The Senate has overwhelmingly approved the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, previously passed by the House. President Biden is expected to sign the bill before the end of the month, establishing a $768 billion budget for the Department of Defense, and mandating several policy changes within the Department of Defense. The legislation’s technology policy provisions include:
- A review by the Pentagon of how the CMMC program applies to small businesses.
- A pilot for the Secretary of Defense to work with the director of CISA and the national cyber director, on agreements with internet companies to thwart cyberattacks.
- Increased funding for research and development, with nearly $117 billion directed to finding new science and tech break throughs.
- $57 million for the DoD’s new AI and Data Accelerator Initiative to embed data science experts within combatant commands to quickly tackle tech challenges.
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