Authorizes fiscal year 2026 funding and personnel strengths for the Department of Defense, military construction, and Department of Energy defense programs, along with many policy changes to military operations, acquisition, health care, and related areas.

Official title: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Next stop House: awaiting action

Timeline each lane is a chamber; dates pull from congress.gov actions

House

Received 12-NOV-2025

Senate

Introduced 15-JUL-2025

Reported 15-JUL-2025

On the calendar 15-JUL-2025

Passed 09-OCT-2025

Key points

Authorizes appropriations for Department of Defense procurement, research, operations, and military personnel for fiscal year 2026, with amounts set in funding tables in Division D
Sets active-duty and reserve end strengths for each military branch as of September 30, 2026
Authorizes military construction projects and Department of Energy national security programs, including nuclear security and environmental cleanup
Includes provisions on acquisition reform, PFAS cleanup, military health care, sexual assault response, and intelligence matters, among other topics

AI-generated from the Engrossed in Senate text of 09-OCT-2025 · verify · report an error

Official CRS summary

Covers an older version. The newest CRS summary describes the bill as of "Reported to Senate" (15-JUL-2025); the text has changed since (Engrossed in Senate, 09-OCT-2025).

CRS is the Library of Congress's nonpartisan research office. Read it on congress.gov

Committee referrals (5)

Policy area

Armed Forces and National Security

Sponsor Roger F. Wicker (R-MS) Cosponsors · 0

No cosponsors.

congress.gov page Engrossed in Senate (09-OCT-2025) Reported to Senate (15-JUL-2025) Senate: Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in..., 84-14, 02-SEP-2025 Senate: Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in..., 83-13, 04-SEP-2025 Senate: Passed Senate under the order of 10/9/2025, having achieved..., 77-20, 09-OCT-2025