Bipartisan provisions that would have expanded military access to repair data and technical information were removed from the final FY26 defense authorization bill.
Congressional leadership removed bipartisan military Right to Repair provisions from the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act, which were previously passed by both the House and Senate. The provisions were intended to allow the military to purchase upfront access to the technical data, parts, and information needed to repair its own equipment.
According to supporters, current access limitations can increase sustainment costs and affect readiness, as many defense contractors retain control over repair information and require the use of their own technicians. With the removal of the language, the military remains subject to existing repair and maintenance arrangements, which often rely on contractor support.
“The military should be able to repair its own equipment,” said US PIRG Legislative Associate Charlie Schuyler, in a release. “Despite support from Republicans, Democrats, the White House, and key military leaders, troops will keep waiting for repairs they could perform themselves. Taxpayers will keep paying inflated costs. And in some cases, soldiers might not get the equipment they need when they need it most.”
The decision to exclude the provisions followed lobbying activity from defense contractors, according to a release from PIRG. The Trump administration and secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force have expressed support for military Right to Repair. The Army has already begun mandating the inclusion of right to repair provisions in new procurement contracts and seeking to renegotiate current contracts to add it.
“The brave men and women who serve in our Armed Services should be allowed to fix the equipment and systems they rely on every day,” says US PIRG Legislative Director Isaac Bowers, in a release. “The Trump administration, the service secretaries, and the troops know that the right to repair lowers costs, heightens readiness, and saves service members’ lives. Congress rejected their counsel and sided with defense contractors instead. We’ll be back next year to fight for this again. Our servicemembers deserve better.”
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