Sponsors (7)
The bill reduces out-of-pocket travel costs and improves predictability for service members by expanding rental car reimbursement and codifying regulatory updates, at the cost of modestly higher DoD travel expenses and short-term administrative adjustments.
Service members who travel more than 150 miles for training will have rental car costs covered for the full duty period and one adjacent travel day, reducing their out-of-pocket travel expenses.
Military personnel and federal employees will have clearer and more predictable travel reimbursement because the statute clarifies entitlement and requires the Joint Travel Regulation to be updated within 180 days, speeding implementation.
Taxpayers and the Department of Defense budget may face modestly higher travel expenses because expanding rental car reimbursement increases DoD's reimbursement obligations, which could shift funds from other programs.
Military personnel and federal employees may face short-term administrative burden and processing delays while DoD updates the Joint Travel Regulations and pay systems to comply with the 180-day requirement.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires travel allowances to reimburse vehicle rental costs for the full training/duty period and the adjacent travel day when a service member travels over 150 miles and rental costs are reimbursable.
Introduced February 17, 2026 by Tony Gonzales · Last progress February 17, 2026
Requires travel allowances to cover motor vehicle rental costs for the full period of a training or duty assignment and for the travel day immediately before or after that period when a uniformed service member travels more than 150 miles and rental costs are a reimbursable expense. The Secretary of Defense must update the Joint Travel Regulations to implement this change within 180 days of enactment.