Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Employee Compensation: The bill allows for increases in salary, pay, retirement, and other benefits for Federal employees as authorized by law (Section 103).

Workplace Safety and Climate: It mandates an annual Central Intelligence Agency workplace climate assessment to help prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment (Section s 314).

Whistleblower Protections: It provides specific protections for whistleblower disclosures to the office of legislative or congressional affairs (Section 802), prohibits the disclosure of a whistleblower's identity as an act of reprisal (Section 803), expands the definition of "employee" to include former employees or contractors (Section s 801), and creates a private right of action allowing employees or contractors to sue for up to $250,000 for certain retaliatory personnel actions (Section 803).

Privacy and Civil Liberties: The bill includes requirements for the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency to ensure that actions regarding unmanned aircraft are consistent with the First and Fourth Amendments (Section 302(f)(1)).

Protection Against Discrimination: It requires the revision of all intelligence community regulations and training to ensure they are consistent with prohibitions against discrimination (Section 331).

Security of Personal Information: The bill prohibits contractors from collecting or selling location data from devices located at intelligence community locations (Section 321) and provides support to assist the FBI and other agencies in reviewing transactions to prevent foreign entities, specifically from China, from acquiring sensitive biological and genomic data (SEC. 603).

Improved National Security via Technology: It establishes an Intelligence Community Technology Bridge Fund to help businesses and nonprofits transition research into actual products used by the government (SEC. 601).

Enhanced Security for Individuals: The bill includes provisions to establish a process for parity regarding adverse security clearance determinations, allowing individuals to use circumstantial evidence to show if a disclosure was a contributing factor (SEC. 703).

Increased Transparency Regarding Foreign Wealth: It requires the publication of a report on the personal wealth and business interests of the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (SEC. 513).

Stronger Protection Against Foreign Influence: The legislation creates a strategy for the President to counter the economic, military, and ideological influence of the Chinese Communist Party in Europe (SEC. 511).

Improved Intelligence Sharing on Threats: It establishes policies for streamlining the sharing of intelligence regarding biotechnological threats to counter foreign weaponization efforts (SEC. 502).

Increased Transparency on COVID-19: The bill requires a declassification review of intelligence relating to the origins of COVID-19, including research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and efforts to disrupt information sharing (SEC. 1001).

Public Access to Historical Records: It directs the declassification and release of Church Committee archival files to the public (SEC. 1014).

Improved Election Security: The bill establishes a pilot program for independent security testing and a vulnerability disclosure program to help secure election infrastructure (SEC. 1013).

Standardized Health Reporting: It requires the development of standard guidelines for reporting and documenting anomalous health incidents (Section 901).

Penalties for Unauthorized Access: Individuals who enter property marked as closed or restricted belonging to the intelligence community could face fines and imprisonment ranging from 180 days to 10 years (Section 301).

Increased Surveillance Capabilities: The Central Intelligence Agency is granted authority to detect, monitor, track, and disrupt the control of unmanned aircraft, which includes the ability to intercept communications (Section 302(c)(1)).

Employment Changes: The bill directs the creation of a plan to reduce the staff of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (Section 403) and mandates transfers of entire centers which may lead to staff reductions at the National Counterintelligence and Security Center and the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center (SEC. 406; SEC. 408).

Restrictions on Business Partnerships: The bill prohibits intelligence community elements from entering into contracts with certain Chinese military companies engaged in biotechnology, which could impact existing business relationships (SEC. 512).

Limitations on Research Funding: New restrictions are placed on the use of Intelligence Community Management Account funds for certain entities, such as those receiving support from foreign governments, which could impact specific research and think tank activities (SEC. 411).

Increased Surveillance of Drone Activity: The "Border Drone Threat Assessment Act" requires assessments of unmanned aircraft systems, which includes evaluating policies regarding the privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties of persons operating these systems near borders (SEC. 503).

Restrictions on Diplomatic Privileges: The bill limits the duration that accredited diplomatic and consular personnel from certain nations can receive privileges and immunities (SEC. 1005).

Visa Denials for Foreign Nationals: It empowers the Secretary of State to deny visas to certain foreign nationals serving in multilateral missions if they are suspected of intelligence activities (SEC. 1003).

Increased Surveillance and Background Checks: The bill requires background reviews for citizens or agents of certain foreign nations seeking access to Department of Energy facilities (SEC. 1016).

Environmental Document Waivers: The President is granted authority to waive requirements for environmental documents for certain intelligence community actions, which could impact local environmental oversight (SEC. 1009).