Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027
Sponsored By: Senator Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
In Committee
Summary
restructures the intelligence community and would tie FY2027 funding to a classified authorization schedule while adding new rules on leadership, AI, counterintelligence, and international intelligence sharing.
Show full summary
- Families and federal employees: Expands parental bereavement leave to include miscarriage, stillbirth, and pregnancy-emergency loss, giving more federal workers explicit leave rights.
- Intelligence workforce and organization: Would redesignate and create senior roles including two Assistant Directors, require Senate confirmation for multiple senior posts, set a 7-day deadline for security-direction after whistleblower statements, and bar cleared personnel from certain prediction markets.
- Operations, allies, and technology: Would strengthen and codify intelligence sharing with Israel, Ukraine, and Indo-Pacific partners, create a China-Taiwan Strategic Warning Task Force, restrict procurement and operation of certain foreign-made unmanned ground vehicles one year after enactment, and impose AI labeling, vulnerability reviews, and pilot sharing programs.
*Would authorize specified FY2027 appropriations, including $568.0 million for the Intelligence Community Management Account and $514.0 million for the CIA Retirement and Disability Fund.*
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
23 provisions identified: 12 benefits, 3 costs, 8 mixed.
Protect Federal Reserve information
If enacted, the DNI and FBI would brief the Federal Reserve Board on foreign threats to the Fed and work with the Fed Chair to set standard security and classification measures for Fed information. The DNI and the Fed Chair must report to Congress on implementation within 180 days after enactment.
Expanded intelligence sharing with allies
If enacted, the bill would direct expanded intelligence sharing with Israel and other partners, and require regular reporting to Congress. It would also require continued intelligence support to Ukraine until a voluntary armistice, and bar suspension of support except for a documented national security reason. The DNI would have to notify congressional intelligence committees quickly (for example, within 15 or 48 days/hours as specified) about major changes.
Indo‑Pacific intelligence cooperation priority
If enacted, the United States would declare Indo‑Pacific intelligence cooperation a policy priority. The DNI would work with Five Eyes members and allies such as Australia, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand to improve domain awareness, planning, exercises, and encourage cooperation with Taiwan consistent with U.S. law and policy.
Limits on domestic intelligence activity
If enacted, the bill would limit certain domestic intelligence activities. The National Counterterrorism Center could only keep domestic‑terrorism information when needed to support international terrorism work. DHS intelligence rules would bar targeting of United States persons and clandestine collection. The bill would also say the DNI has no police, subpoena, or law‑enforcement powers in statute.
NSA to lead signals intelligence work
If enacted, the bill would direct the NSA Director to provide overall direction and coordination of signals intelligence collection and analysis across the Intelligence Community. The Director would be required to coordinate with other departments and agencies to use resources effectively and assess risks.
New analytic standards for intelligence
If enacted, all-source intelligence products would have to meet new statutory standards for objectivity, timeliness, and tradecraft. The DNI and IC heads would create evaluation metrics, add analyst training, include metrics in performance reviews, and report performance to Congress. Very short products and most President's Daily Brief items would be mostly exempt from the tradecraft section.
Funding and secure intelligence budgets
If enacted, the bill would authorize $568 million for the Intelligence Community Management Account for FY2027 and $514 million for the CIA Retirement and Disability Fund for FY2027. It would require secure systems for National Intelligence Program budget and finance work by September 30, 2028, allow the DNI to reimburse some officials for secure-budget implementation costs, and permit the NRO to use certain funds for foreign intelligence arrangements subject to reporting and limits.
FY2027 intelligence funding and DFC help
If enacted, the bill would authorize funding for intelligence activities for fiscal year 2027. It would also require the DNI to provide intelligence and analytic support to the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to inform project decisions. The authorization creates legal authority for FY2027 intelligence spending and sets new interagency analytic duties.
Real estate review near IC sites
If enacted, the bill would expand CFIUS review to cover real estate transactions near buildings owned or operated by intelligence agencies. The change would apply to deals proposed or pending on or after enactment. Buyers, sellers, or developers near intelligence facilities could face extra review, delays, or mitigation conditions.
Federal pay, leave, training, and schools
If enacted, the bill would let agencies increase appropriations to cover legally authorized federal pay and benefit increases. It would expand parental bereavement leave to cover miscarriage, stillbirth, and related pregnancy losses. The bill would create the Ben Sasse Technology Fellowship (each of five agencies may select two fellows per year who must serve twice the fellowship length or repay costs). It would move the National Intelligence University to the National Defense University, change the definition of "permanent duty station" for IC staff (excluding stations within 50 miles of headquarters), and require CIA and ODNI to review travel and expense rules by September 30, 2027 and every two years after.
Changes to IC offices and rules
If enacted, the bill would reorganize and wind down several intelligence offices and statutory posts. It would repeal the statutory Intelligence Community Chief Data Officer, close the Foreign Languages Program and the Innovation Unit after a wind‑down, end the Joint Intelligence Council, and change appointment and confirmation rules for some senior posts. It also adds administrative changes like allowing omission of classified program details from public funding databases and adding the NRO to certain statutory coverage.
New cyber reporting and private limits
If enacted, the bill would require an unclassified DNI/FBI report within 180 days identifying hostile foreign cyber actors, their tactics, and enabling providers. It would also bar intelligence agencies from providing support to private groups carrying out offensive cyber operations unless the private actor is operating under agency authority or the President authorizes it. The changes increase public reporting and limit when agencies may back private offensive cyber activity.
Standards for biological threat data
If enacted, the bill would require the DNI to set standards and sharing rules for anonymized biological intelligence. The DNI would limit collection of U.S. persons' genomic data and coordinate which agencies receive anonymized data. The change aims to improve early detection and attribution of biological threats while protecting privacy.
AI safety rules and vendor limits
If enacted, the bill would bar certain risky AI models from national security systems unless safeguards are certified and would require agencies to remove covered models within 180 days. It would require labels on AI outputs used to inform lethal targeting and set definitions and rules for U.S. AI vendors and cleared industry personnel. The bill also funds short research campaigns on adversarial AI risks and requires policy on agentic AI access to intelligence data.
New AI reporting, tests, and export checks
If enacted, the DNI and IC would report on any planned novel AI uses within 90 days and then every 180 days. The NSA would review the Vulnerabilities Equities Process for AI flaws within 90 days and set up an AI VEP if needed. The bill would fund an AI security test-bed for researchers on a subsidized basis and require IARPA to run research on inadvertent escalation from AI. It would also require DNI risk assessments at least 90 days before some AI export licenses are granted.
Limits on foreign tech and supply chains
If enacted, the bill would bar the intelligence community from buying or operating certain products tied to listed foreign entities, including some Chinese apps and unmanned ground vehicles from covered countries. The DNI and CIA would also make a list of items that pose national security risks and ban sending or receiving those items within the U.S. using entities owned or controlled by covered nations, with narrow waivers. Agencies would have new procurement limits and waiver/notification rules.
Stronger trade‑secret theft rules
If enacted, the bill would make it a federal crime to send trade secrets outside the United States without permission. Individuals could face fines up to $5 million and up to five years in prison. It would also broaden who counts as a foreign actor and expand U.S. jurisdiction over trade‑secret crimes when U.S. victims or U.S. systems are used. The changes strengthen protection for U.S. businesses but widen the set of entities and conduct that face legal risk.
New counterintelligence offices and hiring pay
If enacted, the DNI would seek an agreement to open an Intelligence Community Counterintelligence Office at Commerce by January 1, 2028, and the Treasury OIA would get a new Office of Counterintelligence. Employees who join the Commerce office within 120 days and agree to serve two years would get a hiring payment equal to 10% of base pay, with another possible 10% after two years for exceptional performance. The bill would also require faster security direction to whistleblowers (within seven days).
No fees for certain government reviews
If enacted, the bill would ban charging or collecting fees in three government processes: export‑control license awards, certain qualified divestitures, and access to classified information. This would remove those specific out‑of‑pocket costs for affected applicants and parties.
China‑Taiwan Strategic Warning task force
If enacted, the DNI and Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence would set up a China‑Taiwan Strategic Warning Task Force within 60 days. It would have up to 25 full‑time staff, report initial findings within 180 days including FY2027 dollars and FTEs, meet at least quarterly, and would end five years after enactment.
Stronger tracking, unmasking, and notices
If enacted, intelligence offices would have to keep written unmasking procedures and records for at least 10 years. Criminal referrals of current or former IC employees would require same‑day notice to congressional intelligence committees with a summary. The DNI would have to immediately send copies to the committees and the Archivist when certain intelligence sources or methods are declassified or downgraded.
Ban on prediction markets for cleared staff
If enacted, the bill would bar intelligence community employees and contractors with security clearances from participating in prediction markets on topics tied to nonpublic information. The ban would apply during employment/contract and for two years after separation. The DNI must issue implementing policy with penalties within 45 days.
No time limit for prosecuting espionage
If enacted, the bill would remove the statute of limitations for violations of 18 U.S.C. 794 (espionage) and for conspiracies to commit that crime. That means such charges could be brought at any time.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Cotton, Tom [R-AR]
AR • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov