The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a critical piece of legislation in the United States that outlines the annual budget and policies for the Department of Defense. It has been passed by Congress and signed into law by the President each of the last 62 years, making it one of the few “must-pass” pieces of legislation considered each year.
The respective versions of the bill passed by the House and Senate, respectively, include a number of emerging technology-related provisions. Many of these will need to be resolved in conference negotiations before each chamber can take up a final bill before sending to the President.
2024 NDAA Provisions Relevant to CSET’s Areas of Expertise:
FY2024 NDAA – House & Senate Provisions
| Provisions | Category | House | Senate | Non-Defense Authorization | Relevant CSET Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition for technology that detects and watermarks the use of generative artificial intelligence.
Directs DOD to carry out a prize competition to evaluate applications, tools, or models that can assist in the watermarking of generative AI, and help transition such tools from prototype to application. |
AI | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 218 | Federal Prize Competitions | |
| Update to plans and strategies for artificial intelligence.
Directs DOD to develop guidance for the regular review and updating of its 2018 AI strategy. Also directs DOD to issue guidance outlining near and long-term strategies for the adoption and ethical, accountable and secure use of AI by the Department. |
AI | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 222 | ||
| Review of artificial intelligence investment.
Requires a review and categorization of AI investment by DOD into relevant areas, including automation, machine learning, robotics, autonomy, deep learning and neural network, and natural language processing. |
AI | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 230 | ||
| Strategy and assessment on use of automation and artificial intelligence for shipyard optimization.
Requires the Secretary of the Navy to adopt a program of best practices for shipbuilding maintenance, including the adoption of a digital AI maintenance platform that helps predict and diagnose issues and lower maintenance costs. |
AI | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 332 | ||
| Department of Defense Digital Content Provenance
Directs DOD to develop an educational program for its public affairs, media, and visual and audio affairs specialists to learn about digital content provenance, the risks of digital forgery, and existing tools to help authenticate digital content. |
AI | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1722 | ||
| Report on artificial intelligence regulation in financial services industry.
Requires that the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection report to Congress on its gaps in knowledge on AI, including where AI is most often implemented in the sectors it regulates and additional regulatory authorities it might need to oversee AI use in the financial sector. |
AI | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6096 | ||
| Establishment of the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of the Department of State.
Establishes a Chief AI Officer within the State Department to oversee the Department’s use of AI and serve as the primary advisor to the Secretary on the use of AI to support diplomatic efforts. |
AI | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6303 | State Department Authorization | |
| Policies established by Director of National Intelligence for artificial intelligence capabilities.
The FY2023 Intelligence Authorization Act instructed the Director of National Intelligence and other intelligence community leadership to establish, and periodically review, policies and guidance to support IC adoption of AI capabilities. This provision lays out specific policies that the IC should establish, including developing a lexicon relating to machine learning and AI tools developed and acquired by the IC and establishing guidelines for evaluating the performance of models acquired by the IC. |
AI | ❌ |
✅ Title V., Sec. 513 | Intelligence Authorization Act | |
| Compliance with GAO recommendations on artificial intelligence.
Requires DOD to certify to Congress within one year of enactment that it has finalized and issued guidance to improve collaboration and manage fragmentation between entities working on AI, as recommended by the Government Accountability Office in its 2023 annual report on U.S. government fragmentation, duplication and overlap. |
AI | ✅ Sec. 1087 | ❌ |
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| Designation of single entity to oversee implementation of predictive maintenance procedures.
Requires the Secretary of Defense to designate a single entity within each branch of the military with responsibility for overseeing the branches’ respective predictive maintenance efforts. |
AI | ✅ Sec. 1089 | ❌ |
The Path of Least Resistance | |
| Study on establishment of centralized platform for development and testing of autonomy software.
Directs a study by DOD on the feasibility and advisability of establishing a centralized platform for the development and testing of autonomy software, including an assessment of ongoing autonomy integration efforts and systems that could be integrated with autonomy software and operate in GPS- or communications-denied environments. |
Autonomy | ✅ Sec. 264 | ❌ |
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| Congressional notification of changes to Department of Defense policy on autonomy in weapon systems.
Requires any future changes to DOD Directive 3000.09 to be briefed to Congress within 30 days with an explanation and justification of such changes. |
Autonomy | ✅ Sec. 266 | ❌ |
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| Framework for classification of autonomous capabilities.
Directs DOD to develop a classification framework for autonomous capabilities to improve planning and resourcing for the integration of autonomous systems across the department. |
Autonomy | ✅ Sec. 930 | ❌ |
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| Review of agriculture-related transactions by Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
Provides CFIUS with authority to review transactions of foreign investments into U.S. agriculture-related businesses, including those using biotechnology for agricultural purposes. |
Biotechnology | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1086 | ||
| Prohibition on use of funds for the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Prohibits NDAA-authorized funds from going to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, EcoHealth Alliance, or any entity controlled or subcontracted with EcoHealth Alliance. |
Biotechnology | ✅ Sec. 1882 | ✅ Sec. 1362 | ||
| Prohibiting Federal funding for EcoHealth Alliance Inc.
Prohibits any federal funding for EcoHealth Alliance work being performed in China or supported by the Chinese government. Includes an exception for work that is in U.S. national security interest, but requires congressional reporting on any such exceptions. |
Biotechnology | ✅ Sec. 1313 | ✅ Sec. 1364 | ||
| Comptroller General study on biomedical research and development funded by Department of Defense.
Requires a GAO review of biomedical R&D funded by DOD, including FDA-approved drug patents supported, in whole or part, by DOD funding and requirements for how grant recipients with approved patents disclose DOD support. |
Biotechnology | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 5722 | Bayh-Dole Patent Trends | |
| Audit to identify diversion of Department of Defense funding to China’s research labs.
Requires the DOD Inspector General to conduct an audit identifying any defense funding in the last ten years that was provided to or diverted to the People’s Republic of China, the Communist Party of China, Wuhan Institute of Virology, EcoHealth Alliance, the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, or any entity affiliated with any of these bodies. |
Biotechnology | ✅ Sec. 230 | ✅ Sec. 6243 | ||
| Modification of support for research and development of bioindustrial manufacturing processes.
The FY2023 NDAA directed DOD to create a biomanufacturing R&D network to support research on bioindustrial manufacturing to create chemicals and other materials critical to fragile supply chains. This provision updates the directive, adding active pharmaceutical ingredients and their key starting ingredients to the list of items that research should support. |
Biotechnology | ✅ Sec. 213 | ❌ |
A Shot of Resilience | |
| Prohibition on availability of funds for gain-of-function research.
Prohibits funding from the bill from going towards “enhancing the pathogenicity, transmissibility, or host range of a microorganism or virus.” |
Biotechnology | ✅ Sec. 224 | ❌ |
Understanding the Global Gain of Function Research Landscape | |
| Updates to national biodefense strategy.
Directs DOD to update the National Biodefense Strategy mandated by the FY2017 NDAA. The update is to include reporting on current and potential biological threats and the potential for catastrophic biological threats, among other matters. |
Biotechnology | ✅ Sec. 273 | ❌ |
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| Prohibition on contracting with certain biotechnology providers.
Prohibits federal agencies from procuring from, or contracting with, biotechnology providers of concern, such as BGI or other biotechnology firms associated with countries of concern. Directs DOD to review whether Wuxi AppTec, AxBio and other Chinese biotech entities pose a threat to U.S. national security and should be considered providers of concern. |
Biotechnology | ✅ Sec. 1880 | ❌ |
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| Limitation on use of funds.
Prohibits use of funds for biomedical research in partnership with the Chinese Government or China-affiliated organizations unless explicit permission is provided by the FBI. |
Biotechnology | ✅ Sec. 1881 | ❌ |
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| Management of data assets by Chief Digital Officer.
Directs CDAO to provide data assets and analytics for understanding the “cyber-social terrain” for purposes of executing offensive and defensive information operations. |
CDAO | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1705 | ||
| Control and management of Department of Defense data and establishment of Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Governing Council.
Authorizes the DOD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to access and control all DOD-collected data. Establishes a governing council to provide policy oversight to “ensure the responsible, coordinated and ethical employment of data and artificial intelligence” across the Department. |
CDAO | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1725 | ||
| Artificial intelligence bug bounty programs.
Directs the CDAO to develop and implement a bug bounty program to identify security vulnerabilities in foundational models being implemented into DOD missions and operations. |
CDAO | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6097 | ||
| Vulnerability analysis study for artificial intelligence-enabled military applications.
Directs CDAO to review the privacy, security, and accuracy of AI-enabled military applications, as well as its ability to assess such applications. The report is also instructed to include information on further R&D needs on military AI applications. |
CDAO | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6098 | ||
| Process to ensure the responsible development and use of artificial intelligence.
Directs the Chief Digital and AI Officer to develop a plan for evaluating DOD’s use of AI systems, whether such systems are functioning properly, and how to remediate any issues identified in the review. |
CDAO | ✅ Sec. 220 | ❌ |
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| Modification to acquisition authority of the senior official with principal responsibility for artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The FY2021 NDAA granted the then-Joint AI Center agency-level acquisition authority for acquisition within its portfolio with an upper spending limit of $75 million. This provision raises that upper limit to $125 million. |
CDAO | ✅ Sec. 826 | ❌ |
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| Infrastructure projects and investments by the United States and People’s Republic of China.
Requires USAID and the Development Finance Corporation to report on U.S. and Chinese infrastructure project investments in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean, including the implications of such projects on access to critical minerals and key supply chains. |
China | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6705 | State Department Authorization | Chinese AI Investment and Commercial Activity in Southeast Asia |
| Amendment to requirement for annual assessment by intelligence community working group for monitoring the economic and technological capabilities of the People’s Republic of China.
The FY2023 Intelligence Authorization Act required the IC, as part of an annual assessment on Chinese technological development, to report on the top 200 businesses, academic and research institutions that are developing, producing or exporting the strategic technologies important to the Government of China or supporting entities subject to U.S. sanctions that support Chinese military-civil fusion efforts. This provision updates that requirement to mandate that the IC report on all known entities engaged in such efforts, not just the top 200. |
China | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 403 | Intelligence Authorization Act | |
| Expanded annual assessment of economic and technological capabilities of the People’s Republic of China.
Expands the IC’s annual assessment on Chinese technological development to include a review of Chinese investments in AI, next-generation energy technology, and biotechnology. The review is to identify Chinese competitive practices to bolster these sectors and ways the United States can counter such practices. |
China | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 511 | Intelligence Authorization Act | |
| Office of Strategic Capital Chinese company investment prohibition.
Prohibits DOD’s Office of Strategic Capital from investing in companies incorporated in China or of which Chinese individuals or its government have a controlling stake of greater than 50%. |
China | ✅ Sec. 872 | ❌ |
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| Inclusion of information on emerging technological developments in annual China Military Power report.
Updates the annual China Military Power report to require inclusion of emerging technology developments in China, such as relevant fields of tech development, its implications for U.S. national security, and a list of at least ten Chinese entities active in that field. |
China | ✅ Sec. 1317 | ❌ |
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| Report on China benefiting from United States taxpayer-funded research.
Requires DOD, in partnership with the Departments of State and Commerce and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, to report on the extent to which China has benefited from taxpayer-funded research. The report is to include information on U.S. funding that has supported research institutes that hired Chinese nationals, Chinese funding of U.S.-taxpayer funded research institutes, and U.S.-funded programs or grants that have been executed in conjunction with Chinese research institutions. |
China | ✅ Sec. 1810 | ❌ |
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| Prohibition on funding research in China.
Prohibits U.S. federal agencies from funding any research that will be performed by any agent or instrumentality of the Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party. |
China | ✅ Sec. 1879 | ❌ |
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| Cooperation with allies and partners in Middle East on development of integrated regional cybersecurity architecture.
Directs DOD to develop an integrated regional cybersecurity architecture with allies in the Middle East and deepen military partnerships to defend against hostile cyber threats. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1399E | ||
| Promoting digitalization and cybersecurity in the Western Hemisphere.
Supports increase cybersecurity and digitalization cooperation with Western Hemisphere allies and partners, including through the development of shared, secure supply chains for information and communications technology. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1399DDDDD | ||
| Cyber intelligence center.
Directs DOD to establish a Cyber Intelligence Center to support U.S. Cyber Command and all other Department offices with foundational, science and technology, and all-source intelligence on developments in cybersecurity and cyber threats. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1702 | ||
| Performance metrics for pilot program for sharing cyber capabilities and related information with foreign operational partners.
Requires DOD to develop performance metrics to assess the outcomes of a pilot program for sharing cyber capabilities with foreign operational partners. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1703 | ||
| Next generation cyber red teams.
Requires DOD to develop a plan for updating its cyber red team capabilities to appropriately model the most advanced threats, including the latest nation-state threats and automated and AI-enabled threats. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1704 | ||
| Pilot program for cybersecurity collaboration center inclusion of semiconductor manufacturers.
Directs DOD to report to Congress on the feasibility and advisability of having NSA’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center cooperate with semiconductor manufacturers to ensure security of the semiconductor supply chain. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1707 | Supply Chain Explorer | |
| Cyber incident reporting.
Places oversight of cyber incident reporting with the Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense Information Network and requires DOD to issue guidance on cyber incident reporting to ensure enterprise-wide visibility into cyber incidents. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1715 | ||
| Policy and guidance on memory-safe software programming.
Requires that DOD issue implementing guidance for NSA recommendations regarding memory-safe software programming languages and testing related to memory-related security vulnerabilities in software acquired by DOD. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1712 | ||
| Development of regional cybersecurity strategies.
Directs DOD and CYBERCOM to work with regional combatant commands to develop a cybersecurity strategy for each of the respective geographic commands. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1714 | ||
| Digital connectivity and cybersecurity partnership.
Authorizes the State Department to establish a Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership program to assist foreign countries in expanding secure internet access, protecting technology assets and adopting policies that promote secure and open internet access. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6306 | State Department Authorization | |
| Establishment of a cyberspace, digital connectivity, and related technologies (CDT) fund.
Authorizes $150 million over the next five years to support the program authorized in Section 6306. |
Cyber | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6307 | State Department Authorization | |
| Funding for cyber supply chain risk management.
Earmarks $1 million within authorized funds for Navy R&D specifically to support cyber supply chain risk management activities. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 271 | ❌ |
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| Improving outreach related to cybersecurity job preparation.
Requires DOD to make every effort to provide departing servicemembers with information regarding cyber-related career opportunities, including through improved searchability of online career resources and notices via the Skillsbridge program. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1872 | ❌ |
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| Harmonization and clarification of Strategic Cybersecurity Program and related matters.
Establishes a Strategic Cybersecurity Program charged with cybersecurity policies, guidance and activities related to the most critical elements of DOD operations, including nuclear deterrence and strike, missile defense and long-range strike capabilities, and offensive cyber operations. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1501 | ❌ |
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| Office for academic engagement relating to cyber activities.
Establishes an office charged with overseeing all activities related to DOD’s engagement with academia on cyber issues. The office is charged with evaluating DOD cyber scholarship and training programs, maintain relationships with academia on all cyber-related matters, and identify actions to improve DOD cyber expertise and training and education programming, among other duties. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1502 | ❌ |
Building the Cybersecurity Workforce Pipeline | |
| Modification to Department of Defense enterprise-wide procurement of cyber data products and services.
The FY2022 NDAA established an executive agent charged with overseeing cyber data product and service procurement. This provision adds the additional responsibility and authority to evaluate and procure AI-enabled cyber tools relevant to DOD missions. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1503 | ❌ |
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| Authority to establish program of United States Cyber Command on dark web and deep web analysis tools.
Authorizes U.S. Cyber Command to share tools with other combatant commands that support analysis of information pulled from the “dark web.” |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1504 | ❌ |
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| Military cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan.
Directs DOD to cooperate with Taiwan on defensive cyber activities specifically targeted at hardening, and countering threats to, Taiwan’s military networks. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1505 | ❌ |
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| Authority to accept voluntary and uncompensated services from cybersecurity experts.
Authorizes U.S. Cyber Command to accept voluntary and uncompensated services from cybersecurity experts. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1521 | ❌ |
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| Responsibility for cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection of the defense industrial base.
The FY2021 NDAA designated DOD’s Principal Cyber Advisor as responsible for coordinating activities related to cybersecurity of the defense industrial base. This provision directs the Secretary to appoint a principal staff assistant to coordinate such activities. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1524 | ❌ |
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| GAO review of cyberspace operations management.
Directs GAO to conduct a review of DOD’s management of cyberspace operations, including command and control components of DOD cyber operations, staffing and personnel matters, and other issues. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1533 | ❌ |
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| Assessment of innovative data analysis and information technology solutions.
Requires a report to Congress evaluating DOD’s implementation of innovative data analysis tools for risk management, agility and capabilities for strategic defense purposes. |
Cyber | ✅ Sec. 1538 | ❌ |
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| Prohibition on funding for the Global Engagement Center.
Prohibits all funding authorized by the bill from being used to support the Department of State’s Global Engagement Center. |
Disinformation | ✅ Sec. 1243 | ❌ |
State Department Authorization | |
| Updated strategy of Department of Defense relating to information environment.
Requires that DOD update its information environment strategy, including by designating information as a military domain in order to elevate its treatment within the National Defense Strategy and improve tasking of roles and responsibilities for DOD information environment activities. |
Disinformation | ✅ Sec. 1506 | ❌ |
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| Report on information operations capabilities of Russia.
Directs DOD to report to Congress on Russian information operations capabilities and DOD’s responses to address such threats. |
Disinformation | ✅ Sec. 1535 | ❌ |
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| Pilot program to accelerate the procurement and fielding of innovative technologies.
The FY2022 NDAA established a pilot program to support the procurement of innovative technologies, with priority given to technology provided by small businesses or nontraditional contractors. This provision allows the Secretary of Defense to grant a waiver from the small business/nontraditional priority requirement for up to two projects a year. |
Innovation | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 141 | ||
| Establishment of Office of Strategic Capital.
Codifies DOD’s Office of Strategic Capital in the Office of the Secretary of Defense with the mission to direct the use of capital strategies to shape and scale investment in critical technologies and assets. |
Innovation | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 901 | ||
| Research, development, testing, and evaluation contract cost sharing.
Stipulates that no less than 25% of funds going toward research and development authorized under this bill shall come from “non-federal” sources. |
Innovation | ✅ Sec. 809 | ❌ |
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| Pilot program on the use of acquisition authority for Office of Naval Research to aid in technology transition.
Delegates authority to the Chief of Naval Research to enter into contracts or other agreements on behalf of the Department of the Navy to commercialize prototypes of a given technology up to $10 million. |
Innovation | ✅ Sec. 831 | ❌ |
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| Pilot program for recurring awards for production, investment, and deployment through competitions.
Directs DOD to establish a pilot program for competitions that assist in identifying and fielding technology that addresses operational needs. |
Innovation | ✅ Sec. 851 | ❌ |
Federal Prize Competitions | |
| Codification of the Defense Innovation Unit and establishment of the nontraditional innovation fielding enterprise.
Codifies the Defense Innovation Unit. Establishes a new Nontraditional Innovation Fielding Enterprise (NIFE) to consolidate and coordinate department-wide efforts to field nontraditional capabilities, with DIU and designated service-level NIFE leads as mandatory members. |
Innovation | ✅ Sec. 925 | ❌ |
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| Development of commercial integration cells action plan within certain combatant commands
Directs each combatant command to develop a plan for establishing a cell and Chief Technology Officer within its organization to broker public-private relationships in areas where private entities provide capabilities relevant to that COCOM. |
Innovation | ✅ Sec. 1082 | ❌ |
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| Pilot program for the use of innovative intellectual property strategies.
Directs DOD and the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to develop an intellectual property strategy that helps bolster DOD’s ability to procure emerging technology tools. |
Other | ✅ Sec. 263 | ✅ Sec. 804 | Bayh-Dole Patent Trends | |
| Notification of safety and security concerns at certain Department of Defense laboratories.
Requires DOD to notify Congress within seven days any time it pauses operations at a Biosafety Level-3 or higher lab for safety or security reasons. |
Other | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1074 | ||
| Rapid response to emergent technology advancements or threats.
Permits the Secretary of Defense to use rapid acquisition authorities for urgent or emergent operational development activities to leverage an emergent technological capability relevant to national defense or address an emerging threat. |
Other | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 5206 | ||
| Report on data sharing and coordination.
Requires DOD to report to Congress on ways to improve data sharing, interoperability and quality. The report is to identify current barriers to effective data sharing, the impact of a lack of data sharing, and ways DOD is currently working to improve data sharing and interoperability. |
Other | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6099 | ||
| Assessment of certain United States-origin technology used by foreign adversaries.
Requires the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report on the top five technologies that originate in the United States and are not subject to export controls, and therefore could be used by foreign adversaries in espionage against the United States. |
Other | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6292 | ||
| Briefings on the United States-European Union Trade and Technology Council.
Sense of Congress supporting the value of the US-EU TTC for important trade and technology discussions and requesting regular congressional updates on the council discussions. |
Other | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 6708 | ||
| Department of Energy science and technology risk assessments.
Directs the Secretary of Energy to develop and maintain tools to manage research security risks, such as a science and technology risk matrix, to help mitigate the loss of intellectual property to theft or other threats to U.S. national security. |
Other | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 308 | Intelligence Authorization Act | |
| Limitation on availability of funds for fundamental research collaboration with certain institutions.
Prohibits DOD funding from going to institutes of higher education to conduct fundamental research carried out in collaboration with labs, universities or other entities of concern in China. The provision also requires that universities perform due diligence and certify to DOD that they are not collaborating with entities of concern during the execution of the research award. |
Other | ✅ Sec. 229 | ❌ |
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| Modification to annual reports on critical technology areas supportive of the National Defense Strategy.
Extends the required reporting requirement on critical technology areas relevant to the National Defense Strategy through 2029. Requires estimates of program elements and funding amounts dedicated to each critical technology area, and any changes in policies that have been implemented in light of DOD’s investments in such technology areas. |
Other | ✅ Sec. 262 | ❌ |
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| Sense of Congress on dual use innovative technology for the robotic combat vehicle of the Army.
Commends the Army’s approach of sourcing dual-use innovative technology to support the development of its autonomous combat vehicle. |
Other | ✅ Sec. 267 | ❌ |
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| Sense of Congress on the continuing need for innovation in the Armed Forces.
Sense of Congress encouraging the Armed Forces to continue adopting innovative technology, including in the fields of AI, quantum information science, advanced air mobility and counter-UAS systems. |
Other | ✅ Sec. 270 | ❌ |
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| Report on how to protect United States defense technology sold to foreign partners.
Requires a report on how DOD will limit the exposure of technical data and capabilities as a result of providing defense technology to foreign partners. Also requires an evaluation of the threat posed by intellectual technology hardware that originates in China and steps DOD and its foreign partners can take to mitigate the threat. |
Other | ✅ Sec. 1246 | ❌ |
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| Expansion of international technology focused partnerships and experimentation activities in the Indo-Pacific.
Directs DOD to develop a plan for expanding technology-focused partnerships in order to better field new capabilities and critical technologies in line with the National Defense Science and Technology Strategy. |
Other | ✅ Sec. 1309 | ❌ |
Mapping India’s AI Potential;
Indonesia’s AI Promise in Perspective; Assessing South Korea’s AI Ecosystem |
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| Sense of Congress on emerging technology in the United States Indo-Pacific Strategy.
Sense of Congress encouraging the prioritization of fielding emerging technology capabilities in support of important partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. |
Other | ✅ Sec. 1310 | ❌ |
Mapping India’s AI Potential;
Indonesia’s AI Promise in Perspective; Assessing South Korea’s AI Ecosystem |
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| Delegation of responsibility for certain research programs.
Delegates authority to the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to waive prohibitions on human subject experimentation if the waiver allows for the advancement of a medical product necessary to the armed forces and the research project may benefit the subject. |
R&D | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 215 | ||
| Clarifying role of partnership intermediaries to promote defense research and education.
Clarifies authority of DOD reinvention laboratories to enter into partnerships with state or local agencies that can assist with transitioning technology from academic settings to DOD reinvention labs. |
R&D | ✅ Sec. 212 | ✅ Sec. 217 | ||
| Annual report on unfunded priorities for research, development, test, and evaluation activities.
Mandates that DOD submit a list each year to Congress that outlines the unfunded priority research and development projects that did not make it into the President’s budget. |
R&D | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 228 | ||
| Amendments to Defense Research and Development Rapid Innovation Program.
Modifies the Defense Research and Development Rapid Innovation Program to ensure the program provides assistance to small businesses and supports the commercialization of technologies receiving programmatic support. |
R&D | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 841 | ||
| Sense of the Senate on Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The House bill authorizes DOD to allocate funds towards NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator except for its Energy Resilience Challenge, unless the challenge meets certain requirements related to energy sources used and performance capabilities. |
R&D | ✅ Sec. 217 | ✅ Sec. 1339 | ||
| Annual report on incremental and transformational research and development.
Requires the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to report to Congress each year through 2029 on the number of incremental research projects and transformational research projects ongoing within DOD, as well as funding allocated to each. |
R&D | ✅ Sec. 265 | ❌ |
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| Under Secretary of Defense for Science and Innovation Integration.
Reforms the USD/RE position, renaming it as the Under Secretary of Defense for Science and Innovation Integration. The provision also requires that the person appointed to the role have experience in private or venture capital, commercial innovation or prototype-to-production transition, as well as experience managing complex programs and public-private capital partnerships. |
R&D | ✅ Sec. 901 | ❌ |
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| Guidance regarding securing laboratories of the Armed Forces.
Directs various elements of DOD to issue guidance for securing laboratories from unauthorized access or intrusion, destruction of physical or digital assets, accidental or intentional release of sensitive information, or cyber sabotage. |
Research Security | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1718 | ||
| Certain disclosure requirements for university research funded by the Department of Defense.
Requires principal investigators for any DOD-funded research programs to disclose information about all researchers participating in the program, including nationality, educational background, professional background, and research history. |
Research Security | ✅ Sec. 214 | ❌ |
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| Consortia to assist in protection of sensitive research performed on behalf of the Department of Defense.
Authorizes DOD to enter into agreement with one or more consortia to develop a program that assists higher education researchers in identifying and avoiding research security threats. |
Research Security | ✅ Sec. 215 | ❌ |
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| Organizational conflict of interests relating to national security and foreign policy.
Prohibits DOD contracting with any consulting firm that is working with the Chinese government, CCP or People’s Liberation Army. |
Research Security | ✅ Sec. 808 | ❌ |
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| Modifications to initiative to support protection of national security academic researchers from undue influence and other security threats.
The FY2019 NDAA directed DOD to establish a program to assist institutions of higher education in protecting sensitive research from intellectual property theft or other research security threats. This provision requires that DOD develop measurements to evaluate the effectiveness of the mandated program. |
Research Security | ✅ Sec. 1307 | ❌ |
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| Modification of initiative to support protection of national security academic researchers from undue influence and other security threats.
Prohibits DOD research funding from going to institutions of higher education that maintain contracts with academic institutions in China, Russia, or other countries of concern. |
Research Security | ✅ Sec. 1308 | ❌ |
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| Disclosure requirements for persons performing research or development projects for Department of Defense.
Requires that any individual or entity issuing a press release, bid solicitation or other public documentation describing a project funded at least partially by federal funds include a disclosure outlining the nature and amount of federal support. |
Research Security | ✅ Sec. 1875 | ❌ |
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| Program of standards and requirements for microelectronics.
Directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a program within the National Security Agency that will issue, and regularly update, standards and requirements for the design, manufacture, packaging, test and distribution of secure microelectronics. |
Supply Chains | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 216 | ||
| Pilot program on capital assistance to support defense investment in the industrial base.
Authorizes the use of capital assistance such as loan guarantees to support the activities of the Office of Strategic Capital and programs to assess adversary investment flows into sectors of concern to DOD. |
Supply Chains | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 834 | ||
| Pilot program on protecting access to critical assets.
Establishes a program within USD/A-S to assess adversary investment flows into industries or businesses of interest to DOD and counter such investments. |
Supply Chains | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 907 | ||
| Semiconductor program.
Streamlines permitting requirements for the construction of semiconductor fabrication plants receiving assistance via the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. |
Supply Chains | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1090G | No Permits, No Fabs | |
| Prohibition of the department of defense procurement related to entities identified as Chinese military companies operating in the United States in accordance with section 1260h of the William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
Prohibits DOD contracting with any entity identified on the Department’s 1260h list of Chinese military companies, or any entity controlled by a company on the 1260h list. |
Supply Chains | ✅ Sec. 811 | ❌ |
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| Defense industrial base advanced capabilities pilot program.
Directs the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to carry out a program that incentivizes investment into domestic small businesses that can support the defense industrial base and assist in DOD’s procurement of advanced capabilities. |
Supply Chains | ✅ Sec. 853 | ❌ |
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| Additional national security objectives for the national technology and industrial base
Current law requires DOD to develop a national security strategy for the national technology industrial base. This provision amends current law to require that the strategy include recommendations and plans for reducing U.S. reliance on adversaries for key services, supplies or materials. |
Supply Chains | ✅ Sec. 861 | ❌ |
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| Pilot program for analyzing and continuous monitoring of key supply chains.
Directs the USD/AS, Indo-Pacific Command and each of the military departments to carry out a pilot program for a private organization to monitor key defense supply chains identified via the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. The monitoring organization is to identify any vulnerabilities and DOD is directed to report on such vulnerabilities, steps taken to resolve them, and additional authorities needed to address them going forward. |
Supply Chains | ✅ Sec. 867 | ❌ |
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| Study and report on country of origin of end items and components procured by Department of Defense.
Requires GAO to conduct a study on the extent to which DOD is reliant on foreign countries for key components and “end items.” |
Supply Chains | ✅ Sec. 868 | ❌ |
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| Modification to personnel management authority to attract experts in science and engineering
Strikes the current limit on the number of management-level S&T experts that DOD offices can hire using its Personnel Management Authority and authorizes additional relocation expenses for experts once their term with DOD ends. |
Talent | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 213 | ||
| Comprehensive strategy for talent development and management of Department of Defense computer programming workforce
Directs each military department to develop a strategy for the future management of its computer programming workforce, including current talent management practices, potential modifications to military job codes, and efforts to track data on DOD computer programming talent over time. |
Talent | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1081 | ||
| Post-graduate employment of Cyber Service Academy scholarship recipients in intelligence community.
Authorizes recipients of Cyber Service Academy scholarships to fulfill their service obligation in components of the intelligence community. |
Talent | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1723 | Building the Cybersecurity Workforce Pipeline | |
| Requirement to support for cyber education and workforce development at institutions of higher learning.
Directs DOD to identify, and provide support to, institutions of higher learning to provide foundational cyber education and workforce training for uniformed and civilian DOD personnel. Authorizes $10 million to carry out the program. |
Talent | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 1726 | ||
| Annual review of status of implementation plan for digital engineering career tracks.
The FY2020 NDAA mandated that DOD carry out various recruitment, retention and training efforts to ensure the Department maintains digital engineering and software development expertise. This provision requires that DOD report to Congress annually each year through 2029 on the implementation of the program. |
Talent | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 5205 | ||
| Plan to recruit, train, and retain personnel with experience in financial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Directs the CIA, NSA, and FBI to submit a plan to Congress for recruiting and training experts in financial intelligence and emerging technologies in order to bolster its analytic tradecraft in these areas. |
Talent | ❌ |
✅ Sec. 301 | ||
| Inclusion of advanced research programs at certain institutions of professional military education.
Establishes advanced research programs at each of the war colleges to examine the character of high-end near-future operational-tactical warfighting concepts in East Asia. |
Talent | ✅ Sec. 554 | ❌ |
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| Female members of certain Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department of Defense in STEM.
Directs DOD to report to Congress on ways it can increase the number of women in STEM-related roles in uniform and civilian roles in the Department. |
Talent | ✅ Sec. 577 | ❌ |
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| National digital reserve corps.
Establishes a National Digital Reserve Corps that allows individuals to serve as “reservists” and fill roles at executive agencies to address their digital and cybersecurity needs. |
Talent | ✅ Sec. 1122 | ❌ |
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| Sense of Congress on the Army Artificial Intelligence Integration Center.
Sense of Congress applauding the Army’s work to accelerate “the deployment of cutting edge cutting edge capabilities by integrating research and education across multiple functions and personnel levels and facilitating close collaboration with leading universities and both traditional and non-traditional firms” and encouraging continued efforts in this vein. |
Talent | ✅ Sec. 275 | ❌ |
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