Hudson Secures Provisions in National Defense Bill for Troops, Military Families and Veterans
July 20, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Fort Bragg's Congressman and a voice for veterans, has secured several key provisions for active-duty servicemembers, military families and veterans in the FY 21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
"As Fort Bragg's Congressman, it's an honor to represent so many active-duty soldiers, their families and our veterans. That's why in this year's Defense Bill, I am proud to secure critical provisions including increased hazardous duty pay for warfighters, improvements to military family education and support for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits," said Rep. Hudson. "In Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues and President Donald Trump to support the military and veterans in North Carolina and throughout our country."
Final passage of the NDAA is expected on Tuesday, July 21.
For active-duty military members, Rep. Hudson helped secure a 10% increase in hazardous duty pay for troops serving in eligible locations. The increase was offered by Rep. Trent Kelly on behalf of Rep. Hudson. The increase is a response to a previous effort led by Rep. Hudson which examined how special pays were awarded and how the system could be modernized. The report called for improving hazardous duty pay by increasing the amount payable per month for Imminent Danger Pay (IDP) and Hostile Fire Pay (HFP), reducing the length of time to certify IDP locations, and institutionalizing regular periodic reviews of IDP designations.
For members of the Special Operations Community, Rep. Hudson secured improvements to the Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) program established to create a holistic approach to address pressures on the force and increased stress on operator's families. POTFF focuses on all aspects of health including physical, mental, social and spiritual. Rep. Hudson secured a clarification for the program that expands access to family programs. Another amendment from Rep. Hudson expected to be included in the final NDAA helps POTFF retain qualified civilian employees to fill much needed specialist positions including psychologists, physical therapists and mental health professionals.
For military families, Rep. Hudson secured language to examine the effects of underreporting eligible student numbers in the Impact Aid program. Specifically, it asks whether the Department of Defense can report numbers of students of military families directly to the Department of Education. Recommendations from this report will help improve future funding for schools in military communities.
Rep. Hudson also secured improvements to strengthen the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) that supports special needs education for military families.These improvements were part of military family readiness legislation included in the NDAA which was co-sponsored by Rep. Hudson.
For veterans, Rep. Hudson is working to secure an amendment for the Department of Veterans Affairs Burn Pit registry to include veterans who served in Syria. Rep. Hudson had previously called on VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to expand this program. This amendment is expected to be included in the final NDAA
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