The full text of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) version approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) last month includes meaningful improvements to quality of life and readiness for the all-volunteer force, and there’s still time to include even more MOAA-backed changes.

The committee approved the bill 26-1 – a level of consensus that’s not unusual with the NDAA, but one that’s worth acknowledging at a time when so many other legislative priorities remain gridlocked.

The NDAA shapes how the military is resourced, how servicemembers are compensated, and how their families are supported. MOAA will continue to advocate for these issues as the NDAA moves through the congressional process.

[RELATED: MOAA’s Summer Advocacy in Action Campaign]

Full text of the Senate version was not available when MOAA reviewed the House bill and the early stages of the NDAA process. Here are some of the important contents of the Senate version so far:

Currently Serving

• PCS Contract Oversight and Accountability: Increases DoD oversight of Global Household Goods Contract renegotiations, including more rigorous requirements to meet capacity, performance, and compliance.
  
  
• Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Transparency and Calculation: Improves BAH calculation transparency through an online calculator and requires an improved calculation methodology.
  
  
• Unaccompanied Housing Conditions: Expands annual reporting requirements for barracks that fail to meet standards and mandates corrective action plans.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Restore BAH to 100%]

Military Families

• Impact Aid and Support for Military Children with Severe Disabilities: Authorizes $50 million in Impact Aid and $30 million in additional funding for schools serving military children with severe disabilities.
  
  
• Report on Unmet Child Care Needs: Requires DoD to assess these needs for each installation with specific regard for the type of child care used and the development of a plan to address them.
  
  
• Mold Mitigation in Family Housing: Requires DoD to study the health impacts of mold in military housing, take corrective action, and develop new construction standards for prevention.

[TAKE ACTION: Fix the TRICARE Young Adult Coverage Gap]

Retirees and Veterans

• Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record (ILER): Directs DoD to expand ILER to document all exposures, including within the U.S., and ensure the data is available to the VA for care, research, and benefits processing.
  
  
• Nevada Test and Training Range Toxic Exposure Recognition: DoD will be required to classify the Nevada Test and Training Range as a location of contamination and identify servicemembers stationed there since 1951.

[FROM MOAA AND DAV: Ending the Wait for Toxic-Exposed Veterans]

DoD Health Care

• Scope of Services Provided by a Military Treatment Facility (MTF): Enhances notification requirements prior to service changes at MTFs, including an assessment from the Defense Health Agency director that explains how servicemembers and beneficiaries receiving services at the facility will continue to receive care. This builds on MOAA’s previous work to halt medical billet cuts and MTF restructuring.
  
  
• Hearing Aids for Children of Retirees: Expands hearing aid coverage to retirees’ children enrolled in TRICARE Select. TRICARE already covers hearing aids for children of active duty servicemembers. The FY 2024 NDAA expanded TRICARE coverage of hearing aids for children of retirees enrolled in TRICARE Prime.
  
  
• TRICARE Provider Directory Accuracy: Requires DHA to ensure the accuracy of the TRICARE provider directory for all specialty care provider types, and also requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an annual review of the TRICARE provider directory.

Amendments and More

As Congress returns after its summer recess, the NDAA’s final form will depend on broader budget negotiations, competition for limited floor time, and what amendments lawmakers introduce throughout the legislative process.

One such amendment already introduced is the Major Richard Star Act, which would end the offset between DoD retirement pay and VA disability compensation for combat-injured veterans. The proposal has gained bipartisan momentum over the last several Congresses and remains an enduring priority for MOAA and other veteran service organizations.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Support the Major Richard Star Act]

MOAA will continue advocating for NDAA provisions that uphold service-earned benefits and strengthen the systems servicemembers rely on. Whether you served in uniform or stand in support of those who did, your engagement in this process matters. By lending your voice to MOAA’s efforts, you help ensure that the needs of the uniformed services community remain front and center.

Stay tuned for more information by visiting our advocacy news page and checking out the Legislative Action Center.