FY2026 NDAA, Section 3117 ("Appropriate scoping of artificial intelligence research within the National Nuclear Security Administration")

Proposed 2025-03-14 | Enacted 2025-12-18 | Official source

Summary

Restricts AI research and development funds within the National Nuclear Security Administration to supporting nuclear security missions. Allows AI R&D in other Department of Energy components or federal agencies, provided it doesn't interfere with nuclear security functions.

This summary is awaiting validation (peer review by a second AGORA editor).

Key facts

🏛️ This document has been enacted by the United States Congress. For authoritative text and metadata, visit the official source.

🎯 This document primarily applies to the government, rather than the private sector.

📜 This document's name is National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, Section 3117 ("Appropriate scoping of artificial intelligence research within the National Nuclear Security Administration"). AGORA also tracks this document under the name FY2026 NDAA, Section 3117 ("Appropriate scoping of artificial intelligence research within the National Nuclear Security Administration"). It is part of FY2026 NDAA.

↳ This document is part of a longer one: FY2026 NDAA. Some AGORA documents are "split off" from longer documents that mix AI and non-AI content, such as omnibus authorization or appropriations laws in the United States Congress. Read more >>

Themes AI risks, applications, governance strategies, and other themes addressed in AGORA documents.

Thematic tags for this document are awaiting validation (peer review by a second AGORA editor).

Governance strategies (2)

AI application areas (1)

Government: military and public safety

Full text

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Thematic tags for this document are awaiting validation (peer review by a second AGORA editor).

SEC. 3117. APPROPRIATE SCOPING OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH WITHIN THE NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. (a) In General.--Subtitle B of title XLVIII of the Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2791 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following section:

``SEC. 4816. APPROPRIATE SCOPING OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE RESEARCH WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION. ``(a) In General.--Funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2026, or any subsequent fiscal year, for the Administration for the purposes of conducting research and development of artificial intelligence technologies, executing a program to develop or manage the application of such technologies, or developing, acquiring, or sustaining any associated computing hardware or supporting infrastructure may only be used to support the nuclear security missions of the Administration.

``(b) Rule of Construction.--The limitation described in subsection (a) may not be interpreted-- ``(1) to prohibit the establishment of an enduring national security artificial intelligence research and development program in any component of the Department of Energy other than the Administration or in any other Federal agency; or ``(2) to impede the use of resources of the Administration, including resources provided by a national security laboratory or a nuclear weapons production facility site, to support the execution of an enduring national security artificial intelligence research and development program or activity, if such support is provided-- ``(A) on a full cost recovery basis, including any associated infrastructure or utility costs, to an entity that is not a component of the Department of Energy; and ``(B) in a manner that does not interfere with the nuclear security mission of such laboratory or facility.''.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Atomic Energy Defense Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 4815 the following new item: ``Sec. 4816. Appropriate scoping of artificial intelligence research within the Administration.''.