On May 9, the House Armed Services Committee approved, 58-0, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2008 (H.R. 1585).
H. R. 1585 would authorize $503.8 billion for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the national security programs at the Department of Energy for FY2008, and an additional $141.8 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for FY2008.
H.R. 1585 would authorize a 3.5 percent pay increase and would prohibit fee increases for the military health care program, TRICARE, and the TRICARE pharmacy program. The measure would mandate research on post-traumatic stress disorder and would establish a mental health initiative to coordinate mental health research and development. H.R. 1585 also would allow servicemembers to designate up to 50 percent of their death benefit to someone other than a spouse or child; the committee summary notes that “a greater number of the children of our servicemembers are being taken care of by individuals and family members other than their surviving spouse.” A monthly payment of $40 also would be authorized for surviving spouses who are not receiving the full amount of their Survivor Benefit Plan due to the concurrent receipt of benefits under the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
During consideration of the bill, the committee adopted, by voice vote, an amendment by Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) that would direct the secretary of Defense to conduct a study, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on child abuse and neglect among minor dependents of servicemembers. Also adopted, by voice vote, was an amendment by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) that would recommend including in the military’s mental health initiative outreach programs promoting the availability of mental health services for dependents of service members who have served in a combat theatre.
