Pentagon gets blank check to ban foreign vehicles from all military property

What it does

This bill requires the Department of Defense to create and maintain a list of connected vehicles (cars, trucks with internet/wireless connectivity) made by or controlled by foreign entities deemed a national security concern, and bans their operation on all military bases and DoD property starting January 1, 2028. The SecDef must publish the list by January 1, 2027, review it annually, and brief Congress on how the military will enforce the ban.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to restrict operation of foreign-controlled connected vehicles on DoD property based on national security criteria. While framed as a security measure, it delegates significant discretionary authority to the SecDef to define threats and compile a blacklist with minimal legislative guardrails.

What the text implies

• The bill's definition of 'foreign entity of concern' is cross-referenced to a 2021 NDAA provision but not restated here, making it difficult for the public to know in advance which vehicles will be banned.
• The SecDef has unilateral authority to add/remove vehicles from the list with only an annual review requirement and vague criteria ('undue risk', 'unacceptable risk') — no congressional approval needed for additions.
• The ban applies to ALL DoD property, not just secure military installations, potentially affecting civilian contractors, vendors, and service providers who work on DoD sites.
• No explicit appeal or challenge mechanism is provided for manufacturers or importers to contest their inclusion on the list.
• The bill's 2028 implementation date gives the SecDef 18 months to define enforcement mechanisms, but no funding authorization or resource estimate is included in the text.

Who it affects

The bill protects military infrastructure and personnel from potential cyber threats embedded in foreign-controlled vehicles, a legitimate national security interest. However, the criteria for what counts as a 'foreign entity of concern' and what poses 'unacceptable risk' are vague and delegated entirely to the SecDef without clear standards, creating potential for overreach or arbitrary enforcement that could affect civilian supply chains and vehicle availability.

Who stands to gain

• domestic vehicle manufacturers
• U.S.-based connected vehicle suppliers
• defense contractors with vehicle supply contracts
• cybersecurity firms providing vehicle threat assessment

Named in the bill

Department of Defense, Secretary of Defense, Congressional Defense Committees, Federal agencies (unspecified), William M. Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Title 15 CFR 791.301 (connected vehicle definition), Title 10 USC 2801 (military installation definition)

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.

• Jul 10, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Jul 10, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Armed Services · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.