The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 is a United States federal law that specifies the annual budget, expenditures, and policies for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and other defense-related activities, such as the nuclear weapons programs of the Department of Energy. The NDAA is an Act of the U.S. Congress, not an institution or scheme. The first NDAA was passed in 1961, and it has been enacted annually for over six decades, solving the problem of providing a comprehensive, yearly framework for U.S. defense agencies to operate effectively.
The 2024 NDAA, signed into law by President Joe Biden on December 22, 2023, authorizes a total of $883.7 billion in funding for national defense. It works by setting policy and authorizing funding levels, which is distinct from the defense appropriations bill that actually provides the funds. Key provisions of the 2024 NDAA include authorizing a 5.2% pay increase for service members and the DOD civilian workforce, and authorizing the Navy to enter into multiyear contracts for up to 13 Virginia-class submarines. A significant new provision is Section 1250A, which prohibits the President from withdrawing the United States from NATO without congressional approval.
The NDAA connects to the U.S. defense budget process, specifically alongside the defense appropriations bills, and often includes provisions related to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) and the Intelligence Authorization Act. The 2024 NDAA also includes the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA), which criminalizes foreign officials who solicit bribes. In terms of recent changes, the 2024 NDAA extended an inflation relief program for contractors, first enacted in the Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA, until December 31, 2024. The core mechanism of the NDAA—its annual passage and role in setting defense policy—has stayed the same since 1961.