Congress removes right to repair language from 2026 defense bill

"According to a statement from the Public Interest Research Group, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 has removed language that would have granted the US military the right to repair its own equipment rather than requiring it to use official defense contractors for maintenance. This bill is still being considered by Congress, but it is uncertain whether the right to repair language is likely to be re-introduced once it has been removed."

""Despite support from Republicans, Democrats, the White House and key military leaders, troops will keep waiting for repairs they could perform themselves," US PIRG Legislative Associate Charlie Schuyler said in a statement from the organization. "Taxpayers will keep paying inflated costs. And in some cases, soldiers might not get the equipment they need when they need it most." A bipartisan bill from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tom Sheedy was introduced earlier this year to allow the military right to repair access."

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 removed provisions that would have allowed the US military to repair its own equipment instead of relying on official defense contractors. The removal preserves contractor-controlled maintenance and leaves uncertainty about whether right-to-repair language will be reintroduced during congressional consideration. The Public Interest Research Group warned that troops could wait longer for repairs, taxpayers could face higher costs, and soldiers might lack needed equipment at critical moments. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Tom Sheedy introduced a bipartisan bill earlier this year to grant the military right-to-repair access. Some states have enacted repair laws and federal regulators have sometimes intervened to expand consumer repair options.

Read at Engadget