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Military Construction Authorization Act, 1986

Public Law 99-167 · S. 1042 · 99th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 3, 1985 · Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor: Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)

Cosponsors: None

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Military Construction Authorization Act, 1986 - Title I: Army - Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to acquire real property, carry out military construction projects, and construct or acquire family housing units and facilities in specified amounts at specified installations and locations. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out projects to improve existing military family housing units at specified installations in specified amounts.

Amends the Military Construction Authorization Act, 1985 to add a specified amount to the total cost authorized for military construction projects under such Act, such addition representing the amount authorized for construction of the Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, Washington.

Title II: Navy - Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to acquire real property, carry out military construction projects, and construct or acquire family housing units and facilities in specified amounts at specified installations and locations. Authorizes the Secretary to make improvements in existing military family housing units in specified amounts at specified locations. Authorizes the Secretary to convert certain transient housing units to family housing units.

Restricts the obligation of funds appropriated under this Act for Naval Strategic Homeporting until the Secretary has performed certain notice-and-wait requirements.

Title III: Air Force - Authorizes the Secretary of the Air Force to acquire real property, carry out military construction projects, and construct or acquire family housing units and facilities in specified amounts at specified installations and locations. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out projects to improve existing military family housing units at specified installations in specified amounts.

Makes certain restrictions on the use of funds appropriated under this Act for the construction of certain defense facilities in the Netherlands.

Permits the Secretary to use specified funds to provide impact assistance to school districts affected by the expansion of the Melrose Air Force Range, New Mexico, as provided under this Act.

Title IV: Defense Agencies - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to acquire real property, carry out military construction projects, and construct or acquire family housing units and facilities in specified amounts at specified installations and locations. Authorizes the Secretary to make expenditures to improve existing military family housing units in a specified amount.

Title V: North Atlantic Treaty Organization Infrastructure - Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to make contributions for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Infrastructure program.

Title VI: Authorization of Appropriations and Recurring Administrative Provisions - Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years after FY 1985 for military construction, land acquisition, and military family housing functions of the Departments of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and the defense agencies. Authorizes appropriations for the NATO Infrastructure program.

Limits the total costs of all projects to the total amounts authorized to be appropriated for each military department concerned. States that such authorizations shall expire at the end of FY 1987 except as otherwise specified. Extends the authorization of certain specified FY 1984 military construction projects at specified locations in specified amounts. Establishes maximum amounts on certain expenditures, including unspecified minor military construction projects and per unit improvement and rental costs for military family housing.

Title VII: Guard and Reserve Forces Facilities - Authorizes appropriations for fiscal years after FY 1985 for the costs of acquisition, architectural and engineering services, and construction of facilities for the guard and reserve forces.

Revises Federal provisions concerning: (1) the procurement of architectural and engineering services by the Secretary of Defense; and (2) the amounts of contributions to States for the construction of National Guard armories.

Title VIII: General Provisions - Part A: Military Construction Program Provisions - Extends through FY 1986 the build-to-lease program and the rental guarantee program in the area of military housing.

Requires a member of the armed forces who moves out of an assigned military family housing unit to leave such unit in a satisfactorily clean condition or be liable to the United States for the cleaning costs of such unit.

Amends Federal law relating to military family housing to permit the Secretary of the military department concerned to enter into agreements for the purpose of compensating a developer for any costs resulting from the termination of a military family housing lease during the construction of such units. Outlines provisions to be included in such agreements.

Expands activities and expenses to be included within authorizations for military family housing. Increases by 500 the number of domestic family housing units that may be leased for purposes of military family housing, as long as the Secretary concerned provides written notification of the location and costs of the additional units to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives.

Changes from October 1, 1985, to October 1, 1986, the effective date for the repeal of Federal law relating to the sale and replacement of nonexcess real property and the abolition of the Department of Defense Facilities Replacement Management Account. Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to carry out sale and replacement with respect to specified facilities at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and March Air Force Base, California.

Authorizes the Secretaries of the military departments to use one-step turn-key selection procedures when entering into contracts for the construction of authorized military construction projects. Defines "one-step turn-key selection procedures." Terminates such authority as of October 1, 1990.

Amends Federal general military law to authorize the Secretary of the military department concerned to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of State under which the Secretary of State agrees to provide housing and related services for personnel under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned who are assigned to duty in a foreign country, under certain conditions. Prohibits the execution of any such agreements until the Secretary concerned has performed certain notice-and-wait requirements.

Revises Federal military provisions relating to unspecified minor construction.

Authorizes the Secretary of a military department to acquire any interest in land, for national defense purposes, that does not exceed $200,000 (currently, $100,000). Requires the Secretary concerned, in the case of any such acquisition which exceeds $100,000, to perform certain notice-and-wait requirements before entering into a contract for such acquisition.

Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to enter into long-term facilities contracts on or near U.S. military installations for the provision of child care services, waste water treatment, or depot supply activities. Prohibits such contracts from exceeding 20 years in length. Prohibits any such contract from being entered into until the Secretary concerned has performed certain notice-and-wait requirements. Terminates the authority to enter into such contracts as of September 30, 1987.

Revises Federal law concerning the availability of appropriations for military construction projects.

Part B: Miscellaneous Provisions - Prohibits any agency or official of the executive branch of the Federal Government from taking any action to preclude the exchange of property and services between the military departments.

Directs the Secretary of the Army to develop and transmit to the Congress by September 1, 1986, a plan for the cleanup of contaminated sites, structures, equipment, and natural resources at or near the Rocky Mountain Arsenal near Denver, Colorado, by September 30, 1993. Specifies details to be included in such plan.

Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to use funds appropriated for FY 1986 for specified community planning assistance.

Directs the Secretary of Defense, no later than March 1, 1986, to submit to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees a plan which provides for the transfer, no later than July 1, 1990, of all Section 6 Schools to their appropriate local school districts. Defines "Section 6 Schools".

Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned to provide bedding in support of shelters for the homeless that are operated by entities other than the Department of Defense.

Authorizes certain funds received by the Department of the Navy to be used for the operation and maintenance of waterfront facilities at Port Hueneme, California.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to provide the city of Norfolk, Virginia, a specified amount of dredged material if the city agrees to bear all handling costs.

Revises provisions concerning the trailer park expansion at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts.

Part C: Real Property Transactions - Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, or such Secretary along with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to transfer to the city of Tucson, Arizona, certain property upon the condition that such land be used for purposes of recreation and public health.

Amends the Military Construction Authorization Act, 1985, to change the name of the recipient of a land transfer of a portion of March Air Force Base, California, from the Village West Foundation to Air Force Village West. Removes the conditions for such conveyance as specified under such Act.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to sell or exchange a specified portion of the Naval Air Station, Mirimar, California. Outlines additional information concerning such sale or exchange.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Air Force to convey to the United States Olympic Committee title to a tract of land near Colorado Springs, Colorado, which is currently leased to such Committee. Specifies conditions for such conveyance.

Directs the Secretary of the Navy to transfer to the Administrator of Veterans Affairs certain land at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida, upon the condition that it be used as part of a national cemetery.

Raises the building height limitations for building on Santa Rosa Island, Florida.

Terminates as of October 1, 1990, the authority of the Secretary of the Air Force with respect to a certain quiet title action under the Military Construction Authorization Act, 1983.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to transfer to the New Met Company title to a portion of the Naval Station in Mayport, Florida. Specifies terms and conditions for such conveyance.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Army to convey to the State of Montana certain land located at Fort William H. Harrison, Montana, upon the condition that such land be used to establish a State veterans' cemetery.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, subject to specified terms and conditions, to sell all or any of a specified portion of Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Requires competitive bidding to be used for such sale, and requires the Secretary to perform certain notice-and-wait requirements before any such sale is completed. Specifies other terms and conditions for such sale.

Authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to convey to the Westvaco Corporation title to a specified portion of the Navy Weapons Station, Charleston, South Carolina. Specifies terms and conditions for such conveyance.

Directs the Administrator of General Services to transfer to the Secretary of the Army a tract of land adjacent to Fort McNair in the District of Columbia. Directs the Secretary of the Army to transfer a tract of land known as the Arlington Hall station to the Secretary of State.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Dec 3, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-167.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 22, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 19, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Voice Vote.
  6. Nov 12, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Voice Vote.
  8. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report considered in Senate.
  9. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 99-366 Filed in House.
  10. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 99-366 Filed in House.
  11. Nov 6, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  12. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
  13. Nov 1, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to request for conference. Appointed conferees. Thurmond; Warner; Humphrey; East; Bingaman; Stennis; Hart.
  14. FloorFloor · Senate disagreed to the House amendment by Voice Vote.
  15. Oct 16, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Requested a Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Aspin, Dellums, Montgomery, Hutto, Leath, Dickinson, Whitehurst, Kramer.
  16. Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Insisted on its Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  17. FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  18. Jun 5, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
  19. FloorFloor · Senate struck all after the enacting clause and inserted the text of Division B of S.1160 (as amended) in lieu thereof. By Unanimous Consent.
  20. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  21. May 1, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported original measure by Senate Armed Services Committee
  22. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the Senate
  23. Apr 4, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Armed Services Committee
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.