I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4159 
To require the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations requiring that op-
tional combat boots worn by members of the Armed Forces wear be 
made in America, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2025 
Ms. BUDZINSKI (for herself, Mr. BOST, and Mr. GOLDEN of Maine) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
Services 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations 
requiring that optional combat boots worn by members 
of the Armed Forces wear be made in America, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO COMBAT FOOT-
WEAR OF MEMBERS OF ALL BRANCHES OF 
THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 730 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall issue regulations prohibiting any member of the 
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armed forces from wearing optional combat boots as part 
of a required uniform unless the optional combat boots 
are entirely manufactured in the United States and en-
tirely made of— 
(1) materials grown, reprocessed, reused, or 
produced in the United States; and 
(2) components that are manufactured entirely 
in the United States and entirely made of materials 
described in paragraph (1). 
(b) AVAILABILITY EXEMPTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A Secretary concerned may 
make a determination described in subsection (c) of 
section 4862 of title 10, United States Code, with 
respect to optional combat boots designed for a spe-
cific use and a specific need of the Department of 
Defense in the same manner as an article or item 
under subsection (a) of such section. 
(2) APPLICABILITY.—If a Secretary concerned 
makes a determination described in paragraph (1) 
with respect to optional combat boots designed for a 
specific use and a specific need of the Department 
of Defense, the Secretary concerned may waive the 
prohibition under subsection (a) with respect to such 
optional combat boots designed for a specific use to 
the extent necessary to meet such need. 
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(c) MEDICAL EXEMPTION.—The prohibition under 
subsection (a) shall not apply to the wearing of optional 
combat boots by a member of the armed forces if such 
optional combat boots are medically necessary to meet a 
unique physiological need of such member of the armed 
forces. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) 
ARMED
FORCES; 
SECRETARY
CON-
CERNED.—The terms ‘‘armed forces’’ and ‘‘Sec-
retary concerned’’ have the meanings given such 
terms, respectively, in section 101(a) of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(2) OPTIONAL COMBAT BOOTS.—The term ‘‘op-
tional combat boots’’, with respect to a member of 
the armed forces, means combat boots not furnished 
to such member of the armed forces by the Sec-
retary of Defense. 
(3) REQUIRED UNIFORM.—The term ‘‘required 
uniform’’ means a uniform a member of the armed 
forces is required to wear as a member of the armed 
forces. 
Æ 
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