FY2024 NDAA Funding Authorizations and Legislative Activity: In Brief

FY2024 NDAA Funding Authorizations and Legislative Activity: In Brief

FY2024 NDAA Funding Authorizations and
May 2, 2024
Legislative Activity: In Brief
Brendan W. McGarry
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is authorization legislation typically
Specialist in U.S. Defense
introduced and reported each year by the House and Senate Committees on Armed
Budget
Services (also known as the House Armed Services Committee, or HASC, and the

Senate Armed Services Committee, or SASC). The act primarily sets policy and
authorizes appropriations for activities of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and

national security programs of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 marked the 63rd
consecutive fiscal year for which Congress enacted an annual defense authorization.
On March 9, 2023, President Joe Biden submitted to Congress a budget request for FY2024 that included a total
of $910.8 billion for national defense-related activities, including discretionary and mandatory programs. Of that
amount, $874.2 billion for discretionary programs fell within the scope of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY2024 NDAA; P.L. 118-31), with $841.2 billion for DOD activities, $32.6 billion for DOE
activities, and $0.4 billion for other defense-related activities. The requested amount within the scope of the
FY2024 NDAA was $26.9 billion (3.2%) more than the FY2023 authorized amount, in nominal terms.
On July 14, 2023, the House passed a version of the NDAA (H.R. 2670) that would have authorized $874.2
billion, as requested for activities within the scope of the legislation. On July 27, 2023, the Senate passed a
version of the bill (S. 2226) that would have authorized $876.8 billion—approximately the level the President’s
budget requested, after adjusting for a difference in the requested amount for the Air Force, Operation and
Maintenance account. On December 22, 2023, President Biden signed into law the FY2024 NDAA (P.L. 118-31),
which authorized $874.2 billion, as requested. Together with amounts for certain defense-related programs not
within the purview of the legislation or requiring additional authorization, the discretionary budget authority
implication of the enacted FY2024 NDAA totaled $886.3 billion—consistent with the defense discretionary
spending cap for FY2024 established in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (P.L. 118-5; 137 Stat. 12).
While the overall level of funding authorized in the FY2024 NDAA matched the President’s request, amounts
authorized for certain parts of the legislation differed from the request. For DOD, the act authorized a total of
$210.5 million more funding than the President requested. In terms of major DOD budget categories, the
legislation authorized $1.5 billion more than requested for military construction, or MILCON; $1.2 billion more
than requested for procurement; $965.1 million more than requested for research, development, test, and
evaluation (RDT&E); $2.1 billion less than requested for military personnel (MILPERS); $1.2 billion less than
requested for operation and maintenance (O&M); and $78.2 million less than requested for other authorizations.
For other agencies, the legislation authorized $60 million more than requested for certain defense-related
activities; and $270.5 million less than requested for atomic energy defense activities.
In addition to providing an overview of major legislative activity on the FY2024 NDAA, this report compares
funding authorizations in the House-passed, Senate-passed, and enacted versions of the legislation, relative to the
Biden Administration’s request. This report also provides references to other CRS reports that provide in-depth
analysis and contextual information on certain defense and foreign policy issues.
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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Bill Overview .................................................................................................................................. 2
Summary of Funding Authorizations ........................................................................................ 2
Summary of Legislative Activity .............................................................................................. 7

Figures
Figure 1. Congressional Changes to President’s Requested Funding Authorizations in
Proposed and Enacted Versions of the FY2024 NDAA, by Selected Titles ................................. 6

Figure A-1. Days between Start of Fiscal Year and Enactment of Annual Defense
Authorization Acts, FY1977-FY2024 ........................................................................................ 10

Tables
Table 1. Summary of Funding Authorizations in FY2024 NDAA .................................................. 3
Table 2. FY2024 NDAA: Selected Legislative Activity ................................................................. 8

Table A-1. Requested and Authorized Funding in the NDAA, FY2014-FY2024 ........................... 9

Appendixes
Appendix A. Selected Historical Data ............................................................................................. 9
Appendix B. Detailed Legislative Activity .................................................................................... 11
Appendix C. Related CRS Products .............................................................................................. 13

Contacts
Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 14

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FY2024 NDAA Funding Authorizations and Legislative Activity: In Brief

Introduction
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a policy bill typically introduced and
reported each year by the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services (also known as the
House Armed Services Committee, or HASC, and the Senate Armed Services Committee, or
SASC). Unlike an appropriations act, the NDAA generally does not provide funding (i.e., budget
authority).1 Rather, the legislation sets policy and authorizes appropriations for the U.S.
Department of Defense (DOD), nuclear weapons and reactor programs of the U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE), and certain other defense-related activities.
The NDAA is a vehicle through which Congress fulfills its responsibility as mandated in Article I,
Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution. This section of the Constitution provides Congress the
authority to “provide for the common Defence,” “raise and support Armies,” “provide and
maintain a Navy,” and “make Rules for the ... Regulation of the land and naval Forces,” among
other powers.2
As an authorizing measure, the legislation establishes or amends defense programs, projects, or
activities, and provides guidance on how appropriated funds are to be used in carrying out those
efforts. While the NDAA does not provide budget authority, historically it has provided an
indicator of congressional intent on funding for particular programs. The bill authorizes funding
for DOD activities at the same level of detail at which budget authority is provided by the
corresponding defense, military construction, and other appropriations acts. Despite a statutory
requirement for annual authorization of appropriations for defense programs,3 the U.S.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) has concluded that Congress is free to deviate from
authorized amounts in subsequent appropriations.4 According to GAO, “If Congress appropriates
money to the Defense Department in violation of 10 U.S.C. §114, there are no practical
consequences. The appropriation is just as valid, and just as available for obligation, as if section
114 had been satisfied or did not exist.” As defense authorization and appropriations legislation
can differ on a line-item level, an authorization of appropriations in the NDAA may be considered
a funding indicator rather than a floor or ceiling.5
The NDAA has a history of regular enactment; FY2024 marked the 63rd consecutive fiscal year
for which Congress enacted an annual defense authorization.6 Because of this history of regular
enactment, the bill sometimes serves as a vehicle for legislation originating in committees other
than HASC or SASC.7

1 Budget authority is authority provided by law to a federal agency to obligate money for goods and services. For more
information, see U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), A Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget
Process, GAO-05-734SP, September 2005, p. 20.
2 Congress.gov, Constitution Annotated: Analysis and Interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8,
“Overview of Congress’s Enumerated Powers.”
3 10 U.S.C. §114.
4 GAO, Principles of Federal Appropriations Law [“The Red Book”], Chapter 2, “The Legal Framework,” 4th ed.,
2016 revision, GAO-16-464SP, p. 56.
5 For more information on the federal budget process, see CRS Report R46240, Introduction to the Federal Budget
Process. For more information on the differences between authorizations and appropriations, see CRS Report R46497,
Authorizations and the Appropriations Process.
6 For more information, see CRS Report 98-756, Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1961-FY2021.
7 For more background information on the NDAA, see CRS In Focus IF10515, Defense Primer: The NDAA Process
and CRS In Focus IF10516, Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA.
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This report provides an overview of defense-related funding authorizations and legislative
activity on the FY2024 NDAA (i.e., Division A through Division D of P.L. 118-31). Detailed
analysis of funding and policy provisions associated with individual programs, projects, and
activities in the bill is beyond the scope of this report. For a list of related CRS products on the
FY2024 NDAA, see Appendix C.
Bill Overview
This section of the report provides a summary of funding authorizations in the FY2024 NDAA,
including elements of congressional debate on the size of the defense budget. It also provides a
summary of legislative activity on the FY2024 NDAA, including certain congressional actions
with respect to the House-passed, Senate-passed, and enacted versions of the bill.
Summary of Funding Authorizations8
The majority (96%) of funding requested in the national defense budget function for FY2024 fell
within the scope of the NDAA.9 The national defense budget function, identified by the numerical
notation 050, is one of 20 major budget functions used by the White House Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) to organize budget data and the government’s broadest measure
of defense-related funding.10 The legislation typically authorizes discretionary funding for
programs in the DOD-military subfunction (051) and atomic energy defense activities
subfunction (053); and certain programs in the defense-related activities (054) subfunction.11 In
general, discretionary funding refers to funding provided in appropriations acts, while mandatory
funding refers to funding controlled by other laws.12 Of the $910.8 billion in total funding
requested in the FY2024 President’s budget for programs, projects, and activities within the
national defense budget function,13 $874.2 billion fell within the scope of the FY2024 NDAA.14
During deliberation of the FY2024 NDAA, Congress debated whether to authorize more, the
same, or less funding than the President requested for such activities. The enacted version of the
legislation authorized $874.2 billion, as requested. Together with amounts for certain defense-
related programs not within the purview of the legislation or requiring additional authorization,
the discretionary budget authority implication of the enacted FY2024 NDAA totaled $886.3

8 This section is drawn from CRS Insight IN12209, FY2024 NDAA: Summary of Funding Authorizations.
9 White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the U.S. Government,
Fiscal Year 2024, March 2024, Table 24-1; and H.Rept. 118-301, pp. 1390-1395.
10 OMB, Supplemental Materials, Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2024, Public Budget Database User’s
Guide, March 2024, p. 24. The national defense budget function does not include funding for the Department of
Veterans Affairs and certain other activities sometimes included as part of a [national] security category of funding.
See, e.g., 2 U.S.C. §900(c)(4)(B) and OMB, Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2024, Table S-7, p. 162.
11 The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)-reported version of an NDAA typically does not authorize
appropriations for the Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Maritime Security Program and Tanker
Security Program; however, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC)-reported version and the enacted version
of an NDAA typically do.
12 Government Accountability Office, A Glossary of Terms Used in the Federal Budget Process, GAO-05-734,
September 2005, pp. 46, 66.
13 OMB, Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2024, Table 24-1. For more information
on the national defense budget function, see CRS In Focus IF10618, Defense Primer: The National Defense Budget
Function (050).
14 H.Rept. 118-301, pp. 1390-1395.
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billion—consistent with the defense discretionary spending cap for FY2024 established in the
Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA; P.L. 118-5).15
Table 1 shows requested, proposed, and authorized amounts in the FY2024 NDAA for DOD-
military activities (including by major appropriation title), atomic energy defense programs, and
certain defense-related activities.
Table 1. Summary of Funding Authorizations in FY2024 NDAA
(in billions of dollars of discretionary budget authority)
Title
FY2023
FY2024
House-passed Senate-
FY2024
NDAA
President’s
NDAA (H.R.
passed
NDAA
(P.L. 117-
budget
2670)
NDAA (S. (P.L. 118-
263)
requesta
2226)
31)
Procurement
$163.15
$167.99
$168.57
$169.84
$169.17
Research and Development
$138.86
$144.98
$145.21
$146.14
$145.94
Operation and Maintenance
$278.79
$290.07
$289.17
$291.75b
$288.82
Military Personnel
$172.02
$178.87
$178.63
$177.33
$176.77
Other Authorizations
$44.36
$42.60
$42.46
$42.60
$42.52
Military Construction and
$19.49
$16.67
$17.47
$16.67
$18.17
Family Housing
Subtotal, Department of
$816.68
$841.19
$841.51
$844.34
$841.40
Defense-Military (051)
Atomic Energy Defense
$30.27
$32.65
$32.26
$32.47
$32.38
Programs (053)
Defense-Related Activities
$0.38
$0.38
$0.44
n/ac
$0.44
(054)
Total
$847.32
$874.21
$874.21
$876.81
$874.21
Source: U.S. Congress, House Committee on Armed Services, James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Legislative Text and Joint Explanatory Statement to Accompany H.R. 7776, P.L. 117-
263, Book 2 of 2, committee print, 118th Congress, 1st sess., January 2023, 50-665, pp. 2168-2173; H.Rept. 118-
125 accompanying H.R. 2670, pp. 421-426; S.Rept. 118-58 accompanying S. 2226, pp. 400-403; and U.S.
Congress, Conference Committee, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, conference report
to accompany H.R. 2670, 118th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 118-301, December 6, 2023, pp. 1390-1395.
Note: Totals may not sum due to rounding. Dol ars rounded to nearest hundredth.
a. Amounts in this column reflect those in H.Rept. 118-301.
b. S.Rept. 118-58 included a higher requested amount for Air Force, Operation and Maintenance funding than
H.Rept. 118-125 ($65.72 bil ion vs $62.75 bil ion).
c. The SASC typically does not authorize appropriations for the Department of Transportation Maritime
Administration Maritime Security Program and Tanker Security Program; however, the final version of the
NDAA typically does.

15 137 Stat. 12. For more background and analysis on the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA), see CRS Insight
IN12168, Discretionary Spending Caps in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023; and CRS Insight IN12183, The FRA’s
Discretionary Spending Caps Under a CR: FAQs, by Drew C. Aherne and Megan S. Lynch.
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FY2024 NDAA Funding Authorizations and Legislative Activity: In Brief

House-passed NDAA
H.R. 2670 would have authorized $874.2 billion—the level of funding the President’s budget
requested for activities within the scope of the legislation.16 The bill would have authorized more
funding than requested for DOD; less funding than requested for atomic energy defense
programs; and more funding than requested for certain other defense-related activities.
During debate of H.R. 2670 in the HASC, Representative Rob Wittman, Chair of the Tactical Air
and Land Forces Subcommittee, said he supported an effort by Representative Mike Rogers,
Chair of the HASC, to align funding authorized by the legislation to the spending cap in the debt-
limit deal negotiated in part by Representative Kevin McCarthy, former Speaker of the House.17
Wittman said, “The overall debt agreement enacted earlier this year, and the associated
appropriations allocations, are the right medicine to our rampant government spending. So, as I
begin our debate today, I support Chairman Rogers’ defense top line proposal, and Speaker
McCarthy’s defense approach, to make sure that we rapidly access every programmatic efficiency
available.”18 Representative Barbara Lee proposed an amendment that would have reduced the
amount authorized by the bill by $100 billion, excluding accounts related to the Defense Health
Program, military personnel, and pay and benefits.19 In a statement, Representative Lee described
the amendment, which was not considered for debate, as an effort to “rein in Pentagon
spending.”20
Senate-passed NDAA
S. 2226 would have authorized $876.8 billion—approximately the level the President’s budget
requested for activities within the scope of the legislation, after adjusting for a difference in the
requested amount for the Air Force, Operation and Maintenance account.21 The legislation would
have authorized more funding than requested for the DOD and less funding than requested for
atomic energy defense programs, including for the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and
Decommissioning Fund. The committee report stated, “The committee recommends an overall
discretionary authorization of $886.3 billion in fiscal year 2024”22—the level of the defense
discretionary spending cap for FY2024 in P.L. 118-5.23
During debate of the bill in a closed session, SASC voted 12-13 opposing an amendment to “raise
the topline for implementation of the National Defense Strategy and for other purposes.”24
Senator Roger Wicker, Ranking Member of SASC, reportedly filed the motion to increase
funding authorized in the legislation by $25 billion.25 On July 19, in remarks on the Senate floor,
Senator Wicker said, “Ideally, we would have an annual 3% to 5% boost to our topline above

16 H.Rept. 118-125, p. 425.
17 Representative Rob Wittman, as quoted in “House Armed Services Committee Holds Markup on the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2024, Part I,” Congressional Quarterly, June 21, 2023.
18 Ibid.
19 House Committee on Rules, H.R. 2670 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Amendment No.
46, Version 1.
20 Representative Barbara Lee, “Congresswoman Barbara Lee Releases Statement on Blocked NDAA Amendments,”
press release, July 13, 2023.
21 S.Rept. 118-58, p. 403.
22 Ibid., p. 3.
23 P.L. 118-5; 137 Stat. 12.
24 S.Rept. 118-58, p. 565.
25 Joe Gould, “Senate NDAA: What to Watch,” Politico, July 18, 2023.
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inflation.”26 Section 1004 of the proposed bill included a Sense of the Senate provision on the
need for emergency supplemental funding in FY2024.27 The section stated, in part, “there are
growing national security concerns that require additional funds beyond the revised security
spending limit, to include continued support to the Ukrainian armed forces, additional munitions
production, additional large surface combatants, shipbuilding industrial base modernization
investments, submarine industrial base and supply chain management, additional production of
wheeled and tracked combat vehicles, and emergent capabilities and exercises in the United
States Indo-Pacific Command.”28 Senator Elizabeth Warren, who opposed reporting the
legislation to the Senate,29 previously described the FY2024 DOD budget request as “massive”
and expressed concern that the department’s unfunded priorities lists “distort our budget
process.”30
In Statements of Administration Policy on H.R. 2670 and S. 2223, the Biden Administration
pledged to work with Congress to set “appropriate and responsible levels of defense and non-
defense spending to support the security of the Nation consistent with the Fiscal Responsibility
Act.”31
Enacted NDAA
The enacted FY2024 NDAA authorized $874.2 billion, as requested.32 While the overall level of
funding authorized in the FY2024 NDAA matched the President’s request, amounts authorized
for certain titles in the legislation differed from the request. For DOD, the legislation authorized a
total of $210.5 million more funding than the President requested. In terms of major DOD titles,
the legislation authorized $1.5 billion more than requested for military construction (MILCON);
$1.2 billion more than requested for procurement; $965.1 million more than requested for
research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E); $2.1 billion less than requested for
military personnel (MILPERS); $1.2 billion less than requested for operation and maintenance
(O&M); and $78.2 million less than requested for other authorizations. For other agencies, the
legislation authorized $60 million more than requested for certain defense-related activities; and
$270.5 million less than requested for atomic energy defense activities. See Figure 1.

26 Senator Roger Wicker, “Wicker Kicks Off National Defense Bill Debate,” press release, July 19, 2023.
27 S. 2226, §1004.
28 Ibid.
29 S.Rept. 118-58, p. 568.
30 SASC, “Hearing to Receive Testimony on the Department of Defense Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2024 and the
Future Years Defense Program,” stenographic transcript, March 28, 2023, p. 79.
31 White House, “Statement of Administration Policy, H.R. 2670 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2024,” July 10, 2023; and “Follow-On to Statement of Administration Policy, S. 2226 – National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,” July 27, 2023.
32 H.Rept. 118-301, p. 1393.
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FY2024 NDAA Funding Authorizations and Legislative Activity: In Brief

Figure 1. Congressional Changes to President’s Requested Funding Authorizations in
Proposed and Enacted Versions of the FY2024 NDAA, by Selected Titles
(in billions of dollars of discretionary budget authority)

Source: CRS analysis of U.S. Congress, House Committee on Armed Services, James M. Inhofe National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Legislative Text and Joint Explanatory Statement to Accompany
H.R. 7776, P.L. 117-263, Book 2 of 2, committee print, 118th Congress, 1st sess., January 2023, 50-665, pp. 2168-
2173; H.Rept. 118-125 accompanying H.R. 2670, pp. 421-426; S.Rept. 118-58 accompanying S. 2226, pp. 400-403;
and U.S. Congress, Conference Committee, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,
conference report to accompany H.R. 2670, 118th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 118-301, December 6, 2023, pp.
1390-1395.
Notes: Amounts in bil ions of dol ars of discretionary budget authority.
In terms of line-item level adjustments to DOD MILCON projects, the legislation authorized
some of the biggest funding increases for natural disaster recovery efforts at Tyndall Air Force
Base, FL; an unspecified pilot program in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDO-PACOM) area
of responsibility; and a water reclamation facility compliance upgrade at Marine Corps Base,
HI.33
With respect to DOD procurement programs, the legislation authorized some of the biggest
funding increases for ships (e.g., LPD-33 amphibious assault ship and DDG-51 destroyer advance
procurement [AP]), aircraft (e.g., E-2D electronic attack aircraft, P-8A maritime surveillance
aircraft, CH-47 cargo helicopter, V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft), and weapons and combat vehicles (e.g.,
M-1 Abrams tank upgrades, M-109 Paladin howitzer [cannon], Stryker armored vehicle
upgrades).34
Regarding line-item level adjustments to DOD RDT&E programs, projects, and activities, the
legislation authorized some of the biggest funding increases—other than realignments of

33 H.Rept. 118-301, pp. 1530, 1533, 1539.
34 H.Rept. 118-301, pp. 1396, 1398-1399, 1406, 1411-1412.
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FY2024 NDAA Funding Authorizations and Legislative Activity: In Brief

requested funding to separate line items—for Space Force classified programs; the Adaptive
Engine Transition Program (AETP) to develop advanced engine prototypes for fighter aircraft;
hypersonic defense technology (i.e., glide phase interceptor identified as a priority by the Missile
Defense Agency); Precision Strike Weapons Development Program to develop a Nuclear-Armed
Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N); and a Joint All Domain Command and Control
(JADC2) effort to develop a Joint Fires Network.35
The legislation authorized less funding than requested for DOD MILPERS appropriations largely
due to “underexecution,” or lower spending than projected, related to end-strengths, the
authorized personnel levels of branches of the military.36 Certain military services have struggled
to meet recruiting goals.37
In terms of line-item level adjustments to DOD O&M activities, the legislation authorized some
of the biggest funding decreases for “undistributed” line items in Navy, Air Force, and Army
operation and maintenance appropriations, due to foreign currency fluctuations and unobligated
balances.38
With respect to line-item level adjustments to DOD other authorizations, the legislation
authorized some of the biggest funding decreases for certain Defense Health Program activities
(e.g., in-house care, private care).39
Regarding line-item level adjustments to other agency authorizations, the legislation authorized
the biggest funding increase for the Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s
Tanker Security Program, which provides DOD with access to a fleet of commercial vessels to
supply the armed forces with fuel during conflicts or emergencies.40
In terms of line-item level adjustments to atomic energy defense activities, the legislation
authorized the biggest funding decrease for defense uranium enrichment decontamination and
decommissioning.41
Summary of Legislative Activity42
By law, the President is to send a federal budget request to Congress by the first Monday in
February.43 In practice, the request is sometimes delayed. On March 9, 2023, President Biden
submitted initial documentation supporting the FY2024 budget request, including proposed
funding for the national defense-related activities.44

35 H.Rept. 118-301, pp. 1453, 1464, 1479, 1487, 1489.
36 H.Rept. 118-301, p. 1522.
37 See, for example, Davis Winkie, “After missing goal again, Army announces sweeping recruiting reforms,” Army
Times, October 3, 2023.
38 H.Rept. 118-301, pp. 1498, 1505, 1511.
39 H.Rept. 118-301, pp. 1524-1525.
40 H.Rept. 118-301, p. 1393.
41 H.Rept. 118-301, p. 1393. For more background on a similar adjustment in the past, see CRS Report R47869,
FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act: Overview of Funding Authorizations.
42 This section is drawn from CRS Insight IN12210, FY2024 NDAA: Status of Legislative Activity.
43 31 U.S.C. §1105(a).
44 OMB, Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2024.
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Table 2 provides a summary of major legislative activity on the FY2024 NDAA, including key
legislative documentation produced as part of the process. For a detailed description of
congressional actions on the legislation, see Appendix B.
Table 2. FY2024 NDAA: Selected Legislative Activity
Public
House
Senate
Law
Conf.
Conf.
Report,
Report,
Vote #
Vote #
Vote #
Vote #
(yeas-
(yays-
(yeas-
(yays-
Bill #,
nays),
nays),
Bill #,
nays),
nays),
P.L. #,
Date
Report
Date
Date
Date
Report
Date
Date
Date
Reported
#, Date Passed
Passed
Reported
#, Date
Passed
Passed
Signed
H.R. 2670,
H.Rept.
328
H.Rept.

n/a (passed H.Rept.
P.L. 118-
6/30/23
118-125, (219-
118-301,
with an
118-301,
31,
6/30/23
210),
723 (310-
amendmen
343 (87-
12/22/23
7/14/23 118),
t by UC),
13),
12/14/23
7/27/23
12/13/23

S. 2226,
S.Rept.
212 (86-

7/11/23
118-58,
11),
7/12/23
7/27/23
Source: CRS analysis of selected actions in Congress.gov.
Note: UC is unanimous consent. For a detailed description of congressional actions on the legislation, see
Appendix B.
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Appendix A. Selected Historical Data
This section of the Appendix provides selected historical data on the NDAA, including a table
comparing requested and authorized funding levels over the past decade, and a figure showing the
days between the start of the fiscal year and enactment of the legislation.
Requested and Authorized Funding in the NDAA, FY2014-FY2024
Table A-1 shows the change from requested to authorized funding in the NDAA over the past
decade.
Table A-1. Requested and Authorized Funding in the NDAA, FY2014-FY2024
(in billions of dollars of discretionary budget authority)
Public Law
Change from
Change from
Fiscal Year
(P.L.)
Request
Authorized
Request ($)
Request (%)
2014
P.L. 113-66
$625.15a
$625.14a
-$0.01
0.0%
2015
P.L. 113-291
$577.15b
$577.15b
$0.00
0.0%
2016
P.L. 114-92
$604.21c
$599.21c
-$5.00
-0.8%
2017
P.L. 114-328
$607.98d
$611.17d
$3.19
0.5%
2018
P.L. 115-91
$665.72e
$692.10e
$26.38
4.0%
2019
P.L. 115-232
$708.11f
$708.10f
-$0.01
0.0%
2020
P.L. 116-92
$741.93g
$729.93g
-$12.0
-1.6%
2021
P.L. 116-283
$731.61h
$731.61h
$0.00
0.0%
2022
P.L. 117-81
$743.09i
$768.21i
$25.12
3.4%
2023
P.L. 117-263
$802.36j
$847.32j
$44.96
5.6%
2024
P.L. 118-31
$874.21k
$874.21k
$0.00
0.0%
Source: CRS analysis of funding tables in conference reports or explanatory statements accompanying National
Defense Authorization Acts. Amounts include funding for Department of Defense-Military, atomic energy
defense programs, defense-related activities and, from FY2014 to FY2021, funding designated for Overseas
Contingency Operations (OCO).
Note: Dol ars rounded to nearest hundredth; percentages rounded to nearest tenth. The “% Change" column is
the percentage change between authorized and requested amounts. Links to reports or explanatory statements
are embedded in the page numbers below.
a. Explanatory statement to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (P.L.
113-66) in Committee Print No. 2, December 2013, p. 780
b. Explanatory statement to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (P.L.
113-291) in Committee Print No. 4, December 2014, p. 994
c. Explanatory statement to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (P.L.
114-92) in Committee Print No. 2, November 2015, p. 887
d. Conference report (H.Rept. 114-840) to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2017 (P.L. 114-328), p. 1332
e. Conference report (H.Rept. 115-404) to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2018 (P.L. 115-91), p. 1111
f.
Conference report (H.Rept. 115-863) to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2019 (P.L. 115-232), p. 1143
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g. Conference report (H.Rept. 116-333) to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2020 (P.L. 116-92), p. 1545
h. Conference report (H.Rept. 116-617) to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
FY2021 (P.L. 116-283), p. 1938
i.
Explanatory statement to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (P.L.
117-81) in Part 2 of the House section of the Congressional Record, December 7, 2021, p. H7364
j.
Explanatory statement to accompany P.L. 117-263 in U.S. Congress, House Committee on Armed Services,
James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Legislative Text and Joint Explanatory
Statement to Accompany H.R. 7776, P.L. 117-263, Book 2 of 2, committee print, 118th Congress, 1st sess.,
January 2023, 50-665, p. 2172
k. Conference report (H.Rept. 118-301) to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2024 (P.L. 118-31), p. 1393
Days Between Start of Fiscal Year and Enactment of Annual
Defense Authorization, FY1977-FY2024
Figure A-1 shows the number of days between the start of the fiscal year and enactment of the
annual defense authorization act since FY1977, when the federal government transitioned to a
fiscal year beginning October 1, 1976.
Figure A-1. Days between Start of Fiscal Year and Enactment of Annual Defense
Authorization Acts, FY1977-FY2024
(in days)

Source: CRS analysis of dates of enactment of public law from CRS Report 98-756, Defense Authorization and
Appropriations Bills: FY1961-FY2021; P.L. 117-81; P.L. 117-263; and P.L. 118-31.
Notes: Positive values indicate number of days between start of the fiscal year and enactment of annual defense
authorization acts. The figure shows that since FY1977 annual defense authorization legislation has been enacted,
on average, 43.5 days after the beginning of the fiscal year (i.e., early November). Since FY2020, the legislation
has been enacted, on average, 85 days after the beginning of the fiscal year (i.e., late December). Negative values
indicate number of days between enactment of annual defense authorization acts and start of fiscal year. Annual
defense authorization legislation for the fiscal years 1979, 1989, 1996, 2008, 2016, and 2021 was enacted over a
presidential veto.

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Appendix B. Detailed Legislative Activity
This section of the Appendix provides a detailed description of congressional actions on the
FY2024 NDAA.
House-passed NDAA
In the House, on June 12, 2023, leaders of the seven subcommittees of the House Armed Services
Committee (HASC) released draft legislative proposals (known as marks) for matters in the
FY2024 NDAA under their respective jurisdictions.45 On the same day, Representative Mike
Rogers, Chair of HASC, released his draft legislative proposal (i.e., Chairman’s mark) for
portions of the bill not in the subcommittee marks.46 On June 13-14, the HASC subcommittees
considered and reported their marks to the full committee.47 On June 21, the HASC considered
amendments to the subcommittee marks and Chairman’s mark before voting 58-1 to order the
legislation reported to the House with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, reflecting the
product of the committee markup.48 On June 30, the committee reported the bill, H.R. 2670, and
filed its accompanying report, H.Rept. 118-125.49 On July 11-12, the House Rules Committee met
to report an initial structured rule, H.Res. 582, for the House to consider H.R. 2670.50 On July 13,
the committee reported a second structured rule, H.Res. 583.51 On July 12-14, the House
considered amendments to the legislation.52 On July 14, the House passed the measure, as
amended, by a vote of 219-210.53
Senate-passed NDAA
In the Senate, on June 20-21, 2023, the seven subcommittees of the Senate Armed Services
Committee (SASC) marked up draft legislative proposals with recommendations for matters in
the FY2024 NDAA under their respective jurisdictions.54 One of the markups was held in an open
session (Subcommittee on Personnel), and six were held in closed sessions. On June 21-22, the
full committee considered the legislation in closed sessions. On June 23, Senators Jack Reed and
Roger Wicker, Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of SASC, announced the committee
voted 24-1 to order reported an original bill reflecting the product of the committee markup.55 On
July 11, S. 2226 was reported to the Senate; on July 12, the accompanying report, S.Rept. 118-58,
was filed.56 On July 19, the Senate began considering S. 2226, to which Senator Chuck Schumer,
the Senate Majority Leader, then offered (for Senator Reed) a complete substitute amendment
(S.Amdt. 935) based on the text of S. 2226 and additional provisions. Amendments to the

45 HASC, News, press releases on subcommittee marks for the FY2024 NDAA; and FY24 NDAA Resources.
46 HASC, “Chairman Rogers Releases Mark for FY24 NDAA,” press release, June 12, 2023.
47 HASC, Hearings, subcommittee markups for the FY2024 NDAA; and FY24 NDAA Resources.
48 HASC, “FY24 NDAA Full Committee Markup,” hearing, June 21, 2023; and FY24 NDAA Resources.
49 Congress.gov, H.R. 2670, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Actions.
50 House Committee on Rules, H.R. 2670 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,
https://rules.house.gov/bill/118/hr-2670; and Congress.gov, H.Res. 582, Actions.
51 Congress.gov, H.Res. 583, Actions.
52 Congress.gov, H.R. 2670, Amendments.
53 Ibid., Actions.
54 SASC, June 2023 Hearings, subcommittee markups for the FY2024 NDAA.
55 SASC, “SASC Completes Markup of National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024,” press release, June
23, 2023.
56 Congress.gov, S. 2226, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, Actions.
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substitute were considered and adopted.57 On July 27, the Senate passed the measure, as
amended, by a vote of 86-11.58 Pursuant to a unanimous consent agreement, immediately after
passage of the bill, the Senate took up H.R. 2670 and agreed to an amendment consisting of the
text of the just-passed S. 2226, then passed H.R. 2670 with that amendment.59
Enacted NDAA
Unlike for the FY2022 and FY2023 bills,60 the House and Senate agreed to convene a conference
committee to reconcile the two versions of the FY2024 NDAA.61 On December 6, 2023, the
conferees filed a conference report, H.Rept. 118-301, containing the text of the negotiated bill and
the accompanying joint explanatory statement of the committee of conference. On December 12,
the Senate voted 85-15 to invoke cloture on the conference report. On December 13, the Senate
voted 87-13 to agree to the conference report. On December 14, the House considered the
conference report under its suspension of the rules procedures and voted 310-118 to agree to the
conference report, allowing the measure to be enrolled for presentation to the President. On
December 22, President Biden signed the legislation into law.

57 S.Amdt. 935.
58 Congress.gov, S. 2226, Actions.
59 Congress.gov, H.R. 2670, Actions.
60 For a summary of legislative activity on these bills, see CRS Report R47110, FY2022 National Defense
Authorization Act: Context and Selected Issues for Congress; and CRS Report R47869, FY2023 National Defense
Authorization Act: Overview of Funding Authorizations.
61 Congress.gov, H.R. 2670, Actions.
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Appendix C. Related CRS Products
Military Personnel
CRS Insight IN12196, FY2024 NDAA: Basic Needs Allowance and Military Food Insecurity
CRS Insight IN12202, FY2024 NDAA: Military Child Care Programs
CRS Insight IN12205, FY2024 NDAA: Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC)
Matters, by Kristy N. Kamarck
CRS Insight IN12217, FY2024 NDAA: Military Spouse Employment Matters.
Defense Health Care
CRS Insight IN12236, FY2024 NDAA: Reproductive Health Care Provisions
CRS Insight IN12203, FY2024 NDAA: TRICARE Coverage of Gender-Affirming Care
CRS Insight IN12215, FY2024 NDAA: TRICARE for Reservists
CRS Insight IN12268, FY2024 NDAA: Military Mental Health Workforce Provisions
CRS Insight IN12263, FY2024 NDAA: Military Mental Health Strategy Development and
Program Assessment Provisions
CRS Insight IN12242, FY2024 NDAA: Military Mental Health Care and Research Provisions.
Defense Infrastructure
CRS Insight IN12229, FY2024 NDAA: Military Construction and Housing Authorizations
CRS Insight IN12273, FY2024 NDAA: U.S. Military Posture in the Indo-Pacific.
Defense Management and Acquisition
CRS Insight IN12221, FY2024 NDAA: Defense Industrial Base Policy
CRS Insight IN12225, FY2024 NDAA: Department of Defense Acquisition Policy
CRS Insight IN12254, FY2024 NDAA: Department of Defense Office of Cost Assessment and
Program Evaluation (CAPE)
Security Cooperation
CRS Insight IN12256, FY2024 NDAA: Security Cooperation

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Author Information

Brendan W. McGarry

Specialist in U.S. Defense Budget

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
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