Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of H.R. 3979, the Carl Levin and Howard “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for FY2015

Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of H.R. 3979, the Carl Levin and Howard “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for FY2015

Fact Sheet: Selected Highlights of H.R. 3979, the Carl Levin and Howard "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for FY2015

December 3, 2014 (R43806)

Following are selected highlights of S. 1847, the version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2015, agreed to on December 2, 2014, by negotiators for the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.

On May 22, 2014, by a vote of 325-98, the House passed H.R. 4435, a version of the FY2015 NDAA that had been reported by the House Armed Services Committee. On the same day, the Senate Armed Services Committee reported S. 2410, its version of the FY2015 NDAA. To expedite final action on the bill (since the Senate did not take up S. 2410), negotiators from the House and Senate drafted a compromise version of the FY2015 NDAA. For procedural reasons, this compromise version has been incorporated into the conference report on S. 1847, a bill to rename the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in honor of the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye.

This CRS Fact Sheet, based on the draft explanatory statement of House and Senate negotiators, is intended as a time-urgent expedient to offer Members the best available information about the bill pending update of CRS Report R43788, Defense: FY2015 Authorization and Appropriations, by [author name scrubbed].

Table 1. FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act Authorization Levels

(amounts in millions of dollars of discretionary budget authority)

Administration
Request

House-passed H.R. 4435

Senate Committee-reported S. 2410

Proposed Final Version H.R. 3979

Base Budget

Procurement

89,508

90,984

89,549

91,399

Research and Development

63,534

63,791

63,484

63,826

Operation and Maintenance

165,722

164,555

166,075

165,417

Military Personnel

135,194

135,244

135,147

134,716

Defense Health Program and
Other Authorizations

35,029

34,742

35,266

33,980

Military Construction and Family Housing

6,557

6,533

6,452

6,552

Subtotal: DOD Base Budget

495,544

495,849

495,973

495,891

Atomic Energy Defense Activities

17,873

17,565

17,687

17,524

TOTAL: National Defense Budget Function Base Budget

513,417

513,414

513,660

513,415

Overseas Contingency Operations

63,733

79,445

0

63,732

(Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund) non-add

(4,000)

0

0

(1,300)

(European Reassurance Initiative) non-add

(925)

0

0

(371)

GRAND TOTAL: FY2015 NDAA

577,150

592,859

513,660

577,147

Notes: Subsequent to House passage of H.R. 4435 and Senate committee approval of S. 2410, the Administration requested $63.7 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funds to cover war costs associated with operations in Afghanistan, operations against the Islamic State, and efforts to reassure European allies in the wake of Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory.

Table 2. Selected Administration Policy and Cost-Cutting Proposals

Issue

Administration
Proposal

House-passed H.R. 4435

Senate committee-reported
S. 2410

Proposed Final Version
H.R. 3979

Annual Raise in Military Basic Pay

1.0% raise (in lieu of the 1.8% raise that would occur under existing law); Basic pay freeze for generals and admirals

Committee report endorses 1.8% raise; Bill authorizes freeze for generals and admirals (Section 602)

Supports the Administration proposal (Section 601)

Joint statement notes President's authority to set raise at 1%; Bill authorizes freeze for generals and admirals (Section 601)

Annual Commissary Subsidy ($1.4 billion in FY2014)

3-year phase-in of $1 billion reduction, beginning with $200 million reduction in FY2015

Adds $100 million to reverse Administration proposal, pending study (Section 632)

Adds $200 million to reverse Administration proposal; requires DOD report

Adds $100 million to reverse budget proposal; Requires study of possible cost reductions (Section 634)

Housing Allowance for assignment in U.S. (currently covers 100% of cost)

Gradually reduce rate of growth over several years until allowance covers 95% of cost

Rejects proposal; Includes no change in current law governing housing allowance

Authorizes the Administration proposal (Section 603)

Allows reduction of allowance in FY2015 by 1% of average housing costs (Section 604)

TRICARE medical insurance for active duty and retired servicemembers and their dependents

Proposes increased deductibles, fees and pharmacy co-payments

Authorizes none of the proposed changes

Authorizes only the proposed increase in pharmacy co-payments (Section 702)

Authorizes a $3 increase in co-payments (Section 702)

Status of 11 Aegis cruisers and 3 amphibious landing ships near the midpoint of expected service life

Mothball the ships and gradually modernize them and put them back into service to replace similar ships as they wear out

Prohibits inactivation of any of the ships; Requires that 2 cruisers be modernized in FY2016 (Section 1026)

Establishes rules for the Administration's modernization plan; Requires that all ships be kept in active service for full expected lifetime (Section 1022)

Bars the retirement of any of the ships and requires that modernization of 2 cruisers begin in FY2016 (Section 1026)

Army/National Guard helicopter missions, including Apache attack helicopters

Move all Apache attack helicopters from National Guard units to Army units; Re-equip some of those Guard units with Black Hawk troop carriers

Prohibits removing Apaches from National Guard units; Adds $105.2 million to buy new Black Hawks and modernize older ones.

Bars moving more than 48 Apaches from National Guard (Section 1703); Creates commission on Army/National Guard roles (Sections 1701-1709); Adds $145.0 million for Black Hawks for National Guard

Bars moving more than 48 Apaches from National Guard (Section 1703); Creates commission on Army/National Guard roles (Sections 1701-1712); Adds $103.0 million for Black Hawks for National Guard

A-10 ground attack aircraft.

Retire all A-10s

Prohibits retirement of A-10s (Section 132); Adds $635.0 million in OCO account to continue operating, and upgrading A-10s

Prohibits retirement of any A-10s (Section 134); Adds $339.3 million to continue operating A-10s

Bars retirement of A-10s but allows 36 to be removed from daily operation (Section 133); Adds $339.3 million for A-10 operations

Table 3. Selected Congressional Budget Increases and Policy Additions

Issue

House-passed
H.R. 4435

Senate
committee-reported
S. 2410

Proposed Final Version
H.R. 3979

EF-18G Growler electronic warfare planes (Navy)

Adds $450.0 million for five Growlers

Directs the Navy to retain the option of buying additional Growlers; Adds $25.0 million and authorizes the use of $75.0 million appropriated in FY2014 (Section 121)

Directs the Navy to retain the option of buying additional Growlers (Section 125); Adds $450 million for five aircraft

Retirement of refueling of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (previously slated for refueling and modernization in FY2016 to provide 23 years of additional service); FY2015 request deferred decision on ship's future

Adds $979.0 million for refueling and modernization; bars use of 50% of Section of Defense office budget until funds are obligated to upgrade the ship (Section 1024)

Authorizes transfer of up to $650 million from other accounts to refuel the ship (Section 123); Bars use of funds for actions regarding the ship not necessary for modernization and refueling (Section 1021)

Adds $795.1 million to begin refueling and modernization of the carrier; Bars use of funds for actions regarding the ship not necessary for modernization and refueling (Section 1023)

San Antonio-class (LPD-17) amphibious landing ship (most recently funded of which—the 11th of the class—cost $2.09 billion in FY2012)

Adds $800.0 million for a 12th ship of this class; Authorizes incremental funding for the ship (Section 122)

Authorizes the Navy to transfer up to $650 million within procurement accounts for an additional LPD-17 (Section 123)

Adds $800.0 million for a 12th ship of this class; Authorizes incremental funding for the ship (Section 121)

Israeli missile defense systems

Adds $348.0 million for various Israeli missile defense systems

Adds $175.0 million for the Iron Dome defense against short-range rockets and mortars

Adds $348.8 million for Israeli systems, including Iron Dome

U.S.-built replacement for Russian RD-180 satellite booster

Adds $220.0 million to develop a replacement for Russian-built RD-180 rocket engine used to launch heavy satellites (Section 1604)

Adds $100.0 million to develop a replacement for the RD-180 (Section 1609)

Adds $220.0 million to develop a replacement for the RD-180 engine (Section 1604)

Construction of a ballistic missile defense site near the East Coast (in addition to current sites in Alaska and California)

Adds $20.0 million for planning and design of an East Coast missile defense site

None

None

Minimum sentence in sexual assault cases

Two years imprisonment and dishonorable discharge (Section 536)

None

None

Review of a decision by a convening authority not to take a sexual assault case to court-martial

None

Review by service secretary, at the request of the service's chief prosecutor (Section 546)

Review by service secretary, at the request of the service's chief prosecutor (Section 541)

Table 4. Selected Congressional Prohibitions and Budget Reductions

Issue

House-passed
H.R. 4435

Senate
committee-reported
S. 2410

Proposed Final Version
H.R. 3979

Littoral Combat Ships; Budget requests 3 ships ($1.43 billion)

Cuts 1 ship ($450.0 million); Adds $100.0 million for components

No change to request

No change to request

KC-46 tanker plane; Budget requests 7 planes ($1.58 billion)

Cuts 1 plane ($229.7 million) because of budget constraints

No change to request

No change to request

UCLASS carrier-based, long-range drone; Budget requests $403.0 million

Cuts $203.0 million

No change to request

No change to request

Reduction of funding for service contractors

Cuts $817.5 million

No change to request

No change to request

Closure of detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Extends current prohibitions on transfer to U.S. territory of Guantanamo detainees (Section 1033)

Would allow detainees to be brought to U.S. for continued detention or trial, under certain conditions (Section 1031)

Extends current prohibitions on transfer to U.S. territory of Guantanamo detainees (Section 1033)

Implementation of New START nuclear arms reduction treaty.

Bar use of funds to implement New START until Russia no longer occupies Ukrainian territory and complies with INF and CFE treaties. (Section 1230A)

No provision

No prohibition on use of funds for treaty compliance; Requires DOD report on why New START treaty is in U.S. national security interest (Section 1247)