The National Defense Authorization Act sets the annual policy and spending limits for the U.S. military, authorizing roughly $889.9 billion in national defense funding for fiscal year 2026 across the Departments of Defense and Energy. It affects active-duty service members, the National Guard and Reserve, defense-industry communities, and the taxpayers who fund the military. The law authorizes about 1.3 million active-duty personnel (Army 454,000; Navy 344,600; Marine Corps 172,300; Air Force 321,500; Space Force 10,400) and funds a planned military pay raise without stating a percentage in its text. Major procurement increases go to missile defense (PAC-3 interceptor funding raised to about $2.69 billion), submarines (up to five Columbia-class plus continued Virginia-class production), and aircraft carriers. On policy, it prohibits all Defense Department diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and offices while preserving equal-employment and disability-accommodation offices, extends $400 million per year in Ukraine security assistance through 2029, and keeps existing prohibitions on transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees or closing that facility. It also raises Coast Guard end strength to 50,000 and tightens screening of Chinese military-linked companies and of foreign real-estate purchases near national-security sites.
Corporate Benefits
- defense procurement — overall funding set ~$8.9B above the request, to ~$161.7B
- defense procurement — PAC-3 missile-defense interceptors raised to ~$2.69B
- defense procurement — authorizes up to 5 Columbia-class submarine contracts
- defense procurement — authorizes up to 2 Ford-class aircraft carrier contracts
Average Household Impact
- service-member compensation — funds a military pay raise; percentage not stated in text
- military health funding — Defense Health Program set at ~$40.5B; cost-sharing unchanged
Civil Liberties
- Guantanamo detainee transfers — extends ban on moving detainees to the U.S. through 2026
- Guantanamo closure — extends prohibition on closing the facility through 2026
Environmental Concerns
- PFAS remediation — requires offering clean water to households near contaminated installations
- DoD electric/hybrid vehicle preference — removes the purchasing preference for those vehicles
Transparency & Accountability
- foreign-investment screening — CFIUS to maintain a list of security-sensitive sites
- Chinese military-company list — closes third-country circumvention of the DoD list
- diversity reporting — repeals DoD diversity/inclusion reports and IG oversight
Congressional Summary
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026This 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 billauthorizes 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; andsets policy for the IC regarding artificial intelligence and biotechnology.For additional information on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) seeIn Focus IF10516, Defense Primer: Navigating the NDAA, andIn Focus IF10515, Defense Primer: The NDAA Process.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Passed House
- Action Date
- 2025-12-10
- Date Added
- 2026-06-24
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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