Mike D. Rogers
Representative for Alabama · Republican · United States
“(8) An assessment of NATO's deterrence efforts in Romania, including a description and evaluation of-- (A) United States force posture in Romania, including any new rotations to Romania intended to enhance deterrence following the 2025 decision to end the rotational presence of a United States brigade; (B) consultations with NATO allies r…”
“(8) An assessment of NATO's deterrence efforts in Romania, including a description and evaluation of-- (A) United States force posture in Romania, including any new rotations to Romania intended to enhance deterrence following the 2025 decision to end the rotational presence of a United States brigade; (B) consultations with NATO allies r…”
“(a) Requirement for Risk-based Approach.--Section 3843 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``Sec. 3843. Contractor business systems: monitoring and surveillance standards ``(a) Requirement for Risk-based Approach.--The Secretary shall implement an agile, streamlined risk-based approach to surveillance of contra…”
“(a) Requirement for Risk-based Approach.--Section 3843 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``Sec. 3843. Contractor business systems: monitoring and surveillance standards ``(a) Requirement for Risk-based Approach.--The Secretary shall implement an agile, streamlined risk-based approach to surveillance of contra…”
“(b) Modification of Certain Certifications and Assessments.-- (1) Certifications.--Section 1249(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (Public Law 119-60) is amended-- (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking ``The certification described'' and inserting following: ``(1) In general.--Except as prov…”
“(b) Objectives.--The Commander shall ensure that the Cognitive Performance Enhancement Program-- (1) improves readiness, resilience, and recovery, using evidence-based holistic and proactive high-performance brain training that has a validated ability to scale cost- effectively across the special operations forces enterprise; [[Page H4842…”
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“(b) Annual Risk Assessment.--Section 8026 of title 10, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by inserting ``(a) In General.--'' before ``The Secretary''; (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(b) Risk Assessment.--(1) Not later than March 15 of each year, the Commandant of the Marine Corps shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives an assessment of the risks associated with amphibious forces, which shall be known as the `Amphibious Forces Risk Assessment of the Commandant'. Each such risk assessment shall include, for the year covered by the assessment, each of the following: ``(A) An identification and definition of each level of risk, including the determination of the Commander of what constitutes `significant' risk.”
“(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that-- (1) the requirement of the Navy and Marine Corps to develop and consistently project three amphibious ready groups and the accompanying marine expeditionary units is foundational to the force sizing construct of the Department of the Navy; (2) the Secretary of the Navy should obtain the expected service life of the amphibious ships and require the Navy to rigidly adhere to the direction provided by section 8678a of title 10, United States Code; (3) similar to the analysis conducted on extending the submarine force structure, a comprehensive assessment of all LSD-41 and LSD-49 class dock landing ships should be conducted to assess the viability of extending such ships beyond their expected service life; (4) the budget of the President submitted to Congress under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, should consistently support a comprehensive service life extension program of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ships and fully resource mid-life maintenance of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships; (5) the Optimized Fleet Response Plan Force generation construct of the Navy, as operating as of the date of the enactment of this Act, sub-optimizes the ability to project amphibious readiness groups; and (6) the Navy should adopt an alternative force generation model that expands the ability to maintain a continuous 3.0 amphibious ready group/marine expeditionary unit presence capable of deploying additional amphibious readiness groups.”
“Section 7802 of title 10, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``$500,000'' both places it appears and inserting ``$1,000,000''; and (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``$100,000'' and inserting ``$500,000''. SEC. 1014. AMPHIBIOUS FLEET FORCE STRUCTURE.”
“(a) Additional Procurement Limitation.--Section 4864(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the following new subparagraphs: ``(G) Auxiliary equipment, including pumps, for all shipboard services. ``(H) Propulsion system components, including engines, shafting, reduction gears, and propellers. ``(I) Shipboard cranes. ``(J) Spreaders for shipboard cranes. ``(K) Air circuit breakers. ``(L) Auxiliary chill water systems.''. (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to contracts entered into on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 1013. SETTLEMENT OF ADMIRALTY CLAIMS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES.”
“(e) Repeal of 30-day Notice-and-wait Period Before Certain Purchases May Be Finalized.--Such paragraph is further amended by striking subparagraph (G). (f) Technical Amendments to Update Citations.--Such section is further amended-- (1) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ``(10 U.S.C. 8661 note)'' and inserting ``(Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 8661 note)''; and (2) in subsections (f)(2) and (k)(2)(A), by striking ``Public Law 101-510 (104 Stat. 1683)'' and inserting ``the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 8661 note)''. SEC. 1012. REQUIREMENT FOR PROCUREMENT OF COMPONENTS FOR NAVAL VESSELS FROM MANUFACTURERS IN NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRIAL BASE.”
“(b) Requirement for Purchase of Two New United States- constructed Vessels for Each Foreign-constructed Used Vessel Purchased in Excess of 12.--Subparagraph (C) of paragraph (3) of subsection (f) of such section is amended to read as follows: ``(C) For each foreign-constructed vessel purchased by the Secretary under the authority of this paragraph in excess of 12, the Secretary shall contract for the purchase of two new vessels each of which is to be constructed in a shipyard located in the United States.''. (c) Clarifying Amendment.--Such paragraph is further amended in subparagraph (D) by striking ``subparagraph (A)'' and inserting ``this paragraph''. (d) Repeal of Obsolete Provision.--Such paragraph is further amended-- (1) by striking subparagraph (E); and (2) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as subparagraph (E).”
“(2) Definition of excluded vessel.--Subsection (k) of such section is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(6) The term `excluded vessel' means a vessel that was-- ``(A) constructed or substantially modified in the People's Republic of China; or ``(B) built by a Chinese military company or a Chinese owned or controlled entity.''.”
“(4) The term ``military department concerned'' means-- (A) the Army, with respect to submissions by the Secretary of the Army; and (B) the Marine Corps, with respect to submissions by the Secretary of the Navy. Subtitle B--Naval Vessels and Shipyards SEC. 1011. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITY TO PURCHASE USED VESSELS WITH NATIONAL DEFENSE SEALIFT FUND. (a) Exclusion of Vessels Built in China.-- (1) Exclusion.--Subsection (f)(3) of section 2218 of title 10, United States Code, is amended-- (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``any used vessel, regardless of where such vessel was constructed'' and inserting ``any used vessel (other than an excluded vessel), regardless of where such vessel was constructed,''; and (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``(other than an excluded vessel)'' after ``a used vessel''.”
“(c) Definitions.--In this section: (1) The term ``Army multi-domain task force'' means a formation of the Army designated as such a task force and organized for the conduct of multi-domain operations in support of joint force employment and the operational plans of the commanders of the combatant commands. (2) The term ``covered formation'' means an Army multi- domain task force or a Marine Littoral Regiment. (3) The term ``Marine Littoral Regiment'' means a formation of the Marine Corps designated as such a regiment and organized for the conduct of littoral and expeditionary operations in contested maritime environments in support of the operational plans of the commanders of the combatant commands.”
“Each such report shall include-- (1) an identification of the number of personnel authorized to be assigned, and the number of personnel assigned, to such covered formations; (2) an identification of the equipment necessary for full operational capability of such covered formations, versus the equipment available to such covered formations; (3) a description of the status of fielding for long-range fires, air defense, sensing, and command and control capabilities for such covered formations; (4) projected timelines for such covered formations achieving initial operational capability and full operational capability; (5) a detailed assessment of operational risks to such covered formations resulting from any identified constraint on readiness, including any such constraint relating to funding, personnel, equipment, training, the industrial base, or supply chains; and (6) a description of measures to mitigate any risk assessed pursuant to paragraph (5) and resources necessary to restore such covered formations to full operational capability.”
“(b) Reports.--Not later than March 1, 2027, and annually thereafter until September 30, 2032, the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy shall each submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the covered formations of the military department concerned.”
“(a) Consolidated Budget Displays.--In the budget justification materials submitted in support of the budget of the Department of Defense (as submitted with the budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code) for fiscal year 2028 and each fiscal year thereafter until fiscal year 2032, the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy shall each include a consolidated budget display identifying, with respect to the covered formations of the military department concerned-- (1) the number of personnel authorized to be assigned, and the number of personnel assigned, to such covered formations; and (2) the amounts of operation and maintenance funding requested for the training and readiness of such covered formations.”
“(d) Reports.--If the Secretary establishes a task force under subsection (a), the Director of the task force shall be responsible for meeting the reporting requirements under section 240b(b) of title 10, United States Code, in a complete and timely manner. SEC. 1006. BUDGET TRANSPARENCY FOR ARMY MULTI-DOMAIN TASK FORCE AND MARINE LITTORAL REGIMENT.”
“(4) Leading and supporting engagement with the Inspector General of the Department, the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board, other appropriate Federal agencies, and any independent public accounting firms on matters pertaining to the audits of the financial statements of the Department. (5) Coordinating with the Chief Information Officer of the Department on financial system modernization initiatives and the elimination of legacy or duplicative financial systems. [[Page H4833]] (c) Staffing.--If the Secretary establishes a task force under subsection (a), the Secretary of each military department may designate a representative to serve as a Deputy Director of the task force.”
“If the Secretary establishes the task force, the Secretary shall designate the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) as the Director of the task force. (b) Responsibilities.--If the Secretary establishes a task force under subsection (a), the task force shall be authorized to carry out the following responsibilities: (1) The development and oversight of the execution of the plan of the Department of Defense to achieve an unmodified financial statement audit opinion by not later than December 31, 2028. (2) The approval, direction, and monitoring of performance on corrective action plans needed to obtain such an unmodified financial statement audit opinion. (3) The provision of support to components of the Department in order to prioritize audit remediation and audit response activities.”
“Such briefing shall include the following: (1) An assessment of the use, and effectiveness, of the improper payment detection tool of the Department of Defense Advanced Analytics (ADVANA) platform for the detection and prevention of improper payments, as well as each action taken to address high-risk programs. (2) Comprehensive data on improper payments and recoveries in fiscal years 2025 through 2026. (3) An identification of any additional resources or authorities necessary to strengthen the detection of improper payments. SEC. 1005. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH JOINT TASK FORCE AUDIT. (a) Authority to Establish.--In order to support the goal of achieving an unmodified financial statement audit opinion by December 31, 2028, the Secretary of Defense may establish a task force, to be known as ``Joint Task Force Audit''.”
“(2) Any such corrective action remaining outstanding, including a timeline for the completion of such action. (c) Audit by Inspector General.--Not later than May 30, 2028, the Inspector General of the Department of Defense shall complete an updated audit of compliance by the Department of Defense with requirements under the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-117; 31 U.S.C. 3301 note), including a certification of compliance with the requirement under subsection (a). (d) Briefing.--Not later than September 30, 2027, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing on strengthening the recovery audit program of the Department of Defense.”
“3301 note), consistent with the recommendations contained in the report of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense Report titled ``Audit of the Department of Defense's FY 2024 Compliance with Payment Integrity Information Act Requirements'' (DODIG-2025-105) and published on May 27, 2025, including by-- (1) conducting required risk assessments for each program subject to such requirements; and (2) publishing improper and unknown payment estimates for such programs. (b) Notification.--Not later than September 30, 2027, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall submit to the congressional defense committees a notification outlining the following: (1) The corrective actions taken to meet the requirement under subsection (a).”
“(b) Deadline for Initial Establishment.--The Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall establish the equivalency standards required under section 1599d(b) of title 10, United States Code, as amended by subsection (a), by not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act. SEC. 1004. COMPLIANCE WITH PAYMENT INTEGRITY INFORMATION ACT REQUIREMENTS AND STRENGTHENING IMPROPER PAYMENTS DETECTION. (a) Requirement.--Not later than September 30, 2027, the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall take such corrective actions as may be necessary to achieve full compliance by the Department of Defense with requirements under the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (Public Law 116-117; 31 U.S.C.”
“``(2) On a basis that is not less frequent than annually, the Secretary shall review the equivalency standards under paragraph (1) and update such standards as may be necessary to reflect changes in the professional certifications or credentials recognized pursuant to such paragraph or modifications to the requirements of the Department for financial management positions.''; and (3) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by inserting ``, and shall establish, review, and update the equivalency standards under subsection (b),'' after ``standards under subsection (a)''.”
“Such equivalency standards shall include-- ``(A) an identification of any test-based professional certification or credential issued by an authority other than the Department that the Secretary recognizes as satisfying, in whole or in part, a standard prescribed under subsection (a); ``(B) an identification of any training or other requirement of the Department for financial management positions required for persons holding a professional certification or credential recognized pursuant to subparagraph (A); and ``(C) rules to prevent duplicative requirements of the Department for such positions with respect to such persons.”
“EQUIVALENCY STANDARDS FOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. (a) Equivalency Standards.--Section 1599d of title 10, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by redesignating subsections (b) through (f) as subsections (c) through (g), respectively; (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection (b): ``(b) Equivalency Standards.--(1) The Secretary shall include, as part of the standards prescribed under subsection (a), equivalency standards for financial management positions that are applicable across the Department.”
“``(c) Unfunded Priority Defined.-- In this section, the term `unfunded priority', in the case of a fiscal year, means a program, activity, or mission requirement of the POW/MIA Accounting Agency that-- ``(1) is not funded in the budget of the President for the fiscal year as submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code; ``(2) is necessary to fulfill a requirement associated with an operational or contingency plan of a combatant command or other validated requirement; and ``(3) would have been recommended for funding through the budget referred to in paragraph (1) by the Director of the POW/MIA Accounting Agency in connection with the budget if additional resources had been available for the budget to fund the program, activity, or mission requirement.''. SEC. 1003.”
“``(B) The additional amount of funds recommended in connection with the objectives under subparagraph (A). ``(C) Account information with respect to such priority, including the following (as applicable): ``(i) Line Item Number for applicable procurement accounts. ``(ii) Program Element number for applicable research, development, test, and evaluation accounts. ``(iii) Sub-activity group for applicable operation and maintenance accounts. ``(2) Each report under subsection (a) shall present the unfunded priorities covered by such report in order of urgency of priority.”
“Unfunded priorities of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency: annual report ``(a) Reports.--Not later than 10 days after the date on which the budget of the President for a fiscal year is submitted to Congress pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and to the congressional defense committees, a report on the unfunded priorities of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. ``(b) Elements.--(1) Each report under subsection (a) shall specify, for each unfunded priority covered by such report, the following: ``(A) A summary description of such priority, including the objectives to be achieved if such priority is funded (whether in whole or in part).”
“(c) Effect on Authorization Amounts.--A transfer made from one account to another under the authority of this section shall be deemed to increase the amount authorized for the account to which the amount is transferred by an amount equal to the amount transferred. (d) Notice to Congress.--The Secretary shall promptly notify Congress of each transfer made under subsection (a). SEC. 1002. ANNUAL REPORT ON UNFUNDED PRIORITIES OF DEFENSE POW/MIA ACCOUNTING AGENCY. Chapter 9 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 234 the following new section: ``Sec. 235.”
“(b) Limitations.--The authority provided by subsection (a) to transfer authorizations-- (1) may only be used to provide authority for items that have a higher priority than the items from which authority is transferred; (2) may not be used to provide authority for an item that has been denied authorization by Congress; and (3) may not be used to reduce the total amount of authorizations available for facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization projects for military unaccompanied housing (as defined in section 2871 of title 10, United States Code) or military child development centers (as defined in section 1800 of such title) (commonly known as ``Quality of Life Infrastructure'').”
“(3) Exception for transfers between military personnel authorizations.--A transfer of funds between military personnel authorizations under title IV shall not be counted toward the dollar limitation in paragraph (2).”
“(a) Authority to Transfer Authorizations.-- (1) Authority.--Upon determination by the Secretary of Defense that such action is necessary in the national interest, the Secretary may transfer amounts of authorizations made available to the Department of Defense in this division for fiscal year 2027 between any such authorizations for that fiscal year (or any subdivisions thereof). Amounts of authorizations so transferred shall be merged with and be available for the same purposes as the authorization to which transferred. (2) Limitation.--Except as provided in paragraph (3), the total amount of authorizations that the Secretary may transfer under the authority of this section may not exceed $6,000,000,000.”
“``(3) Subject to the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense, the Commandant shall keep the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating fully informed of significant military operations affecting the duties and responsibilities of such Secretary.''. [[Page H4832]] SEC. 903. OVERSIGHT OF GEOGRAPHIC COMBATANT COMMANDS. Section 916(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (Public Law 119-60; 139 Stat. 1022) is amended by inserting ``or fiscal year 2027'' after ``fiscal year 2026''. TITLE X--GENERAL PROVISIONS Subtitle A--Financial Matters SEC. 1001. GENERAL TRANSFER AUTHORITY.”
“(e) Duties as Member of Joint Staff.--Section 302 of title 14, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by striking ``The President may'' and inserting the following: ``(a) The President may''; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(b)(1) The Commandant of the Coast Guard shall also perform the duties prescribed for the Commandant as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under section 151 of title 10. ``(2) To the extent that such action does not impair the independence of the Commandant in the performance of the Commandant's duties as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commandant shall inform the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating regarding military advice rendered by members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on matters affecting such department.”
“(d) Inclusion on the Joint Staff.--Section 155(a) of such title is amended-- (1) in paragraph (2)-- (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``(other than the Coast Guard)''; (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end; (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (D) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: ``(D) the Coast Guard.''; and (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``Secretary of the military department having jurisdiction over that armed force'' and inserting ``Secretary concerned''.”
“(b) Appointment of Chairman; Grade and Rank.--Section 152 of such title is amended-- (1) in subsection (b)(1)(B) by striking ``or the Chief of Space Operations'' and inserting ``the Chief of Space Operations, or the Commandant of the Coast Guard''; and (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``Navy'' and inserting ``Navy or Coast Guard''. (c) Vice Chairman.--Section 154(f) of such title is amended by striking ``Navy'' and inserting ``Navy or Coast Guard''.”
“(b) Responsibility of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.--Section 133b(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in paragraph (9) by striking ``and'' at the end; (2) in paragraph (10) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and (3) by inserting after paragraph (10) the following new paragraph: ``(11) the responsibility for supervising and directing activities of the Department of Defense relating to export controls.''. SEC. 902. MEMBERSHIP OF COMMANDANT OF THE COAST GUARD ON THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF. (a) Membership on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.--Section 151(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(9) The Commandant of the Coast Guard.''.”
“(e) Limitation on Availability of Funds.--Of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2027 for the Office of the Secretary of Defense for travel expenses, not more than 50 percent may be obligated or expended until the Secretary issues interim implementation instructions as required by subsection (b). TITLE IX--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT SEC. 901. TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY TO SUPERVISE ACTIVITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RELATING TO EXPORT CONTROLS. (a) Responsibility of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.--Section 134(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended-- (1) by striking paragraph (3); and (2) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively.”
“(d) Implementation Schedule and Briefing.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a briefing that includes-- (1) a list of each Department of Defense Supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation case, Defense Acquisition Regulations Council action, class deviation, guidance document, or other implementation action associated with sections 1821 through 1828 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026; (2) the current status of each such action; (3) the expected date for issuance of any proposed rule, interim rule, final rule, class deviation, or guidance document; (4) a description of any legal, policy, or resource impediment to timely implementation; and (5) the actions the Secretary is taking to ensure that implementation of such sections reduces barriers to the participation of nontraditional defense contractors, commercial suppliers, and small businesses in Department of Defense acquisitions.”
“(c) Final Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue final regulations in the Department of Defense Supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation necessary to carry out sections 1821 through 1828 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.”
“(a) Prioritization Required.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure the Principal Director for Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy prioritizes the issuance of regulations, guidance, class deviations, or other implementation materials necessary to successfully implement sections 1821 through 1828 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (Public Law 119-60; 139 Stat. 1245 et seq.). (b) Interim Implementation.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue, to the extent practicable, interim guidance, class deviations, or other temporary implementation instructions necessary to ensure that the policies reflected in sections 1821 through 1828 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 are applied pending completion of final regulations.”
“(a) In General.--For each of fiscal years 2027 through 2030, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct an audit of the compliance of the contractors of the Department of Defense with the 7-percent utilization goal for employment of qualified individuals with disabilities by contractors established by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs of the Department of Labor under section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 793). (b) Reports.--Not later than 5 months after the end of a fiscal year for which the Secretary of Defense was required to conduct an audit under subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the findings of such audit. SEC. 877. EXPEDITED IMPLEMENTATION OF COMMERCIAL ACQUISITION REFORMS.”
“(2) Delayed effective date for assets that enhance combat capability.--The limitation under subsection (a) shall not apply to assets that enhance combat capability for a period of one year following the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Exemption for Certain Activities.--The limitation under subsection (a) shall not apply if the procurement is for the purposes of intelligence, electronic warfare, or information warfare operations, testing, analysis, and training. SEC. 876. ENSURING DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CONTRACTOR COMPLIANCE WITH DISABILITY HIRING GOALS.”
“(b) Waiver Authority.--The Secretary of Defense may waive subsection (a) if the Secretary-- (1) determines that there is no alternative source of photovoltaic cells, modules, or inverters other than from a foreign entity of concern; (2) determines there is no national security risk posed by the use of photovoltaic cells, modules, or inverters manufactured by a foreign entity of concern; and (3) submits a certification of such determination in writing to the congressional defense committees not later than 30 days before entering into a contract described under such subsection. (c) Applicability.-- (1) In general.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to a contract involving any third party financing arrangements, including energy savings contracts and those involving privatized military housing or assets that enhance combat capability.”
“The requirement for briefings under this paragraph shall terminate with the first briefing that occurs after the expiration date under subsection (e). SEC. 875. LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR PURCHASE OF PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS, MODULES, OR INVERTERS FROM FOREIGN ENTITIES OF CONCERN. (a) Limitation.--Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Defense may be used to enter into a contract for the procurement of photovoltaic cells, modules, or inverters manufactured by a foreign entity of concern (as defined in section 9901(8) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4651(8))).”
“(f) Briefings.-- (1) Initial briefing.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees outlining the strategy and methodology that will be used to establish the team of experts described in subsection (a) and the strategy and methodology to be used to reduce the backlog described in subsection (a) of open cases related to the DFARS. (2) Progress briefings.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the briefing required by paragraph (1), and at least once in every 30-day period thereafter, the Under Secretary shall provide a briefing to the congressional defense committees on the progress made by the team of experts described in subsection (a) in reducing the backlog described in subsection (a) of open cases related to the DFARS.”
“(d) Funding.--The Under Secretary is authorized to use amounts in the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund for the purpose of [[Page H4831]] paying salaries of members of the team of experts described in subsection (a) for the life of the team. (e) Expiration.--The authority to maintain the team of experts established under section (a) shall expire on the earlier of-- (1) the date on which the Under Secretary determines there is no open case in the backlog described in subsection (a) of open cases related to the DFARS that-- (A) implements a requirement imposed by statute; and (B) has been open for more than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the statute imposing the requirement; or (2) the date that is three years after the date on which the Under Secretary establishes the team of experts described in subsection (a).”
“(2) Civilian personnel.--Civilian personnel from within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, military departments, Defense Agencies, and combatant commands may be assigned to serve as members of the team of experts described in subsection (a), upon request of the Under Secretary. (3) Highly qualified experts.--The Under Secretary may use the authorities for highly qualified experts under section 9903 of title 5, to hire members of the team of experts described in subsection (a). (4) Contracts.--The Under Secretary may enter into a contract with a private-sector entity for specialized expertise to support the team of experts described in subsection (a). Such entity may be considered a covered Government support contractor, as defined in section 3775(a) of title 10, United States Code.”
“(b) Duties.--The team of experts described in subsection (a) shall be assigned to assist in all aspects of the process described in subsection (a), including drafting proposed and final rules, managing the public comment process, and any other tasks as directed by the Under Secretary. (c) Administration.-- (1) In general.--In order to achieve the purpose set forth in subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall ensure that the team of experts described in subsection (a) has the appropriate number of staff and such staff possesses the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to carry out the duties described in subsection (b), including in relevant areas of regulatory process, contracting, acquisition, and law. The Under Secretary may use existing authorities to staff the team, including those in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4).”
“(e) Termination.--The pilot program required by subsection (a) shall terminate not later than five years after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 874. ADDRESSING THE BACKLOG OF OPEN CASES RELATED TO THE DEFENSE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SUPPLEMENT. (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, acting through the Principal Director for Defense Pricing, Contracting, and Acquisition Policy, shall establish a team of experts in acquisition regulations to assist in a process of promulgating and implementing regulations to resolve the backlog of open cases related to the Department of Defense Supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (commonly known as the ``DFARS'').”
“(d) Report to Congress.-- (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for four years, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the status and findings of the pilot program required by subsection (a). (2) Elements.--Each report required by paragraph (1) shall include-- (A) a summary of the progress made under the pilot program required by subsection (a) with respect to recovery and processing of antimony and copper; (B) technical and economic assessments with respect to such recovery; and (C) recommendations for expanding domestic antimony and copper production and reducing dependency on foreign sources of antimony and copper.”
“(b) Elements.--The pilot program required by subsection (a) shall include methods-- (1) to evaluate multiple processes and techniques for recovery of antimony and copper as byproducts of mineral production; (2) to develop process design plans necessary for scaling recovery of antimony and copper to demonstration-level production; (3) to generate sample material for independent testing to verify suitability for defense applications; and (4) to produce qualified antimony material that meets specifications provided by the Defense Logistics Agency. (c) Contracting Authority.--The Secretary may enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, or other transactions with appropriate entities to implement the pilot program required by subsection (a).”
“(f) Definition.--In this section, the term ``intermediate- range'' means having a range between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers. SEC. 873. PILOT PROGRAM FOR DOMESTIC ANTIMONY AND COPPER PRODUCTION FOR DEFENSE APPLICATIONS. (a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a pilot program to support the recovery of antimony and copper as byproducts of mineral production in the United States.”