H.R. 8800

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

Official summary

Written by the Congressional Research Service.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2027 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs, activities, and military construction as well as the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE).

Among other elements, the bill

  • authorizes the procurement of various items, including aircraft and ships;
  • sets active duty and reserve component personnel strength levels;
  • sets policy regarding various aspects of military health care and military compensation;
  • sets policy regarding DOD acquisitions and acquisition management, including contracting authorities and the acquisition workforce;
  • sets policy for various matters related to DOD interactions with foreign nations, including matters concerning Israel, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific;
  • sets policy for various matters related to DOD cybersecurity and artificial intelligence;
  • requires DOD to include projected demand for foreign military sales in certain contexts, including munitions production planning, sustainment planning for major defense acquisition programs, and decisions regarding production rate increases of defense articles;
  • requires DOD to establish an expedited qualification process for new domestic and allied sources of certain strategic materials, including specified metals, alloys, oxides, and magnets;
  • authorizes specified military construction projects and extends the authorization of certain projects from previous fiscal years; and 
  • authorizes the National Nuclear Security Administration, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Naval Petroleum Reserves, and Maritime Administration.

For additional information on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) see

  • In Focus IF10516, Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA, and
  • In Focus IF10515, Defense Primer: The NDAA Process.

Text of the bill

Expand all

A Department of Defense Authorizations

I Procurement

A Authorization of Appropriations

B Army Programs

C Navy Programs

D Air Force Programs

E Defense-wide, Joint, and Multiservice Matters

II RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION

A Authorization of Appropriations

B Program Requirements, Restrictions, and Limitations

C Plans, Reports, and Other Matters

Sec. 256. Review and implementation of strategies to accelerate the qualification process for domestically produced advanced energetic materials Added Jun 15

Where this section came from

Not in the first version (Introduced in House, May 13).

  1. Jun 15, 2026 · Reported in House Marked up by House Committee on Armed Services, Jun 4 Reported by House Committee on Armed Services, Jun 15 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
What is a markup?

A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.

(a) Acceleration of formulation-to-system qualification for advanced energetic materials

(1) Review and implementation. The Secretary of Defense, acting through the head of the Joint Energetics Transition Office shall—

(A) conduct a review to identify opportunities to accelerate the qualification process for the integration of novel advanced energetic materials into military systems; and

(B) based on the results of such review, implement measures to accelerate such qualification process.

(2) Elements. In conducting the review required under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary of Defense shall—

(A) conduct a detailed analysis of the feasibility of—

(i) expediting the qualification of new formulations derived from advanced energetic materials, including developmental classification, insensitive munitions testing, and hazard classification activities;

(ii) streamlining nonstatutory administrative requirements for warhead-level and system-level qualification of advanced energetic materials in cases in which modeling, simulation, and surrogate testing of such materials provide sufficient evidence of equivalent or superior performance and safety compared to legacy energetic materials, without compromising statutorily prescribed safety or environmental standards;

(iii) implementing integrated test campaigns that enable concurrent or overlapping evaluations of the formulation, warhead, and system performance of advanced energetic materials to reduce total time to fielding, aiming for full system qualification within 18 months to the extent feasible, while ensuring no compromise to safety or operational reliability; and

(iv) prioritizing advanced energetic materials for inclusion in mission-aligned prototyping, live-fire demonstrations, and portfolio-level experimentation under rapid acquisition authorities;

(B) identify any barriers to the integration of novel advanced energetic materials into military systems;

(C) develop a set of prioritized measures that may be implemented to address such barriers, including potential near-term measures achievable under existing authorities; and

(D) determine—

(i) estimated timelines for implementing such measures;

(ii) the organizations and elements of the Department of Defense that could carry out such measures; and

(iii) any statutory, regulatory, or administrative barriers inhibiting the implementation of such measures.

(b) Report. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the findings of the review conducted under subsection (a)(1)(A) and the measures implemented under subsection (a)(1)(B). The report shall include—

(1) a list of advanced energetic materials for which the Secretary accelerated the formulation-to-system qualification process as a result of the review under subsection (a)(1)(A) and a list of advanced energetic materials that were identified as candidates for acceleration;

(2) a comparison of the timelines to qualification milestones for materials identified under paragraph (1) compared to such timelines if the formulation-to-system qualification process had not been accelerated for such materials, including quantitative estimates of time savings and measurable milestones to the extent practicable;

(3) a description of any other actions taken to accelerate the qualification process for such materials, with justifications; and

(4) recommendations for further legislative or administrative actions to enhance domestic energetics production and qualification.

(c) Rule of construction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the waiver of any statutory requirement, including any statutory requirement related to safety, environmental protection, or national security.

(d) Advanced energetic material defined. The term advanced energetic material means a domestically produced substance or mixture, such as explosives, propellants, or pyrotechnics, that releases energy rapidly and demonstrates performance improvements over legacy energetic materials in areas such as energy density, as determined by the Secretary of Defense in accordance with established Department of Defense standards.

III Operation and Maintenance

A Authorization of Appropriations

B Energy and Environment

C Logistics and Sustainment

D Reports

E Other Matters

IV MILITARY PERSONNEL AUTHORIZATIONS

A Active Forces

B Reserve Forces

C Authorization of Appropriations

V MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY

A Officer Policy and Reserve Component Management

B Recruitment, General Service Authorities and Prohibitions, and Military Records

C Member Training

D Member Education

E Military Justice

F Investigations and Other Legal Matters

G Career Transition

H Family Programs, Child Care, and Dependent Education

I Decorations and Awards

J Other Matters and Miscellaneous Reports

K Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026

VI MILITARY COMPENSATION AND OTHER BENEFITS

A Bonus and Incentive Pays

B Allowances

C Leave

D Family and Survivor Benefits

E Defense Resale Matters

F Other Benefits, Reports, and Briefings

VII Health Care Provisions

A TRICARE and Other Health Benefits

B Health Care Administration

C Studies, Reports, and Other Matters

VIII Acquisition Policy, Acquisition Management, and Related Matters

A Acquisition Policy and Management

B Amendments to General Contracting Authorities, Procedures, and Limitations

C Provisions Relating to Acquisition Workforce Development

D Intellectual Property Matters

E Other Matters

IX Department of Defense Organization and Management

X General Provisions

A Financial Matters

B Naval Vessels and Shipyards

C Counterterrorism

D Miscellaneous Authorities and Limitations

E Studies and Reports

F Other Matters

XI Civilian Personnel

XII Matters relating to Foreign Nations

A Assistance and Training

B Matters relating to the Near and Middle East

C Matters relating to Israel

D Matters relating to Europe

E Matters relating to the Indo-Pacific

F Reports

G Other matters

XIV Other Authorizations

A Military Programs

B Other Matters

XV Cyberspace-related Matters

A Cybersecurity

B Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence

C Reports and Other Matters

XVI Space Activities, Strategic Programs, and Intelligence Matters

A Space Activities

B Defense Intelligence and Intelligence-Related Activities

C Nuclear Forces

D Missile Defense Programs

E Other Matters

F Matters Relating to Adversary Supply Chains

XVII Other Defense Matters

A Miscellaneous Authorities and Limitations

B Other Matters

C Initiating biomedical outcomes to garner advancements into innovative efficacy

D Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection At the National Archives and Records Administration

XVIII Revitalization of the Defense Industrial Base

A Provisions to Protect and Strengthen Supply Chains

B Provisions Relating to Defense Industrial Base Manufacturing

C Organic Industrial Base

D Small Business Matters

E Defense Industrial Base Workforce Matters

F Other Matters

B Military Construction Authorizations

XXI Army Military Construction

XXII Navy Military Construction

XXIII Air Force Military Construction

XXIV Defense Agencies Military Construction

XXV International Programs

A North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program

B Host Country In-Kind Contributions

XXVI Guard and Reserve Forces Facilities

XXVII Base Realignment and Closure Activities

XXVIII Military Construction General Provisions

A Military Construction Programs

B Military Housing Reforms

C Real Property and Facilities Administration

D Land Conveyances and Withdrawals

E Pilot Programs

F Miscellaneous Authorities

G Reports and Other Matters

C Department of Energy National Security Authorizations and Other Authorizations

XXXI Department of Energy National Security Programs

A National Security Programs and Authorizations

B Program Authorizations, Restrictions, and Limitations

C Reports and Other Matters

XXXII Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board

XXXIV Naval Petroleum Reserves

XXXV Maritime Administration

A Authorization of Appropriations

A Maritime Administration

B Merchant Marine Academy

C Other Matters

D Coast Guard

E Maritime Workforce and Education

XXXVI SHIPs for America

A Oversight and Accountability

B Maritime Security Trust Fund

C Sealift capability

D Vessels of the United States in international commerce

1 Strategic sealift programs

2 Cargo preference

3 Regulatory reform

E Shipbuilding

1 Shipbuilding financial incentives

2 Department of Defense Programs

3 Shipbuilding innovation and infrastructure

F Workforce Development

1 Workforce incentives

2 Workforce Pipeline

3 United States Merchant Marine Academy and State maritime academies

4 Maritime Credentialing Modernization

D Funding Tables

XLI Procurement

XLII Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation

XLIII Operation and Maintenance

XLIV Military Personnel

XLV Other Authorizations

XLVI Military Construction

XLVII Department of Energy National Security Programs

E SAVE America Act