To amend title 37, United States Code, to exclude the basic allowance for housing from the calculation of gross household income for purposes of the basic needs allowance for eligible members of the Armed Forces.

This bill changes how the military’s Basic Needs Allowance is calculated. It says the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will not be counted as part of a family’s income when deciding who qualifies for this help. Today, whether BAH is excluded can depend on a decision by a service branch; this bill makes the exclusion automatic, so more families may qualify and get more reliable support.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Active-duty service members who are eligible for the Basic Needs Allowance, and their families.
• What changes: BAH would be excluded from “gross household income” used to decide eligibility and benefit amounts, making the exclusion automatic rather than optional.
• Why it matters: Not counting housing allowance could help more lower-income military families qualify for assistance and reduce food and financial insecurity.