U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary

12/17/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/17/2025 16:47

Grassley Secures Judiciary Committee Priorities in FY26 National Defense Authorization Act

Published: 12.17.2025

Grassley Secures Judiciary Committee Priorities in FY26 National Defense Authorization Act

Local law enforcement bills, protections for retired Supreme Court Justices and counter-drone authorities are included.

WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) welcomed final passage of the annual defense policy bill, authorizing critical resources for national defense and military readiness. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 includes several Grassley-backed Judiciary Committee provisions and was approved by a vote of 77-20.

"Today, Congress sent President Trump a robust defense package that prioritizes our service members and ensures American dominance on the world stage. I'm proud several of my provisions were included in the final bill, like authorizing funding for Iowa's military installations, improved oversight of Defense Department spending and support for key programs to help law enforcement officers," Grassley said.

"We strongly support the inclusion of several critical public safety provisions in the compromise Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. These measures directly confront real threats, close longstanding operational gaps, support our nation's first responders, and will make communities across the United States safer … We appreciate your efforts to respond to the needs of public safety agencies and the attention given to these urgent issues. We stand ready to support you as Congress advances the NDAA and as these new authorities and programs are implemented to protect the public and the officers who serve them," said 16 major law enforcement organizations.

The NDAA includes four bipartisan law enforcement bills, which passed out of the Judiciary Committee during Police Week in May:

  • The PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act to aid state and local law enforcement agencies in combating child sexual exploitation online. This bill was previously blocked by Senate Democrats who were seeking to funnel federal dollars to dangerous sanctuary cities.

  • The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act to expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers.

  • The Improving Police CARE Act to equip law enforcement officers with quality trauma kits, allowing them to respond immediately if a civilian or fellow officer experiences a traumatic injury during a call.

  • The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act to ensure families of retired law enforcement officers who were killed as a result of their service are not unjustly denied benefits.

The NDAA also includes expanded counter-drone authorities for state, local and territorial law enforcement agencies to help mitigate threats posed by drones. This provision was based off Grassley and Sen. Gary Peters' (D-Mich.) bipartisan SAFER SKIES Act. Under Grassley's leadership, the Judiciary Committee this year has held two hearings on drones and their potential threats to public safety.

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U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary published this content on December 17, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on December 17, 2025 at 22:47 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]