Lipinski Provisions Included in Annual Defense Bill

Several key provisions authored by Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) have been included in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, H.R. 5515, which passed the House today and will soon become law. These provisions will aid veterans, keep military personnel safer, fight terrorism, promote medical innovation, and help small business innovators.

An amendment Lipinski added to the bill on the House floor ensures access to commissaries and morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) facilities for Purple Heart recipients, all veterans with a service-connected disability, Medal of Honor recipients, former prisoners of war, and veteran caregivers. A 2017 Defense Department report shows that expanding access will not only make lives easier for these veterans, but it will also strengthen the commissary and exchange system. Lipinski’s provision has been endorsed by the VFW, American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Wounded Warrior Project, Disabled American Veterans, and AMVETS. This was based on his legislation, H.R. 5467, the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act, which he introduced in April of this year.

Rep. Lipinski was also able to secure language in the NDAA that helps ensure closer oversight in the production of armored commercial vehicles used by the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. This issue has been brought to light by failures of vehicles intended to keep personnel safe in dangerous locations around the world. This will help local and American businesses by preventing sub-standard foreign armored vehicles from being procured by military services.

Earlier this year, Lipinski introduced the Iranian Military and Terror Financing Reporting Act, H.R. 5612, to require the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, to report on Iranian support for proxy forces and terrorist groups outside the country, including Hezbollah. A modified version of this proposal has been included in the NDAA and will help better inform anti-terrorism policymaking.

The Congressman was also able to include legislation which will help lead to better health outcomes for everyone. Specifically, his language will reauthorize the Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs, a National Institutes of Health program, to accelerate medical innovations to market. Since its inception, the program has resulted in a significant number of new patents filed and promising technologies in the pipeline.

Finally, Lipinski was able to secure a win for U.S. small businesses in the bill. This provision gives recipients of federal small business grants greater flexibility to spend their grant funds on technical and business assistance.