Bill to Boost National Guard Readiness Heads to the House of Representatives

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate passed the Guarding Readiness Resources Act, a bipartisan effort led by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), by unanimous consent. The legislation provides a critical exemption from the Miscellaneous Receipts Act for State Active Duty (SAD) reimbursement payments. This change ensures that these funds are directed back to the National Guard units that incurred the expenses, bolstering readiness and operational efficiency. The legislation now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“The National Guard is essential to our national defense and emergency response system," said Sen. Lee. "This legislation eliminates unnecessary hurdles, ensuring that the funds used by states to reimburse the National Guard go directly to maintaining and preparing our equipment for future missions. I’m proud to see this bipartisan measure pass the Senate with unanimous consent.”

The Guarding Readiness Resources Act addresses a longstanding challenge for the National Guard. While federal law allows the use of federal assets for state-directed missions, reimbursements for those expenses have been diverted to the U.S. Treasury instead of the appropriate Guard units, creating significant funding gaps.

  
Bill Specifics:

Provides an exemption from the Miscellaneous Receipts Act for SAD reimbursement payments. By adding a Micellaneous Reciepts excemption to section 710 of title 32, Congress will ensure that: 

• The U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer (USPFO) can direct reimbursement money back to National Guard units.
• National Guard units will have available funding for maintenance, repair, and replacement costs of federal equipment when needed.
• National Guard equipment, property, and training funds will remain ready for National Guard federal missions.

Bill text | One-pager

###