Sponsors (2)
The bill improves national medical surge, aeromedical transport, and readiness through expanded DoD-managed support and reporting, while imposing costs on taxpayers, adding burdens for civilian health providers, and creating potential coordination risks.
Military personnel and civilian hospitals gain coordinated surge medical capacity and faster access to care during declared national emergencies through joint DoD-civilian planning and mobilization.
DoD support to combatant commands via the Defense Health Agency helps ensure assured medical logistics and aeromedical transport during contingency operations, strengthening national response capability.
Designated transport/aeromedical hub locations will maintain staffing, training, and readiness for high-consequence events, improving local preparedness and sustained response capacity.
Civilian healthcare partners (hospitals and health systems) may face added operational burdens, training requirements, and readiness obligations to participate in rapid-mobilization and specialized surge activities.
Expanding a DoD-run program and maintaining aeromedical/transport readiness is likely to increase defense-related spending and administrative costs paid by taxpayers.
Despite a prohibition on duplicative activity, the program could create interagency coordination challenges or operational confusion during emergencies, risking inefficient response.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes a DoD-led Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program in coordination with HHS to strengthen surge capacity, staffing, partnerships, and hub site readiness for major emergencies.
Official title: To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Defense to establish the Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program.
Introduced December 9, 2025 by Donald J. Bacon · Last progress December 9, 2025
Creates a permanent Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program run by the Department of Defense in coordination with HHS to strengthen surge capacity and interoperability for major public-health and national emergencies. The program requires the Department of Defense, through the Institute for Defense Health Cooperation at the Uniformed Services University, to staff, train, and partner with public, private, nonprofit, and academic health organizations at least eight transport/logistics/aeromedical hub locations, to coordinate with existing National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) authorities, and to deliver regular reports to Congress on readiness and capabilities. The law establishes program management and coordination routines (meetings, reports, partner participation), preserves HHS leadership of NDMS administrative authorities, and directs the Department of Defense to provide combatant command support through the Defense Health Agency during contingency operations. It does not itself appropriate funds or change tax law; it creates an authorized program of record with reporting and staffing requirements and authority to select additional domestic or overseas sites.