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Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) was joined by Congressman Mark Alford (R-MO) in introducing the bipartisan Streamlining Military Infrastructure Act, legislation that would examine how the Department of Defense can expand the use of Intergovernmental Support Agreements to complete minor military construction projects faster and at a lower cost.

“At Fort Bliss and installations across the country, servicemembers should not have to wait years for the facilities and infrastructure they need because of outdated red tape, and taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay millions more in construction costs because of it, either,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “I have been working to reform the outdated military construction process in order to make it less costly and bring more projects to fruition. My legislation lays the groundwork to give installation commanders greater flexibility to use strong local partnerships for minor construction projects. That means faster and more affordable construction, increased partnerships with local governments, and a better quality of life for our servicemembers.”

“Modernizing our military infrastructure doesn’t always require reinventing the wheel; we can make smarter use of the tools we already have. This legislation takes a practical, data-driven approach to see how partnerships with state and local governments can help deliver projects faster, more efficiently, and at a lower cost to taxpayers. I’m proud to co-lead this commonsense first step toward broader reform that puts accountability, efficiency, and mission readiness front and center,” said Congressman Mark Alford

"For years, ADC has advocated for expanding the flexibility and use of Intergovernmental Support Agreements as a proven tool for strengthening military installations and the communities that support them,” said Tom Ford, ADC President. “We applaud Rep. Escobar and Rep Alford for their leadership in advancing this legislation and look forward to working with Congress and the Department of Defense to identify opportunities that improve installation resilience, readiness, and infrastructure delivery."

Intergovernmental Support Agreements, or IGSAs, allow military installations to partner with state and local governments to meet installation needs. The legislation would direct the Department of Defense to assess the feasibility of using these agreements for unspecified minor military construction projects, which can be completed without individual congressional authorization. Expanding this flexibility could help installation commanders reduce unnecessary delays, lower construction costs, and address infrastructure needs that directly affect military readiness and servicemembers’ quality of life.

• Require the Assistant Secretaries responsible for installations for the Army, Navy, and Air Force to assess the feasibility of using IGSAs to carry out unspecified minor military construction projects
• Examine increasing the maximum project thresholds under IGSA authority from $9 million to $18 million for laboratory revitalization projects and from $4 million to $8 million for projects funded through Operation and Maintenance accounts; and
• Require the Department of Defense to identify up to 10 military construction projects that could be eligible to use this expanded authority.