119-HR-8962 Journalist Public Summary

Headline Summary

A bipartisan House bill would make the Pentagon publish and keep updated a clear, searchable “do-not-use” list of supplement ingredients for troops, add education and tech tools to help service members avoid risky products, and allow limited leniency for first-time, good‑faith mistakes involving non–controlled substances.

What It Does

Plain-English overview of the bill’s purpose and major provisions.

The PERFECT Act of 2026 directs the Department of Defense (DoD) to publish and update—at least every 90 days—a list of dietary supplement ingredients and performance‑enhancing substances that service members may not use. It aims to reduce accidental rule‑breaking, improve safety, and standardize guidance across the force.

• Requires DoD to post the prohibited-ingredients and prohibited-substances lists online in three formats: a full webpage, a searchable database, and a downloadable file.
• Updates must occur no less than every 90 days so troops and vendors see the latest changes.
• Creates a narrow, first‑offense leniency option: commanders may choose education, counseling, or drug testing in lieu of discipline—and may decline administrative separation—when a member used a non–controlled‑substance ingredient in good faith (for example, after checking the DoD list or buying on‑base).
• Clarifies that possessing a supplement with a listed ingredient (that is not a controlled substance) does not count as "drug abuse" under Title 10.
• Orders updates to DoD Instruction 6130.06 and improvements to the Operation Supplement Safety website, including better search (autofill/autocorrect), tools that can scan product labels and look up ingredients, and user notifications when new ingredients are added.
• Directs reports to Congress: an initial 120‑day report on stopping sales of listed ingredients at DoD‑affiliated stores; a final implementation report within two years; and annual reports for five years tracking administrative actions and education effectiveness.

Who’s For It

• Sponsors: Introduced by Representatives Warren Davidson, Pat Harrigan, Ro Khanna, and Mike Lawler, signaling bipartisan interest.
• Supporters’ case (as reflected in the bill’s design): clearer rules and frequent updates reduce accidental violations; modernized tools help troops and vendors identify risky products; education-first responses for non‑controlled substances can correct mistakes without ending careers.

Who’s Against It

• No formal opposition is listed at this early stage.
• Potential concerns that could emerge: the list might become overly broad or change too often for vendors and troops to keep up; industry groups could worry about de facto blacklisting of ingredients; commanders might apply the leniency provision inconsistently across units; and building AI label‑scanning tools could raise cost and accuracy questions.

What’s Next

• Status as of May 21, 2026: Introduced and referred to the House Armed Services Committee.
• Next typical steps: committee review and potential markup; House floor consideration; then Senate action. If both chambers pass matching text, it would go to the President for signature or veto.