By MOAA Government Relations Staff

Congress has made significant strides in the last few days to advance its most critical defense policy bill: the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This legislation will authorize military pay, benefits, and support programs for fiscal year 2026. Its impact reaches across the breadth and width of the uniformed services community —servicemembers, families, retirees, and survivors alike.

The latest from both chambers:

• Senate: The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) reported its bill out of committee with near-unanimous support (26-1 vote) following a swift, bipartisan markup.
  
  
• House: The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) reported its version out of committee also with a near-unanimous (55-2) vote after a longer process, debating over 700 amendments.

The next big hurdle for both versions will be full floor consideration. And MOAA is closely tracking what’s in – and what’s missing – as the NDAA continues to move forward. Here’s a look at what both bills contain after their committee markups, and how you can help MOAA’s work on the must-pass legislation.

[RELATED: House NDAA Resources | Senate NDAA Executive Summary]

What’s In

Currently Serving:

• Military Pay: Both the House and Senate versions support a base pay increase of 3.8% in 2026, which would keep pace with the Employment Cost Index.
  
  
• Separation Pay: The House version would boost the Family Separation Allowance to $400 per month. Previous authorizations allowed DoD to increase the allowance from $250 to $400 per month; this provision creates a new floor.
  
  
• Allowances: The House version requires studies to improve the accuracy of both the Basic Allowance for Housing and the Basic Allowance for Subsistence, a long-standing MOAA priority. 

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Restore BAH to 100% of Projected Housing Costs]

Families and Survivors:

• Child Care: The House version includes a three-year extension of the In-Home Child Care pilot program, which provides fee assistance for military families seeking in-home care.
  
  
• Impact Aid: The Senate version authorizes $50 million “to educational agencies affected by the enrollment of military and DoD civilian dependents,” according to the executive summary, along with $10 million in impact aid payments for children with disabilities and $20 million “for local educational agencies determined by the Secretary of Defense to have high concentrations of military children with severe disabilities.” The House version authorizes $35 million to local educational agencies impacted by the presence of tax-exempt federal property and an additional $10 million for locations serving military-connected children with severe disabilities.
  
  
• Food Security: The House bill excludes BAH from the eligibility calculation for the Basic Needs Allowance, a long-standing MOAA priority.
  
  
• Housing: The House bill requires a Government Accountability Office (GAO) review of privatized military family housing inventory.

[RELATED: Lawmakers Want Details on Plans to Privatize Military Stores]

Retirees and Veterans

• Transition Help: The House bill enhances the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) by standardizing the presentation of VA offerings while introducing transitioning servicemembers to VA-approved veterans service organizations who are able to assist with the transition into civilian life and navigating benefits available to servicemembers and their families.

[RELATED: Career and Transition Resources From MOAA]

DoD Health Care

• Dental Readiness: The House bill provides no-cost dental coverage under TRICARE for members of the reserve component.
  
  
• Improved Access to Care: The House bill would create a pilot program designed to streamline access to OB-GYN care by providing it without a referral to TRICARE Prime beneficiaries. It would also institute a five-year pilot treating pregnancy as a qualifying life event for the purposes of eligibility to enroll in TRICARE Select.

[RELATED: MOAA-Backed Bill Offers More Options for Moms-to-Be Under TRICARE]

What Can I Do to Help?

While MOAA continues direct engagement with lawmakers and their staffs, that alone won’t be enough to move the NDAA across the finish line. Your voice — raised as a constituent — can make all the difference.

Use MOAA’s Legislative Action Center to contact your elected officials and urge them to ensure the NDAA continues moving through the legislative process without delay.