WASHINGTON (BP) – The recently passed 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) contains several noteworthy Southern Baptist policy priority wins, including the prohibition of government funded “gender transition” surgeries.
The NDAA, passed annually, authorizes the Department of Defense (DOD) to operate and utilize its budget. The bill helps set what Congress views as legitimate uses of federal funding. It typically influences policies, restrictions and other administrative matters relating to the DOD such as operation of military bases, procurement of weapons and training requirements for members of the military.
President Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act Dec. 18 after months of Congressional negotiation. This year’s NDAA (the 65th version) authorizes nearly $900 billion in taxpayer funds to be used to operate the DOD.
Congress must pass the NDAA each year as it sets defense priorities for lawmakers for the upcoming year. The two versions of the NDAA coming from the House and Senate typically vary on how federal funding can be used. As a result, Congress undergoes negotiations to agree on a compromise bill that can pass both chambers.
This provides a unique opportunity for advocacy groups, such as the ERLC, to engage with the House and Senate Armed Services Committee members in the year-long process of crafting the bill.
The ERLC was able to advocate for Southern Baptists by voicing concern and support for certain provisions to be included in the final NDAA. Many of the ERLC’s policy priorities were included in the final compromise bill, which passed in the Senate Dec. 17 by a vote of 77-20.
Southern Baptist policy wins in the Fiscal Year 2026 NDAA include:
- No taxpayer-funded expansion of ARTs: The original version of both the House and Senate bills included a provision to expand taxpayer-funded “assisted reproductive technologies” (ART) for servicemembers and their dependents without any pro-life guardrails, industry regulation or limitations on who could use such services. This language was removed in the final version of the bill. The ERLC’s policy recommendations related to in vitro fertilization, which is an ART, can be found here.
- Prohibiting taxpayer-funded “gender transitions” for children: The bill prohibits taxpayer-funded “gender transitions” in any capacity, maintaining a precedent set in last year’s NDAA.
- Prohibition of participation of males in female sports at military academies: This provision in the final NDAA ensures that the military service academies do not permit a male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.
- Retaining existing selective service policies, which do not require women to register for the draft: The final version of the NDAA maintains existing standards for the draft. An ERLC resource discussing women in the draft can be found here.
Katy Roberts, senior policy manager for the ERLC, emphasized the importance of the NDAA and expressed gratitude for many of the policy wins in the 2026 bill.
“The annual national defense bill may not seem like an obvious opportunity for advocacy, but because of the wide variety of issues included in and affected by the NDAA, it is critical that a distinctly Southern Baptist perspective is brought to the table throughout the legislative process,” Roberts said.
“The signing of the Fiscal Year 2026 NDAA was no small feat and comes after months of advocacy, debates and bipartisan negotiations. Throughout the process, provisions were proposed that would allocate money to programs and policies Southern Baptists do not want taxpayer dollars to cover. We advocated that defense funding not go toward abortion or ‘gender-transition’ services, not promote harmful gender ideology, and not allow insurance coverage for unregulated, ethically dubious fertility services.
“I am encouraged that this year’s NDAA ultimately continues the right trend of stewarding our resources well, not just for the betterment of service members and their family members, but also establishing policy precedent that prioritizes the flourishing of all people.”
The ERLC advocated for Southern Baptist values to be included in the NDAA in several different ways including sending a letter outlining several policy priorities to negotiators last October.
The ERLC explained certain policy priorities that have long been supported by Southern Baptists as well as several recent SBC resolutions addressing these topics.
In addition to their letter, the ERLC policy team conducted numerous meetings with members of Congress and their staffs to discuss areas of concern and encourage them to include helpful policy changes in the final package. All of the ERLC’s priority items were included in the final bill.
An ERLC explainer about the recently passed NDAA can be found here.
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