National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

This provision mandates that the Army maintain a minimum inventory of not fewer than 1,524 deployable Stryker DVH A1 combat vehicles in its Stryker Brigade Combat Teams until December 31, 2030. This requirement does not apply to vehicles deemed no longer mission capable and uneconomical to repair due to accidents or degradation.

This section grants the Secretary of the Navy authority to enter into one or more multiyear contracts, starting in fiscal year 2027, for the procurement of up to 15 Arleigh Burke class Flight III guided missile destroyers. It also allows for advance procurement of components and requires prepriced options for additional destroyers if the initial quantity is less than 15. A limitation is placed on contract modifications that would increase the target price by more than 10 percent.

This section prohibits the Air Force from retiring, divesting, or transferring to nonoperational status any MQ-9 Reaper aircraft in fiscal year 2027. After September 30, 2027, such actions are prohibited until the Secretary of the Air Force certifies that a replacement capability has achieved initial operational capability, provides comparable or superior capabilities, is available in sufficient quantities, and will not degrade ongoing operations. Combatant commander assessments are also required prior to any future retirement.

This section mandates the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, to establish a synthetic training environment within 180 days. This environment must integrate live, virtual, and constructive elements, support all warfighting domains, enable distributed training for joint and combined forces, and be accessible to allies and partners. A report on implementation, costs, and effects on readiness is required.

This section prohibits the Department of Defense from obligating or expending funds in fiscal year 2027 for gain-of-function research on potential pandemic pathogens at any DoD facility or through contracts, grants, or financial assistance to external entities. A waiver is permitted on a case-by-case basis for national interest, with a 30-day congressional notification.

This section mandates the Secretary of Defense to establish a program for the deployment, operation, and evaluation of a transportable nuclear microreactor in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility by January 1, 2030. The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment is designated as the executive agent, coordinating with INDOPACOM, DOE, and NRC to ensure safe and secure deployment. Objectives include supporting distributed and expeditionary operations in contested logistics environments, with a priority for the Western Pacific.

This section prohibits the operation of connected vehicles designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by foreign entities of concern on Department of Defense property. Phase 1 begins January 1, 2027, for vehicles designated by the Department of Commerce. Phase 2, effective January 1, 2029, expands the prohibition to a list of vehicles established by the Secretary of Defense. A waiver is possible for national security interests with congressional notification.

This section expresses a Sense of Congress that robust domestic production of 155mm artillery ammunition is critical. It mandates the Secretary of the Army to expand and upgrade facilities to increase 155mm artillery ammunition production to a minimum rate of 100,000 rounds per month for each type, ensuring total munition requirements are met. A report on implementation, funding, and timelines is required.

This section authorizes the active duty personnel end strengths for each branch of the Armed Forces as of September 30, 2027. The authorized strengths are: Army (469,000), Navy (356,600), Marine Corps (173,700), Air Force (330,400), and Space Force (13,200).

This provision mandates that all Department of Defense military personnel actions (accessions, promotions, assignments, schooling) be based exclusively on individual merit, fitness, capability, and performance. It explicitly prohibits the consideration of an individual's race, ethnicity, or national origin in these actions, with a limited exception for specific, unconventional missions in foreign countries requiring combatant commander approval and congressional reporting.

This section establishes a voluntary 'Separation Oath' for members of the Armed Forces prior to retirement or other separation (excluding court-martial). The oath includes commitments to support the Constitution, be a 'keeper of my brothers- and sisters-in-arms and protector of the United States,' preserve values, maintain physical and mental health, seek/give help to fellow veterans, and avoid self-harm or harm to others. The section includes findings on the importance of oaths and veteran suicide rates.

This section amends the Basic Needs Allowance calculation to exclude the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the 'gross household income' of an eligible service member. This change aims to make more service members eligible for the allowance by reducing their calculated income.

This section prohibits TRICARE from covering or furnishing 'gender-related medical treatment' for service members and their dependents, with exceptions for treating disorders of sex development, ambiguous biological sex characteristics, or conditions caused/exacerbated by prior gender-related treatment. It defines 'gender' as synonymous with 'sex' (biological male/female) and explicitly excludes 'gender identity.' It lists specific surgical procedures, hormone therapies, and puberty blockers as prohibited treatments.

This section grants Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) new authorities to manage contractor performance. These include issuing performance improvement notices for deficient contractors, initiating contract restructuring actions (within certain thresholds) without prior approval, and recommending contract termination for cause. It also establishes a process for higher-level review if a PAE's action is overridden and requires annual reporting to Congress on the use of these authorities.

This section codifies a policy for the Department of Defense to avoid using 'lowest price technically acceptable' (LPTA) source selection criteria in situations where cost and technical tradeoffs would be beneficial. It mandates that LPTA be used only when minimum requirements are clearly defined, there's minimal value in exceeding them, subjective judgment is minimal, and the lowest price reflects full life-cycle costs. It also explicitly advises against LPTA for knowledge-based services, personal protective equipment, and training/logistics in contingency operations.

This section mandates that covered defense systems be designed and developed with a modular open system approach (MOSA) to enhance military effectiveness, speed technology integration, and reduce complexity. It outlines specific architecture requirements for open interfaces, including the use of existing or new standards, and requires a digital repository for MOSA artifacts. It also modifies technical data rights, establishing 'government purpose rights' as the default for deliverables unless contractors prove entitlement to more restrictive rights, and clarifies exceptions for certain data types.

This section grants the Secretary of Defense authority to transfer up to $6 billion in authorized appropriations for fiscal year 2027 between any DoD authorizations or subdivisions. Transferred amounts merge with the receiving authorization for the same purposes. Transfers between military personnel authorizations do not count against the $6 billion limit. The authority can only be used for higher priority items, not for items denied by Congress, and cannot reduce funding for military unaccompanied housing or child development centers.

This section mandates a 0.5% reduction in discretionary budget authority for the Department of Defense (or a military department/Defense Agency if audited separately) on March 2 of each fiscal year if it has not submitted a financial statement for the previous fiscal year or if that statement has not received an unqualified or qualified audit opinion. The reduction is applied proportionately across accounts, excluding military personnel and Defense Health Program accounts. The President can waive the reduction for national security or deployed service members.

This section amends Chapter 1 of Title 10, U.S. Code, to state that any reference to the 'Secretary of Defense' or 'Department of Defense' in any law, regulation, map, document, record, or other paper of the United States shall be deemed to be a reference to the 'Secretary of War' or 'Department of War,' respectively.

This section prohibits covered employees (special Government employees, uncompensated officers/employees, reserve component members) in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from receiving outside earned income unless a designated agency ethics official reviews it and certifies it's unrelated to official duties, the individual has no official business before DoD, and is not representing a foreign agent/government. Such determinations must be publicly published, and individuals must file a public financial disclosure report within 30 days of receiving such income.

This section amends the AUKUS Submarine Transfer Authorization Act to increase the number of in-service Virginia Class submarines authorized for sale to Australia from two to three. It removes a previous authorization for the transfer of 'not more than one additional Virginia Class submarine to the Government of Australia on a sale basis,' streamlining the transfer process to a fixed number of three in-service submarines.

This subtitle, titled the 'Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Collection At the National Archives and Records Administration,' mandates the establishment of a collection of records at the National Archives related to UAP, technologies of unknown origin, and non-human intelligence. It sets requirements for Government offices to identify, organize, and transmit these records, prohibiting destruction or reclassification of previously disclosed records. It also establishes an independent 'Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena Records Review Board' to review postponement decisions, with presidential authority for final disclosure decisions. The Board can compel testimony and records, and witnesses are granted immunity. The Federal Government is mandated to exercise eminent domain over any recovered technologies of unknown origin and biological evidence of non-human intelligence controlled by private entities.

This section authorizes specific military construction and land acquisition projects for the Army both inside and outside the United States for fiscal year 2027. Notable projects include significant funding for Joint Region Marianas in Guam ($155 million), Wheeler Army Air Field in Hawaii ($380 million), and Joint Base San Antonio in Texas ($918 million).

This section authorizes specific military construction and land acquisition projects for the Navy and Marine Corps, both inside and outside the United States, for fiscal year 2027. Key projects include substantial funding for Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington ($14.759 billion), Joint Region Marianas in Guam ($1.346 billion), and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia ($490.55 million).

This section authorizes specific military construction and land acquisition projects for the Air Force and Space Force, both inside and outside the United States, for fiscal year 2027. Major projects include significant funding for Redstone Arsenal in Alabama ($2.05 billion), Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska ($2.066 billion), and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana ($1.39 billion).

This section authorizes specific military construction and land acquisition projects for various Defense Agencies (other than military departments) for fiscal year 2027. Significant projects include Fort Meade in Maryland ($1.393 billion), Wake Island ($1.652 billion), and Joint Region Marianas in Guam ($315.286 million).

This section authorizes $604.27 million for U.S. contributions to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Security Investment Program for fiscal year 2027. These funds are for projects that enhance NATO's collective defense capabilities, with the amount being the sum collected from NATO for previously U.S.-financed construction.

These sections authorize military construction projects for the Army National Guard, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Air National Guard for fiscal year 2027. Projects are specified by location and amount, including significant investments in facilities like Camp Blanding, Florida ($28 million for Army NG), Fort Carson, Colorado ($92 million for Army Reserve), Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida ($47 million for Navy Reserve), and Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan ($425 million for Air NG).

This section authorizes appropriations for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 2026, for Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) activities. These funds are for real property acquisition and military construction projects authorized by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, and are funded through the Department of Defense Base Closure Account.

This section authorizes $27.586 billion for fiscal year 2027 for the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Weapons Activities. This includes funding for stockpile management (e.g., B61-13, W80-4 LEP, W87-1, W93 programs), plutonium modernization (Los Alamos and Savannah River), secondary capability modernization (Uranium Processing Facility), tritium and defense fuels, non-nuclear capability modernization, and infrastructure and operations. It also authorizes a new plant project for the Plutonium Engineering Support Building at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

This section authorizes over $2.1 billion for the Maritime Administration for fiscal year 2027. Key allocations include $873.5 million for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (including $624 million for capital improvement projects), $53.4 million for State maritime academies, $75 million for the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel program, $400.5 million for the Maritime Security Program, $167.6 million for the Tanker Security Program, $105 million for small shipyards, and $550 million for the port infrastructure development program (with limitations on automated cargo handling equipment).

This section amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require applicants to register to vote in federal elections to present 'documentary proof of United States citizenship.' It defines acceptable forms of proof, including passports, military IDs, birth certificates, and naturalization certificates. It mandates states to verify citizenship for all applicants, including those registering at motor vehicle agencies or by mail, and to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. It also requires federal agencies to provide citizenship information to state election officials upon request, free of charge, and mandates investigations for unlawful non-citizen registration.

This section amends the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require individuals voting in federal elections to present a valid physical photo identification. For in-person voters without ID, a provisional ballot can be cast if they present ID within 3 days or an affidavit of religious objection. For non-in-person voters, a copy of valid photo ID or the last four digits of their Social Security number with an affidavit of inability to obtain a copy is required. Exceptions are made for absent uniformed services voters and disabled voters. States must provide public access to digital imaging devices for copying IDs free of charge and notify applicants of these requirements.