Defense Health Research Resource Guide

Authoritative sources for defense appropriations intelligence. DHP | DHA | MHS | TRICARE | CDMRP

Start Here

Source Hierarchy (Non-Negotiable)

When conducting defense appropriations research, source authority matters. Use this hierarchy to resolve conflicts and establish credibility.

CRITICAL: Authorization (NDAA) ≠ Appropriation. Never treat NDAA dollars as spending authority.

Priority Source Type What It Contains
1 Enacted/Conference text + Joint Explanatory Statement (JES) Final law + authoritative intent language
2 House/Senate versions + Committee Reports Chamber positions, report language, directives
3 Prior-year enacted legislation Baseline for comparison, continuing provisions
4 DoD Comptroller / GAO / CRS Context, analysis, background (not binding)
Official Sources

Primary Legislative Sources

The authoritative repositories for federal legislation and appropriations.

Congress.gov

The official repository for federal legislation, committee reports, and legislative history.

Resource URL Use For
Main Site congress.gov Bill search, status, text
FY26 House Defense H.R. 4016 House version text
FY26 Senate Defense S. 2572 Senate version text
Committee Reports congress.gov/committee-reports Report language, JES

GovInfo.gov

Official publications including Congressional Record, Public Laws, and U.S. Code.

Resource URL Use For
Main Site govinfo.gov Official publications hub
Congressional Record govinfo.gov/app/collection/crec Floor debate, amendments
Public Laws govinfo.gov/app/collection/plaw Enacted legislation

Appropriations Committee Sites

Committee websites often publish materials faster than Congress.gov, especially during markup season.

Committee URL Best For
House Appropriations appropriations.house.gov Press releases, markups
Senate Appropriations appropriations.senate.gov Hearings, reports
House Defense Sub appropriations.house.gov/subcommittees/defense Defense-specific materials
Senate Defense Sub appropriations.senate.gov/subcommittees/defense Defense-specific materials
Analysis

CRS Reports (Key Products)

Congressional Research Service reports provide authoritative, nonpartisan analysis.

Essential CRS Products

Code Title Update Frequency
IF10530 Defense Primer: Military Health System Periodically (overview)
IF13108 FY2026 Budget Request: Military Health System Annual (current year)
IF12660 FY2025 Budget Request: Military Health System Annual (prior year baseline)
IF10349 Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) Annual (CDMRP focus)
R46599 CDMRP: Background, Funding, and Policy Issues As needed (deep dive)
IN12414 Military Health System Stabilization Plans As needed

CRS Access Points

Repository URL Notes
CRS Reports (Official) crsreports.congress.gov May require login
EveryCRSReport.com everycrsreport.com Public archive
DoD Sources

DoD & DHA Official Sources

Budget justifications, program information, and agency data.

DoD Comptroller Budget Justifications

Official budget justification documents provide detailed funding breakdowns by program element.

Resource URL Contents
Main Site comptroller.defense.gov Budget materials hub
Budget Archive comptroller.defense.gov/Budget-Materials Historical data

Defense Health Agency Sources

Resource URL Contents
DHA Main health.mil News, policy, programs
DHA Contracting dha.mil/Working-with-DHA Procurement info
CDMRP Main cdmrp.health.mil Research programs
CDMRP Funding cdmrp.health.mil/funding Active solicitations
CDMRP History cdmrp.health.mil/about/fundinghistory Historical allocations
TRICARE tricare.mil Beneficiary info
MHS GENESIS health.mil/mhsgenesis EHR deployment
Contracting

Procurement & Contracting Intelligence

Find opportunities, track awards, and research the competitive landscape.

Procurement Data Sources

Resource URL Use For
SAM.gov Main sam.gov Entity registration, awards
Contract Opportunities sam.gov/opportunities Active solicitations
Award Data sam.gov/contracting Historical awards
FPDS-NG fpds.gov Federal procurement data
USASpending usaspending.gov Spending by agency
APEX Accelerators apexaccelerators.us PTAC assistance

SAM.gov Search Filters for Defense Health

Organization: "Defense Health Agency (DHA)"

NAICS Codes: 541611 (Mgmt Consulting), 541512 (Computer Systems), 621999 (Health Services)

Set-aside types: 8(a), SDVOSB, HUBZone, WOSB

Tracking & Analysis

Third-Party Tracking & Analysis

Independent resources for bill tracking, status monitoring, and industry news.

Tracking Tools & News Sources

Resource URL Use For
GovTrack.us govtrack.us Bill tracking, votes
CRFB Approps Watch crfb.org/appropriations-watch Status tracker
CRFB Approps 101 crfb.org/appropriations-101 Process explainer
Defense News defensenews.com Industry coverage
Federal News Network federalnewsnetwork.com Agency news
Breaking Defense breakingdefense.com Defense analysis
Quality Control

Source Reliability Ratings

Use this matrix to assess source credibility and determine appropriate citation confidence.

Reliability Matrix

Rating Source Type Appropriate Use Citation Label
AUTHORITATIVE Enacted law, JES, Public Law text Final amounts, binding directives FACT (ENACTED)
HIGH Committee reports, CRS products Intent, analysis, background FACT (REPORT)
MEDIUM Press releases, news coverage Breaking developments, context INFERENCE (VERIFY)
LOW Industry blogs, social media Leads only; verify elsewhere UNKNOWN (UNVERIFIED)
Timing

Update Frequency Calendar

When to check which sources for the most current information.

Check Frequency Guide

Frequency What to Check Why
DAILY Congress.gov bill status, Committee websites, Defense news sites Markups, floor votes, breaking developments during active session
WEEKLY GovTrack, CRFB tracker, SAM.gov opportunities Status changes, new solicitations, amended deadlines
MONTHLY CRS reports, GAO reports, CDMRP funding page Updated analyses, new findings, solicitation cycles
QUARTERLY DoD Comptroller, USASpending, FPDS-NG Obligation data, spending trends, contract awards
ANNUALLY Budget justification documents, CDMRP history New fiscal year baseline, historical comparison

Key Annual Timeline (Typical Appropriations Cycle)

February: President's Budget Request released

March-May: Committee hearings and markups

June-July: House/Senate floor action

September: Conference negotiations (if not under CR)

October 1: New fiscal year begins

Quick Reference

Essential Bookmarks & Labels

Tear-out reference for rapid research.

Essential Bookmarks

Key CRS Product Codes

  • IF10530 - MHS Primer
  • IF13108 - FY26 MHS Budget
  • IF10349 - CDMRP Overview

Provenance Labels

  • ENACTED Signed into law
  • JES Joint Explanatory Statement
  • HOUSE House version/report
  • SENATE Senate version/report
  • REQUEST President's Budget

Critical Reminders

  • Authorization ≠ Appropriation - NDAA dollars are not spending authority
  • DHP = Title VI - Defense Health Program is in "Other DoD Programs"
  • Always cite - Document + Page + Section + Link
  • Check for incorporation - JES may adopt House/Senate provisions

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