Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · May 9, 2016
Cyber Act of War Act of 2016
This bill directs the President to: (1) develop a policy for determining when an action carried out in cyberspace constitutes an act of war against the United States, and (2) revise the Department of Defense Law of War Manual accordingly.
In developing this policy, the President shall consider: (1) the ways in which a cyber attack's effects may be equivalent to a conventional attack's effects, including physical destruction or casualties; and (2) intangible effects of significant scope or duration.
Source last updated: Nov 27, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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