Senate bill addresses Salt Typhoon and adjustments within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence
The Intelligence Community Efficiency and Effectiveness Act, a bill introduced by Senate lawmakers including Sen. Tom Cotton and Sen. Mark Warner, aims to reform and improve efficiencies and effectiveness within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the broader intelligence community.
The bill, which has yet to reveal details following the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence's mark up, contains key provisions aimed at reshaping the ODNI, addressing cybersecurity threats, and impacting workforce issues.
Reshaping the ODNI
The bill proposes to reshape the size and mission of the ODNI by reducing its staffing cap, redistributing some major national intelligence centers and functions to operational agencies such as the CIA and FBI. Furthermore, it suggests changes to senior leadership titles and the relocation of the National Intelligence University to the National Defense University, aiming to modify educational and leadership structures within intelligence while addressing workforce development concerns.
Addressing Cybersecurity Threats
The bill addresses the growing threat of cybersecurity and emerging technology by advocating for reforms to enable more flexible and responsive budget execution, especially for emerging technologies tied to cybersecurity. This includes modernization of financial, logistics, and contracts systems, and leveraging data analytics and AI to improve fraud prevention and audit integrity.
Whistleblower Protections
The bill also aims to strengthen whistleblower protections for IC personnel, requiring the director of national intelligence to issue standard guidelines for Intelligence Community personnel to document and report Anomalous Health Incidents.
Telecommunications Security
The bill seeks to strengthen the security of telecommunications networks by establishing baseline cybersecurity requirements for vendors and addressing the threats posed by the Salt Typhoon hacking group, believed to be operated by China's Ministry of State Security.
Workforce Limits and Contractor Regulations
The bill would cap the size of ODNI at 650 staff, down from nearly 2,000 employees at the start of the Trump administration. Additionally, it would ban intelligence community contractors from collecting or selling the location data of IC personnel to prevent foreign adversaries from exposing IC officers and operations.
Other Reforms
The bill includes the Intelligence Community Technology Bridge Act, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn, which would establish a bridge fund for IC elements to assist businesses or nonprofit organizations transitioning products or services to the prototype or production phase. It also terminates the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center, and the National Intelligence University, among other reforms.
The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence passed its version of the fiscal 2026 intelligence authorization bill on Tuesday by a vote of 15-2. However, Sen. Ron Wyden voted against the bill due to the elimination of Senate-confirmed general counsels at ODNI and the CIA, and lack of congressional oversight of intelligence community firings.
A Department of Homeland Security bulletin details Salt Typhoon's infiltration of an Army National Guard network, undetected for months starting last March. The bill's focus on addressing Salt Typhoon's threats to U.S. telecommunications infrastructure is a testament to its commitment to enhancing the security of critical infrastructure.
The bill also includes guidelines for the IC's procurement and use of artificial intelligence, underscoring the importance of leveraging advanced technologies to address the evolving threats in the intelligence community.
The legislation reflects a broader intent to enhance efficiency and effectiveness by cutting bureaucratic overhead, modernizing financial and technology tools, and focusing workforce efforts where most needed, while raising questions about the future role and reach of the ODNI.
- The Intelligence Community Efficiency and Effectiveness Act, a bill aiming to reform the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), includes provisions for reshaping the ODNI, addressing cybersecurity threats, and impacting workforce issues, among other policy-and-legislation changes.
- To address the growing threat of cybersecurity and emerging technology, the bill proposes reforms to enable more flexible and responsive budget execution for cybersecurity-related technologies, including modernizing financial, logistics, and contracts systems, and leveraging data analytics and AI to improve fraud prevention and audit integrity.
- The bill also strengthens whistleblower protections for Intelligence Community (IC) personnel, requiring the director of national intelligence to issue standard guidelines for IC personnel to document and report Anomalous Health Incidents, demonstrating a commitment to crime-and-justice concerns within the IC.
