American Security Robotics Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill stops federal agencies from buying or using ground robots, like autonomous patrol vehicles or humanoid robots, if they are made by companies in countries considered national security threats. This includes nations like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
• One year after the bill passes, agencies would be banned from using any of these foreign-made systems they already own. This rule also applies to private companies that provide services to the government using these types of robots.
• Federal grant money and other government funds could no longer be used by local or state groups to buy these specific types of foreign robotics. This is meant to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not supporting companies controlled by foreign adversaries.
• The main goal is to prevent sensitive data from being sent to foreign governments and to protect U.S. infrastructure from potential cyberattacks. There are concerns that these machines could be used for spying if they remain connected to foreign networks.
• Certain agencies like the Department of Defense and Department of Justice could get an exception. They would be allowed to use these robots for specific tasks like research, testing, or national security investigations if they can prove the machines are safe.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.