Heinrich TRICARE Bill Included in Defense Authorization Act; Clears House

Press Release

Today, H.R. 6523, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 passed the House by a vote of 341 to 48. The new bill is the product of weeks of bipartisan negotiations between the House and the Senate and contains critical provisions for our troops, including two important bills Rep. Heinrich introduced earlier this year--the TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act and the Military Energy Security Act (MESA).

"Supporting our troops and their families is a top priority of mine," said Rep. Heinrich. "Our service men and women make tremendous sacrifices--risking their lives to keep the American people safe. It is our duty, and moral obligation, to make sure they have the resources they need to protect our nation during this time of conflict and for generations to come."

The details of the provisions secured by Rep. Heinrich in H.R. 6523 include:

* Increasing the maximum age to 26 at which our troops and military retirees are allowed to provide health coverage to their dependent children.This language is based on a piece of legislation Rep. Heinrich introduced earlier this year, H.R. 4923, the TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act, which has attracted 106 cosponsors and is endorsed by several veterans service organizations including the Military Officers Association of America, the National Guard Association of the United States, the Air Force Association, and the Air Force Sergeants Association.

* Propelling our nation's quest for energy security and independence.This language is based on legislation that Rep. Heinrich introduced, H.R. 5230, the Military Energy Security Act (MESA), which would create an energy security pilot program that utilizes partnerships between military bases and national laboratories to develop secure microgrid systems that could be implemented throughout our communities.

Although the House passed its version of the authorization bill (HR 5136) in May, the Senate twice voted against bringing its bill to the floor, largely because of Republican opposition. The authorization bill passed today in the House now goes to the Senate for approval.

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