DOD Gets 20-Year Deal Authority: Defense Partnership Bill Extends Deadlines and Expands Funding Sources

The Expanding Defense Community Partnerships Act is all about giving the Department of Defense (DOD) more flexibility and runway to work with local governments. In short, this bill updates the rules for “intergovernmental support agreements” (IGSAs), which are basically contracts where a military installation pays a nearby city, county, or tribe to provide services like trash collection, road maintenance, or utility work.

This legislation makes three key changes: it lets the DOD pull in other federal agencies (like the Department of Energy or the EPA) to participate in these local agreements; it broadens the types of military funds that can be used to pay for them; and it extends the authorization for these agreements until September 30, 2030. It’s designed to make it easier for bases to tap into community resources instead of reinventing the wheel themselves.

The New Neighborhood Watch: More Federal Hands on Deck

Previously, IGSAs were primarily a deal between the DOD and a local government. Now, the DOD can bring in other federal departments to help provide, receive, or share these support services. Think of it this way: if a city next to an Army base is already handling the base’s water treatment, this bill allows the DOD to bring in, say, the Department of Energy to consult on new energy efficiency upgrades for that same system. For people living near bases, this could mean better service quality if it allows for pooling expertise and resources across the federal government.

Where the Money Comes From: Fund Flexing

This is where things get interesting for taxpayers and budget watchers. The bill significantly loosens the purse strings for paying for IGSAs. Currently, specific operational funds are used. Under this act, the military can tap into funds originally set aside for research and development (R&D), ammunition procurement, military construction, and even non-appropriated funds (money earned by military activities, not directly voted on by Congress).

While this flexibility helps a base quickly pay a local government for a needed service—say, using construction funds to pay a county to fix a road leading onto the base—it raises a question about oversight. When funds designated for, say, R&D are diverted to pay for routine operational support, it can blur the line on how Congress intended those specific pots of money to be spent. It gives the DOD more immediate spending power but reduces the transparency of where the money is ultimately going.

The 20-Year Commitment: A Pilot Program

Perhaps the biggest shift is the creation of a pilot program. Standard IGSAs have limits on their duration, but this bill authorizes the Secretary of Defense to allow the Army, Navy, and Air Force to each enter into one IGSA that lasts up to 20 years. This is a massive commitment.

For the local community, a 20-year agreement offers incredible stability. If a county invests heavily in new equipment or infrastructure specifically to service the base (like building a new water plant), knowing they have a two-decade contract makes that investment worthwhile. However, 20-year contracts can be risky. They lock in rates and services for a long time, potentially preventing the DOD from switching to a cheaper or better service provider down the road. It’s a trade-off between stability for the community and long-term cost flexibility for the military.