444 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered enrollment change’’ 
means a change to a previous election by an eligible 
beneficiary under subsection (b)(1) of section 1099 
of title 10, United States Code, to enroll in a health 
care plan designated under subsection (c) of such 
section. 
(2) The term ‘‘eligible beneficiary’’ means an 
individual— 
(A) eligible to enroll in TRICARE Select 
under section 1075(b) of title 10, United States 
Code; or 
(B) a member of the Army, Navy, Marine 
Corps, Air Force, or Space Force on active 
duty. 
(3) The terms ‘‘TRICARE program’’ and 
‘‘TRICARE Select’’ have the meanings given such 
terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States 
Code. 
(4) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services of 
the House of Representatives; 
(B) the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives;
445 
(C) the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives; 
(D) the Committee on Armed Services of 
the Senate. 
SEC. 709. PILOT PROGRAM TO PREVENT PERINATAL MEN-
TAL HEALTH CONDITIONS IN PREGNANT AND 
POSTPARTUM 
MEMBERS 
OF 
THE 
ARMED 
FORCES AND COVERED BENEFICIARIES. 
(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 assess the feasi-
bility and effectiveness of providing, through military med-
ical treatment facilities, covered prevention programs to 
pregnant and postpartum members of the Armed Forces 
and covered beneficiaries. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—To carry out the pilot pro-
gram, the Secretary shall take the following steps: 
(1) Integrate covered prevention programs into 
existing maternal or pediatric care or programming 
furnished through military medical treatment facili-
ties, including— 
(A) primary care; 
(B) obstetric care; 
(C) pediatric care; and 
(D) family or parenting programs.
446 
(2) Ease participation in covered prevention 
programs by pregnant and postpartum members of 
the Armed Forces and covered beneficiaries by— 
(A) offering covered prevention programs 
at various times and locations; and 
(B) providing child care to participants. 
(3) Provide technical assistance regarding the 
implementation of covered prevention programs to 
personnel of military medical treatment facilities se-
lected for the pilot program. 
(4) Study the effectiveness of the pilot program 
in preventing the onset, or reducing the symptoms, 
of perinatal mental health conditions of pregnant 
and postpartum members of the Armed Forces and 
covered beneficiaries. 
(c) LOCATIONS.—In selecting locations for the pilot 
program, the Secretary shall— 
(1) select at least two military medical treat-
ment facilities per market of the Defense Health 
Agency; 
(2) select geographically diverse locations inside 
and outside the continental United States; and 
(3) give priority to a military medical treatment 
facility that already operates a maternal health pro-
gram or a Women’s Clinic.
447 
(d) PROMOTIONAL CAMPAIGN.—The Secretary shall 
promote the pilot program to increase awareness and en-
courage participation. 
(e) REPORTS.— 
(1) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the end of each year of operation of the pilot 
program, the Secretary shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a report on the pilot 
program during such year of operation. Each such 
report shall include the number of pregnant and 
postpartum members of the Armed Forces and cov-
ered beneficiaries who participate in the pilot pro-
gram, disaggregated by— 
(A) by type of prevention program; 
(B) Armed Force; 
(C) military occupational specialty, in the 
case of a member; 
(D) rank; 
(E) marital status; 
(F) birth setting of delivery; 
(G) sex; 
(H) age; 
(I) race; and 
(J) ethnicity.
448 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the pilot program terminates, the Secretary 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees, and publish, a final report. Such report 
shall include the following elements: 
(A) The total number of participants, de-
scribed in, and disaggregated as in, paragraph 
(1), during the term of the pilot program. 
(B) The assessment of the Secretary 
whether the pilot program was effective in pre-
venting the onset, or reducing the symptoms, of 
perinatal mental health conditions of pregnant 
and postpartum members of the Armed Forces 
and covered beneficiaries. 
(C) The recommendations of the Secretary 
whether, and how (including with regards to 
cost), to expand or make permanent the pilot 
program. 
(f) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall termi-
nate on September 30, 2028. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services of 
the House of Representatives;
449 
(B) the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; 
and 
(C) the Committee on Armed Services of 
the Senate. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered beneficiary’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 1072 of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘covered prevention program’’ 
means an evidence-based activity that the Secretary 
determines has been proven to avert the onset. or 
decrease the symptoms, of a perinatal mental health 
condition. 
(4) The term ‘‘military medical treatment facil-
ity’’ means a facility described in section 1073d of 
title 10, United States Code. 
(5) The term ‘‘perinatal mental health condi-
tion’’ means a mental health disorder that first 
manifests 
during 
pregnancy 
or 
the 
one-year 
postpartum period. 
SEC. 710. PILOT PROGRAM ON CRYOPRESERVATION AND 
STORAGE OF GAMETES OF CERTAIN MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall establish a pilot program to reimburse covered mem-
451 
(B) carry out the pilot program. 
(e) NO LIABILITY OR CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION.— 
The United States shall not be— 
(1) considered a party to any agreement be-
tween a covered member who participates in the 
pilot program and a private gamete storage facility; 
or 
(2) responsible for the management of gametes 
cryopreserved, or stored for which a covered member 
receives reimbursement under such pilot program. 
(f) ADVANCED MEDICAL DIRECTIVE.—A covered 
member who participates in the pilot program shall com-
plete an advanced medical directive that specifies how 
gametes preserved under the pilot program shall be han-
dled upon the death of such covered member. 
(g) PROMOTION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary 
shall promote the pilot program to covered members in 
the course of annual health examinations and pre-deploy-
ment screenings. 
(h) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the Sec-
retary establishes the pilot program, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Sen-
ate and the House of Representatives a report on the pilot 
program. Such report shall include the following: 
(1) Usage by covered members.
452 
(2) Demographics of participating covered 
members. 
(3) Costs of services to participating covered 
members. 
(4) The feasibility of expanding the pilot pro-
gram. 
(5) The feasibility of making the pilot program 
permanent. 
(6) Other information determined appropriate 
by the Secretary. 
(i) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall termi-
nate one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered member’’ means a mem-
ber of a covered Armed Force serving on active 
duty— 
(A) who has received orders (including de-
ployment orders) for duty for which the mem-
ber may receive hazardous duty pay under sec-
tion 351 of title 37, United States Code; 
(B) whom the Secretary determines is like-
ly to receive such orders in the next 120 days; 
(C) who will, under orders, be geographi-
cally separated from a spouse, domestic part-
453 
ner, or dating partner for a period exceeding 
180 days; or 
(D) whose application to participate in the 
pilot program that the Secretary approves. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered Armed Force’’ means 
the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space 
Force. 
(3) The term ‘‘deployment’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 991(b) of title 10, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 711. TEMPORARY REQUIREMENT FOR CONTRACEP-
TION 
COVERAGE 
PARITY 
UNDER 
THE 
TRICARE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
ensure that, during the one-year period beginning on the 
date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment of 
the Act, the imposition or collection of cost-sharing for 
certain services is prohibited as follows: 
(1) PHARMACY BENEFITS PROGRAM.—Notwith-
standing subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), of section 
1074g(a)(6) of title 10, United States Code, cost- 
sharing may not be imposed or collected with respect 
to any eligible covered beneficiary for any prescrip-
tion contraceptive on the uniform formulary pro-
vided through a retail pharmacy described in section
454 
1074g(a)(2)(E)(ii) of such title or through the na-
tional 
mail-order 
pharmacy 
program 
of 
the 
TRICARE Program. 
(2) TRICARE SELECT.—Notwithstanding any 
provision under section 1075 of title 10, United 
States Code, cost-sharing may not be imposed or 
collected for a covered service that is provided by a 
network provider under the TRICARE program to 
an eligible covered beneficiary under such section. 
(3) TRICARE PRIME.—Notwithstanding sub-
sections (a), (b), and (c) of section 1075a of title 10, 
United States Code, cost-sharing may not be im-
posed or collected for a covered service that is pro-
vided under TRICARE Prime to an eligible covered 
beneficiary under such section. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered service’’ means any 
method of contraception approved, granted, or 
cleared by the Food and Drug Administration, any 
contraceptive care (including with respect to inser-
tion, removal, and follow up), any sterilization proce-
dure, or any patient education or counseling service 
provided in connection with any such method, care, 
or procedure.
455 
(2) The term ‘‘eligible covered beneficiary’’ 
means an eligible covered beneficiary (as such term 
is used in section 1074g of title 10, United States 
Code) on the basis of being— 
(A) a member of the Army, Navy, Marine 
Corps, Air Force, or Space Force; or 
(B) a dependent of such a member. 
(3) The terms ‘‘TRICARE Program’’ and 
‘‘TRICARE Prime’’ have the meaning given such 
terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States 
Code. 
SEC. 712. TRICARE COVERAGE FOR INCREASED SUPPLY 
FOR CONTRACEPTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not less than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of the Act, contraceptive 
supplies of up to 365 days shall be covered for any eligible 
covered beneficiary to obtain, including in a single fill or 
refill, at the option of such beneficiary, the total days of 
supply (not to exceed a 365-day supply) for a contracep-
tive on the uniform formulary provided through a military 
treatment facility pharmacy, retail pharmacy described in 
section 1074g(a)(2)(E)(ii) of such title, or through the na-
tional mail-order pharmacy program of the TRICARE 
Program.
456 
(b) OUTREACH.—Beginning not later than 90 days 
after the implementation of coverage under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall conduct such outreach activities as are 
necessary to inform health care providers and individuals 
who are enrolled in the TRICARE program of such cov-
erage and the requirements to receive such coverage. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered Armed Force’’ means 
the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space 
Force. 
(2) The term ‘‘eligible covered beneficiary’’ 
means an eligible covered beneficiary as such term 
is used in section 1074g of title 10, United States 
Code who is— 
(A) a member of a covered Armed Force 
serving on active duty; or 
(B) a dependent of a member described in 
subparagraph (A). 
(3) The terms ‘‘TRICARE Program’’ and 
‘‘TRICARE Prime’’ have the meaning given such 
terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States 
Code.
457 
SEC. 713. PROHIBITION ON COVERAGE OF CERTAIN GEN-
DER TRANSITION PROCEDURES AND RE-
LATED SERVICES UNDER TRICARE PROGRAM. 
Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amend-
ed by inserting after section 1076f the following new sec-
tion (and conforming the table of sections at the beginning 
of such chapter accordingly): 
‘‘§ 1076g. TRICARE program: prohibition on coverage 
and furnishment of certain gender transi-
tion surgeries and related services 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—The medical care to which indi-
viduals are entitled to under this chapter does not include 
the services described in subsection (b) and the Secretary 
of Defense may not furnish any such service. 
‘‘(b) SERVICES DESCRIBED.—The services described 
in this subsection are the following: 
‘‘(1) Gender transition surgeries furnished for 
the purpose of the gender alteration of an individual 
who identifies as transgender. 
‘‘(2) Hormone treatments furnished for the 
purpose of the gender alteration of an individual 
who identifies as transgender.’’.
458 
SEC. 714. PROHIBITION ON PAYMENT AND REIMBURSE-
MENT BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF EX-
PENSES RELATING TO ABORTION SERVICES. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
(1) consistent with section 1093 of title 10, 
United States Code, the Department of Defense may 
not use any funds for abortions except where the life 
of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were 
carried to term or in a case in which the pregnancy 
is the result of an act of rape or incest; 
(2) the Secretary of Defense has no legal au-
thority to implement any policies in which funds are 
to be used for such purpose; and 
(3) the Department of Defense Memorandum 
titled ‘‘Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health 
Care’’, dated October 20, 2022, is therefore unlawful 
and must be rescinded. 
(b) REPEAL OF MEMORANDUM.— 
(1) REPEAL.—The Department of Defense 
memorandum titled ‘‘Ensuring Access to Reproduc-
tive Health Care’’, dated October 20, 2022, shall 
have no force or effect. 
(2) PROHIBITION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS 
TO CARRY OUT MEMORANDUM.—No funds may be 
obligated or expended to carry out the memorandum
459 
specified in paragraph (1) or any successor to such 
memorandum. 
(c) PROHIBITION.—Section 1093 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(c) PROHIBITION
ON PAYMENT
OR REIMBURSE-
MENT OF CERTAIN FEES.—(1) The Secretary of Defense 
may not pay for or reimburse any fees or expenses, includ-
ing travel expenses, relating to a health-care professional 
gaining a license in a State if the purpose of gaining such 
license is to provide abortion services. 
‘‘(2) In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) The term ‘health-care professional’ means 
a member of the armed forces, civilian employee of 
the Department of Defense, personal services con-
tractor under section 1091 of this title, or other in-
dividual who provides health care at a military med-
ical treatment facility. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘license’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 1094 of this title.’’.
460 
Subtitle B—Health Care 
Administration 
SEC. 721. IDENTIFICATION IN PATIENT MEDICAL RECORDS 
OF AFFILIATION OF CERTAIN NON-DEPART-
MENT OF DEFENSE HEALTH CARE PRO-
VIDERS. 
Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is amend-
ed by inserting after section 1091 the following new sec-
tion: 
‘‘§ 1091a. Identification in patient medical records of 
affiliation of certain non-Department of 
Defense health care providers 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
ensure that medical records of the Department of Defense 
include the organizational affiliation of any covered health 
care provider identified in such medical records. 
‘‘(b) COVERED
HEALTH
CARE
PROVIDER
DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘covered health care pro-
vider’ means a health care provider who is not— 
‘‘(1) a member of the uniformed services; 
‘‘(2) an employee of the Department of De-
fense; 
‘‘(3) an employee of another agency of the Fed-
eral Government detailed to the Department of De-
fense;
461 
‘‘(4) a personal services contractor under sec-
tion 1091 of this title; or 
‘‘(5) a volunteer under section 1588 of this 
title.’’. 
SEC. 722. MANDATORY TRAINING ON HEALTH EFFECTS OF 
PERFLUOROALKYL OR POLYFLUOROALKYL 
SUBSTANCES. 
The Secretary of Defense shall provide to each health 
care provider of the Department of Defense mandatory 
training regarding the potential health effects of 
perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances. 
SEC. 723. TREATMENTS FOR ACUTE RADIATION SYNDROME 
INCURRED BY OVERSEAS PERSONNEL: PRO-
CUREMENT; PRE-POSITIONING. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Defense shall establish requirements for the procurement 
and pre-positioning of treatments for acute radiation syn-
drome and thermal burns incurred by members of the 
Armed Forces assigned to duty locations outside the 
United States. In establishing such requirements, the Sec-
retary shall take into account— 
(1) the number of such members deployed in or 
near conflict zones wherein the use of nuclear weap-
ons is a threat; and
462 
(2) peer-reviewed and published scientific stud-
ies regarding the efficacy and operational require-
ments of such treatments. 
(b) BRIEFING.—Not later than September 30, 2025, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a 
briefing regarding the requirements established under sub-
section (a). 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘biological product’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 319F–1 of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6a). 
(2) The term ‘‘device’’ and ‘‘drug’’ have the 
meaning given such terms in section 201 of the Fed-
eral Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 321). 
(3) The term ‘‘treatment’’ means a biological 
product, device, or drug approved, licensed, cleared, 
or otherwise authorized by the Food and Drug Ad-
ministration. 
SEC. 724. PARTNERSHIPS WITH CIVILIAN ORGANIZATIONS 
FOR ARTHROSCOPIC SURGICAL TRAINING. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Defense shall establish a program—
463 
(1) to establish partnerships with public, pri-
vate, and non-profit entities that provide short-term 
training, regarding arthroscopic surgery, to physi-
cians of the Department of Defense; and 
(2) to increase operational readiness of mem-
bers of the covered Armed Forces. 
(b) METRICS.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish 
metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. 
(c) BRIEFING; REPORT.— 
(1) INITIAL
BRIEFING.—Not later than 120 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representa-
tives a report on the program under this section. 
Such report shall include the following elements: 
(A) A description of the program. 
(B) The metrics established under sub-
section (b). 
(C) Other matters regarding the program 
that the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 
after the termination of the program under this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of
465 
(d) TERMINATION.—The program under this section 
shall terminate five years after the Secretary establishes 
such program. 
(e) COVERED ARMED FORCE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘covered Armed Force’’ means the Army, 
Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force. 
SEC. 725. WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH EDUCATIONAL MATE-
RIAL: DEVELOPMENT; DISTRIBUTION. 
(a) WOMEN’S HEART HEALTH EDUCATIONAL MATE-
RIALS.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the Director of the Defense Health Agency, shall 
develop and distribute evidence-based educational mate-
rials for health care providers and patients in the military 
health care system regarding women’s cardiovascular 
health. 
(b) PATIENT-CENTERED MATERIALS.—Materials for 
patients shall include information on the following: 
(1) Women’s risk factors for heart disease. 
(2) Actions women can take to improve or 
maintain positive cardiovascular health. 
(3) The presentation and symptoms of cardio-
vascular disease, including symptoms that may be 
more common or only occur in women.
466 
(4) Symptoms of a cardiovascular event, includ-
ing symptoms that may be more common or only 
occur in women; 
(c) HEALTH PROFESSIONAL MATERIALS.— 
(1) Materials for a health care provider shall— 
(A) include information relevant to the 
provision of cardiovascular health care; and 
(B) be specific to the practice of such pro-
vider. 
(2) Materials shall include the following infor-
mation: 
(A) Gender-based differences in the pres-
entation of cardiovascular disease. 
(B) Gender-based differences in the causes 
and presentation of cardiovascular events, in-
cluding heart attacks, 
(C) Gender-based differences in appro-
priate methods to identify and treat cardio-
vascular disease. 
(D) Gender-based differences in risk fac-
tors for cardiovascular disease. 
(E) Cardiovascular disease prevention and 
treatment guidelines, including those that are 
specifically for women.
467 
(F) Guidance on counseling patients with 
respect to risks, presentation, and treatment of 
cardiovascular disease. 
(d) DISTRIBUTION.—The Secretary shall distribute 
such materials to health care providers in the military 
health care system and TRICARE beneficiaries. Such ma-
terials may be physical or digital. 
SEC. 726. PROTOCOL ON USE OF ORAL REHYDRATION SO-
LUTION. 
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the, the Secretary of Defense shall de-
velop a clear and comprehensive protocol for the use of 
oral rehydration solutions in preventing heat casualties, 
dehydration, and hyponatremia in initial training. In the 
development of such protocol, the Secretary shall incor-
porate— 
(1) the latest data, analysis and information re-
garding the use of oral rehydration solutions by Spe-
cial Operations Command; 
(2) the latest data, analysis and information re-
garding the use of oral rehydration solutions by pro-
fessional sports teams; 
(3) the latest data, analysis and information re-
garding the use of oral rehydration solutions by the 
National Training Center, Fort Irwin; and
468 
(4) the guidance included in the June 20, 2016, 
Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine 
report entitled ‘‘Guidance Concerning Commercial 
Electrolyte Replacement Beverages and Hypo-
natremia Risk During Hot Weather Training’’. 
SEC. 727. STUDY ON LIFTING OUTPATIENT REHABILITA-
TION THERAPY MAXIMUMS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense shall conduct 
a study to analyze the feasibility of lifting outpatient reha-
bilitation therapy maximums for active-duty members of 
covered armed forces who are TRICARE beneficiaries and 
have suffered a brain injury in the course of performing 
active duty. The study shall also examine a range of ther-
apy services such as restorative therapies and therapies 
intended to improve cognitive and functional capabilities. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the Congress a report setting forth the 
findings and conclusions of the study conducted pursuant 
to subsection (a). 
(c) COVERED ARMED FORCES DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘covered Armed Forces’’ means the 
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force.
469 
SEC. 728. TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY OVERSIGHT STRAT-
EGY AND ACTION PLAN. 
(a) STRATEGY
AND PLAN REQUIRED.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall develop and implement a Trau-
matic Brain Injury Oversight Strategy and Action Plan 
that includes at a minimum the following: 
(1) Standardized monitoring, treatment, and re-
ferral guidelines for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) 
programs across all covered armed forces. 
(2) A review and update of the current brain 
injury diagnostic tools used by such programs. 
(3) Standardized, 72-hour follow-up require-
ments for all TBI patients, including protocols for 
the treatment and observation during such follow-up 
appointments. 
(4) Oversight and documentation standards to 
aid in identification, treatment, tracking, and data 
collection. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION
TIMELINE.—The oversight 
strategy and action plan required by subsection (a) shall 
be completed and in use not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to Congress a report setting forth the findings and conclu-
470 
sions of a full review and update on the implementation 
of the Brain Injury Oversight Strategy and Action Plan 
required by subsection (a). 
(d) COVERED ARMED FORCES DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘covered Armed Forces’’ means the 
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force. 
SEC. 729. EXPANSION OF RECOGNITION BY THE DEFENSE 
HEALTH AGENCY OF CERTIFYING BODIES 
FOR PHYSICIANS. 
(a) EXPANSION.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the De-
fense Health Agency shall revise the policy of the Defense 
Health Agency regarding the credentialing and privileging 
under the military health system to expand the recognition 
of certifying bodies for physicians under such policy to a 
wide range of additional board certifications in medical 
specialties and subspecialties. The following certifying 
bodies shall be so recognized: 
(1) The member boards of the American Board 
of Medical Specialties. 
(2) The Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists of 
the American Osteopathic Association. 
(3) The American Board of Foot and Ankle 
Surgery. 
(4) The American Board of Podiatric Medicine.
471 
(5) The American Board of Oral and Maxillo-
facial Surgery. 
(b) STANDARDS FOR RECOGNITION OF OTHER CER-
TIFYING BODIES.—To be recognized under subsection (a), 
a certifying body shall— 
(1) be an organization described in section 
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and 
exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that 
Code; 
(2) maintain a process to define, periodically re-
view, enforce, and update specific standards regard-
ing knowledge and skills of the specialty or sub-
specialty; 
(3) administer a psychometrically valid assess-
ment to determine whether a physician meets stand-
ards for initial certification, recertification, or con-
tinuing certification; 
(4) establish and enforce a code of professional 
conduct; and 
(5) require that, in order to be considered a 
board certified specialty physician, a physician must 
satisfy— 
(A) the certifying body’s applicable re-
quirements for initial certification; and
472 
(B) any applicable recertification or con-
tinuing certification requirements of the certi-
fying body that granted the initial certification. 
SEC. 729A. IMPROVEMENTS TO TRICARE PROVIDER DIREC-
TORIES. 
(a) VERIFICATION; UPDATES.—A managed support 
contractor that supports TRICARE and maintains a di-
rectory of health care providers shall verify and update 
such directory not less than once every 90 days. 
(b) DATABASES.—A managed support contractor de-
scribed in subsection (a) shall update a database not later 
than two days after receipt of information that affects 
such database. 
(c) ANNUAL REVIEWS.—The Director of the Defense 
Health Agency shall review directories described in sub-
section (a) not less than once each year. 
SEC. 729B. COMBATING OBESITY IN CERTAIN ARMED 
FORCES. 
(a) STRATEGY AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Defense shall— 
(A) develop a strategy to align the obesity- 
related programs of the Department of Defense
473 
with the classification of obesity as a medically 
accepted disease; and 
(B) conduct an educational campaign to 
promote awareness, diagnosis, and treatment of 
obesity as a disease in the covered Armed 
Forces. 
(2) 
REQUIREMENTS
FOR
STRATEGY.—The 
strategy developed under paragraph (1)(A) shall in-
clude the following: 
(A) A plan to coordinate obesity-related 
programs across the Department of Defense to 
treat obesity as a disease and reduce the preva-
lence of obesity in the covered Armed Forces. 
(B) An assessment of the effectiveness of 
health programs of the Department of Defense 
that are intended to educate, prevent, or treat 
obesity among members of the covered Armed 
Forces, and a plan to modify or update such 
programs to treat obesity as a disease. 
(C) An assessment of the adequacy of nu-
trition education for physicians and other 
health care practitioners in the military health 
system to evaluate and treat obesity as a dis-
ease, including the need for any additional edu-
474 
cation or guidelines for such physicians and 
other health care practitioners. 
(D) A strategy to work toward members of 
the covered Armed Forces with obesity receiving 
appropriate treatment. 
(3) REQUIREMENTS
FOR
EDUCATIONAL
CAM-
PAIGN.—The educational campaign conducted under 
paragraph (1)(B) shall include the following: 
(A) Information to educate members of the 
covered Armed Forces regarding best practices 
to prevent, reduce, or mitigate obesity, and 
available resources to address the root causes of 
obesity. 
(B) Information targeted to physicians and 
other health care practitioners in the military 
health system to promote diagnosis and treat-
ment of obesity as a disease. 
(4) CONSULTATION.—In developing the strat-
egy and educational campaign required by para-
graph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall consult 
with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
acting through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services, and other Health and Human Services 
agencies, as determined appropriate by the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services.
475 
(b) 
INCLUSION
OF
INFORMATION
REGARDING 
UNMET WEIGHT STANDARDS IN CERTAIN REPORTS.— 
Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall include 
information regarding unmet weight standards in any re-
port submitted by the Secretary to Congress regarding 
disqualifications for enlistment in, disability incurred in, 
or medical discharges from, the covered Armed Forces. 
(c) ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENT
OF DEFENSE RE-
PORTS.— 
(1) EFFECTS OF OBESITY ON READINESS OF 
COVERED ARMED FORCES.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense, in consultation with the Adminis-
trator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serv-
ices, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report regarding the effects of obesity 
on the readiness of the covered Armed Forces. Such 
report shall include legislative recommendations of 
the Secretary to address such effects. 
(2) EFFECTIVENESS OF OBESITY, FOOD, AND 
NUTRITION-RELATED
PROGRAMS
OF
DEPARTMENT 
OF DEFENSE.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually there-
after, the Director of the Defense Health Agency
476 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report on the effectiveness of the obesity, 
food, and nutrition-related programs of the Depart-
ment of Defense in reducing obesity and improving 
military readiness. 
(d) GAO REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General of the United States shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a report 
analyzing the existing obesity, food, and nutrition-re-
lated programs of the Department of Defense. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The report required by 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) An assessment of programs directed to 
members of the covered Armed Forces. 
(B) An assessment of programs directed to 
health care providers in the military health sys-
tem. 
(C) An assessment of the effectiveness of 
such programs in reducing obesity and the im-
pact of obesity on military readiness. 
(D) Recommendations to coordinate and 
improve existing programs to reduce obesity 
and the impact of obesity on military readiness.
477 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the following: 
(A) The Committee on Armed Services of 
the House of Representatives. 
(B) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the House of Representatives. 
(C) The Committee on Ways and Means of 
the House of Representatives. 
(D) The Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives. 
(E) The Committee on Armed Services of 
the Senate. 
(F) The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of 
the Senate. 
(G) The Committee on Finance of the Sen-
ate. 
(H) The Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered Armed Force’’ means 
the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space 
Force.
478 
SEC. 729C. PODIATRISTS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DE-
FENSE. 
(a) QUALIFICATION OF DOCTORS OF PODIATRY FOR 
ORIGINAL APPOINTMENT AS COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.— 
Section 532(b)(1) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting ‘‘podiatry,’’ after ‘‘osteopathy,’’. 
(b) MEMBERS OF MEDICAL CORPS.—Not later than 
one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Defense shall ensure that podiatrists are as-
signed to the Medical Corps of each military department. 
The Secretary shall notify the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate and House of Representatives in writing 
upon carrying out this subsection. 
SEC. 729D. REPORT ON MEDICAL INSTRUMENT STERILIZA-
TION. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Inspector General of 
the Defense Health Agency shall conduct a study on 
the adequacy of sterilization of medical instruments 
at medical facilities of the Defense Health Agency. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The study required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following elements: 
(A) A description of the processes or 
checks used to ensure medical instruments are 
sterilized prior to use on patients at medical fa-
cilities of the Defense Health Agency.
479 
(B) A description of the policies and proc-
esses used to identify and mitigate the use of 
insufficiently sterilized medical instruments at 
such medical facilities and the processes and 
timelines for informing patients of any such 
near-miss (if any disclosure is required). 
(C) An identification of the aggregate 
number of adverse events or near-misses as a 
result of insufficiently sterilized medical instru-
ments at such medical facilities during the pe-
riod beginning on January 1, 2022, and ending 
on January 1, 2024. 
(D) A determination of primary factors 
that result in insufficiently sterilized medical in-
struments at such medical facilities. 
(E) A description of the extent to which 
unsterilized medical instruments have impacted 
the operation of such medical facilities. 
(F) An assessment of whether such med-
ical facilities have sufficient— 
(i) medical instruments; 
(ii) medical devices to timely clean 
and sterilize medical instruments; and 
(iii) staff to sterilize medical instru-
ments.
480 
(G) An assessment of whether staff at 
such medical facilities are properly trained to 
sterilize medical instruments. 
(H) A determination of the number of sur-
geries at such medical facilities that were de-
layed or rescheduled as a result of unsterilized 
medical instruments. 
(I) Recommendations to improve the steri-
lization of medical instruments at such medical 
facilities, including an identification and evalua-
tion of existing options, such as mobile steriliza-
tion units and coordinating with community 
medical centers to expand surgical capacity. 
(b) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director 
of the Defense Health Agency shall submit to Congress 
a report on the study required by subsection (a), which 
shall include an action plan to consider and implement the 
recommendations included in such study. 
Subtitle C—Studies, Briefings, 
Reports, and Other Matters 
SEC. 731. BLAST PRESSURE SAFETY AND BRAIN HEALTH. 
(a) EXPANSION OF WARFIGHTER BRAIN HEALTH 
INITIATIVE.—
481 
(1) THRESHOLDS FOR BLAST PRESSURE SAFE-
TY.—Section 735 of the James M. Inhofe National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 
(Public Law 117–263; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note) is 
amended, in subsection (b)(1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘that—’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the following 
new clauses: 
‘‘(i) cover brain injury, lung injury, 
and impulse noise; 
‘‘(ii) measure impact over 24-hour, 
72-hour to 96-hour, monthly, annual, and 
lifetime periods; 
‘‘(iii) ensure that the thresholds are 
low enough that they are not associated 
with cognitive deficits after firing; 
‘‘(iv) include thresholds that account 
for the firing of multiple types of heavy 
weaponry and use of grenades in one pe-
riod of time; 
‘‘(v) include minimum safe distances 
and levels of exposure for observers and in-
structors; and
482 
‘‘(vi) include limits for shoulder-fired 
heavy weapons.’’; 
(B) by inserting, after subparagraph (G), 
the following new subparagraphs: 
‘‘(H) The establishment of policies to en-
courage members of the armed forces to seek 
support for brain health when needed, prevent 
retaliation against such members who seek care, 
and address other barriers to seeking help for 
brain health, including due to the impact of 
blast exposure, blast overpressure, traumatic 
brain injury, and other health matters. 
‘‘(I) The evaluation of how modifications 
to existing weapons systems may reduce inju-
ries to individuals within the minimum safe dis-
tance of such weapons systems that arise from 
blast overpressure in the use of such weapons 
systems.’’. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—Such section is further 
amended by striking subsection (g) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘neurocognitive assessment’ 
means a standardized cognitive and behavioral eval-
uation using validated and normed testing per-
483 
formed in a formal environment that uses specifi-
cally designated tasks to measure cognitive function 
known to be linked to a particular brain structure or 
pathway, which may include a measurement of intel-
lectual functioning, attention, new learning or mem-
ory, intelligence, processing speed, and executive 
functioning. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘traumatic brain injury’ means a 
traumatically induced structural injury or physio-
logical disruption of brain function as a result of an 
external force that is indicated by new onset or 
worsening of at least one of the following clinical 
signs immediately following the event: 
‘‘(A) Alteration in mental status, including 
confusion, disorientation, or slowed thinking. 
‘‘(B) Loss of memory for events imme-
diately before or after the injury. 
‘‘(C) Any period of loss of or decreased 
level of consciousness, observed or self-reported. 
‘‘(3) The term ‘Secretary concerned’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of title 10, 
United States Code.’’. 
(3) ANNUAL
BUDGET
JUSTIFICATION
DOCU-
MENTS.—Such section is further amended, in sub-
section (c), by striking ‘‘fiscal years 2025 through
484 
2029’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2025 through 
2030’’. 
(4) IMPLEMENTATION OF THRESHOLDS.—Such 
section is further amended— 
(A) by striking subsections (e) and (f); 
(B) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), 
and (g) as subsections (g), (h), and (i), respec-
tively; and 
(C) by inserting, after subsection (b), the 
following new subsections: 
‘‘(c) IMPLEMENTATION OF THRESHOLDS.— 
‘‘(1) DEADLINE.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than two 
years after the date of the enactment of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2025, the Secretary of Defense shall iden-
tify and disseminate the thresholds for blast ex-
posure and blast overpressure safety and associ-
ated emerging scientific evidence required under 
subsection (b)(1)(B). 
‘‘(B) UPDATE.—Not less frequently than 
every five years, the Secretary of Defense shall 
review and, if the Secretary determines it ap-
propriate, update, the thresholds for blast expo-
sure and blast overpressure safety and associ-
485 
ated emerging scientific evidence required under 
subsection (b)(1)(B). 
‘‘(2) CENTRAL
REPOSITORY.—Not later than 
two years after the date of the enactment of the Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2025, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a cen-
tral repository of blast-related characteristics, such 
as pressure profiles and common blast loads associ-
ated with specific systems and the environments in 
which they are used, that is available to members of 
the armed forces and includes the information de-
scribed in subsection (b)(1)(B). 
‘‘(3) WAIVERS.— 
‘‘(A) PROTOCOLS.—Not later than two 
years after the date of the enactment of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2025, the Secretary of Defense shall es-
tablish and implement protocols to require waiv-
ers in cases in which members of the armed 
forces must exceed the safety thresholds de-
scribed in subsection (b)(1)(B), which shall in-
clude a justification for exceeding those safety 
thresholds. 
‘‘(B) TRACKING SYSTEM.—
486 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 
two years after the date of the enactment 
of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2025, the Secretary of De-
fense shall establish a Department of De-
fense-wide tracking system for waivers de-
scribed in subparagraph (A), which shall 
include data contributed by each of the 
Secretaries concerned. 
‘‘(ii) REPORT.—Not later than De-
cember 31 of each of the five years begin-
ning in the year following the establish-
ment of the tracking system required 
under clause (i), the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives a report on waivers de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) that in-
cludes— 
‘‘(I) the number of waivers 
issued, disaggregated by armed force; 
‘‘(II) the justifications provided 
for each waiver; 
‘‘(III) a description of actions 
taken by the Secretary concerned to
487 
track the health effects on members of 
the armed forces of exceeding safety 
thresholds described in subsection 
(b)(1)(B), document those effects in 
medical records, and provide care to 
those members; and 
‘‘(IV) a description of the med-
ical care received by those members in 
response to exceeding these safety 
thresholds. 
‘‘(d) FORMAL TRAINING REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall ensure that training described in paragraph (2) 
is required for members of the armed forces before 
training, deployment, or entering other environments 
determined to be high-risk by the Secretary con-
cerned. 
‘‘(2) 
TRAINING
DESCRIBED.—Training 
de-
scribed in this paragraph is training on the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) Thresholds for blast exposure and 
blast overpressure safety and associated emerg-
ing scientific evidence required under subsection 
(b)(1)(B).
488 
‘‘(B) Symptoms of exposure to blasts or 
blast overpressure. 
‘‘(C) Symptoms of traumatic brain injury. 
‘‘(e) STRATEGIES FOR MITIGATION AND PREVEN-
TION OF BLAST EXPOSURE AND OVERPRESSURE RISK 
FOR HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS.—In carrying out the Initia-
tive, not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2025, the Secretary of Defense shall establish strate-
gies for mitigating and preventing blast exposure and blast 
overpressure risk for individuals most at risk for exposure 
to high-risk training or high-risk occupational activities, 
which shall include— 
‘‘(1) a timeline and process for implementing 
those strategies; 
‘‘(2) a determination of the frequency with 
which those strategies will be updated, at a rate of 
not less frequently than every five years; and 
‘‘(3) an assessment of how information regard-
ing those strategies will be disseminated to such in-
dividuals, including after those strategies are up-
dated. 
‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than March 31, 
2025, and not less frequently than annually thereafter 
through 2030, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to
489 
the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the 
House of Representatives a report that includes the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) A description of the activities taken under 
the Initiative and resources expended under the Ini-
tiative during the prior fiscal year. 
‘‘(2) The number of members of the armed 
forces impacted by blast overpressure and blast ex-
posure in the prior fiscal year, including— 
‘‘(A) the number of members who reported 
adverse health effects from blast overpressure 
or blast exposure; 
‘‘(B) the number of members exposed to 
blast overpressure or blast exposure; 
‘‘(C) the number of members who received 
treatment for injuries related to blast over-
pressure or blast exposure, including at facili-
ties of the Department of Defense and at facili-
ties in the private sector; 
‘‘(D) regarding treatment for blast expo-
sure, blast overpressure, or subconcussive or 
concussive brain injuries at the National In-
trepid Center of Excellence, an Intrepid Spirit 
Center, or an appropriate military medical 
treatment facility—
490 
‘‘(i) the number of members on the 
waitlist for such treatment; 
‘‘(ii) the average period of time those 
members are on that waitlist; and 
‘‘(iii) the average number of days be-
tween when an appointment is requested 
and the actual appointment date; and 
‘‘(E) the type of care that members receive 
from facilities of the Department of Defense 
and the type of care that members receive from 
facilities in the private sector. 
‘‘(3) A summary of the progress made during 
the prior fiscal year with respect to the objectives of 
the Initiative under subsection (b). 
‘‘(4) A description of the steps the Secretary is 
taking to ensure that activities under the Initiative 
are being implemented across the Department of 
Defense and the military departments.’’. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF ROLES FOR COMPONENTS 
OF THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE RE-
LATING
TO BRAIN INJURIES FROM CONCUSSIVE
AND 
SUBCONCUSSIVE BLASTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall establish the roles and responsibilities of com-
ponents of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for
491 
the mitigation, identification, and treatment of con-
cussive and subconcussive brain injuries and the 
monitoring and documentation of blast overpressure 
exposure as follows: 
(A) The Under Secretary of Defense for 
Personnel and Readiness shall be responsible 
for, not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act— 
(i) 
establishing 
a 
baseline 
neurocognitive assessment to be conducted 
during the accession process of members of 
the Armed Forces before the beginning of 
training; 
(ii) establishing neurocognitive assess-
ments to monitor the cognitive function of 
such members to be conducted— 
(I) at least every three years as 
part of the periodic health assessment 
of such members; and 
(II) as part of the post-deploy-
ment health assessment of such mem-
bers; 
(iii) ensuring all neurocognitive as-
sessments of such members, including 
those required under clauses (i) and (ii),
492 
are maintained in the electronic medical 
record of such member; 
(iv) establishing a process for annual 
review of blast overpressure exposure and 
traumatic brain injury logs for each mem-
ber of the Armed Forces during the peri-
odic health assessment of such member for 
cumulative exposure in order to refer mem-
bers with recurrent and prolonged expo-
sure to specialty care; and 
(v) establishing standards for recur-
rent and prolonged exposure. 
(B) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Readiness shall be responsible for, not later 
than one year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the following: 
(i) Establishing and maintaining blast 
overpressure exposure logs and traumatic 
brain injury logs for every member of the 
Armed Forces. 
(ii) Including in those logs at least the 
following: 
(I) The number of previous expo-
sures to blast overpressure, including 
the number of exposures per unit of
493 
time, date, blast overpressure in 
pounds per square inch, and number 
of times the member of the Armed 
Forces fires, uses, or is exposed to 
weapons 
that 
cause 
blast 
over-
pressure. 
(II) Any residual physical, men-
tal, or emotional effects resulting from 
such exposure. 
(III) The source of the exposure, 
activity when the exposure occurred, 
whether it occurred during training or 
deployment, and any other relevant 
context of such exposure. 
(IV) The treatment that the 
member sought and received in con-
nection with such exposure. 
(V) The number of concussive 
and subconcussive brain injuries, in-
cluding traumatic brain injuries, sus-
tained. 
(VI) The severity of concussive 
and subconcussive brain injuries, in-
cluding traumatic brain injuries, sus-
tained.
494 
(VII) Other head trauma, regard-
less of whether it requires the treat-
ment of a medical provider. 
(C) The Inspector General of the Depart-
ment of Defense shall be responsible for— 
(i) not later than two years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, submit-
ting to Congress a report (in unclassified 
form, but with a classified annex as nec-
essary) evaluating the establishment and 
maintenance of the logs required under 
subparagraph (B), including the cumu-
lative exposure annotated in the blast over-
pressure exposure logs and traumatic brain 
injury logs, as well as the compliance of 
the Department of Defense with Depart-
ment policies to address the brain health of 
members of the Armed Forces; 
(ii) beginning on the date that is three 
years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act— 
(I) evaluating the continued ful-
fillment by the Department of the re-
quirements under subparagraph (B), 
including the cumulative exposure an-
495 
notated in the blast overpressure ex-
posure logs and traumatic brain in-
jury logs, as well as the compliance of 
the Department with Department 
policies to address the brain health of 
members of the Armed Forces; and 
(II) not later than December 31 
of each year 2025 through 2030, sub-
mitting to Congress a report (in un-
classified form, but with a classified 
annex as necessary) containing the re-
sults of such evaluation. 
(D) The Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition and Sustainment shall be respon-
sible for, not later than one year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the following: 
(i) Ensuring that the minimization of 
exposure to blast overpressure is consid-
ered as a performance parameter when 
drafting requirements for the Department 
of Defense for new hand-held, shoulder- 
launched, or crew-served, weapons systems 
that produce blast overpressure. 
(ii) In a case in which minimization of 
exposure to blast overpressure is not in-
496 
cluded as a performance parameter under 
clause (i), the Under Secretary shall docu-
ment the rationale for its exclusion and re-
tain such documentation and supporting 
materials for purposes of clause (v). 
(iii) Establishing a requirement that 
any entity under contractual agreement 
with the Department as part of the defense 
weapons acquisition process for a weapons 
system described in clause (i) shall provide 
to the Department blast overpressure 
measurements and safety data for any 
weapons system that produce blast over-
pressure and exceed the department set 
maximum exposure limit procured from 
such entity. 
(iv) Establishing a requirement that 
any future test plan for a weapons system 
described in clause (v) incorporates valida-
tion and verification testing of blast over-
pressure measurement and safety data pro-
vided by defense contractors in accordance 
with clause (iii). 
(v) Retaining and make available to 
personnel with appropriate access all—
497 
(I) blast overpressure measure-
ments and safety data for weapons 
systems of the Department, including 
how those systems have been tested 
and in what environments; and 
(II) plans to improve protection 
for exposure by members of the 
Armed Forces to in-use weapons sys-
tems with unsafe levels of blast over-
pressure and exposure. 
(2) COORDINATION.—The officials specified in 
paragraph (1) shall coordinate and align their plans 
and activities to implement such subsection among 
themselves and with the Secretaries of the military 
departments. 
(3) BRIEFINGS AND REPORTS.— 
(A) 
IMPLEMENTATION
BRIEFING.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, and annually thereafter 
through 2030, the Secretary of Defense shall 
provide to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and House of Representatives a 
briefing on the plans, associated timelines, and 
activities conducted to implement paragraph 
(1).
498 
(B) REPORT
ON
CONCUSSIVE
AND
SUB-
CONCUSSIVE BRAIN INJURIES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter through 
2030, the Secretary of Defense shall sub-
mit to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and House of Representa-
tives a report on— 
(I) concussive and subconcussive 
brain injuries caused during military 
operations, including combat oper-
ations, among members of the Armed 
Forces, including information on— 
(aa) the Armed Force of the 
member; 
(bb) the name of the oper-
ation; 
(cc) the location within the 
area of responsibility; 
(dd) the number of concus-
sive and subconcussive brain in-
juries caused;
499 
(ee) the severity of concus-
sive and subconcussive brain in-
juries caused; 
(ff) the treatment received 
for a concussive or subconcussive 
brain injury; 
(gg) whether a member of 
the Armed Forces was medically 
retired from service due to a con-
cussive or subconcussive brain in-
jury; 
(hh) whether a member of 
the Armed Forces died by suicide 
after sustaining a concussive or 
subconcussive brain injury; and 
(ii) the source of the injury, 
including the activity conducted 
when the injury occurred; and 
(II) concussive and subconcussive 
brain injuries caused during training 
events among members of the Armed 
Forces, including information on— 
(aa) the Armed Force of the 
member; 
(bb) the type of training;
500 
(cc) the location of the 
training; 
(dd) the number of concus-
sive and subconcussive brain in-
juries caused; 
(ee) the severity of concus-
sive and subconcussive brain in-
juries caused; 
(ff) the treatment received 
for a concussive or subconcussive 
brain injury; 
(gg) whether a member of 
the Armed Forces was medically 
retired from service due to a con-
cussive or subconcussive brain in-
jury; 
(hh) whether a member of 
the Armed Forces died by suicide 
after sustaining a concussive or 
subconcussive brain injury; and 
(ii) the source of the injury, 
including the activity conducted 
when the injury occurred. 
(ii) FORM.—Each report submitted 
under clause (i) shall be submitted in un-
501 
classified form, but may include a classi-
fied annex. 
(C) REPORT ON DISCHARGES RELATED TO 
CONCUSSIVE AND SUBCONCUSSIVE BRAIN INJU-
RIES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter through 
2030, the officials specified in paragraph 
and the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to the Committees on Armed Services of 
the Senate and House of Representatives a 
report on members of the Armed Forces 
who were discharged administratively or 
punitively and had a concussive or sub-
concussive brain injury, including a trau-
matic brain injury, including information 
on— 
(I) whether the injury or injuries 
occurred during combat operations or 
training and the associated combat 
operations or training incident; 
(II) the severity of the injury or 
injuries;
502 
(III) if any such injury was com-
bat related, the name of the oper-
ation; 
(IV) the treatment sought and 
received for the injury or injuries; 
(V) the number of discharge up-
grade requests in connection with 
such an injury or injuries that have 
been made; and 
(VI) the number of such dis-
charge upgrade requests that have 
been approved. 
(ii) FORM.—Each report submitted 
under subparagraph (A) shall be submitted 
in unclassified form, but may include a 
classified annex. 
(D) REPORT
ON
MEDICAL
PROVIDERS 
TRAINED IN CONCUSSIVE AND SUBCONCUSSIVE 
BRAIN
INJURIES.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the Committees on Armed Serv-
ices of the Senate and House of Representatives 
a report on medical providers within the De-
fense Health Agency who are trained in trau-
503 
matic brain injury or concussive and subconcus-
sive brain injuries as a sub-specialty of neu-
rology, including information on— 
(i) the number of such providers, 
disaggregated by location; 
(ii) the billets of such personnel; 
(iii) the number of medical personnel 
currently participating in training or a fel-
lowship relating to traumatic brain injury 
or concussive and subconcussive brain inju-
ries; and 
(iv) the strategy of the Department of 
Defense to increase the number of medical 
providers trained in traumatic brain injury 
or concussive and subconcussive brain inju-
ries as a sub-specialty of neurology. 
(c) MANDATORY TRAINING ON HEALTH EFFECTS OF 
CERTAIN BRAIN TRAUMA.—Not less frequently than once 
every two years, the Secretary of Defense shall provide 
to each medical provider and training manager of the De-
partment of Defense mandatory training with respect to 
the potential health effects of blast overpressure, blast ex-
posure, and traumatic brain injury.
504 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION OF INSPECTOR GENERAL REC-
OMMENDATIONS TO MANAGE TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY 
CARE.— 
(1) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than Decem-
ber 31, 2025, the Secretary of Defense shall imple-
ment the recommendations contained in the report 
of the Inspector General of the Department of De-
fense titled, ‘‘Evaluation of the DoD’s Management 
of Traumatic Brain Injury’’ (DODIG-2023-059). 
(2) BRIEFING.—Not later than April 1, 2025, 
the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services of the Senate and the 
Committee on Armed Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives a briefing on the progress of the Sec-
retary in carrying out the implementation required 
under paragraph (1). 
(e) GAO REVIEW OF BLAST-RELATED BRAIN INJURY 
RESEARCH AND OTHER EFFORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT 
OF DEFENSE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct a review of the re-
search and other efforts of the Department of De-
fense on traumatic brain injury, including injuries 
related to blast overpressure or blast exposure.
505 
(2) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The review 
required by paragraph (1) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(A) A description of the research con-
ducted by the Department of Defense on trau-
matic brain injury, the entities involved in that 
research, and efforts to coordinate that research 
internally and externally. 
(B) A description of any improvements 
identified by that research related to the pre-
vention, diagnosis, and treatment of blast-re-
lated brain injuries and an assessment of the 
implementation of those improvements. 
(C) An evaluation of the efforts of the De-
partment to protect members of the Armed 
Forces from retaliation for seeking care for the 
prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of traumatic 
brain injury, blast overpressure, or blast expo-
sure, including any gaps in or barriers to those 
efforts. 
(D) An evaluation of the list maintained by 
the Department of the military occupational 
specialties most at-risk for blast overpressure 
and blast exposure and whether additional at- 
risk occupational specialties should be included.
506 
(E) Any other finding the Comptroller 
General considers relevant. 
(3) BRIEFING AND REPORT.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Comptroller General shall brief the Committees 
on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Represent-
atives, on the review required by paragraph (1), with 
a report to follow on a mutually agreed upon date. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms 
‘‘neurocognitive assessment’’ and ‘‘traumatic brain in-
jury’’ have the meanings given such terms in section 735 
of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117–263; 10 U.S.C. 
1071 note), as amended by this section. 
SEC. 732. STUDY ON TESTOSTERONE LEVELS OF MEMBERS 
OF ARMY SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 60 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of De-
fense for Personnel and Readiness, in consultation with 
the Commander of the United States Special Operations 
Command, shall conduct a five-year study to determine 
whether the conditions that covered members experience 
while serving in a covered force affect the testosterone lev-
507 
els of the covered members. The study shall include the 
following elements: 
(1) Data on the testosterone levels of each cov-
ered member included in the study throughout the 
period covered by the study, including while the cov-
ered member is— 
(A) participating in any training of a cov-
ered force; 
(B) deployed by a covered force; or 
(C) otherwise working for a covered force. 
(2) With respect to each covered member who 
joins a covered force during the period covered by 
the study and is included in the study, data on the 
testosterone levels of the covered member upon join-
ing the covered force, accounting for, to the extent 
practicable, any effect on such testosterone levels at-
tributable to an experience of the covered member 
while in the Armed Forces, prior to joining the cov-
ered force. 
(3) With respect to each covered member who 
has low testosterone and is included in the study, 
data on the testosterone levels of the covered mem-
ber before, during, and after the administration of 
any remedy (medical or non-medical) recommended
508 
to the covered member by a covered force for the 
treatment of low testosterone. 
(4) Data regarding the relationship, if any, be-
tween the time of day that the testosterone level of 
a covered member is measured and the accuracy of 
the resulting measurement. 
(5) Data regarding the relationship, if any, be-
tween the testosterone levels of a covered member 
and— 
(A) the job performance of the covered 
member; or 
(B) any marker of long-term health of the 
covered member. 
(6) Any other information determined appro-
priate by the Under Secretary. 
(b) REPORTS.— 
(1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the date on which the study under subsection 
(a) begins, the Under Secretary shall submit to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives a report describing— 
(A) each process implemented by Under 
Secretary during the period covered by the re-
port to carry out the study; and
509 
(B) any results of the study collected dur-
ing such period. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the termination of the study under 
subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall submit to 
the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate 
and the House of Representatives a report on the re-
sults of the study. Such report shall include the fol-
lowing elements: 
(A) A comparison between— 
(i) the data described in subsection 
(a)(2); and 
(ii) data regarding the testosterone 
levels of male civilians of a comparable 
age. 
(B) The analysis of the Under Secretary as 
to whether the testosterone levels of covered 
members are affected by the conditions such 
covered members experience— 
(i) during a training of a covered 
force; 
(ii) while deployed by a covered force; 
or 
(iii) while otherwise working for a cov-
ered force.
510 
(C) The assessment of the Under Sec-
retary as to whether the testosterone levels of 
covered members affect— 
(i) the readiness of any covered force; 
or 
(ii) any marker of long-term health of 
the covered members. 
(D) A list of each medical procedure a cov-
ered force uses, as of the date of the report, to 
monitor the testosterone levels of covered mem-
bers. 
(E) A list of each preventative measure 
(medical or non-medical) a covered force uses, 
as of the date of the report, to reduce the likeli-
hood of low testosterone in a covered member. 
(F) A list of each remedy (medical or non- 
medical) a covered force uses, as of the date of 
the report, to— 
(i) treat low testosterone in a covered 
member; or 
(ii) mitigate any symptom of low tes-
tosterone in a covered member. 
(G) Recommendations of the Under Sec-
retary regarding—
511 
(i) which medical procedures are best 
suited for use by a covered force in moni-
toring the testosterone levels of each cov-
ered member; 
(ii) whether, in monitoring the testos-
terone levels of each covered member, a 
covered force should— 
(I) account for, to the extent 
practicable, any effect on the testos-
terone levels attributable to an experi-
ence of the covered member while in 
the Armed Forces, prior to joining the 
covered force; or 
(II) measure the testosterone lev-
els during a specific time of day to in-
crease the accuracy of the measure-
ments; 
(iii) 
which 
preventative 
measures 
(medical or non-medical) are best suited 
for use by a covered force as a means to 
reduce the likelihood of low testosterone in 
a covered member; and 
(iv) which remedies (medical or non- 
medical) are best suited for use by a cov-
ered force in—
512 
(I) the treatment of low testos-
terone in a covered member; or 
(II) the mitigation of any symp-
tom of low testosterone in a covered 
member. 
(H) A determination of the Under Sec-
retary as to whether a pilot program or clinical 
trail with respect to the use of testosterone re-
placement therapy for covered members who 
have low testosterone would be advisable consid-
ering any prevalence of low testosterone ob-
served in the study and any risks associated 
with testosterone replacement therapy. 
(I) Any other information the Under Sec-
retary determines appropriate. 
(3) FORM.—The reports under this subsection 
shall be submitted in an unclassified form, but may 
include a classified annex. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered force’’ means a special 
operations force that is under the jurisdiction of the 
Secretary of the Army. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered member’’ means a mem-
ber of a covered force.
513 
(3) The term ‘‘low testosterone’’ means a condi-
tion in which the testosterone levels of an indi-
vidual— 
(A) are lower than is average for a healthy 
individual of comparable age and gender; and 
(B) negatively affect the well-being, includ-
ing the mental or physical health, of the indi-
vidual. 
(4) The term ‘‘special operations force’’ means 
a force identified under section 167(j) of title 10, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 733. REPORT ON USE OF AGENT ORANGE ON GUAM. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for 
Health Affairs shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees, and make publicly available, a report that in-
cludes— 
(1) the exact dates on which Agent Orange was 
used on Guam; 
(2) an identification of any known or suspected 
site that was used to dump Agent Orange; 
(3) an identification of any specific area where 
Agent Orange was used in Guam; and 
(4) a list of diseases and disabilities that can 
result from exposure to Agent Orange.
514 
SEC. 734. REQUIREMENTS STUDY AND STRATEGY FOR COM-
BAT MEDICAL SUPPORT DURING CRISIS OR 
CONFLICT IN THE INDO-PACIFIC. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of Defense 
for Personnel and Readiness shall conduct a study to de-
termine the requirements for combat medical support dur-
ing a crisis or conflict in the Indo-Pacific and in support 
of the objectives of the national defense strategy. Such 
study shall include the following: 
(1) Identification of anticipated medical re-
quirements necessary to support a most likely con-
flict scenario in the Indo-Pacific, including— 
(A) requirements for short-term, mid-term, 
and long-term contingency and steady-state 
medical operations against adversaries; 
(B) requirements for medical equipment, 
facilities, and personnel, to include anticipated 
medical specialties needed; 
(C) timelines associated with activating or 
mobilizing total force medical personnel and 
equipment; and 
(D) the role of the Integrated CONUS 
Medical Operations Plan. 
(2) An assessment of the ideal posture of med-
ical personnel and equipment, including—
515 
(A) locations ideal for pre-positioning med-
ical personnel, equipment, and assets, to include 
hospital ships and expeditionary medical facili-
ties; 
(B) the role of fixed military medical treat-
ment facilities and their personnel in Hawaii 
and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific; 
(C) infrastructure requirements or consid-
erations in Hawaii, Guam, and other U.S. in-
stallations in the Indo-Pacific; and 
(D) current or potential partner nation 
support capabilities or agreements. 
(3) An assessment of the rotary, tilt, and fixed 
wing aircraft and key medical evacuation enabling 
capabilities that— 
(A) are needed to meet the requirements 
identified under paragraph (1); 
(B) have been accounted for in the budget 
as of the date of the study; or 
(C) that are being considered or in devel-
opment and the projected timeline to meet full 
operational capability. 
(4) Identification of any medical care or sup-
port capability gaps, including an assessment of—
516 
(A) whether and to what extent such gaps 
may affect the ability of the joint force to pro-
vide medical support and care during a conflict; 
and 
(B) any capability gaps attributable to un-
funded requirements. 
(5) Identification and assessment of key cur-
rent, emerging, and future technologies with poten-
tial applications to the combat medical support and 
medical evacuation mission. 
(b) STRATEGY REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Based on the results of the 
study conducted under subsection (a), the Secretary 
of Defense shall develop a strategy to meet the re-
quirements identified under such study. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The strategy under paragraph 
(1) shall include— 
(A) a prioritized list of capabilities, equip-
ment and infrastructure needed to meet the re-
quirements identified under subsection (a); 
(B) the estimated costs of such capabili-
ties, equipment, and infrastructure; and 
(C) the roles of each service component in 
contributing to combat medical support from 
point of injury to recovery.
517 
(3) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 
after the enactment of this Act, the Office of 
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the con-
gressional defense committees a report on the 
strategy developed under paragraph (1). 
(B) FORM.—The report shall be submitted 
in unclassified form, by may include a classified 
annex. 
SEC. 735. REPORT ON ACCESS OF TRICARE BENEFICIARIES 
TO NETWORK RETAIL PHARMACIES. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Defense shall submit to Congress a report evaluating 
beneficiary access to TRICARE network pharmacies 
under the TPharm5 contract and changes in beneficiary 
access versus the TPharm4 contract. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The report required under sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
(1) An analysis of pharmacy access in rural 
areas under such contracts, including: 
(A) The number of TRICARE bene-
ficiaries and number of TRICARE network re-
tail pharmacies located in rural areas.
518 
(B) The average drive time to the nearest 
TRICARE network retail pharmacy for a bene-
ficiary residing in rural areas. 
(C) The number of beneficiaries who live 
farther than a 15-minute drive to a TRICARE 
retail network pharmacy. 
(D) An assessment of medication compli-
ance rates for beneficiaries residing in rural 
areas for the three years prior to October 24, 
2022 compared to the period-to-date following 
October 24, 2022. 
(2) An analysis of TRICARE retail pharmacy 
network capabilities under such contracts, including 
the number of network pharmacies offering— 
(A) long-term care services; 
(B) prescription drug compounding serv-
ices; and 
(C) home infusion therapy services. 
(3) An analysis of affected beneficiaries and 
their use of the TRICARE Pharmacy program 
under TPharm4 and TPharm5, including: 
(A) Data on affected beneficiaries’ use of 
MTF pharmacies, TRICARE mail order pro-
gram, Accredo, departed retail pharmacies, net-
work retail pharmacies.
520 
rural beneficiaries, affected beneficiaries, rural af-
fected beneficiaries, and non-rural affected bene-
ficiaries: 
(A) The number of beneficiaries who used 
a non-network pharmacy. 
(B) The number of non-network claims 
submitted. 
(C) For all non-network claims sub-
mitted— 
(i) the average TRICARE allowed 
amount per prescription; 
(ii) the average TRICARE amount 
paid per prescription; and 
(iii) the verage beneficiary out-of- 
pocket cost per prescription. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘affected beneficiary’’ means a 
beneficiary who filled at least one prescription in the 
year preceding October 24, 2022 at a departed phar-
macy. 
(2) The term ‘‘beneficiary’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 1074g(i) of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘departed retail pharmacy’’ 
means a retail pharmacy that participated in the
521 
TRICARE network in September, 2022 but left the 
network with the transition to the TPharm5 con-
tract. 
(4) The term ‘‘network pharmacy’’ means a re-
tail 
pharmacy 
described 
in 
section 
1074g(a)(2)(E)(ii) of title 10, United States Code. 
(5) The term ‘‘rural’’— 
(A) with regards to a location, has the 
meaning given such term in section 343(a) of 
the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)); and 
(B) with regards to a beneficiary, has the 
meaning used by the Secretary of Defense in 
the administration of section 1074g of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(6) The term ‘‘TPharm4’’ means the period 
covered by the 4th Generation pharmacy contract 
under TRICARE prior to October 24, 2022 when 
the retail network reduction went into effect. 
(7) The term ‘‘TPharm5’’ means the period 
covered by 5th Generation pharmacy contract under 
TRICARE to date.
522 
SEC. 736. REPORT ON COPAYMENTS FOR MENTAL OR BE-
HAVIORAL HEALTH CARE UNDER TRICARE. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
House Representatives a report on cost sharing paid by 
beneficiaries under the TRICARE program for outpatient 
visits for mental health or behavioral health care. Such 
report shall include the following: 
(1) Efforts of the Secretary of Defense to en-
sure that such cost sharing is affordable for such 
beneficiaries. 
(2) A summary of such cost sharing during fis-
cal years 2019 through 2024, including— 
(A) the total amount paid by beneficiaries; 
(B) the number of visits per year; and 
(C) the average amount paid per such 
visit. 
(3) Recommendations of the Secretary regard-
ing how to limit minimize the burden of such cost 
sharing to such beneficiaries.
523 
SEC. 737. PILOT PROGRAM TO TEST STANDALONE TECH-
NOLOGY TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCIES IN SUP-
PLY-CHAIN MANAGEMENT, MEDICAL READI-
NESS, AND MEDICAL PROCESSES. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of the Act, the Secretary of Defense, 
acting through the Defense Health Agency, shall carry out 
a pilot program to test and evaluate existing standalone 
technology for the purposes of assessing whether such 
standalone technology— 
(1) improves efficiencies in medical supply-chain 
management and in military medical readiness; 
(2) streamlines medical processes; 
(3) improves recordation accuracy; 
(4) reduces rates of needlestick injury; and 
(5) enhances retention rates of military health 
care providers. 
(b) LOCATIONS.—The pilot shall be conducted at 
medical facilities of the Department of Defense that the 
Secretary determines would enable a sufficiently thorough 
sample size to carry out the assessment under subsection 
(a). 
(c) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall termi-
nate 36 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
524 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the termi-
nation of the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit 
to the congressional defense committees a report con-
taining the assessment of the Secretary under subsection 
(a). 
(e) STANDALONE TECHNOLOGY DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘standalone technology’’ means a device 
that is capable of accomplishing the functions specified in 
subsection (a). 
SEC. 738. PILOT PROGRAM ON PRE-PROGRAMMING OF SUI-
CIDE PREVENTION RESOURCES INTO SMART 
DEVICES 
ISSUED 
TO 
MEMBERS 
OF 
THE 
ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall commence the conduct of a pilot program under 
which the Secretary— 
(1) pre-downloads the Virtual Hope Box appli-
cation of the Defense Health Agency, or such suc-
cessor application, on the covered devices of mem-
bers of the Armed Forces; 
(2) pre-programs the National Suicide Hotline 
number and Veterans Crisis Line number into the 
contacts for such covered devices; and
525 
(3) provides training, as part of the training on 
suicide 
awareness 
and 
prevention 
conducted 
throughout the Department of Defense, on the pre-
ventative resources described in paragraphs (1) and 
(2). 
(b) DURATION.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
carry out the pilot program under this section for a two- 
year period. 
(c) SCOPE.—The Secretary of Defense shall deter-
mine the appropriate scope of individuals participating in 
the pilot program under this section to best represent each 
Armed Force and to ensure a relevant sample size. 
(d) IDENTIFICATION
OF OTHER RESOURCES.—In 
carrying out the pilot program under this section, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall coordinate with the Director of the 
Defense Health Agency and the Secretary of Veterans Af-
fairs to identify other useful technology-related resources 
for use in the pilot program. 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the date 
on which the pilot program under this section terminates, 
the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and 
the Senate a report on the pilot program, including rec-
ommendations by the Secretary relating to expanding the
526 
scope of future pilot programs to include members of the 
Armed Forces who do not possess covered devices. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered device’’ means a smart 
device (including a mobile phone) that is issued to 
an individual by the Secretary of Defense or the Sec-
retary of an Armed Force. 
(2) The term ‘‘Veterans Crisis Line’’ means the 
toll-free hotline for veterans established under sec-
tion 1720F(h) of title 38, United States Code. 
SEC. 739. REPORT ON RATE OF MATERNAL MORTALITY 
AMONG MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, and with re-
spect to members of the Coast Guard, the Secretary of 
the Department in which the Coast Guard is operating 
in any case in which such Department is not operating 
as a service in the Navy, shall submit to Congress a report 
on the rate of maternal mortality among members of the 
Armed Forces and the dependents of such members. 
SEC. 740. ANNUAL REVIEW AND UPDATE OF ONLINE INFOR-
MATION RELATING TO SUICIDE PREVENTION. 
Not later than June 1, 2026, each Secretary of a 
military department shall—
527 
(1) review any information relating to suicide 
prevention or behavioral health, including any con-
tact information for related resources, that is pub-
lished on an Internet website of the military depart-
ment at the installation level; 
(2) make updates to such information as may 
be necessary; and 
(3) submit to the congressional defense commit-
tees a certification that such information is up-to- 
date. 
SEC. 741. REPORT ON EMERGENCY AND TRAUMA CARE FOR 
CIVILIANS AT MILITARY TREATMENT FACILI-
TIES. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this section, the Director of the Defense Health Agency, 
in collaboration with military treatment facilities engaged 
in emergency and trauma care to civilian patients, shall 
submit to the congressional defense committees a report 
that includes the following: 
(1) A summary of any challenges that military 
treatment facilities have encountered in providing 
emergency and trauma care to civilian patients, in-
cluding challenges related to the transportation of 
such patients to and from such facilities, and steps 
the Director has taken to overcome such challenges.
528 
(2) An assessment of the effectiveness of the 
coordination of military treatment facilities with 
local emergency medical services and any barrier 
faced by such facilities and services related to pro-
viding timely emergency medical care to civilians, in-
cluding any barrier caused by installation access. 
(3) A summary of efforts the Director has 
taken to address the issues identified in the report 
of the Comptroller General of the United States ti-
tled ‘‘Defense Health Care: Actions Needed to Im-
prove Billing and Collection of Debt for Civilian 
Emergency Care’’, published on July 7, 2022 (GAO– 
22–104770), including such issues related to incon-
sistent use of financial relief for civilian emergency 
patients and the lack of guidance to ensure accurate 
accounting of billing and collections efforts. 
(4) Any recommendations to improve civilian 
emergency care at Department of Defense medical 
treatment facilities, including any recommendations 
for additional legislation. 
SEC. 742. STUDY ON BLOOD WORK OF MEMBERS OF THE 
ARMED FORCES REGARDING COVID-19. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—Not later than September 
30, 2025, the Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study
529 
to test the blood of members of the Armed Forces relating 
to relating to COVID-19. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The study under this section shall 
include the following elements: 
(1) Testing to detect nucleocapsid protein 
immunoglobin-G antibodies relating to COVID-19. 
(2) Testing to detect T-cell immune response to 
COVID-19. 
(3) An assessment of the efficacy of each vac-
cine for COVID-19 in comparison to— 
(A) each other such vaccine; and 
(B) infection-acquired immunity. 
(4) An accounting of adverse events (including 
hyperimmune response), disaggregated by— 
(A) each vaccine described in paragraph 
(3); and 
(B) history of infection. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after com-
pleting the study, the Secretary shall submit a report on 
such study to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and House of Representatives.
530 
SEC. 743. REPORT ON APPROVING CERTAIN TRANSITIONAL 
AND RESIDENTIAL BRAIN INJURY TREAT-
MENT PROGRAMS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense shall conduct 
a study to analyze the feasibility of recognizing transi-
tional and residential brain injury treatment programs 
that are approved by non-governmental accreditation bod-
ies solely to provide services to members of covered Armed 
Forces who sustained a brain injury in the course of per-
forming active duty. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to Congress a report setting forth the find-
ings and conclusions of the study conducted pursuant to 
subsection (a). 
(c) COVERED ARMED FORCES DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘covered Armed Forces’’ means the 
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force. 
SEC. 744. STUDY AND REPORT ON MENTAL HEALTH CARE 
FOR PILOTS AND AVIATORS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense and the Sec-
retary of Health and Human Services shall collaborate on 
a study on the barriers to mental health care for military 
pilots, aviators, and military air traffic controllers. The 
study shall include the development of a set of rec-
531 
ommendations to ensure that pilots and aviators who need 
mental health care have— 
(1) no more barriers to care; 
(2) no more consequences for seeking care; and 
(3) no less scientifically-robust bases for being 
treated and re-cleared for duty than pilots and avi-
ators who need physical health care. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall jointly 
submit to Congress a report that contains the results of 
the study required under subsection (a). 
SEC. 745. STUDY ON TOOLS TO DIAGNOSE TRAUMATIC 
BRAIN INJURY IN MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
FORCES. 
(a) STUDY REQUIRED; ELEMENTS.—The Secretary 
of Defense shall conduct a study of commercially available 
diagnostic tools that screen for traumatic brain injury (in 
this section referred to as ‘‘TBI’’) and may be used by 
forward-deployed units and in combat zones. Such study 
shall include the following elements: 
(1) Whether such tools can distinguish mild 
traumatic brain injury from moderate or severe TBI. 
(2) How such tools could be used with other ap-
proved diagnostics (including neuroimaging biomark-
532 
ers used in computed tomography or magnetic reso-
nance 
imaging, 
blood-based 
biomarkers, 
electrophysiological biomarkers, oculomotor tracking 
systems, and integrated measures of physiological 
deficits), to enhance the health, survival, and long- 
term conditions of members and former members of 
the Armed Forces. 
(3) How such tools would improve military 
readiness and address concerns regarding the grow-
ing medical burden of TBI. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a re-
port containing the following: 
(1) The results of the study. 
(2) Determinations of the Secretary regarding 
whether to procure and use such tools in addition to 
other tools already used in the Department of De-
fense to screen for TBI. 
(3) Recommendations of the Secretary regard-
ing legislation that may by necessary to action re-
garding such tools.
533 
SEC. 746. STUDY ON USE OF ROUTINE NEUROIMAGING MO-
DALITIES IN DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND 
PREVENTION OF BRAIN INJURY DUE TO 
BLAST PRESSURE EXPOSURE DURING COM-
BAT AND TRAINING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
conduct a study on the feasibility and effectiveness of the 
use of routine neuroimaging modalities in the diagnosis, 
treatment, and prevention of brain injury among members 
of the Armed Forces due to one or more blast pressure 
exposures during combat and training. 
(b) REPORTS.— 
(1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representa-
tives an interim report on the methods and action 
plan for the study under subsection (a). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than two years 
after the date on which the Secretary begins the 
study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall sub-
mit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives a report on 
the results of such study.
534 
SEC. 747. CLARIFICATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES REGARD-
ING THE INTEGRATED DISABILITY EVALUA-
TION SYSTEM. 
(a) CLARIFICATION.—Subsection (h) of section 1073c 
of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘SECRETARIES 
CONCERNED AND MEDICAL EVALUATION BOARDS’’ 
and inserting ‘‘AUTHORITY OVER MEMBERS’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(1)’’ before ‘‘Nothing’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(2) Notwithstanding the responsibilities and au-
thorities of the Defense Health Agency with respect to the 
administration of military medical treatment facilities as 
set forth in this section (including medical evaluations of 
members of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the 
military department concerned), the Secretary of each 
military department shall maintain personnel authority 
over, and responsibility for, any member of the armed 
forces under the jurisdiction of the military department 
concerned while the member is being considered by a med-
ical evaluation board or is otherwise subject to the inte-
grated disability evaluation system. Such responsibility 
shall include the following: 
‘‘(A) Responsibility for administering the mo-
rale and welfare of the member.
535 
‘‘(B) Responsibility for determinations of fit-
ness for duty of the member under chapter 61 of 
this title. 
‘‘(3) Notwithstanding the responsibilities and au-
thorities of the Defense Health Agency with respect to the 
administration of the integrated disability evaluation sys-
tem, a commander shall, at all times, maintain absolute 
responsibility for, and authority over, a member of the 
armed forces referred to the integrated disability evalua-
tion system. Such responsibility and authority include the 
following: 
‘‘(A) The authority to pause any process of the 
integrated disability evaluation system regarding the 
member. 
‘‘(B) The authority to withdraw the member 
from the integrated disability evaluation system if 
the commander determines that any policy, proce-
dure, regulation, or other guidance has not been fol-
lowed in the member’s case. 
‘‘(4) Pursuant to regulations prescribed by the Sec-
retary of Defense, a member referred to the integrated 
disability evaluation system may file an appeal of such re-
ferral with the Secretary of the military department con-
cerned. Such an appeal—
536 
‘‘(A) shall be in addition to any appeals process 
established as part of the integrated disability eval-
uation system; 
‘‘(B) shall include a hearing before an officer 
who may convene a general court-martial and who is 
in the chain of command of the member; and 
‘‘(C) shall be adjudicated not later than 90 
days after such filing.’’. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
prescribe regulations to carry out paragraphs (2) through 
(4) of such subsection, as added by this section, not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) BRIEFING.—Not later than February 1, 2025, the 
Secretary of Defense shall provide to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representa-
tives a briefing on the implementation of such paragraphs. 
SEC. 748. STUDY ON ACCESSIBILITY OF MENTAL HEALTH 
CARE PROVIDERS AND SERVICES FOR AC-
TIVE 
DUTY 
MEMBERS 
OF 
THE 
ARMED 
FORCES. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense shall conduct 
a study determine whether and to what extent members 
of the Armed Forces serving on active duty have adequate 
access to mental health care providers and services.
537 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a re-
port on the results of the study conducted under sub-
section (a). 
SEC. 749. REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN PRESCRIPTION 
DROP BOXES AT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS. 
The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that each mili-
tary installation under the jurisdiction of the Secretary 
has one or more prescription drop boxes to facilitate the 
safe disposal of unused prescription drugs, including 
opioids. 
SEC. 750. WITHHOLDING OF FUNDS FOR FAILURE TO SUB-
MIT REPORTS ON HEALTH CONDITIONS OF 
MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES ON AC-
TIVE DUTY DEVELOPED AFTER ADMINISTRA-
TION OF COVID-19 VACCINE. 
(a) WITHHOLDING.—Section 725(c) of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Public 
Law 118–31; 137 Stat. 309) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Not later than’’ and inserting 
‘‘(1) Not later than’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) If the Secretary fails to submit a report required 
under paragraph (1) prior to the deadline applicable under
538 
such paragraph, the amount otherwise authorized to be 
appropriated for the Office of the Secretary of Defense 
for the next fiscal year which begins after the deadline 
shall be reduced by 5 percent.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect as if included in the enact-
ment of National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2024. 
SEC. 751. HEALTH CARE STRATEGY FOR MEMBERS WHO 
PERFORM DUTY IN A COLD WEATHER LOCA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary of De-
fense for Health Affairs shall convene a working group 
of subject matter experts from the extramural community 
and military health system to develop a strategy and the 
medical research and development requirements to deliver 
pre-hospital, life-saving interventions for members of the 
Armed Forces who perform duty in cold weather locations. 
Not later than July 1, 2025, the Assistant Secretary shall 
submit to the congressional defense committees such strat-
egy and associated requirements. which shall include the 
following: 
(1) An overarching plan addressing unique pre- 
hospital lifesaving and sustainment interventions re-
quired in cold weather locations and research re-
539 
quired to advance medical care in cold weather loca-
tions. 
(2) A review of laboratory and medical product 
development capabilities of the Department of De-
fense to conduct research and development and sup-
port the transition and fielding of medical products 
for cold weather locations. 
(3) Identification of and recommendations to 
amend clinical practice guidelines to treat combat 
casualties in cold weather locations. 
(4) Initial capabilities documents identifying 
gaps and requirements to support pre-hospital, life- 
saving interventions during operations in cold weath-
er locations. 
(5) A recommended investment plan to address 
clinical and medical research and development capa-
bility gaps identified in initial capabilities docu-
ments. 
(6) Engagement of academic medical centers 
and institutions to support public-private partner-
ships for research and development to address the 
pre-hospital needs of members following injury in 
cold weather locations.
540 
(b) COLD WEATHER LOCATION DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘cold weather location’’ means a location 
for which a member may receive special duty pay— 
(1) under section 352 of title 37, United States 
Code; and 
(2) pursuant to section 315 of the National De-
fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Pub-
lic Law 118–31; 37 U.S.C. 352 note). 
SEC. 752. STUDY ON INCREASED TELEHEALTH SERVICES 
OF THE DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY. 
Not later than September 30, 2025, the Director of 
the Defense Health Agency shall submit to the congres-
sional defense committees a report containing the results 
of a study to determine how to increase access of 
TRICARE beneficiaries to telehealth services of the De-
fense Health Agency. 
SEC. 753. ANNUAL REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF 
NALOXONE DISTRIBUTION. 
Section 706 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (10 U.S.C. 1090 note) is amend-
ed by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this subsection and annually 
thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Con-
gress a report on the implementation and effectiveness of
541 
naloxone distribution to members of the Armed Forces 
pursuant to this section to reverse opioid overdoses.’’. 
SEC. 754. FUNDING FOR DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAMS FOR 
EDUCATION AND TRAINING. 
(a) INCREASE.—Notwithstanding the amounts set 
forth in the funding tables in division D, (1) the amount 
authorized to be appropriated in section 1405 for Defense 
Health Program specified in the corresponding funding 
table in section 4501, for Education and Training is here-
by increased by $25,000,000. 
(b) OFFSET.—Notwithstanding the amounts set forth 
in the funding tables in division D, the amount authorized 
to be appropriated in section 1405 for Defense Health 
Programs, as specified in the corresponding funding table 
in section 4501, for Base Operations/Communications is 
hereby reduced by $25,000,000.
542 
TITLE VIII—ACQUISITION POL-
ICY, ACQUISITION MANAGE-
MENT, AND RELATED MAT-
TERS 
Subtitle A—Acquisition Policy and 
Management 
SEC. 801. STREAMLINING OF MILESTONE B REQUIRE-
MENTS. 
Section 4252 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘CER-
TIFICATION REQUIRED BEFORE’’ and inserting 
‘‘FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED BEFORE’’; 
(2) by striking subsections (d), (e), and (f); 
(3) by redesignating subsections (a), (b), (c), 
and (g) as subsections (b), (d), (e), and (f), respec-
tively; 
(4) by inserting before subsection (b), as so re-
designated, the following new subsection: 
‘‘(a) RESPONSIBILITIES.—Before granting Milestone 
B approval for a major defense acquisition program or 
major subprogram, the milestone decision authority for 
the program or subprogram shall ensure that— 
‘‘(1) information about the program or subpro-
gram is sufficient to warrant entry of the program
543 
or subprogram into the engineering and manufac-
turing development phase; 
‘‘(2) appropriate trade-offs among cost, sched-
ule, technical feasibility, and performance objectives 
have been made to ensure that the program or sub-
program is affordable when considering the per-unit 
cost and the total life-cycle cost, and the Secretary 
of the military department concerned and the Chief 
of the armed force concerned concur with these 
trade-offs; and 
‘‘(3) there are sound plans for progression of 
the program or subprogram to the production 
phase.’’; 
(5) by amending subsection (b), as so redesig-
nated, to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR MILESTONE 
B APPROVAL.—A major defense acquisition program or 
major subprogram may not receive Milestone B approval 
until the milestone decision authority confirms the fol-
lowing factors were considered in the decision to grant 
Milestone B approval: 
‘‘(1) The program or subprogram has received 
a preliminary design review and a formal post-pre-
liminary design review or an equivalent assessment 
was conducted.
544 
‘‘(2) The technology in the program or subpro-
gram has been demonstrated in a relevant environ-
ment. 
‘‘(3) The program or subprogram is affordable 
when considering the ability of the Department of 
Defense to accomplish the program’s or subpro-
gram’s mission using alternative systems. 
‘‘(4) The estimated procurement unit cost for 
the program or subprogram and the estimated date 
for initial operational capability for the baseline de-
scription for the program or subprogram (under sec-
tion 4214 of this title) have been established. 
‘‘(5) Appropriate market research has been con-
ducted prior to technology development to reduce 
duplication of existing technology and products. 
‘‘(6) The Department of Defense has completed 
an analysis of alternatives with respect to the pro-
gram or subprogram. 
‘‘(7) The Joint Requirements Oversight Council 
has accomplished its duties with respect to the pro-
gram or subprogram pursuant to section 181(b) of 
this title, including an analysis of the operational re-
quirements for the program or subprogram. 
‘‘(8) Life-cycle sustainment planning has identi-
fied and evaluated relevant sustainment costs
545 
throughout 
development, 
production, 
operation, 
sustainment, and disposal of the program or subpro-
gram, and any alternatives, and such costs are rea-
sonable and have been accurately estimated. 
‘‘(9) An estimate has been made of the require-
ments for core logistics capabilities and the associ-
ated sustaining workloads required to support such 
requirements. 
‘‘(10) The program or subprogram complies 
with all relevant policies, regulations, and directives 
of the Department of Defense. 
‘‘(11) Appropriate actions have been taken to 
negotiate and enter into a contract or contract op-
tions for the technical data required to support the 
program or subprogram. 
‘‘(12) The program or subprogram has an ap-
proved life cycle sustainment plan required under 
section 4324(b) of this title. 
‘‘(13) In the case of a naval vessel program or 
subprogram, such program or subprogram is in com-
pliance with the requirements of section 8669b of 
this title.’’; 
(6) by inserting after subsection (b), as so re-
designated, the following new subsection:
546 
‘‘(c) WRITTEN RECORD OF MILESTONE DECISION.— 
The milestone decision authority shall issue a written 
record of decision at the time that Milestone B approval 
is granted. The record shall confirm compliance with sub-
section (b) and specifically state that the milestone deci-
sion authority considered the factors described in sub-
section (b) prior to the decision to grant milestone ap-
proval. The milestone decision authority shall retain 
records of the basis for the milestone decision.’’; 
(7) in subsection (d), as so redesignated— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘CERTIFICATIONS
OR DETERMINATION’’ and 
inserting ‘‘BASIS FOR MILESTONE APPROVAL’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in the matter preceding subpara-
graph (A), by striking ‘‘certifications or a 
determination under subsection (a)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘a written record of the mile-
stone decision under subsection (c)’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘certifications or 
determination of the milestone deci-
sion authority’’ and inserting ‘‘deci-
sion of the milestone decision author-
ity’’; and
547 
(II) by striking ‘‘certifications or 
determination specified in paragraph 
(1), (2), or (3) of subsection (a)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘decision specified in sub-
section (b)’’; and 
(iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘certifications or determination’’ and in-
serting ‘‘decision’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘withdraw the certifi-
cations or determination concerned or’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘certifications, deter-
mination, or approval are’’ and inserting 
‘‘approval is’’; 
(8) by amending subsection (e), as so redesig-
nated, to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) SUBMISSIONS
TO CONGRESS
ON MILESTONE 
B.— 
‘‘(1) NOTIFICATION.—Not later than 15 days 
after granting Milestone B approval for a major de-
fense acquisition program or major subprogram, the 
milestone decision authority for the program or sub-
program shall provide to the congressional defense 
committees and, in the case of intelligence or intel-
548 
ligence-related activities, the congressional intel-
ligence committees a written record of the milestone 
decision. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.—(A) At the 
request of any of the congressional defense commit-
tees or, in the case of intelligence or intelligence-re-
lated activities, the congressional intelligence com-
mittees, the milestone decision authority shall sub-
mit to the committee an explanation of the basis for 
the decision to grant Milestone B approval with re-
spect to a major defense acquisition program or 
major subprogram, or further information or under-
lying documentation. 
‘‘(B) The explanation or additional information 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may in-
clude a classified annex.’’; and 
(9) in subsection (f), as so redesignated— 
(A) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5); 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (6) as 
paragraph (4); and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(5) The term ‘written record of milestone deci-
sion’, with respect to a major defense acquisition 
program or a major subprogram, means a document
549 
signed by the milestone decision authority that for-
malizes approved entry of the program or subpro-
gram into the next phase of the acquisition proc-
ess.’’. 
SEC. 802. PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH COVERED 
ENTITIES THAT CONTRACT WITH LOBBYISTS 
FOR CHINESE MILITARY COMPANIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 363 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 4663. Prohibition on contracting with covered enti-
ties that contract with lobbyists for Chi-
nese military companies 
‘‘(a) PROHIBITION ON ENTERING INTO CONTRACTS 
WITH COVERED ENTITIES.—Except as provided in sub-
section (c), the Secretary of Defense may not enter into 
a contract with a company or a subsidiary of a company 
if such company or subsidiary is a party to a contract with 
a covered entity. 
‘‘(b) WAIVER.—Upon notification to Congress, the 
Secretary of Defense may waive the requirements of this 
section. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘covered entity’ means an entity 
that engages in lobbying activities for any entity de-
550 
termined to be a Chinese military company listed in 
accordance with section 1260H of the William M. 
(Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (10 U.S.C. 113 note). 
‘‘(2) The term ‘lobbying activities’ has the 
meaning given in section 1045(c) of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (10 
U.S.C. 971 note prec.).’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section and the amend-
ments made by this section shall take effect on June 30, 
2026. 
SEC. 803. NOTICE OF CONTRACT CANCELLATION OR TERMI-
NATION RELATING TO REMOTE OR ISOLATED 
INSTALLATIONS. 
Chapter 365 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 4705. Notice of contract cancellation or termi-
nation relating to remote or isolated in-
stallations 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided by subsection 
(b), not later than 30 days prior to the Secretary or any 
other official of an element of the Department of Defense 
cancelling or terminating a contract, the Secretary shall 
submit to Congress a notice of such cancellation or termi-
551 
nation if such cancellation or termination involves a reduc-
tion in employment of not fewer than— 
‘‘(1) 50 remote or isolated installation con-
tractor employees; or 
‘‘(2) 100 employees of contractors, including re-
mote or isolated installation contractor employees. 
‘‘(b) WAIVER.—(1) The Secretary may waive sub-
section (a) with respect to the cancellation or termination 
of a contract if the Secretary determines that such waiver 
is in the interest of national security. 
‘‘(2) If the Secretary waives subsection (a) with re-
spect to the cancellation or termination of a contract, the 
Secretary shall submit the notice required by such sub-
section with respect to such cancellation or termination 
not later than one week after such cancellation or termi-
nation. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘military installation’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 2801(c) of this 
title. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘remote or isolated installation’ 
means a military installation that is a remote mili-
tary installation, as determined by the Secretary 
pursuant to the policy required by section 565 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
552 
2022 (Public Law 117–81; 135 Stat. 1749; 10 
U.S.C. 1781b note). 
‘‘(3) The term ‘remote or isolated installation 
contractor employee’ means an individual who— 
‘‘(A) is an employee of a contractor; 
‘‘(B) as such an employee, provides goods 
or services to a remote or isolated installation; 
and 
‘‘(C) resides in the same geographic area 
as such remote or isolated installation. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary 
of Defense.’’. 
SEC. 804. PROCUREMENT OF CLEANING PRODUCTS. 
The Secretary shall, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, only procure cleaning products that are identified 
by— 
(1) the Safer Choice program; or 
(2) an independent third-party organization 
that provides certifications in a manner consistent 
with the Safer Choice program. 
SEC. 805. NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST FOR FUEL SERV-
ICES FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT CONTRACTS. 
(a) CONTRACTING PROHIBITION.—The Department 
of Defense shall not—
553 
(1) contract with a fuel service provider (includ-
ing any fuel supplier or broker), or a contractor who 
has subcontracted with a fuel service provider, to 
oversee the financial management of, or the proc-
essing of fuel transactions for, the Department’s fuel 
network; or 
(2) make any fuel purchases through a fuel net-
work managed by a fuel service provider and admin-
istered under a no-cost contract. 
(b) WAIVER.—The Secretary of Defense may waive 
the prohibition under subsection (a) if the Secretary 
makes a determination that such waiver is vital to the na-
tional security of the United States; and submits to Con-
gress a report justifying the use of such waiver and the 
importance of such waiver to the national security of the 
United States. 
SEC. 806. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN TRANSPORTATION 
CONTRACTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense may not 
award a contract or order to a transportation service pro-
vider for any shipment that requires any transportation 
protective service if such transportation service provider 
is not authorized by the Department of Defense to trans-
port cargo requiring such a service.
554 
(b) TRANSPORTATION REQUIREMENT WAIVER LIM-
ITS.—The Secretary of Defense may not, except by issuing 
a rule, waive or reduce— 
(1) any requirement regarding transportation 
protective services for any transportation service 
provider; or 
(2) any security clearance requirements for 
drivers of transportation service providers. 
(c) TRANSPORTATION PROTECTIVE SERVICE; TRANS-
PORTATION SERVICE PROVIDER DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the terms ‘‘transportation protective service’’ and 
‘‘transportation service provider’’ have the meanings given 
such terms, respectively, in the publication of the Military 
Surface Deployment and Distribution Command entitled 
‘‘MILITARY FREIGHT TRAFFIC UNIFIED RULES 
PUBLICATION-1 (MFTURP-1)’’, issued September 12, 
2022, or any successor thereto. 
SEC. 807. PROHIBITION ON DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
PROCUREMENT 
FROM 
COMPANIES 
PRO-
VIDING SEMICONDUCTORS AND SEMICON-
DUCTOR-RELATED PRODUCTS TO HUAWEI. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—Beginning on the date that is 90 
days after the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of De-
fense shall not enter into or renew a contract for the pro-
curement of any covered semiconductor products and serv-
555 
ices for the Department of Defense with any entity that 
provides covered semiconductor products and services to 
Huawei. 
(b) CERTIFICATION PROCESS.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall, not later than the date on which the prohibi-
tion in subsection (a) of this section takes effect, develop 
and implement a process requiring each entity seeking to 
provide covered semiconductor products and services to 
the Department of Defense to certify to the Department 
of Defense that such entity does not provide covered semi-
conductor products and services to Huawei. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘covered semiconductor products 
and services’’ means— 
(A) semiconductors; 
(B) equipment for manufacturing semi-
conductors; and 
(C) tools for designing semiconductors; and 
(2) the term ‘‘Huawei’’ means— 
(A) Huawei Technologies Company; 
(B) any entity that is a subsidiary, owner, 
beneficial owner, affiliate, or successor of 
Huawei Technologies Company; and 
(C) any entity that is directly or indirectly 
controlled by Huawei Technologies Company.
556 
SEC. 808. UPDATED GUIDANCE ON PLANNING FOR GLOBAL 
DEMAND. 
(a) PROGRAM GUIDANCE ON PLANNING FOR GLOBAL 
DEMAND.—Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition and Sustainment shall ensure that the pro-
gram guidance for major defense acquisition programs (as 
defined in section 4201 of title 10, United States Code), 
and for acquisition programs and projects that are carried 
out using the rapid fielding or rapid prototyping acquisi-
tion pathway under section 804 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114– 
92; 10 U.S.C. 3201 note prec.) is revised to integrate 
planning for global demand under foreign military sales, 
direct commercial sales, and other relevant transfer au-
thorities to capture and plan for international demand 
under section 25 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 
U.S.C. 2765), including— 
(1) for major defense acquisition programs, an 
assessment of such programs to identify global de-
mand; and 
(2) for technologies under an acquisition pro-
gram or project carried out using the rapid fielding 
or rapid prototyping acquisition pathway that are 
transitioned to a major capability acquisition pro-
gram, an assessment of potential global demand
557 
needs of such technologies not later than one year 
after the date of such transition. 
(b) ASSESSMENT OF GLOBAL DEMAND.—The Under 
Secretary shall consult with the heads of relevant Federal 
agencies and existing databases, including any databases 
administered by the Directorate of Defense Trade Con-
trols of the Department of State, to issue the guidance 
required under subsection (a). 
(c) REVISION OF GUIDANCE FOR PROGRAM PROTEC-
TION PLANS.—Not later than three years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall 
revise the guidance for program protection plans to inte-
grate a requirement to determine global demand for the 
programs covered by such plans. 
SEC. 809. PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH SHIP-
YARDS CONTROLLED BY A FOREIGN ADVER-
SARY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense may not 
enter into any contract or other agreement with a shipyard 
controlled by a foreign adversary. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘controlled by a foreign adver-
sary’’ means, with respect to a shipyard, that such 
shipyard is—
558 
(A) a foreign person that is domiciled in, 
is headquartered in, has its principal place of 
business in, or is organized under the laws of 
a foreign adversary country; 
(B) an entity with respect to which a for-
eign person or combination of foreign persons 
described in subparagraph (A) directly or indi-
rectly own at least a 20 percent stake; or 
(C) a person subject to the direction or 
control of a foreign person or entity described 
in subparagraph (A) or (B). 
(2) The term ‘‘foreign adversary country’’ 
means a country specified in section 4872(d)(2) of 
title 10, United States Code. 
SEC. 809A. BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MULTIYEAR 
PROCUREMENT OF PRIORITY ITEMS. 
(a) RECOMMENDATION.—Along with the budget ma-
terials submitted to Congress in support of the annual 
budget request of the President (submitted to Congress 
pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code), 
for fiscal year 2026 and for each fiscal year thereafter, 
the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget and the Comp-
troller General of the United States, shall include an 
annex with recommendations to Congress—
559 
(1) contracts for priority items that could be 
considered under a covered multiyear contract that 
were not considered as such in the budget materials 
submitted, and the rationale for exclusion of such 
priority items from such materials; 
(2) the cost of implementation of such contracts 
for priority items under a covered multiyear con-
tract; 
(3) any challenges to implementing such con-
tracts for priority items under a covered multiyear 
contract; and 
(4) any technical assistance required to include 
contracts for such priority items under a covered 
multiyear contract in a subsequent fiscal year. 
(b) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the covered officials, shall designate any 
contracts for priority items based on need that will best 
serve the commanders of the geographic combatant com-
mands for contingency planning and execution. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘contract for priority items’’ 
means a contract for goods for any the following: 
(A) Shipbuilding. 
(B) Fighter aircraft. 
(C) Submarines.
560 
(D) Ground vehicle systems. 
(E) Unmanned aerial systems. 
(F) Hypersonics. 
(G) Any goods needed to address supply 
chain disruptions and constraints for the De-
partment of Defense. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered officials’’ mean— 
(A) the Secretary of the Army; 
(B) the Secretary of the Navy; 
(C) the Secretary of the Air Force; and 
(D) the Director of the National Guard 
Bureau. 
(3) The term ‘‘covered multiyear procurement’’ 
means a multiyear contract described under section 
3501 of title 10, United States Code, except that— 
(A) such contract shall be for a term of 
greater than one but less than three years; 
(B) performance of such contract during 
the second or subsequent year of such term 
may be contingent upon the appropriation of 
funds and may provide for a cancellation pay-
ment to be made to the contractor if such ap-
propriations are not made.
561 
SEC. 809B. PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN CHINESE E-COM-
MERCE PURCHASES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—None of the funds authorized to 
be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available 
for fiscal year 2025 for the Department of Defense may 
be obligated or expended to acquire any good from Temu 
or Shein or through a service operated by either such enti-
ty except as provided by subsection (b). 
(b) WAIVER.—Subsection (a) shall not apply with re-
spect to the acquisition of a good to the extent that the 
Secretary of Defense determines that such acquisition of 
such good from Temu or Shein or through a service oper-
ated by either such entity is in the interest of national 
security. 
SEC. 809C. PROHIBITION AND REPORT ON CONTRACTS FOR 
ONLINE TUTORING SERVICES. 
(a) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary of Defense may 
not enter into a contract for online tutoring services which 
could result in personal data of citizens of the United 
States being transferred to the control of the People’s Re-
public of China 
(b) REPORT.—The Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to the congressional defense committees a report on the 
risks of personal data of citizens of the United States 
being transferred to the control of the People’s Republic
562 
of China pursuant to any contracts for online tutoring 
services of the Department of Defense in progress. 
SEC. 809D. REVIEW PANEL ON FAIR AND REASONABLE 
PRICING AND CONTRACT OVERSIGHT. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of De-
fense shall establish a review panel on fair and reasonable 
pricing and contract oversight of sole-source contracts for 
munitions and weapons systems contracts, including re-
lated contracts for services and spare parts. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The review panel shall be 
composed of the following six members: 
(A) The Director Price, Cost, and Finance 
of the Office of Defense Pricing and Con-
tracting of the Department of Defense. 
(B) The Director of the Defense Contract 
Audit Agency. 
(C) The Director of the Defense Contract 
Management Agency. 
(D) An individual from the Office of the 
Inspector General of the Department of De-
fense. 
(E) Two individuals appointed by the Sec-
retary of Defense with expertise in contract
563 
pricing, contract negotiations, and contract 
oversight. 
(2) EXPERT
APPOINTMENT
CRITERIA.—When 
appointing individuals described in paragraph (1)(E) 
to the review panel, the Secretary of Defense shall 
appoint only individuals— 
(A) that have extensive experience in both 
the public and private (including defense and 
commercial experience) sectors; and 
(B) who, in the three-year period imme-
diately preceding such appointment— 
(i) have not been employed by a con-
tractor of the Department of Defense; or 
(ii) undertaken any actions on behalf 
of such a contractor for which the indi-
vidual was compensated in any way. 
(3) MEMBER EMPLOYMENT RESTRICTIONS.—In 
addition to any other restriction imposed by law, 
during the period beginning on the date an indi-
vidual is appointed as a member of the review panel 
and ending on the date that is 3 years after such 
individual ceases to be a member of the review 
panel, such individual may not be employed by a 
contractor of the Department of Defense or under-
564 
take any actions on behalf of such a contractor for 
which the individual is compensated in any way. 
(c) DUTIES.—The review panel shall do the following: 
(1) Identify an extensive and representative 
sample of all fixed price contracts and subcontracts, 
including delivery and task orders, in excess of 
$10,000,000 awarded during a period determined by 
the review panel, except that— 
(A) the period determined by the review 
panel shall include the 15-year period imme-
diately preceding the date of the enactment of 
this Act; and 
(B) the sample shall include contracts the 
performance of which is at least 75 percent 
complete. 
(2) Provide to the Secretary of Defense and the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives a comparison between 
negotiated contract prices and actual cost outcomes 
on the contracts and subcontracts included in the 
sample identified under paragraph (1). 
(3) Provide to the Secretary of Defense and the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives an analysis of the 
sample identified under paragraph (1) to determine
565 
if the pricing for the contracting in such sample ex-
ceeded fair and reasonable prices and, if so, whether 
excessive pricing is widespread or unique to certain 
weapons systems, sectors, or companies. 
(4) Provide to the Secretary of Defense and the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives an analysis of the 
sample identified under paragraph (1) that compares 
initial price submitted by the contractor and subcon-
tractor in the proposal to actual cost outcomes in 
order to determine the accuracy of contractor esti-
mating systems. 
(5) Provide to the Secretary of Defense and the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives an analysis of the de-
gree of competition on spare parts contracts deter-
mined to be a commercial product (as defined in sec-
tion 103 of title 41, United States Code). 
(6) Conduct a review and provide an analysis to 
the Secretary of Defense and the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Rep-
resentatives that determines the degree to which 
contract prices for contracts and subcontracts for 
spare parts that are subject to the submission of 
certified cost and pricing data exceed fair and rea-
566 
sonable prices in comparison to contracts and sub-
contracts for spare parts that do not require the 
submission of certified cost and pricing data. 
(7) Provide to the Secretary of Defense and the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives an analysis of the ade-
quacy and degree of contractor oversight by the De-
partment of Defense, including the sufficiency of 
post-contract award audits for compliance with 
chapter 271 of title 10, United States Code. 
(d) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall provide the review panel with timely access to 
appropriate information, data, resources, and anal-
ysis so that the review panel may conduct a thor-
ough and independent assessment as required by 
this section. 
(2) SUBPOENA POWERS.—To the degree that 
any company who has entered into a contract or 
subcontract subject to the chapter 271 of title 10, 
United States Code, and refuses to provide actual 
cost information to include all internal estimates to 
complete for unfinished work, the Inspector General 
shall use its subpoena powers to compel the delivery 
of the requested information.
567 
(3) INAPPLICABILITY OF FACA.—Chapter 10 of 
title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the 
review panel. 
(e) REPORT.— 
(1) REVIEW PANEL REPORT.—Not later than 
one year after the date on which the Secretary of 
Defense establishes the review panel, the panel shall 
transmit a final report to the Secretary. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The final report shall contain 
a detailed statement of the findings and conclusions 
of the review panel, including all analyses required 
by this section as well as recommendations regarding 
the adherence to fair and reasonable pricing for con-
tracts and subcontracts and improvements related to 
contractor oversight. 
(3) INTERIM REPORTS.—(A) Not later than 8 
months and 12 months after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall sub-
mit a report to, or brief, the congressional defense 
committees on the interim findings of the review 
panel with respect to the elements set forth in para-
graph (2). 
(B) Not later than 4 months after the Sec-
retary submits a report to or briefs the congressional 
defense committees under subparagraph (A), the
568 
Secretary of Defense shall submit a second report 
to, or provided a second briefing to, the congres-
sional defense committees on the interim findings of 
the review panel with respect to the elements set 
forth in paragraph (2). 
(C) The panel shall provide regular updates to 
the Secretary of Defense for purposes of providing 
the interim reports required under this paragraph. 
(4) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 30 days 
after receiving the final report of the review panel 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense shall 
transmit such final report, together with such com-
ments as the Secretary determines appropriate, to 
the congressional defense committees. 
(f) DEFENSE ACQUISITION WORKFORCE DEVELOP-
MENT FUND SUPPORT.—The Secretary of Defense may 
use amounts available in the Department of Defense Ac-
quisition Workforce Development Account established 
under section 1705 of title 10, United States Code, to sup-
port activities of the review panel under this section. 
(g) REVIEW PANEL DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘review panel’’ means the review panel established 
under subsection (a).
569 
Subtitle B—Amendments to Gen-
eral 
Contracting 
Authorities, 
Procedures, and Limitations 
SEC. 811. MODIFICATION TO EXCEPTION FOR SUBMISSION 
OF CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA FOR 
CERTAIN COMPONENTS AND PARTS OF COM-
MERCIAL PRODUCTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 3703(d) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘component of the Depart-
ment of Defense’’ and inserting ‘‘element of the 
Department of Defense’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘of such product or serv-
ice.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘of— 
‘‘(A) such commercial product, or a component 
or part of such commercial product, or a service pro-
cured for support of such product; or 
‘‘(B) such commercial service.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘shall request’’ and insert-
ing the following: ‘‘shall— 
‘‘(A) request’’;
570 
(B) in subparagraph (A), as so designated, 
by striking the period at the end and inserting 
‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) provide to the head of the contracting ac-
tivity a rationale and detailed explanation for not 
making such presumption.’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4) In a review conducted under this subsection, the 
head of a contracting activity may consider evidence of 
whether or not the product or service to be procured is 
a commercial product or a commercial service.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 3703(e) of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
‘‘EVIDENCE ON RECENT PURCHASE PRICES.—’’ before 
‘‘A contracting officer’’. 
SEC. 812. APPLICATION OF RECENT PRICE HISTORY AND 
PURCHASE ORDERS TO TRUTHFUL COST OR 
PRICING DATA REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) MODIFICATIONS TO DEFINITIONS.— 
(1) PURCHASE ORDER DEFINED.—Section 3701 
of title 10, United States Code, is amended by in-
serting at the end the following new paragraph:
571 
‘‘(3) PURCHASE ORDER.—The term ‘purchase 
order’ shall have the meaning given in section 
13.302 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (or 
any successor regulation).’’. 
(2) INCLUSION OF PURCHASE ORDERS IN COST 
OR
PRICING
DATA.—Section 3701(1) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘or purchase order’’ after 
‘‘price of a contract’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or purchase order modi-
fication’’ after ‘‘contract modification’’. 
(b) COST OR PRICING DATA AND CERTIFICATION RE-
QUIREMENTS FOR PURCHASE ORDERS.—Section 3702 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) PURCHASE
ORDERS.—An offeror for a 
purchase order shall be required to submit cost or 
pricing data before award of the purchase order.’’; 
and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and
572 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) in the case of a submission by an offeror 
for a purchase order, to the head of the contracting 
activity (or a designated representative of such 
head).’’. 
(c) RECENT PRICE HISTORY EXCEPTION TO SUBMIS-
SION OF CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA.—Section 
3703 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘a subcontract, or modification of a 
contract or subcontract’’ and inserting ‘‘a sub-
contract, a purchase order, or a modification of 
a contract, subcontract, or purchase order’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘or’’ at the end; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting 
‘‘or’’ at the end; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) recent price history as described in 
subsection (g).’’; and
573 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(g) DETERMINATION
OF
RECENT
PRICE
HIS-
TORY.—Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection 
(e), for purposes of applying the exception under sub-
section (a)(1)(C) to the required submission of certified 
cost or pricing data for a subcontract, a purchase order, 
or a modification to a subcontract or purchase order with 
a proposed value less than or equal to $5,000,000, the 
contracting officer shall ensure that the price is reasonable 
by considering each of the following: 
‘‘(1) Prices paid by the Government for a sub-
contract, purchase order, or modification of a sub-
contract or purchase order for the same good or 
service from the same subcontractor or supplier dur-
ing the 12-month period immediately preceding the 
issuance of a request for proposal, request for a 
modification, issuance of a purchase order, or simi-
lar written intent to procure goods or services. 
‘‘(2) Such prices paid during such 12-month pe-
riod that were supported by cost or pricing data or 
other data adequate to determine a reasonable price. 
‘‘(3) The effect of inflation or other macro-
economic factors on the reliability of such prices 
paid.’’.
574 
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Chapter 271 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in section 3704, by striking ‘‘subcontract, or 
modification of a contract or subcontract’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘subcontract, a pur-
chase order, or a modification of a contract, sub-
contract, or purchase order’’; and 
(2) in section 3705, by striking ‘‘subcontract, or 
modification of a contract or subcontract’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘subcontract, a pur-
chase order, or a modification of a contract, sub-
contract, or purchase order’’. 
(e) CONFORMING REGULATIONS.—Not later than 
120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Defense shall revise the Department of De-
fense Supplement to the Federal Acquisition Regulation 
to conform with the amendments made by this section. 
SEC. 813. ELIMINATION OF LATE COST AND PRICING DATA 
SUBMISSION DEFENSE. 
Section 3706(c) of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3) by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (4) by striking the period and 
inserting ‘‘; or’’; and
575 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) the cost or pricing data were submitted by 
the prime contractor or subcontractor after the date 
of agreement on the price of the contract (or price 
of the modification) or, if applicable consistent with 
subsection (a)(2), such other date agreed upon be-
tween the parties.’’. 
SEC. 814. CLARIFICATION OF OTHER TRANSACTION AU-
THORITY FOR FOLLOW ON PRODUCTION. 
Section 4022 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) The term ‘follow-on production contract or 
transaction’ means a contract or transaction to 
produce, sustain, or otherwise implement the results 
of a successfully completed prototype project for 
continued or expanded use by the Department of 
Defense.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (f)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end 
the following: ‘‘A follow-on production award 
may be provided for in a transaction entered 
into under this section for a prototype project, 
awarded with respect to such a transaction as
576 
one or more separate awards, or a combination 
thereof.’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, one 
or more separate awards of follow-on produc-
tion contracts or transactions with respect to a 
transaction described in such paragraph, or a 
combination thereof,’’ after ‘‘paragraph (1)’’. 
SEC. 815. CLARIFICATION OF OTHER TRANSACTION AU-
THORITY FOR FACILITY REPAIR. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 4022(i)(2) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘except for 
projects carried out for the purpose of repairing a 
facility,’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(A)’’ before ‘‘In carrying out’’; 
(3) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and 
(B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(B) The requirements of this paragraph shall 
not apply to projects carried out for the purpose of 
repairing a facility.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—This section and the amend-
ments made by this section shall apply with respect to a 
transaction for a prototype project under section 4022(i)
577 
of title 10, United States Code, entered into on or after 
the date of the enactment of this section. 
SEC. 816. SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES PROCUREMENT 
AUTHORITY. 
Section 1903 of title 41, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), in the matter preceding 
paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘For a procurement’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Except as provided in subsection (d), for 
a procurement’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(d) SPECIAL
OPERATIONS
FORCES
PROCURE-
MENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of this 
section— 
‘‘(A) a procurement for special operations 
forces to perform activities described in section 
167(k) of title 10 in support of an undeclared 
contingency operation shall be deemed to be in 
support of a contingency operation (as defined 
in section 101(a) of title 10); 
‘‘(B) contracts to be awarded with respect 
to such a procurement shall be deemed to be
578 
awarded and performed outside of the United 
States; 
‘‘(C) purchases to be made under such a 
procurement shall be deemed to be made out-
side of the United States; and 
‘‘(D) with respect to such a procurement 
to which this section applies under subsection 
(a)— 
‘‘(i) the amount in subsection (b)(1) is 
deemed to be $35,000; and 
‘‘(ii) the $5,000,000 limitation in sec-
tions 1901(a)(2) and 3305(a)(2) of this 
title and section 3205(a)(2) of title 10 is 
deemed to be $15,000,000. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES.—The 
term ‘special operations forces’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 167(j) of title 10. 
‘‘(B) UNDECLARED
CONTINGENCY
OPER-
ATION.—The term ‘undeclared contingency op-
eration’ means an operation in which members 
of the armed forces are or may become involved 
in military actions, operations, or hostilities 
against an enemy of the United States or 
against an opposing foreign force, other than
579 
an operation designated by the Secretary of De-
fense as a contingency operation (as defined in 
section 101(a) of title 10).’’. 
SEC. 817. AVOIDANCE OF USE OF LOWEST PRICE TECH-
NICALLY ACCEPTABLE SOURCE SELECTION 
CRITERIA FOR PROCUREMENT OF MUNI-
TIONS RESPONSE SERVICES. 
Section 880(c)(1) of the John S. McCain National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (41 
U.S.C. 3701 note) is amended by inserting ‘‘munitions re-
sponse services,’’ after ‘‘telecommunications devices and 
services,’’. 
SEC. 818. EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO MOD-
IFY 
CERTAIN 
CONTRACTS 
AND 
OPTIONS 
BASED ON THE EFFECTS OF INFLATION. 
Subsection (e) of the first section of Public Law 85– 
804 (50 U.S.C. 1431(e)) is amended by striking ‘‘Decem-
ber 31, 2024’’ and inserting ‘‘December 31, 2025’’. 
SEC. 819. LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR 
CHILLER CLASS PROJECTS OF THE DEPART-
MENT OF THE AIR FORCE. 
(a) LIMITATION.—None of the funds authorized to 
be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available 
for fiscal year 2025 for the Air Force may be obligated 
or expended to acquire goods or services under a non-com-
580 
petitive justification and approval for the purposes of 
standardizing the heating, ventilation, and air condi-
tioning chillers at installations of the Air Force until the 
date on which the Secretary of Defense submits to the 
congressional defense committees the certification de-
scribed in subsection (b). 
(b) CERTIFICATION DESCRIBED.—The certification 
described in this subsection is a certification that— 
(1) the Secretary of Defense has developed a 
methodology to compare the cost of initially acquir-
ing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning 
chillers and equipment supporting such chillers for 
the purposes described in subsection (a) under a 
non-competitive justification and approval to the 
cost of initially acquiring such chillers and equip-
ment for such purposes using competitive proce-
dures; 
(2) the Secretary of Defense has established 
metrics to measure the effects of standardizing the 
heating, ventilation, and air conditioning chillers at 
installations of the Air Force, including the costs of 
training technicians, any savings resulting from the 
ability of employees of the Government to repair 
such chillers, the cost of initially acquiring chillers
581 
and equipment supporting such chillers for such pur-
pose, and the life cycle costs of such chillers; and 
(3) the Secretary of Defense has collected data 
demonstrating that the use of procedures other than 
competitive procedures to acquire chillers for the 
purposes of standardizing the heating, ventilation, 
and air conditioning chillers at installations of the 
Air Force has resulted in lower life cycle costs com-
pared to using competitive procedures for such ac-
quisitions. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘competitive procedures’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 3012 of title 10, 
United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘non-competitive justification and 
approval’’ means the justification and approval re-
quired by section 3204(e)(1) of title 10, United 
States Code, for the use of procedures other than 
competitive procedures to award a contract. 
SEC. 820. REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO COMBAT FOOT-
WEAR OF MEMBERS OF ALL BRANCHES OF 
THE ARMED FORCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of De-
fense shall issue regulations prohibiting any member of
582 
the 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 
entirely 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) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘optional combat boots’’, with re-
spect to a member of the Armed Forces, combat 
boots not furnished to such member of the Armed 
Forces by the Secretary of Defense. 
(2) The term ‘‘required uniform’’ means a uni-
form a member of the Armed Forces is required to 
wear as a member of the Armed Forces. 
SEC. 821. ADDITION OF DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED STAIN-
LESS STEEL FLATWARE TO THE REQUIRE-
MENT TO BUY CERTAIN ARTICLES FROM 
AMERICAN SOURCES. 
(a) ADDITION TO COVERED ITEMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 4862(b) of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended—
583 
(A) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) Stainless steel flatware.’’; and 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (5) as 
paragraph (4). 
(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 
by paragraph (1) shall take effect on October 1, 
2025. 
Subtitle C—Provisions Relating to 
Workforce Development 
SEC. 831. UPDATED ADAPTIVE ACQUISITION FRAMEWORK 
TRAINING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter IV of chapter 87 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1749. Updated Adaptive Acquisition Framework 
training 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The President of the Defense 
Acquisition University, in coordination with the Secretary 
of Defense and in consultation with industry representa-
tives, shall ensure that the training program for the acqui-
sition workforce on the adaptive acquisition framework (as 
described in Department of Defense Instruction 5000.02, 
‘Operation of the Adaptive Acquisition Framework’) that
584 
is part of the curriculum of the Defense Acquisition Uni-
versity includes training on— 
‘‘(1) the relevant innovative procedures and 
best practices of the private sector for acquiring 
goods and services; and 
‘‘(2) acquisition authorities applicable to the 
adaptive acquisition framework that were established 
or otherwise made available to the Department of 
Defense in the preceding two years. 
‘‘(b) TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.—(1) The training 
required by subsection (a) shall include— 
‘‘(A) learning objectives related to market re-
search, communicating with industry, and identi-
fying and implementing the best practices used by 
industry for acquiring goods and services; 
‘‘(B) learning objectives that encourage the use 
of technologies that are commercial products, com-
mercial services, and commercially available off-the- 
shelf items (as such terms are defined in sections 
103, 103a, and 104, respectively, of title 41), to the 
greatest extent practicable; and 
‘‘(C) training on technology procured as a con-
sumption-based solution (as defined in section 834 
of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National De-
585 
fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (10 
U.S.C. 4571 note)) or emerging technology. 
‘‘(2) Beginning 18 months after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, and not less than every two years 
thereafter, the President of the Defense Acquisition Uni-
versity shall update the training described in subsection 
(a) to include all acquisition authorities applicable to the 
adaptive acquisition framework that were established or 
otherwise made available to the Department of Defense 
in the two years preceding such update. 
‘‘(c) ACQUISITION WORKFORCE DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘acquisition workforce’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 101(a), except that the term 
only includes— 
‘‘(1) program executive officers (as such term is 
defined in section 1737 of this title); 
‘‘(2) program managers (as such term is de-
fined in such section); 
‘‘(3) general officers (as such term is defined in 
section 101(b) of this title); 
‘‘(4) flag officers (as such term is defined in 
such section); and 
‘‘(5) individuals holding Senior Executive Serv-
ice positions (as such term is defined in section 3132 
of title 5).’’.
586 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for chapter 87 of title 10, United States Code, is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 1748 the 
following new item: 
‘‘1749. Updated Adaptive Acquisition Framework training.’’. 
SEC. 832. PERFORMANCE INCENTIVES RELATED TO COM-
MERCIAL PRODUCT AND COMMERCIAL SERV-
ICE DETERMINATIONS. 
Section 3456 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(3) establish and maintain performance incen-
tives for contracting officers and program managers 
that 
request 
support 
described 
in 
subsection 
(b)(1)(A).’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or pro-
gram manager’’ after ‘‘contracting officer’’; and
587 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘or pro-
gram manager (as applicable)’’ after ‘‘con-
tracting officer’’ each place it appears. 
SEC. 833. AUTONOMOUS UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM AC-
QUISITION PATHWAYS. 
(a) ACQUISITION PATHWAYS.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall ensure that, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, procurement programs for autonomous unmanned 
aerial systems use separate, parallel acquisition pathways 
for hardware and software related to such systems. 
(b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary 
shall ensure that members of the acquisition workforce (as 
defined in section 101 of title 10, United States Code), 
with respect to the procurement of autonomous unmanned 
aerial systems under this section and to the maximum ex-
tent practicable— 
(1) use the appropriate software acquisition 
pathway established under section 800 of the Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2020 (Public Law 116–92; 133 Stat. 1478; 10 
U.S.C. 4571 note); and 
(2) include requirements for hardware compo-
nents of such systems to be compliant with modular 
open system approach (as defined in section 4401 of 
title 10, United States Code).
588 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a re-
port that includes— 
(1) a description of plans to implement the sep-
arate, parallel acquisition pathways described in sub-
section (a); and 
(2) recommendations by the Secretary for any 
legislative action the Secretary determines necessary 
to implement this section. 
(d) APPLICABILITY.—This section shall apply with 
respect to contracts for the procurement of autonomous 
unmanned aerial systems or hardware or software related 
to such systems entered into on or after the date of the 
enactment of this section. 
SEC. 834. PILOT PROGRAM FOR PROGRAM MANAGEMENT 
OFFICES TO COMPETE IN REHABILITATING 
AT-RISK PROGRAMS. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—Not later than 
April 1, 2025, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisi-
tion and Sustainment, in consultation with the Secretaries 
of the military departments and the commanders of the 
combatant commands, shall establish a pilot program to 
test the feasibility and reliability of requiring program
589 
managers within the Department of Defense to manage 
at-risk programs selected under subsection (b). 
(b) SELECTION OF AT-RISK PROGRAMS.—The Under 
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretaries of the mili-
tary departments and the commanders of the combatant 
commands, shall select not less than 2 and not more than 
3 at-risk programs for the pilot program established under 
this section. 
(c) SELECTION OF PROGRAM MANAGER.—Not later 
than 12 months after selecting at-risk programs under 
subsection (b), the Under Secretary shall select one pro-
gram manager to assume management of each selected at- 
risk programs. 
(d) EXISTING PERSONNEL.—Activities under the 
pilot program established under this section shall be car-
ried out by existing personnel of the Department of De-
fense. 
(e) EVALUATION METRICS.—Before selecting at-risk 
programs under subsection (b), the Under Secretary, in 
consultation with the Secretaries of the military depart-
ments and the commanders of the combatant commands, 
shall establish metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the 
pilot program and the activities under the pilot program. 
(f) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later 
than 180 days after selection of all program managers
590 
under subsection (c), the Under Secretary shall submit to 
the congressional defense committees a report that in-
cludes the following: 
(1) The definition of an at-risk program for 
purposes of the pilot program. 
(2) The at-risk programs selected under sub-
section (b) and a description of the technology to be 
developed under such programs. 
(3) The metrics to be used in evaluating the ef-
fectiveness of the at-risk program. 
(g) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than January 1, 
2027, the Under Secretary shall submit to the congres-
sional defense committees a report containing the fol-
lowing elements: 
(1) Initial results of the pilot program, includ-
ing challenges and successes. 
(2) A recommendation on whether the pilot pro-
gram should be extended, expanded, or made perma-
nent. 
(3) Recommendations for changes to applicable 
statutes, regulations, or policies to support the pilot 
program. 
(h) TERMINATION.—The pilot program established 
under subsection (a), and all activities under such pilot
591 
program shall terminate not later than December 31, 
2028. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘at-risk program’’ means a De-
partment of Defense program for the rapid fielding 
of technology that is determined by the Under Sec-
retary to be to be at-risk due to failures or delays 
in reaching technical milestones. 
(2) The term ‘‘Under Secretary’’ means the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
Sustainment of the Department of Defense. 
Subtitle D—Provisions Relating to 
Supply Chains and Domestic 
Sourcing 
SEC. 841. ENHANCING REQUIREMENTS FOR INFORMATION 
RELATING TO SUPPLY CHAIN RISK. 
Section 3252 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(1) consulting with procurement or other rel-
evant officials of the covered agency;’’;
592 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘with the 
concurrence of the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition and Sustainment,’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by amending subparagraph (A) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(A) a summary of the risk assessment 
that serves as the basis for the written deter-
mination required by paragraph (2); and’’; 
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (B) and 
(C); and 
(iii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(D) as subparagraph (B); 
(2) by striking subsection (c); and 
(3) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as 
subsections (c) and (d), respectively. 
SEC. 842. AMENDMENT TO REQUIREMENT TO BUY STRA-
TEGIC MATERIALS CRITICAL TO NATIONAL 
SECURITY FROM AMERICAN SOURCES. 
Section 4863 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)(1)(B), by inserting ‘‘quali-
fying’’ before ‘‘foreign’’; and 
(2) in subsection (m), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph:
593 
‘‘(11) The term ‘qualifying foreign government’ 
means the government of a country with which the 
United States has in effect a reciprocal defense pro-
curement memorandum of understanding entered 
into pursuant to section 4851 of this title.’’. 
SEC. 843. MODIFICATION TO MISCELLANEOUS LIMITA-
TIONS ON THE PROCUREMENT OF GOODS 
OTHER THAN UNITED STATES GOODS. 
Section 4864(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(G) Diesel engines that operate at a max-
imum of not greater than 1200 revolutions per 
minute and are capable of generating a power 
output of greater than 3500 kilowatts.’’. 
SEC. 844. RISK MANAGEMENT FOR DEPARTMENT OF DE-
FENSE PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY CHAINS. 
Section 860(a) of the James M. Inhofe National De-
fense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 
117–263; 136 Stat. 2734; 10 U.S.C. 3241 note prec.) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, tempera-
ture exposure throughout the supply chain process,’’ 
before ‘‘and final drug products’’; and
594 
(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ‘‘, includ-
ing temperature monitoring throughout the supply 
chain’’ after ‘‘of drugs’’. 
SEC. 845. INCLUSION OF RECYCLED MATERIALS IN DOMES-
TIC PREFERENCE FOR STRATEGIC AND CRIT-
ICAL MATERIALS. 
Section 848(b) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 
(Public Law 116–283; 134 Stat. 3769; 10 U.S.C. 4811 
note) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by inserting after 
‘‘United States’’ the following: ‘‘, including 
processing of strategic and critical materials 
from recycled and reused minerals and met-
als,’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘, 
including from recycled and reused minerals 
and metals,’’ after ‘‘critical materials’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as 
subparagraph (E); 
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘; 
and’’ and inserting a semicolon; and
595 
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (C) 
the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) the development of sources of supply 
for strategic and critical materials derived from 
recycled and reused minerals and metals; and’’. 
SEC. 846. REPORT RELATING TO CERTAIN DOMESTIC NON-
AVAILABILITY DETERMINATIONS. 
(a) REPORT ON PROCUREMENT OF FIRE-RESISTANT 
FIBER BLEND FABRIC.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and two years after 
such date, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees a report that includes 
the following: 
(1) Information on the availability of a domes-
tic source for fire-resistant fiber blend fabric for the 
production of uniforms. 
(2) A description of any contract the Secretary 
or a Secretary of a military department has entered 
into for the procurement of fire-resistant fiber blend 
fabric from a domestic source in the three-year pe-
riod preceding the date of such report. 
(b) DOMESTIC NONAVAILABILITY DETERMINATION 
REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall sub-
mit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House
596 
of Representatives and the Senate a report that includes 
a description of the following: 
(1) The process of making a domestic nonavail-
ability determination pursuant to section 4862(c) of 
title 10, United States Code, including the average 
length of time to make such determination. 
(2) The process of reviewing such determina-
tions, including factors that trigger the initiation of 
a review, and the timelines associated with each such 
review. 
(3) The process by which Secretary determines 
whether to terminate or modify such determination. 
SEC. 847. SUPPLY CHAIN ILLUMINATION. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall develop 
and implement incentives to encourage each contractor of 
the Department of Defense to implement and use policies, 
procedures, and tools that allow such contractor to assess 
and monitor the entire supply chain of such contractor to 
identify potential vulnerabilities and security and non-
compliance risks with respect to goods and services pro-
vided to the Department.
597 
SEC. 848. STUDY ON USE OF OFF-THE-SHELF INFORMATION 
TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS FROM FOREIGN AD-
VERSARY COUNTRIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
carry out a study on the use by the Department of De-
fense of off-the-shelf information technology products that 
were manufactured, produced, or assembled by a covered 
company, including goods used by the Department that 
contain such an off-the-shelf information technology prod-
uct. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the 
findings of the study required by subsection (a). 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘commercially available off-the- 
shelf item’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 104 of title 41, United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘covered company’’ means— 
(A) an entity that is organized under the 
laws of or located in a foreign adversary coun-
try; 
(B) a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate of an 
entity described in subparagraph (A); and
598 
(C) an entity otherwise directly or indi-
rectly owned by or subject to the control of an 
entity described in subparagraph (A) or (B), as 
determined by the Secretary of Defense. 
(3) The term ‘‘foreign adversary country’’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘‘covered nation’’ in sec-
tion 4872(d) of title 10, United States Code. 
(4) The term ‘‘off-the-shelf information tech-
nology product’’ means a commercially available off- 
the-shelf item that can process, store, or transmit 
digital data. 
Subtitle E—Industrial Base Matters 
SEC. 851. ENTREPRENEURIAL INNOVATION PROJECT DES-
IGNATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) DESIGNATING
CERTAIN
SBIR
AND
STTR 
PROGRAMS
AS
ENTREPRENEURIAL
INNOVATION 
PROJECTS.—Chapter 303 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after section 4067 the 
following new section: 
‘‘§ 4068. Entrepreneurial Innovation Project designa-
tions 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—During the first fiscal year be-
ginning after the date of the enactment of this section, 
and during each subsequent fiscal year, each Secretary
599 
concerned, in consultation with each chief of an armed 
force under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned, 
shall designate not less than five eligible programs as En-
trepreneurial Innovation Projects. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.—An eligible program seeking 
designation as an Entrepreneurial Innovation Project 
under this section shall submit to the Secretary concerned 
an application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary concerned deter-
mines appropriate. 
‘‘(c) DESIGNATION CRITERIA.—In making designa-
tions under subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall 
consider— 
‘‘(1) the potential of the eligible program to— 
‘‘(A) advance the national security capa-
bilities of the United States and, in the case of 
the Coast Guard, the law enforcement capabili-
ties of the United States on the high seas and 
waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United 
States, including maritime domain awareness 
related to such law enforcement; 
‘‘(B) provide new technologies or proc-
esses, or new applications of existing tech-
nologies, that will enable new alternatives to ex-
isting programs; and
600 
‘‘(C) provide future cost savings; 
‘‘(2) whether an advisory panel has rec-
ommended the eligible program for designation; and 
‘‘(3) such other criteria that the Secretary con-
cerned determines to be appropriate. 
‘‘(d) DESIGNATION BENEFITS.— 
‘‘(1) FUTURE-YEARS
DEFENSE
PROGRAM
IN-
CLUSION.—With respect to each designated pro-
gram, the Secretary of Defense shall include in the 
next future-years defense program the estimated ex-
penditures of such designated program. In the pre-
ceding sentence, the term ‘next future-years defense 
program’ means the future-years defense program 
submitted to Congress under section 221 of this title 
after the date on which such designated program is 
designated under subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) PROGRAMMING
PROPOSAL.—Each des-
ignated program shall be included by the Secretary 
concerned under a separate heading in any program-
ming proposals submitted to the Secretary of De-
fense. 
‘‘(3) PPBE 
COMPONENT.—Each designated 
program shall be considered by the Secretary con-
cerned as an integral part of the planning, program-
601 
ming, budgeting, and execution process of the De-
partment of Defense. 
‘‘(e) ENTREPRENEURIAL
INNOVATION
ADVISORY 
PANELS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—For each military de-
partment and the Coast Guard, the Secretary con-
cerned shall establish an advisory panel that, start-
ing in the first fiscal year beginning after the date 
of the enactment of this section, and in each subse-
quent fiscal year, shall identify and recommend to 
the Secretary concerned for designation under sub-
section (a) eligible programs based on the criteria 
described in subsection (c)(1). 
‘‘(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) COMPOSITION.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Each advisory 
panel shall be composed of four members 
appointed by the Secretary concerned and 
one member appointed by the chief of the 
relevant armed force under the jurisdiction 
of the Secretary concerned. 
‘‘(ii) SECRETARY
CONCERNED
AP-
POINTMENTS.—The Secretary concerned 
shall appoint members to the advisory 
panel as follows:
602 
‘‘(I) Three members who— 
‘‘(aa) have experience with 
private sector entrepreneurial in-
novation, including development 
and implementation of such inno-
vations into well-established mar-
kets; and 
‘‘(bb) are not employed by 
the Federal Government. 
‘‘(II) One member who is in the 
Senior Executive Service and— 
‘‘(aa) in the case of the advi-
sory panel for the Coast Guard, 
in the acquisition directorate es-
tablished under section 1101 of 
title 14; and 
‘‘(bb) in all other cases, in 
the acquisition workforce (as de-
fined in section 1705 of this title) 
of the relevant military depart-
ment. 
‘‘(iii) 
SERVICE
CHIEF
APPOINT-
MENT.—The chief of an armed force under 
the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned 
shall appoint to the advisory panel one
603 
member who is a member of such armed 
forces. 
‘‘(B) TERMS.— 
‘‘(i) PRIVATE
SECTOR
MEMBERS.— 
Members 
described 
in 
subparagraph 
(A)(ii)(I) shall serve for a term of three 
years, except that of the members first ap-
pointed— 
‘‘(I) one shall serve a term of one 
year; 
‘‘(II) one shall serve a term of 
two years; and 
‘‘(III) one shall serve a term of 
three years. 
‘‘(ii) FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
EM-
PLOYEES.—Members described in clause 
(ii)(II) or (iii) of subparagraph (A) shall 
serve for a term of two years, except that 
the first member appointed under subpara-
graph (A)(iii) shall serve for a term of one 
year. 
‘‘(C) CHAIR.—The chair for each advisory 
panel shall be as follows: 
‘‘(i) For the first year of operation of 
each such advisory panel, and every other
604 
year thereafter, the member appointed 
under subparagraph (A)(iii). 
‘‘(ii) For the second year of operation 
of each such advisory panel, and every 
other year thereafter, the member ap-
pointed under subparagraph (A)(ii)(II). 
‘‘(D) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in an advi-
sory panel shall be filled in the same manner as 
the original appointment. 
‘‘(E) CONFLICT OF INTEREST.—Members 
and staff of each advisory panel shall disclose 
to the relevant Secretary concerned, and such 
Secretary concerned shall mitigate to the extent 
practicable, any professional or organizational 
conflict of interest of such members or staff 
arising from service on the advisory panel. 
‘‘(F) COMPENSATION.— 
‘‘(i) PRIVATE SECTOR MEMBER COM-
PENSATION.—Except as provided in clause 
(ii), members of an advisory panel, and the 
support staff of such members, shall be 
compensated at a rate determined reason-
able by the Secretary concerned and shall 
be reimbursed in accordance with section 
5703 of title 5 for reasonable travel costs
605 
and expenses incurred in performing duties 
as members of an advisory panel. 
‘‘(ii) PROHIBITION ON COMPENSATION 
OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.—Members of an 
advisory panel who are full-time officers or 
employees of the United States or Mem-
bers of Congress may not receive addi-
tional pay, allowances, or benefits by rea-
son of their service on an advisory panel. 
‘‘(3) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
‘‘(A) INITIAL SELECTION.—Each advisory 
panel shall select not less than ten eligible pro-
grams that have submitted an application under 
subsection (b). 
‘‘(B) PROGRAM PLANS.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible pro-
gram selected under subparagraph (A) 
may submit to the advisory panel that se-
lected such eligible program a program 
plan containing the five-year goals, execu-
tion plans, schedules, and funding needs of 
such eligible program. 
‘‘(ii) SUPPORT.—Each Secretary con-
cerned shall, to the greatest extent prac-
ticable, provide eligible programs selected
606 
under subparagraph (A) with access to in-
formation to support the development of 
the program plans described in clause (i). 
‘‘(C) FINAL
SELECTION.—Each advisory 
panel shall recommend to the Secretary con-
cerned for designation under subsection (a) not 
less than five eligible programs that submitted 
a program plan under subparagraph (B) to 
such advisory panel. If there are less than five 
such eligible programs, such advisory panel may 
recommend to the Secretary concerned for des-
ignation under subsection (a) less than five 
such eligible programs. 
‘‘(4) ADMINISTRATIVE
AND
TECHNICAL
SUP-
PORT.—The Secretary concerned shall provide the 
relevant advisory panel with such administrative 
support, staff, and technical assistance as the Sec-
retary concerned determines necessary for such advi-
sory panel to carry out it duties. 
‘‘(5) FUNDING.—The Secretary of Defense may 
use amounts available from the Department of De-
fense Acquisition Workforce Development Account 
established under section 1705 of this title to sup-
port the activities of advisory panels.
607 
‘‘(f) REVOCATION
OF DESIGNATION.—If the Sec-
retary concerned determines that a designated program 
cannot reasonably meet the objectives of such designated 
program in the relevant programming proposal referred 
to in subsection (d)(2) or such objectives are irrelevant, 
such Secretary concerned may revoke the designation. 
‘‘(g) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Secretary of De-
fense shall submit to Congress an annual report describing 
each designated program and the progress each designated 
program has made toward achieving the objectives of the 
designated program. 
‘‘(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ADVISORY
PANEL.—The term ‘advisory 
panel’ means an advisory panel established under 
subsection (e)(1). 
‘‘(2) DESIGNATED PROGRAM.—The term ‘des-
ignated program’ means an eligible program that 
has been designated as an Entrepreneurial Innova-
tion Project under this section. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE PROGRAM.—The term ‘eligible 
program’ means work performed pursuant to a 
Phase III agreement (as such term is defined in sec-
tion 9(r)(2) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
638(r)(2))).’’.
608 
(2) TARGET CHAPTER TABLE OF SECTIONS.— 
The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 
303 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after the item related to section 4067 the 
following new item: 
‘‘4068. Entrepreneurial Innovation Project designations.’’. 
(b) ESTABLISHMENT DEADLINE.—Not later than 
120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, each 
of the Secretaries concerned shall establish the advisory 
panels described in section 4068(e) of title 10, United 
States Code, as added by subsection (a). 
SEC. 852. MODIFICATION TO PROCUREMENT REQUIRE-
MENTS RELATING TO RARE EARTH ELE-
MENTS AND STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MATE-
RIALS. 
(a) MODIFICATION REGARDING ADVANCED BAT-
TERIES
IN DISCLOSURES CONCERNING RARE EARTH 
ELEMENTS AND STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MATERIALS 
BY CONTRACTORS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.—Sec-
tion 857 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117– 
263; 136 Stat. 2727; 10 U.S.C. 4811 note) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘permanent magnet’’ 
and inserting ‘‘permanent magnet, or an
609 
advanced battery or advanced battery com-
ponent (as those terms are defined, respec-
tively, in section 40207(a) of the Infra-
structure Investment and Jobs Act (42 
U.S.C. 18741(a))),’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘of the magnet’’ and 
inserting ‘‘of the magnet, the advanced 
battery, or the advanced battery compo-
nent (as applicable)’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by amending to read 
as follows: 
‘‘(2) ELEMENTS.—A disclosure under para-
graph (1) with respect to a system described in that 
paragraph shall include— 
‘‘(A) if the system includes a permanent 
magnet, an identification of the country or 
countries in which— 
‘‘(i) any rare earth elements and stra-
tegic and critical materials used in the 
magnet were mined; 
‘‘(ii) such elements and materials were 
refined into oxides; 
‘‘(iii) such elements and materials 
were made into metals and alloys; and
610 
‘‘(iv) the magnet was sintered or 
bonded and magnetized; and 
‘‘(B) if the system includes an advanced 
battery or an advanced battery component, an 
identification of the country or countries in 
which— 
‘‘(i) any strategic and critical mate-
rials that are covered minerals used in the 
battery or component were refined, proc-
essed, or reprocessed; 
‘‘(ii) any strategic and critical mate-
rials that are covered minerals and that 
were manufactured into the battery or 
component; and 
‘‘(iii) the battery cell, module, and 
pack of the battery or component were 
manufactured and assembled.’’; and 
(2) by amending subsection (d) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘strategic and critical materials’ 
means materials designated as strategic and critical 
under section 3(a) of the Strategic and Critical Ma-
terials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98b(a)).
611 
‘‘(2) The term ‘covered minerals’ means lith-
ium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite.’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—Subsection (a) of 
such section 857 is further amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘provides the 
system’’ and inserting ‘‘provides the system as de-
scribed in paragraph (1)’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (4)(C), by striking ‘‘a senior 
acquisition executive’’ and inserting ‘‘a service acqui-
sition executive’’. 
SEC. 853. UPDATE AND EXTEND THE AUTHORIZATION OF 
DISTRIBUTION SUPPORT AND SERVICES FOR 
CONTRACTORS PROGRAM. 
(a) PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION AND REMOVAL OF 
LIMITATION.—Section 883 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (10 U.S.C. 4291 note 
prec.) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (2); and 
(B) by striking ‘‘CONTRACTS.—’’ through 
‘‘Any storage’’ and inserting ‘‘CONTRACTS.— 
Any storage’’; and 
(2) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘pilot pro-
gram’’ and all that follows through ‘‘of this Act’’
612 
and inserting the following: ‘‘program shall expire on 
December 31, 2039’’. 
(b) REMOVAL OF PILOT PROGRAM REFERENCES.— 
Such section is further amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking 
‘‘PILOT’’; 
(2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘eight-year 
pilot’’; and 
(3) in subsections (b), (d), (e), and (f) by strik-
ing ‘‘pilot’’ each place it appears. 
(c) EXPANSION.—Such section is further amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘WEAP-
ON SYSTEMS’’; 
(2) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘for the pro-
duction, modification, maintenance, or repair of a 
weapon system that is’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘described in 
subsection (a) are’’ and inserting ‘‘entered into by 
the Department include’’. 
(d) AMENDMENTS
TO REGULATIONS.—Subsection 
(d) of such section is further amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A)—
613 
(i) by striking ‘‘the solicitation of of-
fers for a contract described in subsection 
(a),’’ and inserting ‘‘notifying a contractor 
or potential contractor’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘are to’’ and inserting 
‘‘may’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘to 
any contractor awarded the contract, but only’’; 
and 
(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘to 
be made’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘shall in-
clude’’ and all that follows and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘shall include a requirement that any failure 
by the contractor to perform the supported contract 
is not excusable based on use of the support con-
tract, and the contractor is to remain responsible for 
performance of the primary contract.’’. 
(e) REPEAL
OF
REPORT
REQUIREMENTS.—Sub-
section (f) of such section is further amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Not later 
than’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the Secretary’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘Not later than five 
years after the date of the enactment of the Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
614 
2025, and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary’’; 
and 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘Not later 
than’’ and all that follows through ‘‘the Comp-
troller’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘Not later than 
five years after the date of the enactment of the Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2025, and every 5 years thereafter, the Comp-
troller’’. 
SEC. 854. PROCUREMENT OF COVERED HEARING PROTEC-
TION DEVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense, in co-
ordination with the head of the Hearing Center of Excel-
lence, may enter into one or more contracts to procure 
covered hearing protection devices for all members of the 
Armed Forces. 
(b) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary shall prioritize 
the award of such a contract to an offeror that— 
(1) is globally headquartered in the continental 
United States; and 
(2) is majority owned and operated by United 
States citizens. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
615 
(1) The term ‘‘covered hearing protection de-
vice’’ means a completely in-canal active hearing 
protection device— 
(A) that is a commercially available off- 
the-shelf item (as defined in section 104 of title 
41, United States Code); 
(B) with a minimum noise reduction rating 
of 25 decibels and a maximum output not to ex-
ceed 80 decibels; and 
(C) that has been previously identified, 
tested, and qualified by the Hearing Center of 
Excellence. 
(2) The term ‘‘Hearing Center of Excellence’’ 
means the center of excellence for hearing loss and 
auditory system injury established pursuant to sec-
tion 721 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 
110–417). 
SEC. 855. PROCUREMENT OF SECURE LITHIUM-ION BAT-
TERIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Department of Defense is re-
quired to procure lithium-ion batteries produced in the 
United States or in allied nations, and cells that contain 
minimal Foreign Entity of Concern-sourced (Foreign En-
tity of Concern, derivative, successor, or affiliate) compo-
616 
nents or technology beginning in 2026 as specified in sub-
section (b). The percentages required in (b) apply to cells 
procured as end items or embedded within warfighting and 
support systems. 
(b) PERCENTAGES REQUIRED.—(1) Not less than 10 
percent of the total battery procurement of the Depart-
ment of Defense beginning in 2026. 
(2) Not less than 25 percent of the total battery pro-
curement of the Department of Defense beginning in 
2027. 
(3) Not less than 50 percent of the total battery pro-
curement of the Department of Defense beginning in 
2028. 
(4) Not less than 90 percent of the total battery pro-
curement of the Department of Defense beginning in 
2029. 
(c) SOURCING AND PRODUCTION.—For purposes of 
this section, a battery or cell shall be considered compliant 
with the rule in subsection (a) if— 
(1) the final product is assembled or manufac-
tured in the United States, Canada, United King-
dom, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, or 
Japan; 
(2) not less than 95 percent of the components 
of the cells by value originates from non-Foreign
617 
Entity of Concern sources (Foreign Entity of Con-
cern, derivative, successor, or affiliate); and 
(3) the production of these batteries and cells 
does not require licensing of technology from a For-
eign Entity of Concern or its derivative, successor, 
or affiliate. 
(d) WAIVER.—If the batteries and cells cannot be 
produced which meet the requirements within subsections 
(b) and (c) at required quality, quantity, and reasonable 
cost, the Secretary of Defense may waive directed percent-
ages in subsection (b). 
SEC. 856. IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF MANUFACTURING INNO-
VATION INSTITUTES ON THE DEFENSE IN-
DUSTRIAL BASE. 
Not later than one year after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees an assess-
ment of the impact of continued investment in Depart-
ment of Defense sponsored manufacturing innovation in-
stitutes on the defense industrial base in the United 
States. 
SEC. 857. REPORT ON COMPETITION AND EQUIPMENT RE-
PAIR. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that it is integral that the military be able to fix
618 
its own equipment, and that efforts deliberately designed 
to prevent the military end user from fixing equipment 
in the field harm our nation’s military readiness. 
(b) REPORT AND PLAN.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the Chair of the White House Competition 
Council the report required under clause (iii) of section 
5(s) of Executive Order 14036 titled ‘‘Executive Order on 
Promoting Competition in the American Economy’’. 
Subtitle F—Small Business Matters 
SEC. 861. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CONTRACTING GOALS 
FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS OWNED 
AND CONTROLLED BY VETERANS. 
Chapter 287 of part V of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section: 
‘‘§ 3906. Small business concerns owned and con-
trolled by veterans: contracting goals 
‘‘(a) CONTRACTING GOALS.—In order to increase 
contracting opportunities for small business concerns 
owned and controlled by veterans, the Secretary shall es-
tablish a goal for each fiscal year for participation in De-
partment contracts (including subcontracts) by small busi-
ness concerns owned and controlled by veterans who are 
not service-disabled veterans that is not less than the Gov-
ernmentwide goal for that fiscal year for participation by
619 
small business concerns owned and controlled by service- 
disabled veterans under section 15(g)(1) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 644(g)(1)). 
‘‘(b) SOLE SOURCE CONTRACTS
FOR CONTRACTS 
ABOVE SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD.—For pur-
poses of meeting the goals under subsection (a) and in 
accordance with this section, a contracting officer may 
award a contract to a small business concern owned and 
controlled by veterans using procedures other than com-
petitive procedures if— 
‘‘(1) such concern is determined to be a respon-
sible source with respect to performance of such con-
tract opportunity; 
‘‘(2) the anticipated award price of the contract 
(including options) will not exceed the amounts es-
tablished in section 36(c)(2) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 657f(c)(2)); and 
‘‘(3) in the estimation of the contracting officer, 
the contract award can be made at a fair and rea-
sonable price that offers best value to the United 
States. 
‘‘(c) USE OF RESTRICTED COMPETITION.—Except as 
provided in subsection (b), for purposes of meeting the 
goals under subsection (a) and in accordance with this sec-
tion, a contracting officer may award contracts on the
620 
basis of competition restricted to small business concerns 
owned and controlled by veterans if the contracting officer 
has a reasonable expectation that two or more small busi-
ness concerns owned and controlled by veterans will sub-
mit offers and that the award can be made at a fair and 
reasonable price that offers best value to the United 
States. 
‘‘(d) ELIGIBILITY
OF
SMALL
BUSINESS
CON-
CERNS.—A small business concern may be awarded a con-
tract under this section only if the small business concern 
and the veteran owner of the small business concern are 
listed in the database described in section 36(f)(1) of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657f(f)(1)). 
‘‘(e) SMALL BUSINESS ACT DEFINITIONS.—In this 
section, the terms ‘service-disabled veteran’, ‘small busi-
ness concern’, ‘small business concern owned and con-
trolled by veterans’, and ‘small business concern owned 
and controlled by service-disabled veterans’ have the 
meanings given, respectively, under section 3 of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).’’. 
SEC. 862. PARTICIPATION OF MILITARY RESEARCH AND 
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE STTR 
PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITION OF ‘‘RESEARCH INSTITUTION’’.— 
Section 9(e)(8) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
621 
638(e)(8)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘thereto)’’ the 
following: ‘‘, as well as any undergraduate, graduate, or 
postgraduate degree-granting military research or edu-
cational institution established under title 10, United 
States Code’’. 
(b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—Such section is fur-
ther amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘section 4(5)’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 4(3)’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘(15 U.S.C. 3703(3))’’ after 
‘‘of 1980’’; and 
(3) by striking ‘‘section 35(c)(1) of the Office 
of Federal Procurement Policy Act’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 1303(a) of title 41, United States Code’’. 
SEC. 863. TRAINING ON INCREASING FEDERAL CONTRACT 
AWARDS TO SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS 
OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY SERVICE-DIS-
ABLED VETERANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary of Defense fails 
to meet the goal for participation by small business con-
cerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans es-
tablished in section 15(g)(1)(A)(ii) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 644(g)(1)(A)(ii)) for the Department of 
Defense for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall, in consulta-
tion with the head of the Office of Veterans Business De-
622 
velopment of the Small Business Administration, provide 
training to the relevant acquisition personnel on how to 
increase the number of contracts awarded to small busi-
ness concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled 
veterans (as defined in section 3(q) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
632(q)). 
(b) TIMING.—The training described in subsection 
(a) shall be delivered to the relevant acquisition personnel 
not later than 90 days after the date on which the Sec-
retary of Defense has failed to meet the goal described 
in such subsection. 
SEC. 864. ACCESSIBILITY AND CLARITY IN COVERED NO-
TICES FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Each covered notice shall be writ-
ten— 
(1) in a manner that is clear, concise, and ac-
cessible to a small business concern (as defined 
under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 10 
U.S.C. 632)); and 
(2) in a manner consistent, to the extent prac-
ticable, with the Federal plain language guidelines 
established pursuant to the Plain Writing Act of 
2010 (5 U.S.C. 301 note). 
(b) INCLUSION OF KEY WORDS IN COVERED NO-
TICES.—Each covered notice shall, to the maximum extent
623 
practicable, include key words in the description of the 
covered notice such that a small business concern seeking 
contract opportunities using the single Government-wide 
point of entry described under section 1708 of title 41, 
United States Code, can easily identify and understand 
such covered notice. 
(c) RULEMAKING.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall issue rules to carry out this section. 
(d) COVERED NOTICE DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘‘covered notice’’ means a notice pertaining to 
small business concerns published by the Secretary of De-
fense or a Secretary of a military department on the single 
Government-wide point of entry described under section 
1708 of title 41, United States Code. 
SEC. 865. EXPANSION OF PILOT PROGRAM FOR ACCESS TO 
SHARED CLASSIFIED COMMERCIAL INFRA-
STRUCTURE. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM EXPANSION.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense shall, under an existing pilot program 
of the Department of Defense described in subsection 
(b)(1), establish not fewer than six new locations at which 
small business concerns, contractors of the Department of
624 
Defense, and institutions of higher education may access 
shared commercial classified infrastructure to— 
(1) expand the access of small business con-
cerns, contractors of the Department of Defense, 
and institutions of higher education to secret/collat-
eral accredited facilities and sensitive compart-
mented information facilities for the purpose of pro-
viding such concerns, contractors, and institutions, 
as contractors of the Department, with a facility to 
securely perform work under contracts involving ac-
cess to classified information; 
(2) increase opportunities for small businesses 
concerns, contractors of the Department of Defense, 
and institutions of higher education that have been 
issued a facility clearance to apply for funding from 
the Government; 
(3) align the locations of access to shared com-
mercial classified infrastructure under such pilot 
program under which the Secretary carries out this 
subsection with the existing facilities of the innova-
tion organizations of the Department of Defense and 
central locations of the national security innovation 
base; and 
(4) identify and address legislative and policy 
barriers preventing broader use of shared classified
625 
commercial infrastructure by small business con-
cerns, contractors of the Department of Defense, 
and institutions of higher education, including access 
to required information technology systems, accredi-
tation secret/collateral accredited facilities and sen-
sitive compartmented information facilities, and 
timelines for such accreditation and use by such con-
cerns, contractors, and institutions. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) EXISTING PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot pro-
gram described in this paragraph is a pilot program 
of the Department of Defense under which there 
have been establishment of locations at which small 
business concerns, contractors of the Department of 
Defense, and institutions of higher education may 
access shared commercial classified infrastructure. 
(2) ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS.—In carrying out 
subsection (a), the Secretary of Defense shall— 
(A) issue policies governing and guidance 
on the process and timelines for establishing lo-
cations shared commercial classified infrastruc-
ture under the pilot program described in para-
graph (1), including how such locations may ob-
tain facility clearances and access to relevant
626 
classified networks of the Department of De-
fense; and 
(B) update and streamline the processes of 
the Department of Defense for approving agree-
ments for the shared or joint use of commercial 
classified infrastructure to facilitate the access 
of small business concerns, contractors of the 
Department of Defense, and institutions of 
higher education to classified environments. 
(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date on which the Secretary of Defense establishes the 
locations required under subsection (a), and annually 
thereafter until 2028, the Secretary shall submit to the 
congressional defense committees a report on the estab-
lishment of such locations under this section, including— 
(1) a list of all active and open requests for the 
accreditation of facilities to process classified infor-
mation made pursuant to the pilot program under 
which the Secretary established such locations made 
by an entity described in subsection (a)(1), including 
the date on which such entity properly submitted 
such request to the Department and to the relevant 
facility accreditation agency; 
(2) metrics on the use of the locations estab-
lished under such pilot program at which small busi-
627 
ness concerns, contractors of the Department of De-
fense, and institutions of higher education may ac-
cess shared commercial classified infrastructure es-
tablished, including the number of small businesses 
concerns, institutions of higher education, contrac-
tors of the Department of Defense, and other enti-
ties that have accessed shared commercial classified 
infrastructure at such locations; 
(3) any actions taken by the Secretary of De-
fense to update and streamline the processes of the 
Department of Defense described in subsection 
(b)(2)(B); and 
(4) any plans for the establishment of addi-
tional such locations under such pilot program pilot 
program locations that will align with existing inno-
vation organizations of the Department of Defense, 
geographic areas with limited facilities at which clas-
sified information may be accessed, and central loca-
tions of the national security innovation base. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
(1) the term ‘‘small business concern’’ has the 
meaning given such term under section 3 of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632); 
(2) the term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given such term in section 101(a)
628 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001(a)); and 
(3) the term ‘‘shared commercial classified in-
frastructure’’ means fully managed, shared, infra-
structure for accessing classified information and as-
sociated services that are operated by entity other 
than the Department of Defense for the benefit of 
employees of the Government and employees of con-
tractors of the Department authorized to access 
such information and who are located in geographic 
areas with limited facilities at which such individuals 
may access such information. 
SEC. 866. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING RELATING 
TO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CRITICAL 
TECHNOLOGY AREA OPPORTUNITIES FOR 
SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense and the 
Administrator of the Small Business Administration (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘covered officials’’) shall— 
(1) increase information sharing on opportuni-
ties available to small business concerns for potential 
contract awards by the Department of Defense for 
critical technology areas; and
629 
(2) improve awareness of small business con-
cerns with respect to critical technology area oppor-
tunities within the Department of Defense. 
(b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR AGREE-
MENT.—The covered officials shall carry out and coordi-
nate the activities described in subsection (a) by entering 
into one or more memoranda or agreements, as jointly de-
termined by the covered officials. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
on which the covered officials enter into the first memo-
randum or agreement under subsection (b), and annually 
thereafter, the covered officials shall submit to Congress 
a report detailing the effects of— 
(1) such memorandum or agreement; and 
(2) any other memorandum or agreement en-
tered into in the previous twelve months. 
(d) SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘small business concern’’ has the mean-
ing given such term under section 3 of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 632). 
SEC. 
867. 
COLLABORATE 
MEMORANDUM 
OF 
UNDER-
STANDING REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Adminis-
trator for the Office of Entrepreneurial Development of
630 
the Small Business Administration and the Director of 
Small Business Programs of the Department of Defense 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report on the memorandum of understanding (referred 
to in this section as the ‘‘MOU’’) between the Small Busi-
ness Administration and the Department of Defense en-
tered into on December 2, 2022. Such report shall include 
the following: 
(1) The status of activities specified in clause 
(1) of part III of the MOU. 
(2) A summary of the lessons learned specified 
in clause (1)(b) of part III of the MOU. 
(3) An analysis of the activities and efficacy of 
those activities specified in clause (3) of part III of 
the MOU, including any nexus related to small busi-
ness certifications and use of contracting authorities 
at the Department of Defense. 
(4) A description of the training and events 
specified in clause (5) of part III of the MOU. 
(5) A summary of how the MOU prevents small 
business concerns from receiving duplicative assist-
ance or contradictory or confusing information from 
covered centers. 
(6) A discussion of the sufficiency of the MOU 
to achieve the goals to promote entrepreneurship
631 
and small business development nationally and lo-
cally and maximize participation in government con-
tracting. 
(7) Any recommended changes to existing laws 
or regulations that would enhance the Parties’ abil-
ity to reach the MOU’s goals. 
(8) Any additional information the Parties 
deem necessary. 
(b) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMITTEES 
DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate con-
gressional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committees on Armed Services and 
Small Business of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committees on Armed Services and 
Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate. 
SEC. 868. MODIFICATION TO INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT 
SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE NATIONAL TECH-
NOLOGY AND INDUSTRIAL BASE. 
Section 861 of William M. (Mac) Thornberry Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (10 
U.S.C. 4901 note; Public Law 116–283; 134 Stat. 3775) 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)—
632 
(i) by inserting ‘‘the Secretary of De-
fense’’ before ‘‘shall update’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘, the Committee on 
Small Business of the House of Represent-
atives, and the Committee on Small Busi-
ness and Entrepreneurship of the Senate’’ 
after ‘‘congressional defense committees’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (2)(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘biennially’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘annually’’; and 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘, the Committee on 
Small Business of the House of Represent-
atives, and the Committee on Small Busi-
ness and Entrepreneurship of the Senate’’ 
after ‘‘congressional defense committees’’; 
and 
(2) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(3) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than October 
1, 2025, and annually thereafter, the Assistant Sec-
retary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy shall 
submit to the congressional defense committees, the 
Committee on Small Business of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and the Committee on Small Business
633 
and Entrepreneurship of the Senate a report that in-
cludes the following for the year covered by the re-
port: 
‘‘(A) A description of activities undertaken 
pursuant to this section. 
‘‘(B) An analysis of effect on the participa-
tion of small businesses in Department of De-
fense contracts as a result of implementation of 
the small business strategy required under sec-
tion 4901 of title 10, United States Code. 
‘‘(C) A description of efforts by the Sec-
retary of Defense to increase participation of 
small businesses in Department of Defense con-
tracts through the small business strategy. 
‘‘(4) SMALL
BUSINESS
STRATEGY
REPORT.— 
Beginning with the report due October 1, 2029, and 
every four years thereafter, the Assistant Secretary 
of Defense for Industrial Base Policy shall submit to 
the congressional defense committees, the Committee 
on Small Business of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepre-
neurship of the Senate a report on overall efficacy 
of the small business strategy required under such 
section 4901, including trends and data analysis for
634 
the period covered by the report relating to imple-
mentation and outcomes of the strategy.’’. 
SEC. 869. BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM. 
Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
657b) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(h) BOOTS TO BUSINESS PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) COVERED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this 
subsection, the term ‘covered individual’ means— 
‘‘(A) a member of the Armed Forces, in-
cluding the National Guard or Reserves; 
‘‘(B) an individual who is participating in 
the Transition Assistance Program established 
under section 1144 of title 10, United States 
Code; 
‘‘(C) an individual who— 
‘‘(i) served on active duty in any 
branch of the Armed Forces, including the 
National Guard or Reserves; and 
‘‘(ii) was discharged or released from 
such service under conditions other than 
dishonorable; and 
‘‘(D) a spouse or dependent of an indi-
vidual described in subparagraph (A), (B), or 
(C).
635 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—During the period be-
ginning on the date of enactment of this subsection 
and ending on September 30, 2028, the Adminis-
trator shall carry out a program to be known as the 
‘Boots to Business Program’ to provide entrepre-
neurship training to covered individuals. 
‘‘(3) GOALS.—The goals of the Boots to Busi-
ness Program are to— 
‘‘(A) provide assistance and in-depth train-
ing to covered individuals interested in business 
ownership; and 
‘‘(B) provide covered individuals with the 
tools, skills, and knowledge necessary to identify 
a business opportunity, draft a business plan, 
identify sources of capital, connect with local 
resources for small business concerns, and start 
up a small business concern. 
‘‘(4) PROGRAM COMPONENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Boots to Busi-
ness Program may include— 
‘‘(i) a presentation providing exposure 
to the considerations involved in self-em-
ployment and ownership of a small busi-
ness concern;
636 
‘‘(ii) an online, self-study course fo-
cused on the basic skills of entrepreneur-
ship, the language of business, and the 
considerations involved in self-employment 
and ownership of a small business concern; 
‘‘(iii) an in-person classroom instruc-
tion component providing an introduction 
to the foundations of self employment and 
ownership of a small business concern; and 
‘‘(iv) 
in-depth 
training 
delivered 
through online instruction, including an 
online course that leads to the creation of 
a business plan. 
‘‘(B) 
COLLABORATION.—The 
Adminis-
trator may— 
‘‘(i) collaborate with public and pri-
vate entities to develop course curricula for 
the Boots to Business Program; and 
‘‘(ii) modify program components in 
coordination with entities participating in a 
Warriors in Transition program, as defined 
in section 738(e) of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 
(10 U.S.C. 1071 note).
637 
‘‘(C) USE OF RESOURCE PARTNERS AND 
DISTRICT OFFICES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 
shall— 
‘‘(I) ensure that Veteran Busi-
ness Outreach Centers regularly par-
ticipate, on a nationwide basis, in the 
Boots to Business Program; and 
‘‘(II) to the maximum extent 
practicable, use district offices of the 
Administration and a variety of other 
resource partners and entities in ad-
ministering the Boots to Business 
Program. 
‘‘(ii) GRANT AUTHORITY.—In carrying 
out clause (i), the Administrator may make 
grants, subject to the availability of appro-
priations in advance, to Veteran Business 
Outreach Centers, other resource partners, 
or other entities to carry out components 
of the Boots to Business Program. 
‘‘(D) AVAILABILITY TO DEPARTMENT OF 
DEFENSE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR.— 
The Administrator shall make available to the 
Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of