Earlier this week, Congress released the final legislative text for the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Throughout the year, ISEA has closely monitored the bill’s development, as the NDAA has increasingly become a vehicle for federal Right-to-Repair (RtR) proposals. National RtR advocates have continued to push for expanded repair authority for the Department of Defense, framing it as essential to military readiness. Given this trend, ISEA anticipated that any federal action on RtR could emerge through this legislation.
That concern proved well-founded when RtR provisions appeared in both the House and Senate draft markups earlier this year. Although these provisions did not explicitly reference personal protective equipment (PPE) or safety products, the language raised red flags for our industry. The use of broad terminology such as “weapons systems” introduced ambiguity about what categories of equipment could ultimately be swept in. Additionally, proposals requiring expanded access to contractor intellectual property posed risks, and such proposals could have opened the door to broader RtR policies affecting safety equipment manufacturers.
Today, we are pleased to report a major success: neither House nor Senate RtR provisions made it into the final NDAA text. While individual members of Congress retain the ability to offer amendments as the bill moves forward, the likelihood of these specific provisions being reinstated at this stage is low. This outcome is particularly notable given the strong RtR momentum this year—momentum driven in part by the Department of Defense itself.
This achievement reflects coordinated advocacy across the manufacturing sector. ISEA worked closely with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) to circulate a letter led by Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) urging congressional leaders to oppose the RtR provisions. ISEA members reinforced this message in outreach to key Senate offices, including Senators Tuberville (R-AL), Rounds (R-SD), Banks (R-IN) and others. Their engagement helped ensure lawmakers understood the risks these provisions could pose to safety equipment innovation, product integrity, and supply chain security. Additionally, ISEA has worked throughout the year to educate members of Congress on the negative impacts of RtR legislation on worker safety and to lay the groundwork to oppose any such bill during Hill visits and other outreach.
ISEA will continue to monitor RtR activity—both federally and at the state level—throughout 2026. For now, we are pleased to share this important development and recognize it as a meaningful policy win for our industry.
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