Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2027

Support for Military Families: The bill provides $5,000,000 for the construction and furnishing of additional Fisher Houses to assist military families when a beneficiary is facing illness or hospitalization (Sec. 8064).

Benefits for Indian Tribes: The Secretary of the Air Force may convey relocatable military housing units at no cost to Indian tribes in specific states, including Nevada, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Oregon, Minnesota, and Washington (Sec. 8021).

Environmental Mitigation for Tribes: At least $12,000,000 may be used for mitigating environmental impacts on Indian lands resulting from Department of Defense activities, including training and technical assistance (Sec. 8022).

Support for Civil Air Patrol: The bill provides $87,100,000 for the Civil Air Patrol Corporation to support operation, maintenance, readiness, and youth programs (Sec. 8024).

Medical Services for Pacific Islands: The Secretary of Defense may authorize the provision of medical services and transportation at Defense Health Agency facilities for civilian patients from American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and Guam (Sec. 8011).

Economic Incentives for Indian Small Businesses: The bill allows for additional compensation for prime contractors or subcontractors that include small businesses owned and controlled by individuals defined under section 4221(9) of title 25 (Sec. 8020).

Employee Protections: Federal contractors with contracts exceeding $1,000,000 are prohibited from requiring employees to resolve Title VII or sexual assault/harassment claims through arbitration (Sec. 8081).

Increased Transparency: Agencies must post required reports on public websites if it serves the national interest, provided it does not compromise national security or contain proprietary information (Sec. 8080).

Public Access to Information: The Secretary of Defense is required to post grant awards on a public website in a searchable format (Sec. 8086).

Support for Veterans: Funds are available for the operation of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (Sec. 8082).

Support for Service Members: The policy for assisted reproductive services for seriously or severely ill/injured active duty members is modified to allow for unlimited duration of embryo cryopreservation and storage (Sec. 8117).

Protection of Religious Beliefs: The bill prohibits discriminatory actions against individuals based on religious beliefs or moral convictions regarding marriage (Sec. 8159).

Restrictions on Training/Activities: None of the funds provided in this Act may be used for the purpose of performing repairs or maintenance to military family housing units, including areas that could be used for official business (Sec. 8055).

Restrictions on Research/Development Delivery: Funds in the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation accounts may not be used to procure end-items for delivery to military forces for operational training, use, or inventory, unless specific development or prototyping criteria are met (Sec. 8054).

Limitations on Military Personnel Compensation: While foreign national employees may receive salary increases, these are limited to certain rates authorized by law (Sec. 8002).

Restrictions on Employment Agreements: Federal contractors may be prohibited from using certain arbitration agreements for sexual harassment or Civil Rights claims, which could impact how companies handle employment disputes (Sec. 8081).

Impact on Research: Funding is prohibited for research using human fetal tissue obtained via induced abortion (Sec. 8153).

Potential Economic/Job Impact: The bill includes various "Buy American" requirements for specific naval and ship components, which could limit international trade or sourcing options (Sec. 8090, Sec. 8091, Sec. 8083).

Reduction in Funding: The total amount of the Act is reduced by $1,000,000,000 to reflect savings from business process modernization and artificial intelligence (Sec. 8144).

Changes to Agency Identity: The legislation mandates a renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, affecting all official records and titles (Sec. 8160).