Values in Arms Export Act of 2026

The Values in Arms Export Act of 2026 establishes a new independent oversight board and stricter rules to ensure that U.S. weapons sales are not used to violate human rights or international humanitarian law. The bill creates a Human Rights and Law of War Oversight Board to monitor recipient governments, requiring them to agree to U.S. investigations into any misconduct before receiving defense articles or services. If a foreign government is designated as a "country of concern" for serious human rights violations, it faces an immediate three-year ban on new arms sales and a potential ten-year ban if the violations continue or recur. The legislation also mandates that the government assess the risk of weapons being misused before issuing export licenses and requires regular reporting to Congress on these monitoring efforts.