BANNOCKBURN, IL – The US House and Senate finalized the full-year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and included a provision on military electronics backed by IPC.

Reflecting IPC’s collaboration with Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Section 845 of the bill calls on the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the executive agent for Printed Circuit Board and Interconnect Technology and the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to prepare a report to Congress by January 2019 on the health of the US defense electronics industrial base. The report will include an examination of the department’s partnerships with industry and a plan to formalize the long-term resourcing of the executive agent.

A House provision was not adopted that would have repealed the statutory requirement for the executive agent. The executive agent is the principal Defense Department entity charged with assuring the security and availability of printed circuit and interconnect technologies for defense electronics.

“This decision is a positive step for the electronics industry," said IPC president and CEO John Mitchell. "Advanced electronics are at the heart of many critical defense systems, and it is our industry’s goal to ensure a resilient global electronics supply chain. We applaud Congress for taking this step, which will bring welcome attention and support to electronics manufacturers."

The Trump administration is expected to release a report soon on the overall US defense industrial base.

Read Mike Buetow’s commentary on the NDAA and EA here: https://circuitsassembly.com/ca/caveat-lector/29739-defense-bill-attacks-some-industry-problems.html

Register now for PCB WEST, the leading trade show for the printed circuit design and electronics manufacturing industry! Coming Sept. 11-13 to the Santa Clara Convention Center.

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