Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA

Abstract

The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has a legacy of regular passage. FY2021 marked the 60th consecutive year for which an annual defense authorization was enacted. Many defense policymakers and officials see the bill as a reliable legislative vehicle for a range of policy matters. In recent years, the NDAA has included more than 1,000 pages of policy provisions and annual authorizations of appropriations in excess of $700 billion. Unlike an appropriations bill, the NDAA does not provide budget authority for the Department of Defense (DOD). Instead, the NDAA establishes or continues defense programs, policies, projects, or activities at DOD and other federal agencies, and provides guidance on how the appropriated funds are to be used in carrying out those authorized activities. This primer provides an overview of the structure and organization of the NDAA.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 15, 2021
Accession Number
AD1169568

Entities

People

  • Brendan W. Mcgarry
  • Valerie Heitshusen

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accounting
  • Agreements
  • Budgets
  • Congress
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Cost Estimates
  • Department Of Defense
  • Directives
  • Government Procurement
  • Governments
  • Intelligence Community
  • Law
  • Materials
  • Military Budgets
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • United States
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting