U.S. House Panel Approves $7.5M for Lead-Free R&D in FY 2022
Key Summary
• A House defense subcommittee approved $7.5 million for FY22 lead-free electronics R&D
• The funding supports a multi-year, $40 million initiative focused on defense and high-performance electronics
• Congress has already provided $15 million across FY20 and FY21, signaling sustained interest
• Lead-free R&D could generate major defense savings and strengthen military readiness
• IPC will continue advocating for full funding as the Senate takes up the FY22 appropriations bill
In another step forward for U.S. taxpayers, defense readiness, and the electronics industry supply chain, the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense has allocated $7.5 million for lead-free electronics R&D in FY 2022.
IPC and more than a dozen partners have been working over the last few years to stand up a $40 million, five-year initiative to tackle lead-free supply chain and technical issues in the defense and high-performance electronics sectors. We believe a public-private R&D program would yield more than $100 million in U.S. defense savings per year and improve military readiness and overall innovation. The initiative builds on the work done by the Pb-Free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council over its 10+ year history. More details are available in this December 2020 IPC blog post.
In a very challenging budget environment, the $7.5 million House figure signals continuing congressional interest in funding this project through completion. To date, Congress has provided a combined $15 million for this R&D in FY20 and FY21.
Congressional plus-ups are very competitive and difficult to secure. To be successful, the project needs to meet a true technical requirement, be recognized as a need of the Defense Department, and have sufficient congressional support. We have come a long way in developing support for this project within the Defense Department and the Congress, and we remain upbeat about our ability to secure the needed funding through the appropriations process or other federal partnership opportunities.
In the next round of action, IPC will continue to advocate for strong lead-free R&D funding in the Senate version of the FY22 defense appropriations bill. We will keep you posted and welcome your questions and suggestions.
The $7.5 million allocation supports ongoing work to resolve lead-free reliability challenges in defense and high-performance electronics. These efforts help modernize supply chains, reduce long-term costs, and improve readiness across critical defense systems.
It contributes to a planned $40 million, five-year program developed by IPC and partners. The goal is to address technical gaps, advance materials research, and build a more resilient, lead-free defense electronics supply chain.
Congress has appropriated $15 million in FY20 and FY21 combined. The FY22 House figure shows continued bipartisan support and momentum toward completing the long-term initiative.
Commercial electronics have moved to lead-free materials, but defense systems require high reliability. More R&D is needed to ensure lead-free technologies meet mission-critical performance standards and can be adopted safely at scale.
The Senate will craft its version of the defense appropriations bill. IPC will advocate for strong support in that process and continue engaging policymakers to highlight the importance of sustained R&D investment.