Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1985

Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1985 - Sets forth purposes of this Act, including authorizing appropriations for the Department of Defense for FY 1985 at levels consistent with a strong national defense and a sound national economy minimizing the risk of nuclear confrontation, eliminating waste and abuse in the defense budget, and altering certain personnel and management policies.

Title I: Procurement - Authorizes appropriations for procurement for the armed forces and defense agencies for FY 1985. Prohibits the use of such funds for: (1) the Pershing II missile program; (2) the sea-launched cruise missile program; (3) the MX missile program, the ground-launched cruise missile program, the B-1B bomber program, or antisatellite weapons; and (4) binary chemical weapons.

Title II: Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation - Authorizes appropriations for research, development, test, and evaluation for the armed forces and the defense agencies for FY 1985. Prohibits the use of such funds for the Trident II missile program and the same weapons programs as are prohibited in Title I.

Title III: Operation and Maintenance - Authorizes appropriations for the military functions of the Department for operation and maintenance for FY 1985, including funds for increases in civilian employee pay and benefits, unbudgeted increases in fuel costs, and inflation. Prohibits the use of funds for the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice.

Title IV: Personnel - Part A: Active Forces - Authorizes strengths for active duty personnel for the armed forces.

Part B: Reserve Forces - Authorizes average strengths for the Selected Reserve of the armed forces reserves. Requires the proportional reduction in such strength as specified. Authorizes average strengths for members of the Reserves serving on full-time active duty in support of the reserve components.

Part C: Military Training - Authorizes military training student loads for components of the armed forces for FY 1985.

Title V: Personnel Management - Waives the civilian personnel ceiling for FY 1985. Directs the Secretary of the Air Force to recruit an increasing percent of women during FY 1986-1988.

Establishes in the Department the Defense Advisory Committee on Women to be composed of nonservicemembers to advise the Secretary on matters relating to the service of women in the armed forces. Requires the Committee to report to the Secretary annually, such report to then be transmitted to the Armed Services Committees of Congress.

Title VI: Compensation Matters - Increases the rates of basic pay by 3.5 percent, effective January 1, 1985.

Title VII: Educational Assistance Programs - Establishes a new educational assistance program for the all-volunteer force. Excludes graduates of service academies from eligibility for such assistance. Entitles veterans who are graduates of a secondary school and who have served in the armed forces on continuous active duty for at least three years to basic educational assistance. Entitles veterans of the Selected Reserve who are graduates of secondary school and who have served at least two years of continuous active duty in the armed forces and at least four years of continuous duty in the Selected Reserve to basic educational assistance. Sets forth the formula for determining the length of such assistance based on the length of time served. Entitles such veterans to a monthly assistance allowance of $200 for a full-time approved program of education. Permits the Secretary concerned to establish a higher rate of assistance, but not more than $400 a month, for individuals possessing a skill or specialty designated as being in critical shortage.

Permits enrollment, if eligible, in a program of education while an individual continues to perform his duties.

Entitles veterans who have served five or more consecutive years of active duty in addition to those required for basic educational assistance to supplemental educational assistance. Entitles veterans of the Selected Reserve who have served two or more consecutive years of active duty and four or more consecutive years of duty in the reserves in addition to that required for basic educational assistance to supplemental educational assistance.

Entitles such veterans to a monthly supplemental assistance allowance of $100 a month. Permits the provision of assistance at a higher rate, but not more than $300 monthly, to any individual entitled to basic educational assistance who has a skill or specialty in which there is a critical shortage of personnel. Permits the Secretary of Defense to authorize specified individuals to transfer to a dependent part or all of such individuals' entitlement to educational assistance. Sets forth the conditions under which transferred benefits may be provided.

Establishes a ten year delimiting period for educational assistance. Excludes from such ten-year limitation: (1) time spent as a prisoner of war subsequent to discharges; and (2) spent physically or mentally disabled. Limits educational assistance to individuals being furnished subsistence to the amount an institution would charge similarly circumstanced nonveterans. Prohibits participation in more than one program of educational assistance.

Allocates the administration and costs of such programs to the Veterans Administration, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund.

Requires the Secretary of Defense and the Administrator to submit to Congress a biennial report on the operations of such programs.

Amends the Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Act of 1977 to terminate the right to enroll in the Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program after December 31, 1984.

Directs (rather than permits) the Secretary of each military department to establish a program to provide educational assistance to members of the Selected Reserve who agree to remain in such Reserve for at least six years. Sets forth the amount of such assistance. Requires that such assistance be given for pre-degree work at an institution of higher learning. Sets forth further eligibility requirements for such assistance. Establishes a delimiting period of ten years from the date of entitlement or from the date of separation from service, whichever comes first. Prohibits the provision of assistance to any member already receiving assistance as a member of the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program or a member who fails to perform satisfactorily in training. Expands the penalties for failure to participate satisfactorily in such program to include orders to active duty.

Designates the Veterans Administration to administer such program. Directs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress annually rather than quarterly on its operation.

Establishes in the Treasury a Department of Defense Education Benefits Fund to be administered by the Secretary of the Treasury for the accumulation of funds to finance Department education liabilities on an actuarially sound basis.

Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to transfer amounts from the Fund to the Administrator of Veterans Affairs and to the Secretary of Defense as necessary to make required payments.

Establishes in the Department of Defense a Department of Defense Education Benefits Board of Actuaries to: (1) report annually to the Secretary on the actuarial status of the Fund; (2) report not less than every four years to Congress and the President on the valuations and status of the fund; and (3) determine the present value of future benefits payable from the Fund.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) make periodic actuarial valuations of the educational programs; (2) determine an amortization methodology and schedule for the liquidation of gains or losses to the Fund; and (3) determine the amount necessary to be appropriated for the Fund for each fiscal year.

Sets forth other terms and conditions for administering such Fund.

Permits the Secretary concerned to grant an eligible member a leave of absence of not more than two years for such member to pursue a program of education. Sets forth the terms and conditions for such leave.

Requires the Secretary concerned to provide individual predischarge counseling which includes a discussion of educational benefit entitlements.

Title VIII: Civil Defense - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1985 to carry out the provisions of the Federal Civil Defense Act of 1950. Prohibits the use of funds for population relocation in time of crisis.

Title IX: General Provisions - Directs the President to report to Congress, within 90 days, on the effect of current and projected levels of defense spending on the economy. Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish programs to provide economic readjustment assistance to communities and workers affected by reductions in weapons and other defense programs provided for under this Act, including job training and relocation, emergency economic assistance and health care benefits.

Authorizes appropriations.