Medical Research for Our Troops Act
H.R. 3906, the Medical Research for Our Troops Act, would amend the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 to restore and increase funding for the Defense Health Agency’s research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E), including Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). Specifically, it raises the funded amount in the relevant section from $40,395,072,000 to $41,576,684,000 (an increase of about $1.18 billion) and makes this increase retroactive to the enactment of the 2025 continuing appropriations act. The bill also requires that CDMRP funds be implemented in a way that aligns with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47) and its explanatory statement, directing the Secretary of Defense to ensure funds support all programs, peer-reviewed initiatives, and projects identified there, while preserving program continuity and respecting the specified funding allocations and priorities (pages 311-314 of the 2024 explanatory statement).
Key Points
- 1Increases the Defense Health Agency RDT&E funding to $41,576,684,000 (from $40,395,072,000).
- 2Provides retroactive effect, as if the increase were part of the initial enactment of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4).
- 3Requires Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs funding to be implemented consistent with the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 and its explanatory statement.
- 4Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure funds support all research programs, peer-reviewed initiatives, and projects identified in the 2024 explanatory statement, and to preserve program continuity by following the specified allocations and priorities (pages 311-314).
- 5Applies specifically to the Defense Health Agency’s research portfolio, including the CDMRP, with administration and oversight tied to DoD processes.