Bill · S. 4697· Senate(119-S-4697)
HALO Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 6/8/2026
- Last activity
- 6/8/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- Sponsored by
- Adam Schiff
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The bill, known as the Human Authority in Lethal Operations Act of 2026 or the HALO Act of 2026, sets strict design and safety rules for autonomous and semi-autonomous weapon systems used by the Department of Defense. It requires that a human commander always maintains ultimate control and legal accountability over the use of force and target engagements. The legislation mandates rigorous pre-development and pre-fielding reviews, comprehensive testing and evaluation, and continuous monitoring of these weapon systems. Additionally, it places strict prohibitions on the military's use of artificial intelligence for civil liberty violations, data profiling, and unauthorized tracking of United States persons. Finally, the bill establishes robust whistleblower protections, mandatory reporting requirements for Congress, and specific exemptions for certain defensive systems and cyberspace capabilities.
Yes· 3 of 10
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+8
The legislation mandates comprehensive semiannual and annual reporting to congressional committees on artificial intelligence use cases, operational incidents, and compliance plans.
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?+8
Strongly safeguards civil liberties and personal data privacy by restricting unwarranted location tracking and data aggregation.
Does this give people more control over their personal data?+8
Section 7 places strict prohibitions on purchasing or utilizing commercial personal data and location tracking without a warrant, significantly strengthening data privacy against government overreach.
The opposite
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?-8
The bill strictly prohibits unauthorized location tracking and data profiling of individuals within the United States, thereby safeguarding against improper domestic surveillance.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Human Accountability for Lethal Force: Section 3(b) ensures that a designated military commander is always identified as legally accountable for weapon engagements and must exercise ultimate discretion and control over the use of force, preventing machines from making unsupervised life-or-death decisions.
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Protection of Civil Liberties: Section 7 prohibits the Department of Defense from using artificial intelligence to profile, track, or monitor individuals based on their exercise of constitutionally protected rights, such as freedom of speech and assembly, protecting everyday people from government overreach.
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Safeguards Against Unlawful Location Tracking: Section 7(b)(1)(D) bans the tracking or monitoring of the past, real-time, or anticipated future location of any individual in the United States using commercial or third-party data unless authorized by an individualized judicial order or warrant.
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Whistleblower Protections: Section 8 updates and clarifies whistleblower procedures so that personnel can anonymously or confidentially report concerns regarding artificial intelligence misuse, safety issues, or threats to civil liberties without fear of reprisal.
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Transparency and Congressional Oversight: Section 9 requires the Secretary of Defense to submit regular semiannual and annual reports to Congress detailing artificial intelligence use cases, after-action reports on operational incidents, and compliance plans for fielded systems.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- National Security Risks from Non-Compliance: Section 11(b)(3) mandates that if existing weapon systems cannot be certified as compliant, the Secretary must immediately cease all use of such systems, which could potentially create operational or national security vulnerabilities if military capabilities are abruptly sidelined.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+8Improves Privacy Rights+8Improves Freedom Of Speech+7Improves Due Process+6Increases Federal Power+3
- Education And Technology
- Improves Data Privacy+8
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Freedom Of Speech+7
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Veterans+5
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Cybersecurity Defense+5Improves International Alliances+4Increases Domestic Surveillance-8
- 6/8/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
- Introduced in Senate