US Governance — 2026-06-08

HASC Approves 1.15 Trillion Dollar FY27 NDAA With Right to Repair and Defense Tech Reforms

BLUFHASC's voice-vote adoption of default government purpose rights for defense IP reshapes the contractor leverage dynamic heading into Senate conference, where industry lobbying will test whether bipartisan support holds.

The House Armed Services Committee voted 44-12 early Friday morning to advance its $1.15 trillion FY27 NDAA after 14 hours of debate on more than 900 amendments 12. A bipartisan amendment by Reps. Goodlander (D-NH) and Harrigan (R-NC), adopted by voice vote, makes government purpose rights the default for defense contractor technical data and software unless contractors justify retaining more restrictive IP terms 2. HASC Chairman Rogers and Rep. Wittman opposed the measure, with Rogers warning that contractors may choose IP protection over DoD work, while the AIA and NDIA also voiced objections 2. En bloc packages added $500 million for a second Arleigh Burke destroyer, $60 million for hypersonic testing, and a prohibition on foreign shipyard warship procurement 2.

Analysis
The amendment inverts the contractual default on defense IP: contractors must now justify retaining restrictive terms rather than requiring DoD to negotiate them away. The voice vote margin signals stronger bipartisan consensus than the 44-12 NDAA tally conveys, with Army Secretary Driscoll's readiness advocacy establishing the policy case across both parties. Senate SASC is now the decisive venue. Rogers' warning that contractors will choose IP protection over DoD work is the central contested claim heading into conference. If leading primes do exit rather than accept the new default, the amendment deepens the readiness problem it was designed to solve. The commercial-items carve-out limits scope without resolving the depot-level repair tension.

3 sources

HASC Approves $1.15 Trillion FY27 NDAA With Right To Repair Reform - Defense Daily
HASC adopts FY27 defense policy bill, adds right to repair language - Breaking Defense
Full Committee Markup: FY27 NDAA - House Armed Services Committee