Dayton Reporter

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has advanced the fiscal year 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA), moving it to the full House of Representatives for consideration. The bill sets out funding and policy guidelines for intelligence community (IC) activities in the next fiscal year, aiming to improve effectiveness and efficiency while seeking to rebuild public trust.

This year's IAA emphasizes a return to core missions, aligning with President Trump’s agenda by seeking to eliminate distractions and reinforce analytic objectivity within the IC. The legislation includes provisions designed to modernize U.S. counterintelligence efforts, increase transparency between Congress and the FBI, bolster analytic integrity, reduce reporting burdens on intelligence agencies, and expedite adoption of artificial intelligence technologies.

“In the past, the IAA has often been a rubber stamp for the IC and the status quo,” said Chairman Crawford. “This legislation is full of good policy that works to eliminate distractions and directs the IC to focus on its no-fail mission. As we mark the 24th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks this week, we remember the cost of failing to connect the dots. Our adversaries continue to join forces, evolving their tactics and strategies with one mission in mind: to unseat the United States as a global power through any means necessary. We want an IC that encourages the best and brightest our nation has to offer to step forward and serve. I am very proud of the work the Committee did in this year’s IAA.”

Key measures include requirements for Congressional notification when FBI counterintelligence investigations involve federal candidates or officeholders; new standards aimed at preventing politicization within intelligence analysis; steps to streamline open-source information acquisition; cybersecurity enhancements; increased focus on biothreat prevention; continuity of care for veterans working in intelligence roles; protection of critical facilities; financial accountability initiatives targeting agencies such as the Defense Intelligence Agency; expanded training opportunities; and improved information-sharing between law enforcement and foreign partners against transnational criminal organizations.

Mike Turner currently serves as a member of Congress representing Ohio’s 10th district, having held this position since 2003 after succeeding Tony P. Hall (https://turner.house.gov/about). Turner was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1960 and continues to reside there. He graduated from Ohio Northern University with a BA in 1982, earned a JD from Case Western Reserve University in 1985, and completed further studies at the University of Dayton in 1992.

The full unclassified text of this bill is available online.