Sponsors (5)
Beginning Oct 1, 2027, DHS may not obligate funds to procure batteries from specified foreign adversary-linked entities, with two limited waivers and required impact reporting to Congress.
The bill reduces reliance on certain foreign battery suppliers and increases transparency and targeted flexibility for DHS procurement, but does so at the cost of higher procurement complexity and expenses and a measurable risk to operational readiness if replacement batteries are not available.
State and local government DHS components (e.g., CBP, ICE, TSA, Coast Guard) will rely less on batteries from specified foreign manufacturers, reducing perceived national-security and supply-chain risks related to those suppliers.
Taxpayers gain greater transparency and congressional oversight because DHS must report expected mission and cost impacts within 180 days, clarifying operational effects and budgetary needs.
Federal employees retain some flexibility because the bill allows targeted waivers for research or when no comparable non-specified alternatives exist, preserving the ability to obtain specialized batteries in limited cases.
Law-enforcement and transportation workers face degraded operational readiness if currently used batteries are banned and timely non-covered replacements are unavailable, because restricted supplier options can slow replacements and maintenance cycles.
Taxpayers and federal employees may bear higher costs because DHS agencies could pay more for non-specified batteries, increasing procurement and operational expenses.
Federal contracting officers and procurement staff will face increased administrative burden and compliance complexity due to broad inclusion of subsidiaries, successors, and suppliers tied to the specified lists.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from procuring certain foreign-made batteries, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 10, 2025 by Carlos A. Gimenez · Last progress March 11, 2025
Prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from obligating funds to buy batteries produced by specified foreign adversary-linked companies (including named Chinese firms, entities listed under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, listed Chinese military companies, entities on certain Commerce Department lists, and their subsidiaries or successors) beginning October 1, 2027. The bill treats a battery as produced by a listed entity if that entity supplies a majority of the battery components or assembles the final product using the battery, allows two narrowly defined waiver types, and requires DHS to report expected mission and cost impacts to congressional committees within 180 days of enactment. Waivers may be issued for (1) national security or critical infrastructure needs when no viable non-specified alternative exists at similar cost/quality, or (2) sole-purpose research/evaluation/training/testing/analysis uses; DHS must notify House and Senate committees within 15 days after granting any waiver.