House, Senate Committee Pass Defense Authorization Measures

House

On May 28, the House passed, 229-186, H.R. 5136, the FY2011 Defense Authorization bill. The House Armed Services Committee approved the legislation last week (see The Source 5/21/10). The measure includes provisions to address military sexual trauma, health care, and career training for military spouses.

During consideration of the bill, the House approved the following amendments by voice vote:

• An amendment by Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) to ensure that the spouse, children, and parents of a deployed or deploying member of the armed forces, who are not covered under the Family Medical Leave Act (P.L. 103-3), have the ability to take at least two weeks of unpaid leave from their job in order to address issues that arise over the course of a deployment cycle;
• An en bloc amendment by Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) that contained an amendment by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) to require the secretary of Defense to provide a report to the Congressional Black Caucus that includes a list of minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged-owned businesses over the past ten years that have received contracts resulting from authorized funding to the department;
• An en bloc amendment by Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) that contained an amendment by Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) that calls for “expedited and priority consideration of an application for permanent change of base or unit transfer for victims of sexual assault to reduce the possibility of retaliation against the victim.

The House also approved, 416-1, an en bloc amendment by Rep. Skelton that contained an amendment by Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) to prohibit members of the armed forces or veterans from receiving burial benefits if they are convicted of certain sexual offenses requiring them to register as Tier III sex offenders. Tier III is the most serious category of sex offenses.

Senate

On May 27, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved, 18-10, its version of the FY2011 Defense Authorization bill (as-yet-unnumbered). The Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee passed the measure on May 25.

According to the committee summary, the bill would provide $725.7 billion for the Department of Defense (DoD), overseas contingency operations, and for national security programs at the Department of Energy. The total is just shy of the president’s $725.9 billion request.

The Senate version of the bill also would repeal the prohibition on performing legal abortions in DoD medical facilities, but maintains the restriction on using federal funds for abortions.

With regard to sexual assault in the military, the bill would amend the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with regard to rape, sexual assault, and other sexual misconduct to “create three separate articles of the UCMJ to correct deficiencies in existing law.”

The legislation would authorize travel expenses for command-sponsored dependents of service members assigned to remote areas for travel to the United States to receive obstetrical anesthesia services for childbirth.

The measure provides military personnel with a 1.4 percent pay increase, which is equal to the president’s request; the House bill provides for a 1.9 percent pay increase.

Like the House bill, the Senate version authorizes TRICARE coverage for eligible dependents up to age 26.

The amount includes $30 million in impact aid for school districts with large numbers of students with parents in the military, and $5 million for local education agencies affected by base closures and realignments. The House bill would provide $50 million and $15 million, respectively.

The bill also would require the secretary of Defense to report on child development centers and financial assistance provided by DoD for off-installation child care, as well as child care for children with special needs.

The measure also includes $30.9 million for the Defense Health Program.