National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
What does the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 do?
S 1071 is a Senate bill sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). This is the annual defense authorization law, which sets policy and authorizes funding levels for the entire Department of Defense for fiscal year 2026, plus the Energy Department's nuclear-weapons work, military construction, and the armed forces' personnel and health programs. This year's version also carries full-year authorizations for the State Department, the intelligence agencies, and the Coast Guard, and a large 'Other Matters' division covering outbound-investment screening, development finance, and more. It does not itself spend money; it authorizes and directs how defense money may be used.
Did S 1071 pass? Where it stands
As of July 17, 2026, S 1071 has been signed into law on December 18, 2025.
Status: Signed into Law
Latest vote: Senate Motion Agreed to 77–20 on December 17, 2025
Outlook: Enacted
Enacted: Signed into law on December 18, 2025
Key provisions
- Defense Authorizations
- Authorizes procurement, research and development, operations, and maintenance for the armed forces
- Sets military personnel end strengths, pay, benefits, and health-care policy
- Includes space, cyberspace, and strategic-programs authorizations
- Nuclear, Construction, and Allied Programs
- Authorizes the Energy Department's national-security and nuclear-weapons programs
- Authorizes military construction across the services, including specific projects
- $1.58B authorized for construction at Naval Station Norfolk; $1.04B at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
- Beyond the Pentagon
- Carries the State Department and Intelligence authorization acts for 2026 and the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025
- Enacts the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act of 2025
- Reauthorizes the U.S. development-finance agency, raising its liability cap to $205B
Last updated June 10, 2026