Although the annual defense policy bill is best known for authorizing weapons programs and military pay, this year's House measure reaches far beyond traditional military construction. It includes provisions affecting installation utilities, energy resilience, shipyards, ammunition plants, advanced manufacturing and strategic supply chains that collectively support the nation's defense infrastructure.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said those investments are essential to restoring military readiness.

"Peace through strength doesn't begin on the battlefield—it begins in our factories, depots and shipyards," Rogers said. "This bill reflects our commitment to rebuild that foundation."

Like previous NDAAs, the legislation authorizes programs and establishes policy but does not appropriate funding. Congress must still enact separate appropriations bills before authorized projects and programs can move forward.

Military Construction Expands Beyond Bases

The legislation would authorize $1.146 trillion overall, including $1.102 trillion for the U.S. Defense Dept. and $41.4 billion for the U.S. Energy Dept.'s atomic energy defense programs. It includes $28.6 billion for military construction and family housing.

The bill authorizes construction projects across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and defense agencies while extending selected prior-year authorizations and continuing investment in military family housing. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the military construction authorization is about 45% above enacted fiscal 2026 levels.

House lawmakers also approved amendments that could reshape how the Pentagon prioritizes future infrastructure investment.

One directs the Defense Dept. to inventory water and wastewater systems more than 60 years old, estimate replacement costs and prioritize facilities posing the greatest risks to readiness and public health.

Another requires the department to identify and prioritize military construction and logistics projects throughout the Pacific Islands based on projected operational requirements through 2040. A third directs the Pentagon to evaluate broader use of intergovernmental support agreements for certain minor military construction projects to determine whether greater reliance on state and local partnerships could accelerate project delivery.

Beyond construction planning, the legislation expands the Pentagon's focus on installation energy resilience.

It incorporates nuclear power into Defense Dept. energy policy, modifies a Navy installation nuclear-energy pilot program and establishes a transportable nuclear microreactor demonstration within U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The accompanying committee report also emphasizes installation microgrids, grid resilience and electrical infrastructure serving critical military facilities.

Environmental provisions likewise expand congressional oversight of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. An adopted amendment requires the Defense Dept. to evaluate available destruction technologies, develop a pilot program and expand reporting on cleanup activities at military installations.

Industrial Capacity Takes Priority

The House measure also seeks to strengthen the U.S. military's logistics and suppliers, with provisions setting planning requirements for public and private shipyards, ammunition plants, depots, advanced manufacturing facilities and the domestic supply chains supporting them.

Among other measures, the bill authorizes multiyear procurement for major naval programs and directs updated Navy strategies for maritime industrial-base investment and surface-ship maintenance. It also expands direct-hiring authority for defense-industrial-base facilities while requiring new assessments of production bottlenecks affecting munitions manufacturing.

The bill directs the Pentagon to determine what facility improvements, production capacity and capital investment would be required to substantially expand munitions manufacturing. The findings could help guide future investment in government-owned ammunition plants, production lines and supporting industrial infrastructure.

Rogers said sustained procurement and long-term demand are intended to give manufacturers confidence to expand production capacity.

"We're giving industry the certainty it needs to invest, expand and produce faster," he said. "We're reviving our organic industrial base by improving conditions at our depots, arsenals and shipyards."

The legislation also encourages broader use of advanced manufacturing technologies while accelerating qualification of domestic and allied suppliers of strategic materials intended to reduce reliance on foreign-controlled supply chains. Many of those initiatives ultimately would require upgrades to government-owned production facilities, utility systems and specialized manufacturing infrastructure.

House Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the measure, citing its cost and amendments adopted during floor debate.

The NDAA bill now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers have not begun debate on its version, S. 4784, after a July 14 cloture vote on the motion to proceed failed to secure the required 60 votes. A Senate-passed version would move through a reconciliation process before advancing to a presidential signature. Separate appropriations legislation would then determine which authorized projects and programs ultimately receive funding.