The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Tuesday voted 15-2 to pass a bill that would authorize FY 2026 funding for the U.S. intelligence community and improve oversight of national security threats.
In a statement published Tuesday, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said he expects the full Senate to approve the FY 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act.
“I am pleased this bill includes needed reforms and restructuring to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, restricts the travel of adversarial diplomats inside the United States and protects intelligence community installations by adding further reviews to nearby land purchases which safeguards them against drone threats,” the senator added.
What Are the FY 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act’s Provisions?
The legislation would improve IC’s AI capabilities and create guidelines for the community’s procurement and use of AI tools, establish authorities to protect CIA facilities from unmanned aircraft systems and require the IC to develop a policy for sharing biotechnological threats with U.S. agencies, allies and private sector partners.
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The bill would establish a fund to support IC efforts to procure and integrate emerging technologies proven to meet mission requirements. It would also develop baseline cybersecurity requirements for companies that offer telecommunications services to IC.
Under the proposed measure, the director of national intelligence would be required to identify sites for the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies, issue standard guidelines for intelligence personnel to document and report anomalous health incidents and conduct a declassification review and publish intelligence related to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
