Thom Tillis
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) helped secure numerous provisions beneficial to U.S. military service members in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020, which the U.S. House of Representatives approved on Dec. 11.
- 1790, which would authorize fiscal year (FY) 2020 U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths, passed out of conference committee last week.
“This bipartisan legislation is a big win for North Carolina’s service members and our military families,” said Sen. Tillis, chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel. “I look forward to getting it signed into law by President Trump soon and then laying the groundwork for additional reforms on behalf of our military for next year’s bill.”
Among the senator’s priorities included in the House-approved conference report are an across-the-board 3.1 percent pay raise for members serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as provisions to secure several reforms that address issues with the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI), according to a summary of the conference report provided by Sen. Tillis’ staff.
“I was proud to lead bipartisan efforts to provide the largest pay raise for our service members in nearly a decade and major reforms to address the housing crisis affecting installations across the country, including Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune,” said Sen. Tillis.
For instance, under enacted legislation, meaningful steps would address serious issues with the MHPI, according to Sen. Tillis’ staff, such as designating a Chief Housing Officer who would be a presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed DOD official, to oversee the MHPI.
The bill also would require each branch of the Armed Forces to create a Tenant Bill of Rights to set minimum standards, and require DOD to establish standardized assessment procedures for determining risks in military housing, among other items.
Additionally, Tillis-supported provisions on Military/Civilian Personnel Policy, Healthcare, and Military Justice and Sexual Assault Prevention and Response are included in the NDAA for FY 2020, among several others.