National Military Civilian Medical Surge Program Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6510
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-09: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-02-05T09:06:52Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The National Military Civilian Medical Surge Program Act of 2025 aims to improve the U.S. government's ability to handle large-scale medical emergencies by creating a formal program that bridges military and civilian healthcare resources. It focuses on preparing for surges in medical needs during disasters, wars, or public health crises, ensuring quick coordination between the Department of Defense (DoD) and civilian health systems.
Key Provisions
- Program Establishment: The Secretary of Defense (SecDef), working with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), must create and manage the Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program. This program supports selected locations and boosts the readiness of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), a federal network for medical response during emergencies.
- Oversight and Coordination:
- Managed through the Institute for Defense Health Cooperation at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, with input from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Health Agency (DHA), and HHS.
- Requires semiannual meetings and quarterly updates among DoD branches, Joint Staff, DHA, and HHS; one annual meeting includes external partners.
- During military operations, the program supports combatant commands via the DHA.
- Maintains military standards for staffing, training, research, and education in areas like patient transport and care.
- Partnerships:
- DoD must partner with at least eight U.S. locations (e.g., aeromedical hubs or logistics centers) that are key to NDMS missions. More locations can be added if strategically important, including outside the continental U.S.
- Partners include public/private hospitals, academic medical centers, and nonprofits skilled in high-risk areas like infectious disease response, containment, and patient transport.
- Activation Triggers: Partnerships enable civilian medical staff to support military facilities and the broader health system during:
- National emergencies (under the National Emergencies Act).
- Public health emergencies (under the Public Health Service Act).
- Declarations of war, contingency operations, or presidential actions under the War Powers Resolution.
- Other major disasters declared by the President.
- Reporting: SecDef must submit annual reports to congressional committees (Armed Services in both houses; Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in Senate; Energy and Commerce in House) on program status, readiness, resources, coordination, and improvement recommendations. First report due 180 days after enactment (tied to the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act).
- Limitations: The program cannot interfere with HHS's control over NDMS leadership, public health response, staffing, or resources.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Section 1096 of Title 10, U.S. Code (which covers military support for civilian health needs during disasters), by adding "; medical surge program" to the section heading and inserting a new subsection (e) to formally establish and detail the Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program.
- This creates a "program of record" (a permanent, budgeted initiative) rather than ad-hoc support, mandating partnerships, oversight, and reporting not previously required.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Enhances DoD-HHS collaboration, potentially streamlining emergency responses and reducing silos between military and civilian systems. DoD gains structured access to civilian expertise, while HHS benefits from military logistics without losing authority.
- Citizens: Improves national preparedness for crises like pandemics or natural disasters, leading to faster medical surge capacity (e.g., more hospital beds, staff, and transport). Could save lives by mobilizing resources quicker in affected areas.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, but stronger domestic medical surge capabilities could indirectly support U.S. global health security efforts, such as aiding allies in joint operations or international outbreaks.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Department of Defense (DoD): Leads program implementation, including site selection and military integration.
- Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): Collaborates on partnerships and ensures alignment with civilian health priorities; retains NDMS authority.
- Military Health System: Includes DHA, Joint Staff, and uniformed services; benefits from enhanced training and surge support.
- Civilian Healthcare Providers: Hospitals, academic centers, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education selected as partners; they provide surge staffing and expertise.
- Congressional Committees: Receive reports and oversee the program (Armed Services, Health/Education/Labor/Pensions, Energy/Commerce).
- General Public and Disaster Victims: Indirectly affected through improved emergency medical response.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces existing laws like the National Emergencies Act and Public Health Service Act by integrating military support without expanding DoD's civilian control, preserving separation of authorities (e.g., no override of HHS powers). Defines key terms like "institution of higher education" and "NDMS" for clarity.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's war powers and national defense role (Article I, Section 8), while respecting executive emergency authorities under the War Powers Resolution. No apparent conflicts with federalism, as it focuses on national-level coordination.
- Political: Promotes bipartisan readiness for threats like pandemics or conflicts, potentially reducing response gaps seen in past events (e.g., COVID-19). Annual reporting ensures accountability, but implementation depends on future budgets and interagency cooperation.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-09: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 2025-12-09: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-09: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- National Military Civilian Medical Surge Program Act of 2025 — issued 2025-12-09 — PDF (6 pages)