Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2027

Overview

• Bill: HR 9495, Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2027
• Session: 119th Congress
• Purpose: Annual appropriations for the Department of Defense (DOD) for fiscal year ending September 30, 2027, plus related programs and general provisions.

Main purpose and intent

• Provide the funds necessary to operate, maintain, procure, and advance DoD missions for FY2027.
• Authorize cross-cutting support across military departments (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force) and DoD-wide programs.
• Include procurement, research and development, environmental restoration, counterterrorism and security assistance, and related defense accounts.

Key provisions and changes

• TITLE I – Military Personnel

  • Sets annual pay and benefits for each service component (Active Duty Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force; ROTC; Reserve components; DoD Military Retirement Fund).
  • Specific appropriation amounts are listed for each service.

• TITLE II – Operation and Maintenance (O&M)

  • Annual funding for O&M across all services:
  • Army: $63.99B
  • Navy: $81.67B
  • Marine Corps: $15.73B
  • Air Force: $73.68B
  • Space Force: $8.80B
  • Defense-wide and other DoD agencies: $64.17B
  • Provisions on emergencies/extraordinary expenses with caps (e.g., Army not to exceed $12.478B for emergencies).
  • Special purpose funding under Defense-wide: includes at least $65M for APEX Accelerators; limits on budget liaison office consolidation and related restrictions to protect legislative independence.
  • Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund (Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund): $303.099M with detailed vetting, reporting, and transfer rules; allows accepting foreign contributions; limits on man-portable air defense systems; quarterly reporting requirements.
  • Reserve components and National Guard/O&M funding allocations defined.

• TITLE III – Procurement

  • Detailed procurement authorizations by service:
  • Army: Aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, other procurement
  • Navy/Marine Corps: Aircraft, missiles, ships and related supports, ammunition
  • Air Force: Aircraft, missiles, ammunition, other procurement
  • Space Force: Spacecraft, rockets, and related procurement
  • Significant shipbuilding and modernization funding (e.g., Columbia Class Submarine program, Virginia-class submarines, Carrier Replacement Programs, DDG–1000/ DDG–51, LHA/Future ships, etc.) with multi-year obligation windows and foreign-assembly restrictions.
  • Emphasis on reserve/layaway authorities for vessels and equipment; earmarks for modernization and readiness.

• TITLE IV – Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E)

  • Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and defense-wide RDT&E funding levels and periods to obligate (through 2028 for most accounts).
  • Specific programs include basic/applied research, health-related RDT&E (with HIV educational targeting), and defense health program mandates.

• TITLE V – Revolving and Management Funds

  • Defense Working Capital Funds and National Defense Stockpile funds.

• TITLE VI – Other DoD Programs

  • Combat and Operational Medicine; TRICARE costs; medical research funding with congressionally directed programs; HIV prevention activity reporting.
  • Chemical demilitarization and drug interdiction/counter-drug activities with specified sub-allocations to DoD components and National Guard.

• TITLE VII– TITLE VIII – Related Agencies, General Provisions

  • Intelligence community funding and related retirement/management accounts.
  • General provisions on publicity, foreign-national employment feasibility (with pay alignment provisions), transfer authorities, reporting requirements, and reprogramming controls.
  • Section 8005–8010 impose transfer, reprogramming notification, and multiyear contracting safeguards, including cost analysis and Congressional notification timelines.

Who and what is affected

• Departments and arms of the U.S. military (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force) and DoD-wide agencies.
• National Guard and Reserve components receive specific O&M and procurement funding.
• Overseas and domestic environmental restoration, former defense sites, and related defense-wide environmental programs.
• Contractors and defense industry partners through procurement and RDT&E activities.
• Congress through reporting, notification, and transfer/reprogramming oversight requirements.

Procedural and timeline aspects

• Annual appropriations bill for FY2027, with funds available through various end-dates (many until 2028-2031 for longer-term procurement).
• Mandatory quarterly reporting requirements to Congress on fund use (e.g., Counter-ISIS Train and Equip Fund; electronic health record program status).
• Transfers and reprogramming constrained; advanced notification required for multiyear contracts and certain large-scale transfers.
• Specific deadlines for baseline reporting on reprogramming authority (within 60 days of enactment) and limits on last-two-month obligations.

Note: The bill is detailed and highly technical, with numerous program-by-program authorizations and conditions.