Kelly Secures Arizona Priorities in Annual Intelligence Bill Passed Out of Committee

This week, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced that he secured major Arizona and national security priorities in the annual intelligence bill, the Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA), which passed out of the Committee with strong bipartisan support. The bill includes measures championed by Kelly to strengthen counterintelligence briefings for servicemembers, enhance U.S.-Mexico coordination against drug trafficking, ensure our Intelligence Community has timely access to emerging technology, and improve oversight of classified access decisions across administrations.  

“As threats from adversaries like China and Russia grow more sophisticated, including espionage, cyberattacks, and drone surveillance, our intelligence agencies must be equipped to meet the moment and keep Americans safe. This year’s intelligence bill strengthens our ability to track and counter those threats and ensures that access to sensitive intelligence is protected,” said Kelly. “For Arizona, I worked to protect the border against cartel drone surveillance and strengthen coordination with Mexico to counter drug trafficking. These are the kinds of smart, forward-looking investments that keep our country safe and give us an edge over our adversaries.”  

This year’s IAA includes the following Kelly-led provisions: 

• Kelly-secured provision that builds on his No Work with Adversaries Act, requiring counterintelligence briefings for servicemembers to better prepare them to recognize and guard against efforts by adversaries like China to collect sensitive U.S. military tactics, techniques, and procedures. 
• A Kelly-authored amendment to provide for oversight of classified access decisions across administrations, requiring the executive branch to report to Congress whenever individuals are granted access to Intelligence Community (IC) facilities or information without a security clearance. 
• The Counternarcotics Enhancement Act to improve coordination between the U.S. and Mexico in combatting transnational drug trafficking networks and supporting intelligence sharing to counter the flow of fentanyl and other opioids. 
• The Intelligence Community Technology Bridge Act to establish a dedicated fund supporting the integration of proven emerging technologies into the Intelligence Community’s mission, helping agencies adapt quickly to new threats. 
• The Drone Threat Assessment Act to direct a government-wide review of drone threats along the U.S. border and establish a strategy to protect border security infrastructure from surveillance and disruption. 

The bill also focuses on the following key areas: 

• Significantly reforming and improving efficiency within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and across the broader Intelligence Community. 
• Strengthening the security of telecommunications networks by establishing baseline cybersecurity requirements for vendors providing services to the IC. 
• Requiring the Director of National Intelligence to identify potential sites for the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies to improve IC energy resiliency. 
• Amending the Spectrum Relocation Fund to clarify eligibility for Title 50 agencies that rely on spectrum and may be affected by future reallocation decisions. 
• Maintaining strong congressional oversight and enhances protections for IC whistleblowers. 
• Establishing authorities for protecting Central Intelligence Agency facilities from unmanned aircraft systems. 
• Supporting the Intelligence Community workforce by requiring the Director of National Intelligence to issue standard guidelines for Intelligence Community personnel to document and report Anomalous Health Incidents. 
• Shoring up counter-intelligence risks posed by Salt Typhoon compromises of U.S. telecommunications infrastructure by leveraging IC procurement power. 
• Improving the Intelligence Community’s artificial intelligence capabilities and capacity and establishing guidelines for the IC’s procurement and use of artificial intelligence.