More veterans can now shop at commissaries on post.

Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients, former POWs, veterans with service-connected disabilities, and caregivers are eligible to shop at commissary stores and facilities operated by Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities, according to legislation. The measure is part of the $716 billion 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which the Senate passed 87 to 10 last week.

[Related: Almost 500 Commissary Brand Products Now on Shelves]

The NDAA now moves to President Donald Trump for his signature.

Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.), sponsored the expansion amendment in the House.

The amendment had been in the works for years, starting at the urging of former Sen. Bob Dole, he said. He also cited a 2017 report by the Defense Department showing expanding access will make veterans' lives easier and strength the commissary and exchange system.

Lipinski continued to push for the amendment after Dole left office.

"We can never truly repay our veterans for all they do for us, but we need to try," he said. "This is a way of helping veterans with exemplary service."

Commissaries are stores on military installations that sell household goods and food 'at cost plus surcharge,' according to Military One Source. To shop at a commissary, a servicemember must show an ID card at checkout.

Commissaries have been battling declining revenue in recent years. DoD has reportedly said a large influx of new patrons is necessary to continue efficiently providing commissary and exchange benefits.

In an effort to bolster revenue, the secretary of defense approved limited online shopping privileges at exchanges in 2017 for all veterans.

Amanda Dolasinski is MOAA's staff writer. She can be reached at amandad@moaa.org. Follow her on Twitter @AmandaMOAA.