National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

(a) In general.— Whenever a funding table in this division specifies a dollar amount authorized for a project, program, or activity, the obligation and expenditure of the specified dollar amount for the project, program, or activity is hereby authorized, subject to the availability of appropriations.

(b) Merit-based decisions.— A decision to commit, obligate, or expend funds with or to a specific entity on the basis of a dollar amount authorized pursuant to subsection (a) shall—

(1) be based on merit-based selection procedures in accordance with the requirements of sections 3201 and 4024 of title 10, United States Code, or on competitive procedures; and

(2) comply with other applicable provisions of law.

(c) Relationship to transfer and programming authority.— An amount specified in the funding tables in this division may be transferred or reprogrammed under a transfer or reprogramming authority provided by another provision of this Act or by other law. The transfer or reprogramming of an amount specified in such funding tables shall not count against a ceiling on such transfers or reprogrammings under section 1001 of this Act or any other provision of law, unless such transfer or reprogramming would move funds between appropriation accounts.

(d) Applicability to classified annex.— This section applies to any classified annex that accompanies this Act.

(e) Oral or written communications.— No oral or written communication concerning any amount specified in the funding tables in this division shall supersede the requirements of this section.