With the Senate set to finalize their NDAA in mid-July, take this time to reach out to your senator and let them know what AFSA would like to see...

Legislation Summary

AFSA-Supported Quality of Life Provisions in the House and Senate Committee Marks

The House and Senate Armed Services Committees have each approved their versions of the FY2027 NDAA. Both bills now contain provisions AFSA fought for on behalf of enlisted Airmen, Guardians, families, retirees, and veterans — but nothing is final until the two chambers negotiate a single bill. The provisions below are in one or both committee-passed versions today. AFSA supports each of them, and we need your voice to keep them in the final law.

Military Pay Raise   Senate Sec. 602

• The Senate bill provides a 3.6 percent basic pay raise for all members of the uniformed services, effective January 1, 2027.
• The House bill contains no separate pay raise provision, which allows the automatic raise under the permanent-law formula to take effect.
• AFSA's position: a full pay raise that keeps pace with private-sector wage growth is the foundation of every other quality of life effort.

Housing Allowance Fixes   House Secs. 611–614; Senate Sec. 603

• Sec. 613: Lowers the trigger for temporary BAH increases from a 20 percent gap to a 15 percent gap between actual housing costs and current rates, and makes the authority permanent, so rates can respond faster when local markets spike.
• Sec. 612: Makes permanent the authority to raise BAH in disaster-declared areas and at installations absorbing an influx of personnel.
• Sec. 611: Excludes BAH from the income calculation for the Basic Needs Allowance — a major fix that will make thousands more junior enlisted families eligible for this food security benefit.
• Sec. 614: Strengthens CONUS COLA by making payment mandatory rather than discretionary and lowering the cost threshold to 3 percent.
• On the Senate side, Sec. 603 reimburses commuting costs for members forced to live far from remote or isolated installations because affordable housing simply is not available nearby.

Military Spouse Employment   Senate Secs. 561–562; House Sec. 577

• Senate Sec. 561: Creates the DoW Military Spouse Fellowship Program: paid fellowships of 12 to 24 months at General Schedule rates, with full-time, part-time, and remote options — a real on-ramp to federal careers that survive PCS moves.
• Senate Sec. 562: Requires every service to adopt a colocation policy so members married to Department of War civilian employees can be assigned where both careers can continue.
• House Sec. 577: Authorizes a pilot program that pays for military spouses holding a bachelor's degree or higher to earn special education teaching credentials, with a follow-on position in DoDEA schools.

TRICARE: T-5 Contract Transition Protections and Oversight   House Secs. 734, 742; Senate Secs. 701, 705, 706

• House Sec. 734: Requires TRICARE to notify every affected beneficiary of a coverage transition one year, 180 days, and 30 days in advance, backed by a public outreach campaign — no more families learning of contractor changes after the fact.
• Senate Sec. 706: Extends contractor start-up time to a full year to allow an orderly transition, a direct response to the disruptions beneficiaries experienced under T-5.
• Senate Sec. 701: Establishes a digital system for beneficiaries to file complaints and track their status in real time, with mandatory response timelines.
• Senate Sec. 705: Attacks inaccurate provider directories with quarterly provider validation, monthly accuracy testing, and beneficiary reporting tools.
• House Sec. 742: Orders new guidance, a simple reporting tool, and firm timelines for resolving complaints about coverage denials, network adequacy, and access to specialty care.

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)   Senate Sec. 563

• Directs a top-to-bottom review of how EFMP affects assignments, continuity of care, access to medical, behavioral health, and educational services, and career progression.
• Requires DoW to identify installations where EFMP families face unavailable or hard-to-access services, and to assess whether families lose IEP and special education services after a PCS.
• This review builds the factual record needed to force lasting EFMP reform — a longstanding AFSA priority for families with special needs.

Blast Overpressure: Protecting the Force, Caring for Veterans   House Secs. 233, 1709

• Sec. 233: Launches a pilot program to test, evaluate, and field muzzle blast overpressure mitigation devices for small and medium caliber weapons — protecting members before injury occurs.
• Sec. 1709: Establishes a VA Blast Overpressure Task Force, working through the VA–DoW Joint Executive Committee, to improve health care and benefits for veterans and members with TBI, PTSD, and other conditions from blast exposure, and to prioritize research and performance baselines.

SkillBridge   House Sec. 1723

• Commissions a comprehensive GAO study of SkillBridge, comparing eligibility criteria and practices across the services, identifying best practices in employer selection, and assessing whether the program should be made uniform force-wide.
• Stronger, more consistent SkillBridge access means every separating Airman and Guardian — not just some — gets a fair shot at civilian career preparation.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this legislation, please reach out to AFSA's Military & Government team at Milgov3@hqafsa.org.