Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act of 2026

This legislation directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that all uses of force involving autonomous weapons systems or artificial intelligence-enabled systems by the Armed Forces are subject to human command responsibility. It mandates the establishment of procedures to identify responsible human commanders, ensure human oversight or a "human-in-the-loop" for lethal decisions, and for five years, require target verification using secondary, non-AI generated data. These requirements do not apply to United States missile defense systems or other defense systems designed to intercept incoming weapons. The bill clarifies that these provisions are in addition to, and do not replace, existing Department of Defense guidance on autonomy in weapon systems. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress within one year detailing the established procedures and any impact on the prevention or delay of force use.