Donald Beyer (D-VA)
Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act of 2026 aims to amend title 10 of the United States Code. It directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the use of autonomous weapons systems and artificial intelligence-enabled systems by the Armed Forces is subject to human command responsibility. The bill requires the establishment of procedures to identify responsible human commanders and ensure oversight for lethal decisions. It also mandates that for a five-year period, commanders must verify targets using a secondary source not exclusively generated by artificial intelligence. Certain defense systems, such as missile defense, are excluded from these requirements.
Yes
- Scored +1
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill establishes human command responsibility which may contribute to more controlled and supervised combat environments for service members.
- Scored +1
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill's focus on human oversight and target verification may reduce errors in lethal engagements involving service members.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Human Command Responsibility: The bill requires that any use of force involving autonomous or AI-enabled systems is subject to human command responsibility, which includes identifying a specific human commander or operator responsible for authorizing, supervising, and terminating the use of force (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Lethal Decision Oversight: The Secretary must ensure human oversight, approval, or a human-in-the-loop for any decision to use these systems for an intentionally lethal purpose (Section 2(a)(2)).
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Target Verification: For the first five years after enactment, the bill requires a commander or operator to verify any target using a secondary source or data that is not exclusively generated by artificial intelligence (Section 2(a)(3)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Potential Delays or Prevention of Force: The Secretary of Defense is required to report on the extent to which the use of force by the Armed Forces has been prevented or delayed due to the implementation of these new procedures and requirements (Section 2(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill establishes human command responsibility which may contribute to more controlled and supervised combat environments for service members.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill's focus on human oversight and target verification may reduce errors in lethal engagements involving service members.
- 7/16/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Tom BarrettRepublican · Michigan
Valerie FousheeDemocrat · North Carolina
Sara JacobsDemocrat · California