2000 Legislative Accomplishments - Reserve Officers Association of the United States accomplishments

Through its testimony, correspondence, and contacts at the national and grass roots levels, ROA influences legislation by educating and advising congressional members and their staffs. ROA involvement varies with each issue. The association counts as its legislative accomplishments measures adopted by the Congress with ROA support. The following legislative provisions were adopted with ROA support during the second session of the 106th Congress (with the relevant ROA legislative mandates or resolutions included in parentheses):

Military Pay Raise (Res. 98-30)--The FY01 Defense Appropriations Act (PL 106-259) funded and the FY01 Defense Authorization Act (PL 106-385) authorized a 3.7 percent pay raise for military personnel, effective 1 January 2001.

Equipment Procurement for Guard and Reserve (Res. 99-30)--PL 106-259 appropriated $100 million for the procurement of equipment exclusively for the Guard and Reserve.

Bonuses for Reserve Components (Res. 98-30)--PL 106-385 extended various Reserve component enlistment, re-enlistment, and affiliation bonuses through 31 December 2001.

Special Pays for Reserve Components (Res. 98-30)--PL 106-385 extended the authority through 1 January 2002 for special pays for Reservists possessing critical skills who serve in the Selected Reserve.

Pay for Military Funeral Honors (Res. 99-17)--PL 106-385 authorized payment equal to drill pay for those performing honors duty for funerals of veterans.

Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Personnel Funding (Res. 98-30)--PL 106-259 appropriated $1,576 million (+$48 million more than president's budget) and $449 million (+$13 million more than president's budget) for USNR and USMCR personnel accounts, respectively, and $979 million (+$18 million more than president's budget) and $146 million (+$12 million more than president's budget) in operations and maintenance funds for the Naval and Marine Corps Reserves, respectively.

Expedited Release of Reports of Officer Selection Boards--PL 106-385 authorized the Secretary of Defense to make public the names of officers recommended for promotion by a selection board prior to approval of the recommendation of the board by the president.

Grade (to Three-star Level) of Chiefs of Reserve Components and Directors of National Guard (Res. 98-47)--PL 106-385 required the service secretaries to increase the rank of the Chief of Army Reserve, Chief of Naval Reserve, Chief of Air Force Reserve, Director of Army National Guard, Director of Air National Guard, and Commander, Marine Forces Reserve to lieutenant general or vice admiral. To accommodate the provision, the conferees also increased the statutory limit on the number of active duty officers in grades above major general and rear admiral, but maintained the limit on the number of general and flag officers.

Exemption from Active-duty List of Reserve Officers Called to Active Duty for a Period of Three Years or Less--PL 106-385 excluded certain Reserve officers serving on active duty for periods of three years or less from the active duty list for promotion (consideration) purposes.

Termination of Application Requirement for Consideration of Officers for Continuation on Reserve Active-status List--PL 106-385 terminated the requirement that Reserve officers must apply for continuation on the Reserve active-status list. Consideration will now be automatic.

Retention of Air Force Reserve Officers in All Medical Specialties until Specified Age (67)--PL 106-385 authorized the Secretary of the Air Force to extend the service of medical service corps and biomedical science officers to age 67.

Exclusion of Army and Air Force Medical and Dental Officers from Limitations on Strength of Reserve Commissioned Officers in Grades below Brigadier General--PL 106-385 exempted medical and dental officers from the calculation of the number of officers in each grade authorized to serve in an active status in a Reserve component and made the procedures for calculating the number of officers serving in controlled grades for the Reserve components consistent with the procedures used for the active components.

Legal Services to Reserve Component Members Following Release from Active Duty (a Period Equal to Twice the Length of Call-up)--PL 106-385 authorized legal services assistance to Reservists who serve on active duty for more than 29 days, and their dependents for a period not to exceed twice the length of time served on active duty.

Mandatory Retirement of Non-Dual Status Military Technicians--Last year, Congress passed legislation intended to reduce the numbers of non-dual status technicians while providing for a process that minimized the impact on the technicians being separated. However, this legislation has not worked as intended, and some non-dual status technicians would have been forced to retire without adequate notice. Therefore, PL 106-385 authorized the Secretary of the Army to retain certain non-dual status reserve technicians until age 60.

Eligibility of Children of Reserve Component Members for Presidential Appointments to Service Academies (on the Same Basis as Active-duty or Active-duty Retired Personnel)--PL 106-385 made children of members of the Reserve components and retirement-eligible Reservists eligible for presidential appointments to the service academies on the same basis as children of active duty or retired active duty personnel.

Non-Commissioned Officer Pay Table Reform (Res. 98-30)--PL 106-385 increased the basic pay rates for enlisted members in grades E5 through E7; also authorized the Secretary of Defense to increase the pay tables for enlisted members, on a one-time basis to ensure the pay table operates efficiently and effectively. To support this initiative, the conferees added $88 million to the amounts requested for military pay.

Force Transition Benefits (Res. 98-30)--PL 106-38S extended the expiration date of current drawdown transition authorities through 31 December 2001.

Entitlement for Reserve Component Members Not on Active Duty to Receive Special Duty Assignment Pay (One Day's Pay for Each Drill Period) (Res. 00-23)-FL 106-385 authorized members of the Selected Reserve not on active duty to receive special duty pay (one day of such pay for each drill period in which the Reserve member successfully participates each month).

Reserve Retirement Points (Res. 99-27)-In order to ensure that Reservists receive full credit for the time and effort they commit to attending drills, performing annual training, and completing correspondence courses, PL 106-385 increased from 75 to 90 the maximum number of IDT points per year that Reservists may accrue as credit toward retirement benefits.

Stipend/Pay for Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and Service Academies (Res. 98-30)- FL 106-385 increased the minimum monthly ROTC stipend to $250 and authorized the payment of a tiered set of stipends, up to a monthly maximum of $674. The bill also increased the basic pay of cadets and midshipmen at the service academies from $600 to $674, and authorized this pay to be increased each year at the same rate of increase as military basic pay.

Special Compensation for Severely Disabled Retirees (Concurrent Receipt) (Res. 98-44)- The National Defense Authorization Act for FY00 (PL 106-65) included a provision to authorize the service secretaries to pay a monthly allowance to military retirees with severe service-connected disabilities rated by the Veterans Administration at 70 percent or greater. The provision authorized payments of $300 per month to retirees with 100 percent disability, $200 per month to retirees with 90 percent disability, and $100 per month to retirees with 70 and 80 percent disability. The conferees for PL 106-385, believing that other veterans with severe disabilities deserved this additional compensation, expanded the eligibility for these special payments to those people retired for disability by their service (also known as Chapter 61 retirees) beginning in FY02.

Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) (Res. 98-30)-FL 106-385 authorized implementation of the military Thrift Savings Plan in FY01. Reserve component implementation may be delayed 180 days beyond active component implementation.

Billeting Services for Reserve Members Traveling for Inactive-duty Training (on Same Basis as Active Component Members)-PL 106-385 directed the Secretary of Defense to promulgate regulations that would authorize Reservists traveling to inactive-duty training at a location more than 50 miles from their residence to be eligible for billeting in Department of Defense facilities on the same basis as active duty personnel traveling for official purposes.

Additional Benefits and Protections for Personnel Incurring Injury, Illness, or Disease in Performance of Funeral Honors Duty (Res. 99-17)-FL 106-385 authorized payment of incapacitation pay for Reservists who incur injury, illness, or disease in the performance of funeral honors duties.

Back Pay for Navy and Marine Corps Members Selected for Promotion while Interned as POWs During World War II (Res. 00-9)-FL 106-385 authorized the payment of back pay for former members of the Navy and Marine Corps who were unable to compete for promotion while interned as prisoners of war during World War II.

Flexibility in Establishing Promotion Zones for Coast Guard Reserve Officers-FL 106-385 authorized the Secretary of Transportation the same flexibility as secretaries of the military departments to establish promotion zones for Reserve officers based on service need.

TRICARE FOR LIFE

The men and women who serve in our nation's armed forces were promised lifetime healthcare benefits for answering the call to defend this great nation. FL 106-385 kept this promise and is fulfilling the commitment made to military retirees. The bill restructured the military health-care program and provided permanent lifetime TRICARE eligibility to Medicare-eligible military retirees and their family members beginning in fiscal year 2002. Under the plan, beneficiaries would pay no co-pays or deductibles. There would also be no TRICARE enrollment fees or premiums for all Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. Restoring the Prescription Drug Benefit (Res. 99-6)-By law, all 1.4 million Medicare-eligible military retirees and family members are eligible for reduced-cost prescription drugs. However, 800,000 of them do not actually have access to the benefit because they do not live close enough to a military treatment facility or otherwise cannot take advantage of TRICARE Senior Prime, the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan, or the Base Realignment and Closure program. FL 106-385 expanded the Department of Defense (DoD) mail order and network retail pharmacy programs and the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Program, to allow participation by all beneficiaries, including the over-64 population, without enrollment fees. Military retirees over the age of 64 will also be able to use out-of-network pharmacies, but would then pay a deductible of $150 per year.

Restoring TRICARE Benefits to Medicare-Eligible Military Retirees (Res. 99-6)-Under current law, military retirees and their family members lose the TRICARE military healthcare benefits they earned with years of military service when they become eligible for Medicare. FL 106-385 restores the benefit by allowing beneficiaries to receive care from Medicare providers while TRICARE pays for any costs not covered by Medicare.

Medicare Subvention (Res. 99-6)--TRICARE Senior Prime (also known as the Medicare subvention demonstration project) has proven very popular among Medicare-eligible beneficiaries, but without action by the Congress, the authority for this demonstration would have expired 31 December 2000. The bill's conferees believe termination is premature and authorized a limited extension of the demonstration to 31 December 2001. FL 106385 also authorized the secretaries of the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services to enter into a new agreement to make TRICARE Senior Prime permanent and extend the program to other locations subject to certain limitations and further congressional action.

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