The final text of the Fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was released last night and in a significant victory for NAPO, it incorporated much of our priority legislation that we have been working to include: the Honoring our Fallen Heroes Act, the Improving Police CARE Act, the PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act, the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act, and comprehensive counter-UAS authorities for state and local law enforcement and corrections.
The Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, recognizes exposure-related cancers as line of duty injuries and would cover them under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program for death and disability benefits.
The Improving Police Critical Aid for Responding to Emergencies (CARE) Act establishes baseline standards for trauma kits purchased using grant funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) and requires the development of best practices for training law enforcement officers to use trauma kits, and for deployment and maintenance of the kits in vehicles and government facilities.
The PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act reauthorizes and improves the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program to combat child exploitation and abuse.
The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act covers retired law enforcement officers who are killed or permanently and catastrophically disabled due to their previous work in the line of duty under the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Program.
It also includes comprehensive counter-UAS authority for state and local law enforcement and corrections, giving state and local agencies the authority to detect, track, identify, and mitigate drones that threaten public safety. Under the NDAA, agencies will be allowed to detect and track a drone, identify who is operating it, and disrupt, or bring it down if it poses a credible threat. These authorities are allowed when drones threaten large public events or venues, critical infrastructure, public spaces, or prisons, jails, and detention centers.
The House is expected to take up the bill this week and the Senate to follow the week of December 15. NAPO sent a letter this morning to House and Senate leadership expressing our support for the inclusion of these important provisions in the FY 26 NDAA and advising them that we stand ready with any efforts to advance the bill through Congress.
NAPO thanks House and Senate leadership for their support, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Ranking Member Richard Durbin (D-IL), House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and the bills’ sponsors for their support and efforts to help us get these important bills included in the FY26 NDAA.
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