By MOAA Government Relations Staff

The Senate approved its version of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Oct. 9 by a strong bipartisan vote of 77-20, marking another major step toward enacting the annual defense policy bill for the 65th consecutive year.

This clears the way for negotiations with the House to begin to reconcile key differences between NDAA versions. The lower chamber passed its version Sept. 10.

So, What Came Out of the Senate?

The Oct. 9 vote followed several days of deliberation among members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), with lawmakers agreeing to a framework of amendments that allowed the measure to advance.

[RELATED: What the Senate NDAA Says About TRICARE, Housing, and More]

Senate amendments of interest to MOAA include:

Currently Serving and Military Families: Two separate provisions authorize and codify parental leave parity for the Coast Guard Reserve and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Another provision directs the Pentagon to fully implement recommendations from a 2024 Government Accountability Office report addressing affordable housing challenges within one year of the enactment of the NDAA.

The text of the MOAA-supported Servicemembers’ Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act (S. 2074) also was adopted as an amendment. Led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), it would extend free credit monitoring protections to all members of the armed forces, regardless of duty status.

Retirees and Veterans: One amendment directs the Pentagon, VA, and Department of Labor to include additional factors such as child care requirements, location, and employment status of other adults in the household when developing pathways for transition to civilian life.

Another amendment requires the development and implementation of plans to increase veteran access to care at military treatment facilities (MTFs) with excess capacity and to increase case volume and complexity for MTF graduate medical education programs.

Survivors: An amendment would expand eligibility for employment services provided by the Department of Labor to surviving military spouses under the Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program.

What’s Next?

The bill moves into conference, where select House and Senate members will negotiate a final version for a vote in both chambers. MOAA will continue to engage with key conferees and other lawmakers to ensure the final bill reflects the needed priorities of the uniformed services and veteran communities.

MOAA’s advocacy will focus on supporting provisions that protect service-earned pay, access to a high-quality health care benefit, and essential programs vital to quality of life for servicemembers, retirees, veterans, their families, and survivors — while opposing measures that could undermine these commitments.

MOAA will provide updates as negotiations progress. Visit our advocacy news page for the latest on this and other critical issues.