This law was part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. The final version of the bill was agreed on by the House on December 8, 2020, and the Senate on December 11, 2020.

The bill was presented to President Trump on December 11, who vetoed it on December 23, because it renamed military bases that honor Confederate officers, and because it did not repeal Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which shields internet companies from being liable for what is posted on their websites by third parties.

The House of Representatives voted 322–87 to override the president's veto on December 28. The Senate voted 81–13 to override the veto on January 1, 2021.

(Five days later, the Electoral College votes were counted . . .)