[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6510 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6510
To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Defense to establish the Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 9, 2025
Mr. Bacon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of
Defense to establish the Military-Civilian Medical Surge Program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Military Civilian Medical
Surge Program Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. MILITARY-CIVILIAN MEDICAL SURGE PROGRAM.
Section 1096 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by adding at the end the
following: ``; medical surge program''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Medical Surge Program.--(1) The Secretary of Defense, in
collaboration with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall
carry out a program of record known as the Military-Civilian Medical
Surge Program to--
``(A) support locations that the Secretary of Defense
selects under paragraph (3)(B); and
``(B) enhance the interoperability and medical surge
capability and capacity of the National Disaster Medical System
in response to a declaration or other action described in
subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (4).
``(2)(A) The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Institute for
Defense Health Cooperation at the Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences (or such successor center), shall oversee the
management, staffing, and deployment of the Program, in coordination
with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Director of the
Defense Health Agency, and, for purposes of ensuring that the Program
is carried out in a manner that is consistent with paragraph (6), the
Secretary of Health and Human Services.
``(B) In carrying out subparagraph (A) during a contingency
operation, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that the Program
provides support, acting through the Defense Health Agency serving as a
combat support agency, to the relevant combatant command.
``(C) The Secretary of Defense shall ensure the program is
administrated in coordination with the military departments, the Joint
Staff, the Defense Health Agency, and the Department of Health and
Human Services through semiannual coordination meetings and quarterly
updates. On an annual basis, one such meeting shall include the
participation of partners specified in paragraph (3)(A).
``(D) In carrying out the Program, the Secretary of Defense shall
maintain requirements for staffing, specialized training, research, and
education, regarding patient regulation, movement, definitive care, and
other matters the Secretary determines critical to sustaining the
health of members of the armed forces.
``(3)(A) In carrying out the Program, the Secretary of Defense
shall establish partnerships at locations selected under subparagraph
(B) with public, private, and nonprofit health care organizations,
health care institutions, health care entities, academic medical
centers of institutions of higher education, and hospitals that the
Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services determine--
``(i) are critical in mobilizing a civilian medical
response in support of a wartime contingency or other
catastrophic event in the United States; and
``(ii) have demonstrated technical proficiency in critical
national security domains, including high-consequence
infectious disease and special pathogen preparedness, and
matters relating to defense, containment, management, care, and
transportation.
``(B) The Secretary of Defense shall select not fewer than eight
locations that are operationally relevant to the missions of the
Department of Defense under the National Disaster Medical System and
are aeromedical or other transport hubs or logistics centers in the
United States for partnerships under subparagraph (A). The Secretary
may select more than eight locations, including locations outside of
the continental United States, if the Secretary determines such
additional locations cover areas of strategic and operational relevance
to the Department.
``(4) The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Health and
Human Services shall ensure that the partnerships under paragraph
(3)(A) allow for civilian medical personnel to quickly and effectively
mobilize direct support to military medical treatment facilities and
provide support to other requirements of the military health system
pursuant to the following:
``(A) A declaration of a national emergency under the
National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.).
``(B) A public health emergency declared under section 319
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d).
``(C) A declaration of war by Congress.
``(D) A contingency operation.
``(E) The President's exercise of executive powers under
the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.).
``(F) Any other emergency or major disaster as declared by
the President.
``(5) Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, and
annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services
and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives a report on the status, readiness, and operational
capabilities of the Program. Each report shall include an assessment of
personnel readiness, resource availability, interagency coordination
efforts, and recommendations for continued improvements to the Program.
``(6) Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the
Secretary of Defense to control, direct, limit, or otherwise affect the
authorities of the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect
to the leadership and administration of the National Disaster Medical
System, public health and medical preparedness and response, staffing
levels, or resource allocation.
``(7) In this subsection:
``(A) The term `institution of higher education' means a
four-year institution of higher education (as defined in
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1001(a))).
``(B) The term `National Disaster Medical System' means the
system established under section 2812 of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11).
``(C) The term `Program' means the Military-Civilian
Medical Surge Program established under paragraph (1).''.
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