# 119-s-4707: Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act of 2026

119-s-4707, Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE); status introduced (as of 2026-07-22).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4707
- As of: 2026-07-22
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4707
- Congress: 119
- Title: Responsible Artificial Intelligence Defense Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-06-08
- Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-22

## Summary

**Continuous human oversight of autonomous weapon systems and AI capabilities** is the bill's core aim. This bill would create a Department of Defense policy to expand use of autonomy and artificial intelligence in weapons while requiring rigorous human judgment, legal review, testing, and privacy protections. - Service members and operators would have to exercise appropriate human judgment, continuously monitor AI-enabled weapons, and preserve ways to disengage or deactivate systems that behave unexpectedly. Verifications by the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering would remain valid for 3 years. - Civilians and U.S. persons gain specific limits on use. The bill bars AI from deciding a nuclear launch, bans autonomous lethal force without human judgment, and prohibits monitoring, profiling, or targeting people in the United States without a warrant. - Defense developers and acquisition programs must meet a formal verification, validation, testing, and cybersecurity regime and build safety and anti-tamper features. An Autonomy and AI Systems Working Group will advise on standards and DoD must submit annual reports on the policy through 2037.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2026-06-08T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Bans on certain autonomous uses: benefit, high. This bill would bar the Department of Defense from using autonomy or AI to decide to launch a nuclear weapon. It would bar monitoring, tracking, profiling, or targeting people in the United States without a warrant based on probable cause or another constitutional basis. It would bar lethal force b…
- Testing, verification, and privacy checks: benefit, high. This bill would require layered review and rigorous testing before prototyping and again before fielding AI and autonomous weapon systems. Verifications would be valid for three years, and substantially similar variants would count as verified during that period. The Under Secretary for Research an…
- DoD AI policy and human oversight: benefit, medium. This bill would tell the Department of Defense to use AI where practical while keeping continuous human oversight. The Secretary would have to make sure personnel exercise appropriate human judgment, monitor systems, and keep routine testing through a system's life. The Secretary would have to labe…
- New DoD AI advisory working group: benefit, medium. This bill would create an Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence Working Group at the Department of Defense. The group would advise technical reviewers and military leaders before formal development and before deployment. It would help decide when systems need senior-level approval and would develop…
- Exemptions that narrow oversight: mixed, medium. This bill would list ten categories of systems that are exempt from these AI and autonomy rules. Exemptions include operator‑supervised interceptors for time‑critical or saturation attacks, defenses for remotely piloted or autonomous vehicles and vessels, non‑lethal cyberspace capabilities, unarmed…

## Related bills

- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act
- 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-4707 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4707)

## Related
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-2763: Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2763)
- [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4707 (as of 2026-07-22).