### §3671. Requirement for authorization by law of certain contracts relating to vessels, aircraft, and combat vehicles

(a)(1) The Secretary of a military department may make a contract for the lease of a vessel, aircraft, or combat vehicle or for the provision of a service through use by a contractor of a vessel, aircraft, or combat vehicle only as provided in subsection (b) if—

(A) the contract will be a long-term lease or charter; or

(B) the terms of the contract provide for a substantial termination liability on the part of the United States.

(2) The Secretary of a military department may make a contract that is an agreement to lease or charter or an agreement to provide services and that is (or will be) accompanied by a contract for the actual lease, charter, or provision of services only as provided in subsection (b) if the contract for the actual lease, charter, or provision of services is (or will be) a contract described in paragraph (1).

(b)(1) The Secretary may make a contract described in subsection (a)(1) if—

(A) the Secretary has been specifically authorized by law to make the contract;

(B) before a solicitation for proposals for the contract was issued the Secretary notified the congressional defense committees of the Secretary's intention to issue such a solicitation;

(C) the Secretary has notified those committees of the proposed contract and provided a detailed description of the terms of the proposed contract and a justification for entering into the proposed contract rather than providing for the lease, charter, or services involved through purchase of the vessel, aircraft, or combat vehicle to be used under the contract, and a period of 30 days of continuous session of Congress has expired following the date on which notice was received by such committees; and

(D) the Secretary has certified to those committees—

(i) that entering into the proposed contract as a means of obtaining the vessel, aircraft, or combat vehicle is the most cost-effective means of obtaining such vessel, aircraft, or combat vehicle; and

(ii) that the Secretary has determined that the lease complies with all applicable laws, Office of Management and Budget circulars, and Department of Defense regulations.

(2) For purposes of paragraph (1)(C), the continuity of a session of Congress is broken only by an adjournment of the Congress sine die, and the days on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment of more than three days to a day certain are excluded in a computation of such 30-day period.

(3) Upon receipt of a notice under paragraph (1)(C), a committee identified in paragraph (1)(B) may request the Inspector General of the Department of Defense or the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a review of the proposed contract to determine whether or not such contract meets the requirements of this section.

(4) If a review is requested under paragraph (3), the Inspector General of the Department of Defense or the Comptroller General of the United States, as the case may be, shall submit to the Secretary and the congressional defense committees a report on such review before the expiration of the period specified in paragraph (1)(C).

(5) In the case of a contract described in subsection (a)(1)(B), the commander of the special operations command may make a contract without regard to this subsection if—

(A) funds are available and obligated for the full cost of the contract (including termination costs) on or before the date the contract is awarded;

(B) the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees a certification that there is no alternative for meeting urgent operational requirements other than making the contract; and

(C) a period of 30 days of continuous session of Congress has expired following the date on which the certification was received by such committees.

(Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §1825(a), (b), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4206.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Codification

The text of subsec. (a) of section 2401 of this title, which was transferred to this section by Pub. L. 116–283, §1825(b), was based on Pub. L. 98–94, title XII, §1202(a)(1), Sept. 24, 1983, 97 Stat. 679; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VIII, §815(a)(1), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3381.

The text of subsec. (b) of section 2401 of this title, which was transferred to this section by Pub. L. 116–283, §1825(b), was based on Pub. L. 98–94, title XII, §1202(a)(1), Sept. 24, 1983, 97 Stat. 679; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title XV, §§1502(a)(20), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 504; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title X, §1067(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 774; Pub. L. 106–398, §1 [[div. A], title X, §1087(a)(13)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–291; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VIII, §815(a)(1), (b), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3381; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VIII, §824, Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 227; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title X, §1076(f)(26), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1953.

#### Amendments

2021—Pub. L. 116–283, §1825(b), transferred subsecs. (a) and (b) of section 2401 of this title to this section.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Effective Date

Section and amendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as an Effective Date of 2021 Amendment note preceding section 3001 of this title.