Legislative Activity

This bill directs the Secretary of the Army to evaluate the feasibility and advisability of establishing a Drone Center of Excellence within the Army National Guard. The proposed center would focus on certifying drone operators, developing operational doctrine, and experimenting with AI-driven situational awareness and large-scale combat exercises.

This bill requires the Department of Defense to mandate an "Artificial Intelligence Functional Bill of Materials" for all AI-related contracts. Contractors must provide detailed, machine-readable documentation covering the software, data, and hardware components of their AI systems to ensure transparency, security, and risk assessment. This measure aims to strengthen oversight by requiring contractors to maintain and update these records throughout the lifecycle of the AI technology.

The Military Leadership Removal Transparency Act of 2026 requires the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress within five days when a senior military officer is removed or departs their position early. Additionally, the bill mandates a detailed follow-up report within 30 days to explain the circumstances of the departure and certify that the action was not taken in retaliation for the officer's professional assessments.

This bill mandates that the Secretary of Defense conduct a comprehensive review of U.S. military capabilities regarding uncrewed aerial, ground, surface, and undersea vehicles. The assessment aims to identify critical capability gaps and vulnerabilities to foreign uncrewed systems. A formal report detailing these findings must be submitted to congressional defense committees by March 1, 2027.

This bill requires the Secretary of the Army to submit a report by April 15, 2027, detailing efforts to accelerate the production, testing, and sustainment of autonomous maneuver systems and low-cost interceptors. The report must outline strategies for strengthening domestic supply chains, scaling manufacturing capabilities, and coordinating development across the Department of Defense.

The MERIT Act of 2026 ensures that any individual serving as the Acting Director of National Intelligence possesses the same professional national security qualifications required of a permanent Director. This legislation aims to maintain consistent standards of expertise for leadership within the U.S. intelligence community.

The Protect Our Polls Act requires explicit Congressional approval before federal troops or armed personnel can be deployed to polling places, even to repel armed enemies. This bill establishes a mandatory 48-hour notification process and an expedited review timeline for Congress to authorize such a deployment. Additionally, it prohibits using federal funds to allow the military access to election records, with these specific provisions expiring in 2029.

This bill, the Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act of 2026, prohibits the entry of connected vehicles manufactured in or designed within designated foreign adversary countries, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The legislation targets vehicles with significant ownership ties to these nations due to national security risks like data exfiltration and remote manipulation. Exceptions exist for vehicles intended only for testing by qualifying U.S. entities, and a formal authorization process allows entry if risks are mitigated and Congress is notified.

The Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026 prohibits federal officials and employees from using nonpublic government information to profit from prediction market contracts. The bill mandates strict reporting requirements for such transactions and establishes financial penalties for those who violate these ethical standards.

The AI Guardrails Act of 2026 establishes critical restrictions on the Department of Defense’s use of artificial intelligence, specifically prohibiting its role in nuclear weapon deployment, unauthorized domestic surveillance, and autonomous lethal force. The bill mandates strict human oversight for autonomous systems and requires the Secretary of Defense to provide detailed congressional certification and justification for any temporary waivers granted.

The Paving the Way for American Industry Act amends the Build America, Buy America Act to classify specific yellow organic pigments used in surface markings as domestic construction materials. This ensures that the entire manufacturing process for these pigments must occur within the United States to qualify as domestically produced. The Act mandates updated federal guidance to implement these new requirements promptly.

The Make Congress Drive Union Made Act restricts how Members of the House and Senate can use their official office budgets to purchase or lease motor vehicles starting October 1, 2026. These funds can only be used for vehicles that are both assembled in the United States and built by union labor under a collective bargaining agreement. This legislation aims to ensure federal legislative travel and office vehicle use supports American, unionized manufacturing jobs.

The National Housing Emergency Act of 2026 urges the President to declare a national housing emergency and use the Defense Production Act to boost housing material supply. The bill suspends numerous federal regulations to accelerate housing production and imposes "Pro-Growth Requirements" on state and local governments receiving block grants. This legislation aims to rapidly increase housing supply until either 4 million new units are built or October 1, 2031.

The Permit Reform In Mining for Energy and Defense Act (PRIMED Act) streamlines federal permitting for critical defense-related mining and processing projects. It requires specific actions taken by the Secretary of Defense under the Defense Production Act to be treated as "covered projects" under the FAST Act's permitting improvement framework. This ensures these projects supporting domestic defense supply chains are tracked on the federal Permitting Dashboard, though project sponsors can opt out of this designation.

The Enhancing Arctic Readiness Act of 2025 mandates the Secretary of the Army to report on potential locations for expanding Arctic and cold weather training exercises. This report, due by January 15, 2026, must identify sites for key cold weather courses and analyze the logistical challenges of operating in extreme cold. The goal is to enhance the Army's readiness for operations in the Arctic environment.

This bill mandates that the Secretary of Defense provide a briefing to Congress by March 1, 2026, detailing plans to increase the procurement of strategic and critical materials from domestic U.S. sources. The briefing must identify ten key materials from the National Defense Stockpile and outline specific three-year procurement targets from U.S. suppliers. A public list of these materials and their target procurement percentages will also be released to encourage industry engagement.

This bill mandates the Secretary of Defense to establish a joint program with Taiwan focused on fielding uncrewed systems and counter-uncrewed systems capabilities. The initiative encourages co-development and co-production of these defense technologies between the U.S. and Taiwan. The Secretary must report annually to Congress on the program's progress and efforts to finalize key defense trade agreements.

This bill mandates the Department of Defense (DoD) to conduct interagency tabletop exercises focused on economic impacts during crises. These exercises will assess how DoD decisions affect the economy and evaluate existing government economic tools available to support military operations. The Secretary of Defense must brief Congress on these integration efforts by the end of 2025.

The Protecting DOD Data Act of 2025 mandates the Department of Defense (DoD) to enhance the protection of personal data that affects the operational security of its personnel. This includes reviewing and updating guidance to ensure data handling aligns with pre-existing privacy laws and strictly limiting the storage of such sensitive data on non-DoD managed servers. The Act also establishes new requirements for Congressional notification regarding waivers, security events, and system owner training.

This bill mandates the Secretary of Defense to establish a two-year pilot program for a comprehensive wastewater surveillance system at select Department of Defense installations. The system will monitor the prevalence of covered drug use and infectious diseases among service members. Following the program, the Secretary must report findings and recommendations to Congress regarding force health protection and readiness.