NewsBytes June 26, 2020
In this issue:
FRA Honors Rep. Mark Takano
HASC-MP Approves FY2021 NDAA
Navy PCS Moves Begin Gradually
Exclusive Moving Company Contract Delayed
FRA Honors Rep. Mark Takano
FRA National President Donna Jansky presented the FRA Pinnacle Award to Rep. Takano (Calif.), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) for his work in helping veterans. The award presentation took place on Capitol Hill. Due to the pandemic, the FRA did not have the Pinnacle reception nor did the National Board of Directors “Storm the Hill” this year. Rep. Takano successfully sponsored the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act (H.R.299) that was enacted into law. He also created the Women Veterans Taskforce that focused on tackling the barriers that women veterans face while attempting to access their VA benefits and health care. He is currently in his fourth term in Congress and has served on HVAC for the past five years. As HVAC Chairman and Ranking Member (last session of Congress), Takano has worked tirelessly to help veterans.
HASC-MP Approves FY2021 NDAA
The House Armed Services, Military Personnel Subcommittee marked up and approved their portion of the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA-H.R.6395). The bill will now move to the full House Armed Services Committee for further consideration. The subcommittee approved bill includes:
• Delaying the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) scheduled reduction in military medical end strength for one year;
• Postponing DHA’s plans to restructure its Military Treatment Facilities (MTF), which would result in many beneficiaries being sent into the community for care;
• Providing a three percent annual active duty pay increase that keeps pace with pay increases in the civilian sector;
• Providing a Basic Need Allowance for those service members that qualify;
• Enhancing child care and on-base education for children, including 24/7 childcare centers where needed, and that military families have access to these services. A study is required to evaluate the childcare stipend and whether it should have a cost of living adjustment;
• Eliminate 180-day delay for retirees seeking certain DoD civilian jobs;
• Giving priority for on-base housing for military families where a spouse has agreed to provide licensed in-home day care services for other children;
• Establishing a military-civilian task force on domestic violence that requires the Secretary of Defense to collect information on prevalence of domestic violence involving members of the Armed Forces, their intimate partners, and immediate family members; and
• Requiring Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study DoD inability to evaluate housing quality. report due 12/1/20 on MHPI performance, and standardization of quality metrics. Subcommittee also wants to know about implementation of GAO recommendations.
The subcommittee bill did not address concurrent receipt reform, waiver of pharmacy co-pays during pandemic, eliminating scheduled pharmacy co-pay increases, and final months pay for military widows. The FRA will be working to get votes on committee and floor amendments for these and other issues.
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) has approved its version of the FY2021 NDAA (S.4049) and is awaiting further consideration by the full Senate. Once both chambers have passed their version of the NDAA, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve the differences between the two bills and then submit the final bill to both chambers for approval before sending it to the President to be signed it into law or vetoed. FRA members are urged to use the FRA Action Center to weigh in on amendments to the House and Senate NDAAs that include: Concurrent Receipt expansion, TRICARE pharmacy co-pay waiver during the pandemic, delay cuts to military medical staff, the Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act (H.R.463), and authorizing a study of Agent Orange exposure in Guam.
Navy PCS Moves Begin Gradually
In March, the Navy stopped all Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving more than 42,000 personnel in limbo, unable to move to their next assignment. Now the Navy plans to gradually allow moves to bases in the U.S. and internationally. Priority will be given to those moving to ships and aircraft that are getting ready to deploy, as well as those assigned to what are deemed critical jobs. In addition, the Department of Defense has designated states or regions as “red” (no go) or “green” (good to go), depending on the rate of COVID-19 infections in the area.
Exclusive Contract for one Moving Company Delayed
Military.com is reporting that a contract for a single company to have exclusive rights to moving household goods in PCS moves has been delayed by U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), pending further review. The three-year $7.2 billion contract that was awarded to American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group, Inc. was first reported in the May 8, 2020 NewsBytes. That story noted the similarities to International Auto Logistics (IAL), who in 2014 was awarded the exclusive contract to personal vehicle (POV) shipments, which came under intense scrutiny after hundreds of service members complained that their POV’s went undelivered far past their expected arrival due dates, could not be located in IAL's shipment tracking system or arrived at their final destination damaged. Press accounts claim that approximately 70 percent of the vehicles IAL tasked with shipping over 2014’s peak moving system were considered late.
TRANSCOM informed the Government Accountability Office of a request to take corrective action on the exclusive PCS contract. The GAO oversees government contract protests and disputes. The FRA will monitor this process on this contract to ensure that PCS moves go smoothly.
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