H.R. 2754: Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act of 2025

Summary

The Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act of 2025 is a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that aims to enhance the protection and security of military installations, training ranges, and airspace across the United States.

Key Provisions

The bill would:

1. Establish a Military Airspace Protection Program: This program would work to identify and mitigate encroachment risks around military installations, training ranges, and airspace. It would provide grants to state and local governments to support compatible land use planning and zoning.

2. Require Improved Coordination: The Department of Defense would be required to coordinate more closely with federal agencies, state and local governments, and private stakeholders to identify and address encroachment issues.

3. Expand Restrictive Easement Authority: The military's authority to acquire restrictive easements over private lands would be expanded to provide greater control over land use in critical areas surrounding installations.

4. Create a National Military Airspace Council: This new council would bring together representatives from the DOD, Federal Aviation Administration, and other stakeholders to develop a cohesive national strategy for protecting military airspace.

5. Increase Funding: The bill would authorize $75 million per year over 5 years to fund the Military Airspace Protection Program and related activities.

Impact

The Protecting Military Installations and Ranges Act is intended to safeguard the military's ability to conduct essential training, testing, and operations by mitigating the impact of civilian development and other encroachment around bases, ranges, and airspace. This is seen as critical for maintaining military readiness and national security.

The legislation would empower the DOD to take a more proactive, coordinated approach to land use planning and zoning in areas surrounding military sites. This could help prevent issues like housing developments, renewable energy projects, and other activities from interfering with military activities.

State and local governments, as well as private landowners, would likely be affected by the expanded restrictive easement authority and land use requirements under the bill. However, the provision of federal grants could help offset some of the costs and impacts.

Timeline

The bill was introduced in the House on April 9, 2025 and has been referred to the House Armed Services Committee for consideration. It has a Senate companion bill, S. 197, which was also recently introduced. If passed by Congress and signed into law, the key provisions would take effect 180 days after enactment.