I
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10766
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 6, 2026
Mr. Self introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense to update the Critical Asset List of the Department of Defense to incorporate assets critical to the development, deployment, and operation of the Golden Dome missile defense system.
Space-based missile defense strategy; updates to certain asset lists of the Department of Defense
Findings
Congress finds the following:
The People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation are aggressively developing long-range cruise and hypersonic missiles capable of striking the United States mainland with conventional warheads.
China’s advancements in hypersonic technology, including maneuverable warheads, pose a direct threat to critical United States infrastructure and population centers.
Russia has demonstrated operational long-range missile systems, such as the Kinzhal and Zircon, which can target any location in the United States with minimal warning.
China publicly debuted the DF–61 ICBM and several other ICBMs capable of targeting the United States homeland at a military parade in September 2025, showcasing a rapid military buildup of its military hardware.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and North Korea's Kim Jong-Un attended the military parade in Tiananmen Square, signaling an increased security cooperation among these countries.
China and Russia are also both integrating advanced guidance systems and payloads to enhance the precision and lethality of their missile arsenals, increasing the risk to United States homeland security.
The proliferation of these missile technologies necessitates a robust, layered defense architecture to protect the United States homeland and forward-deployed forces.
To achieve this architecture, it is necessary to design and procure a new system mixing detection and tracking satellites, sensor-equipped dirigibles, and long-range ground-based radars to detect and track threats. This network of sensors must be fused with a network of mostly space-based engagement systems to intercept and destroy missiles.
A rapid deployment of these space-based detection and engagement systems through and from the space domain will make a comprehensive space-based missile defense of the homeland and forward-deployed forces both operationally feasible and economically viable.
Sense of the Congress
It is the sense of Congress that the development of an Iron Dome for America
system to protect against ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile threats, prioritizing integration with existing missile defense frameworks and leveraging advanced technologies, including space-based systems is critical to U.S. national security.
Update of Critical Asset List
Requirement
Not later than 180 days after the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Defense shall update the Critical Asset List to incorporate assets critical to the development, deployment, and operation of the Golden Dome missile defense system.
Contents
The updated Critical Asset List shall include the following:
Space-based sensor and interceptor systems, including associated ground control stations.
Ground-based missile defense facilities, including those in Alaska, Florida, Georgia, and Indiana, as identified in the Golden Dome architecture.
Critical infrastructure supporting command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for Golden Dome operations.
Other assets deemed essential to the National Defense Strategy and the Golden Dome initiative’s mission to protect the United States from missile threats.
Synchronization of Defended Asset List
Requirement
Concurrent with the update to the Critical Asset List under subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the joint force commanders, shall revise the Defended Asset List to ensure alignment with the updated Critical Asset List and the operational requirements of the Golden Dome missile defense system.
Prioritization Criteria
The Defended Asset List shall prioritize assets based on:
the extent to which the asset is critical to Golden Dome’s mission to intercept ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles;
threat assessments identifying vulnerabilities to missile attacks from near-peer adversaries; and
the availability of defensive resources, including Patriot systems, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, and space-based interceptors.
Report to Congress
Submission
Not later than 270 days after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes—
the updated Critical Asset List, including a description of assets added or modified to support the Golden Dome initiative;
the revised Defended Asset List, including prioritization criteria and resource allocation plans;
a strategy for protecting Golden Dome-related assets from missile threats, including timelines for deployment of defensive systems; and
an assessment of risks to Golden Dome assets and mitigation measures, including cybersecurity and supply chain security considerations.
Form
The report shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.
Definitions
In this section:
The term Critical Asset List refers to the prioritized list of assets as defined under Department of Defense Directive 3020.40.
The term Defended Asset List refers to the subset of assets from the Critical Asset List as outlined in Joint Publication 3-01 (Countering Air and Missile Threats).
The term Golden Dome refers to the national ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile defense system required by Executive Order (EO) 14186 (January 27, 2025), encompassing space-based sensors, interceptors, and ground-based defense systems.