HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — The $858 billion defense bill heads to the Senate and then to President Joe Biden’s desk.
“It looks like we will have a bill coming back over to us from the House in the next couple of days and likely connect early next week to pass the defense bill,” Senator Tim Kaine said.
A cornerstone of the bill is funding for local programs, including mental health resources.
Senator Kaine participated in the collaboration of the National Defense Authorization Act.
“This is the biggest single thing I work on every year as a member of the Armed Services Committee,” Senator Kaine said.
The House recently passed the yearly defense bill by a vote of 350-80. It provides billions of dollars for national defense.
“I am really excited to get the defense bill near to the goal line. We should have done it earlier in the year, but I think it is one that has a lot of big wins for Virginia,” he said.
The bill hones in on mental health and expands care for servicemembers and their families.
The Department of Defense would be required to update command notification requirements to protect servicemembers and their family’s mental health needs.
The defense bill also directs an audit of behavioral health care through TRICARE and an assessment of the capabilities. The assessment will allow them to add additional support if needed for servicemembers.
Military service members and Department of Defense civilian workers would also receive a 4.6 percent pay raise.
Inside the bill is around 12 million dollars for research. It also funds 5 million dollars for research related to submarines. Virginia Tech is participating in the research.
The bill will provide another five million dollars to pioneer advances in technology for the DoD.
Roughly $200 million will funnel directly to Hampton Roads, mainly through military construction.
The bill outlines money for the replacement of Submarine Pier 3 at Naval Station Norfolk. Also, a million dollars will go towards the planning and building of Child Development Centers at Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk.
“Some of the steps we have taken to make life easier for military families and significant military construction projects that are going on in Virginia,” Senator Kaine said. “Our military construction projects on the installations around Virginia and elsewhere are really important to keeping us able to defend the country.”
Other priorities in the bill include $3.4 million for backup power generation at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads and $26.6 million for a Special Forces operations building addition at Dam Neck.
“Many wins in the bill for Virginia,” Senator Kaine said. “I am particularly proud of the pay raise for servicemembers. Some of the steps we have taken to make life earlier for military families and significant military construction projects that are going on in Virginia.”
Check with WAVY.com for more updates.