SHIPS for America Act of 2026

Key Points

• This is the annual defense budget law for fiscal year 2027. It authorizes military spending, sets the maximum number of troops for each branch, and funds equipment like ships, drones, submarines, and missiles.
• Military members and families see benefit changes. The bill adds TRICARE coverage for fertility treatment and up to a year of contraception, protects maternity care during moves, and reverses planned cuts at dozens of military hospitals. It also bans TRICARE from covering gender-related medical treatment.
• The bill pushes to bring supply chains home. It restricts buying critical minerals, magnets, and materials from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, phasing in domestic and allied sourcing requirements, and requires more naval components to be U.S.-made.
• A major shipbuilding effort called the SHIPS for America Act is included. It creates a Maritime Security Advisor and Board, a Maritime Security Trust Fund, and programs to rebuild U.S. shipyards, grow the mariner workforce, and reduce reliance on foreign vessels.
• The bill funds billions in construction at bases across states and territories, including Guam, Hawaii, Alabama, Alaska, and Texas, and directs personnel policy changes like merit-based promotions, a hate symbol ban, and skills-based civilian hiring.
• Note: The initial analysis cited a SAVE America Act adding proof-of-citizenship voting requirements as Division E. The provided bill text lists Division E but does not include its provisions in the excerpts, so those voting-rule impacts cannot be verified from the document text.