House Panel Adds Right-to-Repair Provision to 2027 Defense Bill Draft
The House Armed Services Committee approved a bipartisan amendment Thursday that would require defense contractors to provide repair data and software for equipment purchased by the military. The measure is part of the drafting process for the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.
Military.comThe House Armed Services Committee approved a bipartisan amendment on Thursday that would require defense contractors to provide repair data and software for equipment purchased by the military. The measure is part of the drafting process for the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.
The amendment, introduced by Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) and Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), directs contractors asserting less-than-government purpose rights to submit a list of claimed data or software, documentation of private development funding, and clause-specific exclusions.
Contractors that do not comply would have their deliverables treated as provided with government purpose rights.
Similar right-to-repair language appeared in both House and Senate drafts of the fiscal year 2026 NDAA but was removed during conference committee negotiations. Current contracts often require the military to rely on contractors for repairs. Burger cited an example of a deployed Marine unable to replace a broken generator knob because the contract limits repairs to the original supplier.
Secretary Daniel Driscoll told the Senate Armed Services Committee in May 2026 that right-to-repair could determine mission success in the Indo-Pacific. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth endorsed the approach. Rep. ), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said the amendment would force companies to choose between protecting intellectual property and working with the Pentagon.
He cited opposition from the Aerospace Industries Association, the National Defense Industrial Association, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. The F-35 program, estimated at $2 trillion, has faced maintenance delays and low mission-capable rates, according to Government Accountability Office reports from 2023 and 2024.
Proponents of the amendment argue that expanded repair authority could reduce costs and improve readiness.
