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Defense Authorization Approved by House Committee

On May 12, the House Armed Services Committee approved, 60-1, the FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1540). The Military Personnel Subcommittee approved its portion of the measure on May 4 (see The Source, 5/6/11).

The bill would authorize a total of $690 billion in FY2012 for the Department of Defense and national security activities. That amount includes $553 billion for the Department of Defense budget and $119 billion for overseas contingency operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to the committee documents, the total also includes $142.144 billion for military personnel (p. 340), $31.994 billion for the Defense Health Program (p. 343), and $3.849 billion for defense-wide military construction (p. 359).

The bill would provide legal assistance to service members who are victims of sexual assault and a 1.6 percent pay increase in basic military pay.

During consideration of the bill, the committee adopted, by separate voice votes, two en bloc packages that contained amendments relating to sexual assault in the military. The committee adopted:

  • An amendment by Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA) to establish a full time sexual assault coordinator and victim advocates at the brigade level (or equivalent) and in training programs;
  • An amendment by Rep. Tsongas to require the maintenance of records relating to sexual assault with lifetime access for service members who are the victims of sexual assault; and
  • An amendment by Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH) to create a confidentially privilege in military tribunals for sexual assault response coordinators, sexual assault victims advocates, and DOD SAFE help line personnel.