Federal Register #DARS-2026-0298

DoD Seeks Input on New PCB Procurement Restrictions and Certification Standards

The Department of Defense is seeking public input on proposed changes to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) regarding printed circuit board (PCB) procurement. - Government Buyer: - Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Acquisition Regulations System - OEMs and Vendors: - No specific OEMs or vendors are named - Standards organizations referenced: ISO/IEC, IPC - Products/Services Requested: - Printed circuit boards (PCBs) for defense security systems - Compliance with industry standards: - ISO/IEC 20243 (supply chain security) - IPC1782 (traceability) - IPC1791 (trusted facility certification) - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Prohibition on acquiring PCBs from certain covered nations, as mandated by recent NDAAs - Contractors must obtain third-party certifications for compliance with specified standards - Machine-level manufacturing traceability data required - Waiver process available for sourcing from covered nations, but only under strict certification and verification conditions - Public comment requested on definitions, certification burdens, timelines, applicability to commercial off-the-shelf items, and data rights - No specific part numbers, quantities, or named OEMs are provided in the notice

Description

The Department of Defense (DoD) is seeking information to assist in revising the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement prohibitions on acquiring covered printed circuit boards from certain covered nations as mandated by the National Defense Authorization Acts for Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022. The proposed rulemaking aims to establish a regulatory framework that includes an Independent Hardware Assurance Framework with certification and traceability standards to mitigate supply chain risks. The rule will focus on geographic points of fabrication and require compliance with specific industry standards to ensure national security. Comments on this advance notice of proposed rulemaking are due by August 31, 2026.

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