Balancing Repair Access and Safety – Military Edition
Last year, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) introduced legislation aimed at establishing a right to repair policy for the U.S. military. Her push followed the failure of a right to repair amendment that was proposed for the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The bill would require defense contractors working with the Department of Defense to provide comprehensive access to necessary parts, tools, and repair instructions for equipment used by our nation’s military. In bicameral fashion, Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) sponsored a co-part in the House. Both members have talked about the importance of increasing military readiness and cutting costs by allowing servicemembers to repair their own equipment.
There is no question our nation’s military should be able to fix its own equipment, but it is crucial for legislators to consider the risks associated with broader repair access. Sweeping policy decisions could produce unnecessary risks for technologies that protect our military personnel and underpin our national security infrastructure system. An untrained individual could cause more harm than good, compromising the integrity of equipment that people assume.
More deliberation is needed on this matter and it’s something Safe Repair is closely monitoring. Striking the right balance between repair access and the need for specialized expertise will be critical. In matters of national security and safeguarding the courageous Americans who risk their lives for their country, it is imperative that they can depend on the functionality and readiness of their equipment.