The U.S. Senate has approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which includes several measures championed by Senator John Kennedy (R-La.) and addresses priorities specific to Louisiana.
“This critical defense authorization bill helps ensure America’s military stays the best in the world at full strength—not second to anybody—and it delivers major wins for Louisianians. I’m especially proud that it also advances three of my top priorities in the Senate: ending the foolish practice of paying dead people, helping young families finally afford their first homes and forcing foreign insiders to play by the same set of rules as American investors,” said Kennedy.
Three initiatives led or co-led by Kennedy are part of this year’s NDAA:
– The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which aims to make permanent a law originally passed in 2020 allowing better data sharing between federal agencies to prevent payments being sent to deceased individuals. According to government data, $1.3 billion was paid out to dead people in 2023 alone. The temporary version of this law helped recover $31 million within its first five months.
– The Build Now Act seeks to address rising home prices that have pushed the median age for first-time homebuyers up to 38 years old. This act would modify incentives within HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Program, penalizing cities that do not increase homebuilding rates and reallocating funds toward those with higher growth.
– The Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act is designed to close gaps in insider trading reporting requirements between U.S.-based and foreign executives. Under current law, foreign insiders are not required to disclose trades as promptly as their American counterparts—a disparity linked with significant financial losses for domestic investors. The proposed legislation would require electronic disclosures from foreign company executives within two business days.
Additional provisions in the NDAA focus on Louisiana-specific projects such as improvements at Barksdale Air Force Base—including upgrades for child development facilities and dormitories—as well as support for defense manufacturing across various locations in the state.
The full text of the Senate-passed FY26 NDAA is available here.
