To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
Passed HouseReported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the …
Passed House (inferred from eh version)
Mr. Rogers of Alabama (for himself and Mr. Smith of …
On Passage
Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Ac…
On Motion to Recommit
Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Ac…
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On Agreeing to the Amendment
On Agreeing to the Amendment
On Agreeing to the Amendment
On Agreeing to the Amendment
On Agreeing to the Amendment
On Agreeing to the Amendment
On Agreeing to the Amendment
On Agreeing to the Amendment
Summary
What This Bill Does
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 authorizes defense spending and establishes military policies for the upcoming fiscal year. It covers procurement of weapons systems, sets military personnel levels, authorizes military construction projects, and addresses defense-related energy and cybersecurity programs. The bill is organized into six divisions covering DoD authorizations, military construction, Department of Energy national security programs, funding tables, other defense matters, and Coast Guard authorization.
Who Benefits and How
- Defense contractors (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls) receive multi-year procurement authority for major weapons systems including Ford-class aircraft carriers, Columbia-class submarines, UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters, and F-47 fighter aircraft.
- Shipbuilding industry benefits from strategic investments in maritime industrial base, submarine cable laying capabilities, and surface ship programs with incremental funding authority.
- Military personnel and families receive enhanced child care support, increased tanker aircraft inventory requirements, and improved transition assistance programs.
- Domestic semiconductor and technology companies benefit from defense technology investment priorities and supply chain resilience provisions.
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Some defense programs face cuts or limitations: KC-46 procurement is limited until deficiencies are corrected; A-10 aircraft phase-out continues with restrictions; certain Navy programs face procurement limitations.
- Federal agencies must comply with new reporting requirements on munitions, shipbuilding, and industrial base capabilities.
- Gender transition services are prohibited through Exceptional Family Member Programs for minor dependents.
Key Provisions
- Authorizes multi-year procurement for Ford-class aircraft carriers (up to 2), Columbia-class submarines (up to 5), and Virginia-class submarine components
- Increases minimum air refueling tanker aircraft inventory from 466 to 504 aircraft by October 2027
- Establishes Advanced Nuclear Reactor Program for military installations
- Creates Operation Midnight Hammer Medal for 2025 Iran-Israel conflict operations
- Extends and modifies various military personnel programs including child care, transition assistance, and educational benefits
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, military construction, defense activities of the Department of Energy, and Coast Guard operations, while prescribing military personnel strengths and establishing various defense policies.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Comprehensive annual defense authorization maintaining military readiness while addressing procurement backlogs, industrial base challenges, and emerging security threats including space, cyber, and nuclear domains"
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Defense
- "the_secretary_of_the_army"
- → Secretary of the Army
- "the_secretary_of_the_navy"
- → Secretary of the Navy
- "the_secretary_of_the_air_force"
- → Secretary of the Air Force
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Defense
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Energy
- "the_administrator"
- → Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Defense
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Homeland Security
- "the_commandant"
- → Commandant of the Coast Guard
Note: 'The Secretary' refers to different officials across divisions: Secretary of Defense in Divisions A, B, and E; Secretary of Energy in Division C; Secretary of Homeland Security in Division F
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Has the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code - includes House and Senate Armed Services Committees and Defense Appropriations Subcommittees
Specific components for Virginia class submarines including propulsion plant equipment, diesel systems, castings, forgings, tank structures, air flasks, payload tubes, valves, hatches, steering and drive components, pumps, motors, snorkel mast, torpedo tubes, and atmosphere control equipment
The vessels, associated equipment, and any port-of-embarkation and port-of-debarkation infrastructure dedicated to APS-3 (Army Prepositioned Stocks-Afloat)
New production KC-46 aircraft the procurement of which is fully funded by the United States
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology