Sponsors (4)
The bill speeds transition of private-sector R&D into intelligence-useful prototypes by providing targeted, flexible funding and reporting, at the cost of concentrated award authority, selective eligibility that favors incumbents, potential conflicts of interest, and limited scale due to a modest funding cap.
Small businesses, nonprofits, and nontraditional government contractors will receive new federal funding (grants, purchases, or equity payments) to move R&D into prototypes or production.
The intelligence community will get promising R&D transitioned faster into operational prototypes, improving intelligence capabilities.
Developers and researchers working with the intelligence community will have reduced financial uncertainty because the Fund provides a stable, multi‑year funding stream (amounts available until expended).
Taxpayers may indirectly subsidize specific companies (including via equity payments), creating conflict-of-interest and market-competition concerns.
Taxpayers and the public could face limited external accountability because decision authority is concentrated in the DNI, risking award bias toward IC priorities over broader public benefit.
Small businesses, nonprofits, and outside innovators without existing ties to an IC element will be excluded from eligibility, reducing competition and slowing new entrants.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Introduced June 26, 2025 by John Cornyn · Last progress June 26, 2025
Creates a Treasury fund, managed by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), to help move intelligence‑related research and development from lab work to working prototypes or production. The fund can provide grants, payments for products or services, or equity investments to businesses and nonprofits engaged in R&D with an intelligence community element, with a priority for small businesses and nontraditional defense contractors; it is authorized $75 million per year and capped at a $75 million balance. The DNI must consult with intelligence element heads, may consult research/innovation partners, and must deliver annual reports to the congressional intelligence committees on expenditures and transition activity.