Budget Reductions
House-passed
Senate committee-
Issue
H.R. 1735
reported bill
Conference Report
Funds cut from request
Cuts $2.6 billion because of


to be made up for by
Unobligated Balances
Unobligated Balances
appropriated in earlier
budgets but not spent as
planned
Fuel prices assumed in
Cuts $1.6 billion on the


budget request
assumption that fuel prices
will be lower than assumed
in budget
Foreign currency
Cuts $1.4 billion on the


assumptions
assumption that purchase of
goods and services by U.S.
forces overseas will cost less
than budget assumed (due to
increased value of the dollar
against foreign currencies)
Long-range Strike
Cuts $460 million because of

Bomber ($1.25 billion
changes in program’s
requested for R&D)a
schedule
KC-46 tanker plane;
Cuts $24 million from


($2.35 billion requested
procurement request and
to procure 12 planes and $200 million from R&D
$602 million for R&D)b
request because of changes
in program’s schedule
Administration’s effort
Repeals provision of FY2015


to close the detention
NDAA that increased the
facility at Guantanamo
President’s discretion to
Bay, Cubac
transfer Guantanamo
detainees to other places
(Sections 1036-1038); Adds
$76 million for Guantanamo
Bay barracks
a. For background, see CRS Report R43049, U.S. Air Force Bomber Sustainment and Modernization: Background
and Issues for Congress, by Jeremiah Gertler.
b. For background, see CRS Report RL34398, Air Force KC-46A Tanker Aircraft Program, by Jeremiah Gertler.
c. For background, see CRS Report R42143, Wartime Detention Provisions in Recent Defense Authorization
Legislation, by Jennifer K. Elsea and Michael John Garcia.


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Selected Highlights of H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act

Author Contact Information

Pat Towell

Specialist in U.S. Defense Policy and Budget
ptowell@crs.loc.gov, 7-2122


Congressional Research Service
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