Guide to NDAA Compliance and Section 889

What is the NDAA?

The National Defense Authorization Act, commonly called the NDAA, is a series of laws passed annually by the US federal government. The primary function of the NDAA is to set out priorities for national defense policy and funding.

The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 generally prohibits the use of federal funds to procure telecommunications and video surveillance services and equipment produced by certain Chinese manufacturers. These manufacturers include Hytera Communications Corporation, Huawei Technology, Hangzhou Hikvision Technology Company, ZTE Corporation and Dahua Technology Company, and subsidiaries and affiliates.

Specifically, section 889 of the 2019 NDAA generally prohibits federal agencies from procuring or obtaining any equipment, system or service that uses ​“covered telecommunications equipment or services” as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system. This includes extending or renewing a contract to procure or obtain these equipment, systems or services. 

Covered telecommunications equipment or services include the following:

• Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates);

• Certain video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates);

• Telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment.

Section 889 also prohibits the use of federal loan or grant funds to procure or obtain this equipment or services.

How does NDAA compliance affect security installers?

Section 889 of the NDAA generally prohibits federal agencies from buying and prohibits federal grant recipients from using federal funds to purchase certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment manufactured by named Chinese manufacturers. 

To ensure compliance with NDAA Section 889, security installers should assess whether any equipment or services they provide include equipment manufactured by any of the named manufacturers. If they do, these products should be substituted with products from other sources for all federally funded projects. 

If it is unclear whether a project is federally funded, it is best to err on the side of caution and remove from the quote any equipment provided by one of the named manufacturers (or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates). Installers should also ensure that future service or equipment offerings are not made by prohibited manufacturers.

Ensure NDAA compliance at your site

If you receive federal funding and want to ensure compliance with NDAA Section 889, assess whether federal funds are being used to purchase any video security equipment or services provided by the named Chinese companies. This includes items such as video surveillance cameras, video recorders, video surveillance servers, video surveillance data storage devices and more. 

Once your assessment is complete, replace any non-compliant equipment or services manufactured by the named manufacturers. For example, suppose your system consists of a mix of prohibited and permitted equipment, such as a compliant VMS and prohibited video surveillance cameras. In that case, you can replace the prohibited items with open-platform products that are compliant to avoid an entire system overhaul and to help reduce replacement costs.

List of Pelco NDAA compliant products

With over 60 years of legacy from a US-based company, Pelco is your go-to choice for trusted, reliable video security products that allow you to comply with the NDAA. Our high-performing cameras seamlessly integrate with leading third-party video management software manufacturers, so you can easily swap out your existing products for Pelco technology without needing a new VMS. That way, you can continue to leverage existing video security investments and resources for cost savings.

Pelco is proud to be a long-term supplier to the US Government and many other governments across the world. All Pelco products listed on the Pelco portion of the GSA schedule are 100% NDAA-compliant (meaning, they are not manufactured by any of the named prohibited manufacturers). These include all cameras and related accessories in the Sarix, Spectra, Optera, Exsite, Esprit and Evolution product lines. In addition, all Pelco video management software and hardware is NDAA compliant, including VideoXpert. 

Recommended ​“NDAA compliant” products:

SARIX PRO 4 SERIES

Provides sharp, high-quality video, making it ideal for various applications, including forensic investigations. The series satisfies security requirements for visibility in near-dark environments and durability in harsh conditions.

Ideal for: General purpose camera suitable for energy and utility applications, government facilities, and city security.

SARIX MULTI ENHANCED

Delivers up to 360-degree coverage from a single panoramic IP camera to protect indoor and outdoor sites.

Ideal for: Wide-area coverage perimeter protection for indoor or outdoor areas with difficult lighting conditions.

SARIX MULTI PRO

Offers multi-directional coverage from a single vantage point. This flexible video security solution is easy to install and delivers high-resolution images across all lighting conditions.

Ideal for: Covering large indoor or outdoor areas.

ESPRIT COMPACT PTZ

With its rugged design, this high-resolution camera offers crystal-clear images even in harsh conditions, such as extreme shock and vibrations. 

Ideal for: Ruggedized conditions within local/​state/​federal government sites, transportation, and critical infrastructure.

ESPRIT COMPACT BISPECTRAL PTZ

A hardened PTZ camera that combines visual and thermal vision into a single device for superior detection and identification in all environmental conditions.

Ideal for: Ruggedized conditions within local/​state/​federal government sites, transportation, and critical infrastructure.

SARIX ENHANCED 3 SERIES

This series offers optical image stabilization that can handle a broad range of challenging lighting conditions while always delivering sharp footage with bi-directional audio. It can also handle harsh outdoor conditions and is available in 3 form factors: dome, bullet, and box.

Ideal for: Harsh outdoor applications, including city security, commercial buildings and city security.

SARIX VALUE SERIES

Delivers an affordable video security solution with excellent image quality and reliability to operate in difficult lighting and outdoor conditions. Easy to install and available in three form factors — dome, bullet and turret.

Ideal for: Cost-effective applications, such as education and healthcare facilities.

SARIX THERMAL ENHANCED 4 SERIES

Enables sites to harness the power of heat-sensing technology and intelligence-driven analytics to identify threats beyond what is visible to the human eye. With Pelco Smart Analytics, powered by Motorola Solutions, sites will be able to detect threats up to 300m (1000ft) away, even in the most challenging conditions.

Ideal for: Large perimeter protection, critical infrastructure and federal and government projects.

SARIX ENHANCED 4 SERIES 

Designed with a built-in microphone, the Sarix Enhanced 4 Series camera identifies loud noises, such as gunshots and glass breaking, while recording audio when necessary. With complete engagement of sight and sound, be fully aware of your surroundings and confidently respond to an event before it unfolds, rather than react as it transpires. 

Ideal for: Casinos, government, corrections, city surveillance, traffic monitoring and retail. 

SARIX ENHANCED 4P SERIES 

Intentionally designed without a microphone, the camera optimizes privacy and compliance by excluding audio recording and analysis. More power, more privacy, all on the Sarix Enhanced 4P Series camera. 

Ideal for: Casinos, government, corrections, city surveillance, traffic monitoring and retail. 

PELCO ELEVATE

Cloud-based management and AI intelligence that pairs seamlessly with your ONVIF conformant video management system. Reduce maintenance costs by receiving free Image Health reports sent to your inbox daily. 

Ideal for: Solutions for City Surveillance, VMS Agnostic Enterprise Solutions, Autonomous real-time monitoring, traffic and city, airport, commercial, education, healthcare, oil and gas.

PELCO CALIPSA

Enables businesses to optimize their security systems with AI-powered analytics for real-time and forensic analysis. With no additional hardware required, it’s 100% cloud-based and significantly reduces false alarms. 

Ideal for: False alarm filtering, especially for Central Monitoring Stations (CMS), in applications such as corrections, healthcare, safe cities and traffic monitoring.

VIDEOXPERT

Provides centralized video security monitoring to improve detection and shorten response times. Offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface with access to multiple sites from any location. Its open architecture enables users to expand capabilities with third-party integrations. 

Ideal for: Centralized video security monitoring for applications of any size, including deployments that want to keep existing third-party cameras.