II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4566 

To require the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, and 

the Secretary of the Army to carry out a pilot program on producing 

parts through reverse engineering, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 18, 2024 

Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself and Ms. WARREN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of the 

Air Force, and the Secretary of the Army to carry out 

a pilot program on producing parts through reverse engineering, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress makes the following findings: 

5 (1) Reverse Engineering should be used by the 

6 Department of Defense, the Defense Logistics Agen7 cy, the Department of the Navy, the Department of 

8 the Army, and the Department of the Air Force to 


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1 ensure that the Department of Defense receives the 

2 best price for spare parts and increases competition 

3 in the marketplace. 

4 (2) The findings of the July 2019 report by the 

5 Comptroller General of the United States that was 

6 submitted to the Committee on Armed Services of 

7 the Senate, entitled ‘‘Defense Logistics Agency 

8 Small Businesses Participate in Reverse Engineering 

9 of Spare Parts’’, demonstrates that reverse engineer10 ing results in lowered prices and cost savings of 

11 spare parts and increased competition in the spare 

12 parts marketplace. The same report found small 

13 businesses did not identify concerns with how the 

14 Defense Logistics Agency handles intellectual prop15 erty and that the Defense Logistics Agency had not 

16 received any complaints about their intellectual prop17 erty being used inappropriately. 

18 (3) The Naval Air Systems Command’s Ad19 vanced Laser Data Acquisition Center, the Air 

20 Force’s Tinker Reverse Engineering and Critical 

21 Tooling Lab, and the Army’s Cyber Command’s re22 verse engineering of Internet of Things devices, dem23 onstrates there is precedent for the Department of 

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1 partment of the Air Force to conduct reverse engi2 neering programs. 

3 (4) Intellectual property rights can help spur 

4 innovation and strengthen the economy of the 

5 United States. The Secretary of the Army, the Sec6 retary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air 

7 Force should consult with the Defense Logistics 

8 Agency and utilize the best practices to protect intel9 lectual property rights as described in the report de10 scribed in paragraph (2). 

11 (5) Reverse Engineering ensures efficiency in 

12 the manufacturing processes of military equipment 

13 ensuring timely delivery and development of military 

14 equipment. 

15 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON USE OF REVERSE ENGINEER16 ING FOR PRODUCTION OF PARTS. 

17 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.—Not later than 2 

18 years after the date of the enactment of this Act and not19 withstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of 

20 the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Sec21 retary of the Army shall jointly, in consultation with the 

22 Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Defense Lo23 gistics Agency, complete a pilot program to assess the fea24 sibility and advisability of producing parts through reverse 

25 engineering. 


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1 (b) IDENTIFICATION OF PARTS.—In carrying out the 

2 pilot program required by subsection (a), the Secretary of 

3 the Navy, the Secretary of the Air Force, and the Sec4 retary of the Army shall each identify parts, especially 

5 those procured on a sole source basis, that can be pro6 duced and competed through reverse engineering. 

7 (c) PRODUCTION OF PARTS THROUGH REVERSE EN8 GINEERING.—In carrying out the pilot program, the secre9 taries described in subsection (b) shall each, notwith10 standing any other provision of law, produce not fewer 

11 than 50 parts, identified under such subsection, through 

12 reverse engineering. 

13 (d) IDENTIFICATION OF SAVINGS.—In carrying out 

14 the pilot program required by subsection (a), the secre15 taries described in subsection (b) shall each identify sav16 ings that were obtained through the use of reverse engi17 neering for the production of the parts under the pilot pro18 gram. 

19 (e) INTERIM REPORT.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

21 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the sec22 retaries described in subsection (b) shall, in con23 sultation with the Secretary of Defense, submit to 

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1 port on the pilot program carried out under sub2 section (a). 

3 (2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted pursu4 ant to paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

5 (A) The initial findings of the secretaries 

6 with respect to the matters identified under 

7 subsections (b) and (c). 

8 (B) Such recommendations as the secre9 taries may have for Department of Defense 

10 contracting guidance and procedures. 

11 (f) FINAL REPORT.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than two years 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the sec14 retaries described in subsection (b) shall, in con15 sultation with the Secretary of Defense, submit to 

16 the congressional defense committees and make 

17 available to the public a final report on the pilot pro18 gram completed under subsection (a). 

19 (2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted pursu20 ant to paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

21 (A) The findings of the secretaries with re22 spect to the matters identified under sub23 sections (b) and (c). 


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1 (B) Such recommendations as the secre2 taries may have for Department of Defense 

3 contracting guidance and procedures. 

4 (C) A description of the lessons learned by 

5 the secretaries in carrying out the pilot pro6 gram. 

7 (g) DEFINITION OF CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COM8 MITTEES.—In this section, the term ‘‘congressional de9 fense committees’’ has the meaning given such term in 

10 section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code. 

Æ 


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