WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, announced she secured 40 priorities in the bipartisan, bicameral compromise version of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, a sweeping defense policy bill shaping Pentagon operations for the coming year.
The conference report, released last week after months of negotiations between the House and Senate, includes a 3.8 percent pay increase for all servicemembers and a broad package of reforms aimed at strengthening military readiness, supporting military families, and preserving the nation’s technological and strategic edge.
Houlahan, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, said the final NDAA reflects sustained advocacy for servicemembers and their families while addressing emerging threats facing the Department of Defense.
“This year’s NDAA, which includes a 3.8 percent pay increase for all servicemembers, strengthens military readiness and reaffirms our commitment to the people who serve,” Houlahan said. She pointed to the permanent codification of Women’s Initiative Teams across all service branches as a major achievement retained in the final bill after being excluded from the Senate version.
Among the most prominent provisions secured by Houlahan is the requirement that every branch of the military maintain Women’s Initiative Teams focused on removing barriers to recruitment, retention, health, safety, and advancement for women in uniform. The legislation also expands the federal government’s authority to counter drone threats, allowing local and federal law enforcement to respond to unmanned aircraft risks beyond the most sensitive military installations.
The NDAA modernizes the Selective Service System through automatic registration for young men, a move supporters say will reduce administrative costs and prevent penalties tied to unintentional noncompliance. It also requires military personnel assisting civilian law enforcement agencies to clearly identify their service affiliation, a measure intended to reinforce transparency and public trust.
Additional provisions strengthen Army and Special Operations readiness by supporting modern heavy-lift helicopter capabilities, a move that also supports hundreds of advanced manufacturing jobs in southeastern Pennsylvania. The bill further pushes the rapid development of next-generation vertical-lift technologies, including unmanned helicopter systems.
The legislation includes protections for Department of Defense Education Activity schools and military child development centers, blocking sudden closures or service reductions and expanding in-home childcare support for military families. It also bolsters energy resilience at military installations, ensuring critical missions can continue during grid failures, natural disasters, or infrastructure attacks.
Housing and health care issues also feature prominently. The NDAA requires greater transparency in how the Basic Allowance for Housing is calculated and orders a study of alternative formulas better aligned with modern housing markets. It expands medical research and public health preparedness within the Defense Department, supporting work on infectious diseases and biodefense threats that could disrupt military operations and global food supplies.
Houlahan also secured provisions allowing servicemembers greater flexibility in using parental leave within a two-year period, easing constraints for growing military families.
As founder and co-chair of the bipartisan BIOTech Caucus, Houlahan played a central role in shaping a series of biotechnology initiatives embedded in the defense bill. The NDAA directs the Pentagon to develop a comprehensive defense biotechnology strategy, establish a senior biotechnology official and management office, and create a Bioindustrial Commercialization Program to strengthen domestic biomanufacturing and supply chain resilience.
The bill further requires ethics and oversight standards for responsible biotechnology use and directs reports on workforce development and the BioMADE national bioindustrial manufacturing institute. Additional biotechnology-related provisions were included through the FY26 Intelligence Authorization Act, also folded into the NDAA, requiring enhanced oversight of biotech activities across the U.S. intelligence community and a national intelligence assessment of China’s biotechnology advancements.
Supporters of the final NDAA said the package reflects a rare bipartisan consensus on pay, readiness, and modernization at a time of rapid technological change and global uncertainty.
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