National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
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The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 authorizes military spending, personnel levels, and policy across the Department of Defense, Department of Energy's nuclear programs, the State Department, the Coast Guard, and the Intelligence Community, setting the framework for hundreds of billions of dollars in defense activity.
As a sprawling annual authorization law, it reshapes acquisition rules, expands artificial intelligence and biotechnology initiatives, restricts diversity and inclusion programs at the Pentagon, and sets policy toward China, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, making it one of the most consequential pieces of legislation Congress passes each year.
What this law does
What it does
The law authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military personnel, procurement, research and development, operation and maintenance, military construction, and Department of Energy nuclear security programs. It sets active-duty and reserve end strengths for each armed force, authorizes pay and benefit changes for troops, and directs extensive acquisition reforms intended to speed contracting, encourage commercial technology adoption, and strengthen the defense industrial base, including new authorities for multiyear procurement of munitions and shipbuilding programs. It also creates or reauthorizes numerous offices, pilot programs, and reporting requirements spanning cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and space activities. Beyond core defense authorizations, the law also reauthorizes the State Department, the Intelligence Community, and the Coast Guard as separate divisions, addresses immigration-related use of military resources, restricts diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the Department of Defense, and sets policy toward Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific, and other regions. It does not appropriate the actual funds—separate appropriations legislation is required to make the authorized amounts available for spending.
Key provisions
- 1Authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2026 across procurement, research and development, operation and maintenance, and military personnel accounts for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.
- 2Sets fiscal year 2026 active-duty and reserve end strengths for each armed force, including 454,000 for the Army and 344,600 for the Navy.
- 3Authorizes multiyear procurement contracts for major weapons systems and munitions, including Ford-class carriers, Columbia-class submarines, and multiple missile systems, to stabilize production and reduce costs.
- 4Directs a framework of acquisition reforms intended to streamline contracting, expand use of commercial products and services, and modernize test and evaluation processes across the Department of Defense.
- 5Prohibits the Department of Defense from maintaining diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, training, or related programs, with limited exceptions for equal employment and disability accommodation offices.
- 6Establishes new offices and working groups for biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and counter-drone operations, including a Biotechnology Management Office and the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 for counter-unmanned aircraft systems.
- 7Sets policy and authorizes security assistance and cooperation programs affecting Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, the Indo-Pacific region, and NATO allies, including funding caps and reporting requirements tied to U.S. force posture abroad.
Who is affected
Active-duty and reserve service members and their families, civilian Department of Defense employees, military contractors and the broader defense industrial base, veterans transitioning out of service, State Department and intelligence community personnel, Coast Guard members, and foreign allies and partners receiving security assistance or engaged in joint procurement and technology-sharing arrangements with the United States.
Why it matters
The law determines troop pay, benefits, and end-strength levels, shapes which weapons systems and technologies get funded and how quickly contractors can deliver them, and sets the terms of U.S. military engagement with allies and rivals worldwide. Provisions on diversity programs, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and border security carry domestic political significance, while funding and policy toward Ukraine, Taiwan, and Indo-Pacific allies affect ongoing conflicts and deterrence posture.
What changed
Changes to existing law
Amends National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 (Sec. 121)
Extends and modifies numerous prior-year authorizations, including aircraft inventory requirements and program authorities.
Amends 10 U.S.C. Chapter 385 (strategic materials sourcing) (Sec. 844)
Adds molybdenum, gallium, and germanium to restricted covered materials and creates new exceptions for recycled sourcing.
Amends Arms Export Control Act (Sec. 1085)
Modifies AUKUS defense trade exemptions to ease reexport and retransfer of defense articles among the U.S., Australia, and the U.K.
Amends Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (Sec. 867)
Establishes new authorities for the Defense Industrial Base Fund to make purchase commitments and subsidize strategic material production.
Amends Military Selective Service Act (Sec. 535)
Replaces voluntary registration with automatic registration of eligible men for Selective Service.
Repeals 10 U.S.C. Section 147 (Chief Diversity Officer) (Sec. 901)
Eliminates the Department of Defense Chief Diversity Officer position.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Most provisions of the Act take effect
- End strengths for active and reserve forces apply as of this date
- Automatic Selective Service registration amendments
Funding and costs
- $3,500,000,000
Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027
- $1,000,000,000
Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative assistance
- $500,000,000
Foreign Military Financing grant assistance for the Philippines annually
- $6,000,000,000
Cap on general transfer authority for the Secretary of Defense to move funds between authorized accounts
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates that S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, would have a small net effect on direct spending, driven primarily by changes to public safety officer benefits, military retirement programs, and the National Defense Stockpile.
CBO's estimate focuses solely on the bill's effects on direct spending (mandatory spending that does not require annual appropriations), as most of the bill's provisions affect authorizations of discretionary appropriations rather than mandatory programs. The main drivers of direct spending changes are modifications to benefits for public safety officers, adjustments to military retirement programs, and changes to authority for disposing of material from the National Defense Stockpile. CBO did not provide a single headline net dollar figure on the publication page, which links to a detailed table (PDF) for the specific scoring figures. The estimate does not appear to identify significant intergovernmental or private-sector mandates.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Became Public Law No: 119-60.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
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
Legislative subjects
Armed Forces and National Security; Cemeteries and funerals; Texas; Veterans' organizations and recognition