# Plain Language Summary: HOMEFRONT Act of 2025

This bill makes it easier for the military to renovate, demolish, or modify housing on military bases by removing certain historical preservation requirements. Currently, the National Historic Preservation Act requires the government to protect and preserve historically significant buildings, even on military property. This bill carves out an exemption so that most military housing units—both those for single soldiers and those for military families—no longer have to follow these preservation rules. The military can now update or replace older housing without going through the lengthy process of getting approval from historical preservation experts. There's a small safety valve built in: the military can only exclude a tiny fraction (less than one-tenth of one percent) of its housing units from this exemption, and any buildings already officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places as of January 20, 2025, must stay protected.

The bill also addresses a separate issue affecting military families living in privatized military housing—the kind run by private companies rather than the government directly. It prohibits landlords of these housing units from requiring military families to sign nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) as a condition of renting or continuing to rent. These agreements have sometimes prevented military families from speaking publicly about problems with their housing, like maintenance issues or safety concerns. The new rule makes any such agreements invalid and applies retroactively, meaning military families who signed NDAs in the past could potentially speak out about their housing experiences without legal consequences. The only exception is for NDAs that are part of settling a lawsuit.