WASHINGTON

U.S. Sen. Angus King, IMaine, announced Thursday that the Senate Armed Services Committee, on which he serves, approved the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, along with a provision improving eligibility criteria of HUBZones located at former military installations closed through the Base Closure and Realignment process, such as the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.

The bill also contains provisions to fully fund shipbuilding priorities at Bath Iron Works, as well as to sup- port military construction projects at Bangor IAP and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, according to a press release from King’s office.

HUBZones allow small businesses located on former military bases or economically distressed communities with high rates of poverty or unemployment to obtain certain federal contracting preferences. The program requires 35 percent of employees in a qualifying business to live within the geographic boundaries of the closed base, a provision that is difficult for former bases, such as the one in Brunswick, to meet.

The amendment allows businesses that locate on a closed base to draw employees from just outside the boundaries of the closed base to meet the 35 percent requirement.

It is identical to legislation King introduced earlier this week with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine,

Additionally, local redevelopment authorities are often tasked with attracting new businesses to former bases, but their work cannot begin until they assume control of the base property, which can take several years — and because HUBZone preferences only apply for five years from closure, businesses can lose years of program eligibility. King’s amendment extends the period of time for which a closed base is eligible for HUBZone status from five years after closure to eight years.

“I’m delighted that Sen. King was able to include the BRAC HUBZone provision in the Senate version of the NDAA,” said Steve Levesque, executive director of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority. “Both of our Maine senators have been tremendous champions of this bill, which will be a big boost to the businesses here at Brunswick Landing to allow them to grow at this former Naval air station.

We are so fortunate to have the senators that we do representing our interests in Washington.”

There are several more steps the bill must take before it goes to the White House for passage, including reconciliation with the House version of the bill.

In April, the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment sponsored by Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-New York, to the House version of the NDAA.

The Senate version of the bill, which passed the Armed Services Committee by a vote of 22-4, contains several additional important provisions for Maine.

— The bill authorizes almost $4 billion for Navy destroyer programs, including:

— $433 million for the construction of DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class destroyers, and $3.1 billion for the procurement of two DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, one of which will be built at Bath. The bill also includes $400 million in incremental funding for an additional DDG-51 that the Navy could procure in the next three years, potentially at Bath Iron Works.

— The bill authorizes $7.2 million for improvements to the fire and rescue station at the Bangor International Airport. King also co-sponsored an amendment that established the committee’s expectation that the Navy will accelerate the modernization of the junior enlisted barracks at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard by requesting funding for the project in fiscal year 2017.

— The bill authorizes the procurement of a total of 63 F- 35 Joint Strike Fighters of all three variants. Several Mainebased companies, including Pratt & Whitney in North Berwick and General Dynamics in Saco, are in the supply and production chain for the fifth generation fighter.