S. 1071
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
Sponsor: John Cornyn
1 cosponsor
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
This bill sets forth policies and authorities for FY2026 for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, military construction, and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE). The bill also sets forth policies and authorities for the Department of State, the Coast Guard, and the Intelligence Community (IC).
Among other elements, the bill
- authorizes the procurement of various items, including aircraft, ships, and missiles;
- 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 domestic sourcing;
- sets policy for various matters related to DOD interactions with foreign nations, including matters concerning Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific;
- sets policy for various matters related to DOD cyber operations, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence;
- authorizes specified military construction projects and extends the authorization of certain projects from previous fiscal years;
- authorizes the National Nuclear Security Administration, Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, Naval Petroleum Reserves, and Maritime Administration;
- sets policy regarding the organization and workforce of the State Department;
- sets acquisition and personnel policy for the Coast Guard;
- sets policy for merchant mariner credentials, vessel safety, and oil pollution response; and
- sets policy for the IC regarding artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
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
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 Biotechnology Matters
D Plans, Reports, and Other Matters
III Operation and Maintenance
A Authorization of Appropriations
B Energy and Environment
C Logistics and Sustainment
D Matters Relating to Munitions
E Other Matters
IV Military Personnel Authorizations
A Active Forces
B Reserve Forces
C Authorization of Appropriations; Reports
V Military Personnel Policy
A Officer Policy
B Reserve Component Management
C General Service Authorities and Military Records
D Recruitment and Accession
E Member Training
F Member Education
G Military Justice and Other Legal Matters
H Career Transition
I Family Programs, Child Care, and Dependent Education
Where this section came from
Not in the first version (Introduced in Senate, Mar 14, 2025).
-
Dec 10, 2025 · Engrossed Amendment House H.Amdt. 116: Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 936, the amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 119-16 is considered adopted. Official page › H.Res. 936: On Ordering the Previous Question — Passed, 216–210 · Roll Call 317 H.Res. 936: On Agreeing to the Resolution — Passed, 215–211 · Roll Call 318 On Motion to Commit — Failed, 209–216 · Roll Call 319On Passage — Passed, 312–112 · Roll Call 320
What does "considered adopted" mean?
When a chamber approves a rule that says a change is "considered adopted", the change becomes part of the bill as soon as the rule passes, without a separate vote on the change itself.
(a) Improvements to staffing. The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, shall implement the following measures to improve staffing of special education teachers and staff at schools operated by the Activity:
(1) Require the inclusion, in the staffing model for a school, of service minutes required by the individualized education programs of students attending the school to more effectively determine appropriate staffing for the school. As part of such staffing model, service minutes for students with similar needs may be counted concurrently when educationally appropriate.
(2) Collect the following data on underutilized special education staff members:
(A) When such staff members are requested to transfer to a school with greater needs for such staff members.
(B) How many requests for such transfers the Activity receives.
(C) Whether such requests are approved or denied, and at what locations.
(D) Once such a request is received, the likelihood that the transfer occurs.
(3) Collect data on the turnover of special education teachers and staff, including reasons for departure.
(4) Review access to and requirements for crisis training, publicize Activity-wide policies with respect to such training for consistency, and expand such training to relevant special education teachers and staff, such as paraeducators, who are not required, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, to receive such training.
(5) Require district and regional administrators to track training requirements for special education teachers and staff to ensure that such teachers and staff are meeting such requirements.
(b) Clarification of guidance. The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity, shall implement the following measures to improve and clarify guidance relating to special education provided by schools operated by the Activity:
(1) Review the list of types of disabilities recognized by the Activity as of the date of the enactment of this Act and determine if that list meets the most recent best practices for special education.
(2) Standardize and implement instructions for providing special education materials to students across schools operated by the Activity.
(3) Develop and implement a plan for standardizing special education training across the Activity.
(4) Standardize reading intervention guidance and requirements across schools operated by the Activity, including by requiring each school and district operated by the Activity to have the same resources and instructions, and provide clear guidance on how to access additional support materials if required.
(c) Implementation deadline. The Secretary of Defense shall complete implementation of the measures described in subsections (a) and (b) by not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(d) Briefings required
(1) Initial briefing. Not later than April 1, 2026, the Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on the following:
(A) Coordination by the Department of Defense Education Activity with the Educational and Developmental Intervention Services programs of the military departments to determine what medical services the military departments are required to provide based on the needs of students attending schools operated by the Activity.
(B) A description of the process in effect as of the date of the briefing, if any, to resolve a dispute with respect to required services under a student’s individualized education program.
(C) A description of issues pending, and resolutions of previous issues, under that process.
(D) An assessment of how support instructional specialists can better assist teachers with developing curriculum for special education students.
(E) A description of how the Activity provides services in the case of civilian or military dependents with severe medical or special education requirements that a school cannot meet, including any data on how many such cases arise on an annual basis and in what locations.
(F) A description of the process in effect as of the date of the briefing for reassigning a family from a school located outside the United States if the education needs of a child in the family cannot be met at that school and data, for the 5 school years preceding the briefing, on where such reassignments have been done and the frequency of such reassignments.
(G) An assessment of the pay scale for special education teachers and staff in effect as of the date of the briefing, an identification of the last time the pay scale was updated, a description of how the pay scale is determined, and a statement of how often the pay scale is updated.
(H) Data on school and district-level requests for additional reading intervention curriculum, including the locations of such requests and whether such requests were approved or denied.
(2) Semi-annual briefings. The Director of the Department of Defense Education Activity shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on the progress made in implementing the measures described in subsections (a) and (b)—
(A) not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act; and
(B) every 180 days thereafter until the Director certifies to the Committees that each such measure has been implemented.
J Decorations and Awards, Reports, and Other Matters
VI Compensation and Other Personnel Benefits
A Basic Pay and Retired Pay
B Bonus, Incentive, and Separation Pays
C Allowances
D Leave
E Family and Survivor Benefits
F Defense Resale Matters
G Other Benefits, Administrative Matters, 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 Workforce Development
D Provisions Relating to Supply Chains and Domestic Sourcing
E Prohibitions and Limitations on Procurement
F Industrial Base Matters
G Other Matters
IX Department of Defense Organization and Management
A Office of the Secretary of Defense and Related Matters
B Other Department of Defense Organization and Management Matters
X General Provisions
A Financial Matters
B Counterdrug Activities
C Naval Vessels and Shipyards
D Counterterrorism
E Miscellaneous Authorities and Limitations
F Studies and Reports
G Other Matters
XI Civilian Personnel
XII Matters relating to foreign nations
A Assistance and training
B Foreign military sales and related processes
C Matters relating to the Middle East
D Matters relating to Israel
E Matters relating to Europe, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation
F Matters relating to the Indo-Pacific region
G Matters relating to Asia
H Other matters
XIV Other Authorizations
A Military Programs
B National Defense Stockpile
C Other Matters
XV Cyberspace-related Matters
A Cyber Operations
B Cybersecurity
C Information Technology and Data Management
D Artificial Intelligence
E 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 Matters Relating to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena
F Matters Relating to Electromagnetic Warfare
G Other Matters
XVII Other Defense Matters
XVIII Acquisition Reform
A Alignment of the Defense Acquisition System
B Requirements Process Reform
C Matters Relating to Commercial Products and Commercial Services
D Improvements to Acquisition Programs
E Modifications to Strengthen the Industrial Base
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
E Modifications to Unspecified Minor Military Construction
F 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
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 Department of State Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
I Organization and operations
A Management and consular affairs
B Human resources
C Political affairs
D Other matters
II Workforce matters
III Information security and cyber diplomacy
IV Public diplomacy
V Diplomatic security
VI Miscellaneous
F Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
LXI Intelligence Activities
LXII Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System
LXIII Intelligence Community Matters
LXIV Intelligence Community Efficiency and Effectiveness
LXV Matters Relating to Elements of the Intelligence Community
A Central Intelligence Agency
B Elements of Department of Defense
C Federal Bureau of Investigation
LXVI Artificial Intelligence and Other Emerging Technologies
A Artificial Intelligence
B Biotechnology
C Other matters
LXVII Matters Relating to Foreign Countries
A Matters Relating to China
B Other Matters
LXVIII Reports and Other Matters
G Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
LXXI Coast Guard
A Authorization of appropriations
B Accountability
LXXII Organization, Authorities, Acquisition, and Personnel of the Coast Guard
A Authorities
B Acquisition
C Personnel
D Coast Guard Academy
E Reports and Policies
LXXIII Shipping and Navigation
A Merchant Mariner Credentials
B Vessel Safety
C Ports
D Matters Involving Uncrewed Systems
E Other Matters
LXXIV Oil Pollution Response
LXXV Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Response
A Accountability Implementation
B Misconduct
C Other matters
LXXVI Comptroller General Reports
LXXVII Amendments
H Other Matters
LXXXI Financial Services Matters
LXXXII Judiciary Matters
LXXXIII Foreign Affairs Matters
A Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act of 2025
B BUST Fentanyl Act
C Western Balkans democracy and prosperity
D Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025
E Other Matters
LXXXIV National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps
B South Pacific Tuna Treaty matters
C Other Matters
LXXXV Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act of 2025
A General Matters
B Imposition of Sanctions
C Prohibition and notification on investments relating to covered national security transactions
D Securities and Related Matters
LXXXVI Securing the Airspace, Facilitating Emergency Response, and Safeguarding Key Infrastructure, Entertainment Venues, and Stadiums
LXXXVII DFC Modernization and Reauthorization Act of 2025
A Definitions and Less Developed Country Focus
B Management of Corporation
C Authorities Relating to the Provision of Support
D Other Matters
LXXXVIII Other Matters