Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens national-security and supply-chain protection by banning UGVs tied to hostile foreign actors while trading off near-term procurement costs, possible operational gaps for agencies, and negative impacts on some contractors and small suppliers.
Federal agencies, law enforcement, and military personnel will face reduced cybersecurity and data-exfiltration risks because the bill bans unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) made or controlled by hostile foreign entities, lowering exposure to supply-chain espionage.
Security-focused agencies (DHS, DOD, State, DOJ) and their missions can continue using UGVs for research, testing, or national-interest operations under narrow exemptions, preserving critical surveillance and response capabilities.
Taxpayers and federal programs are protected from supply-chain and espionage vulnerabilities because federal funds are limited from purchasing potentially risky foreign-made UGVs, reducing the chance of spending on compromised equipment.
Law enforcement agencies and border communities may face near-term operational gaps (reduced surveillance or patrol capabilities) if compliant UGVs are not immediately available, weakening local security operations.
Government contractors and federal agencies will incur procurement and transition costs to replace or modify banned UGVs, increasing short-term government spending and contracting expenses.
Small businesses with foreign ownership or supply-chain ties risk exclusion from federal contracts, harming smaller suppliers that rely on government procurement.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Bars federal procurement now and federal operation in one year of UGV systems made or supplied by covered foreign entities, with narrow national-security exemptions.
Official title: Prohibit executive agencies from procuring or operating certain unmanned ground vehicle systems, and for other purposes.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Thomas Bryant Cotton · Last progress March 26, 2026
Prohibits federal executive agencies from buying or, after one year, operating unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) systems made or assembled by companies tied to certain foreign countries. Agencies may not use federal funds (contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, etc.) to procure or operate those covered UGVs, with narrow national-security exemptions for DHS, DOD, State, and DOJ when approved for specified national interest purposes or when technical changes remove cybersecurity/data-transfer risks.