H. R. 7776—551 
under part 700 of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, the respec-
tive Secretary shall— 
(1) conduct an assessment regarding the need for such 
a DX priority rating not less frequently than prior to the 
program or project achieving Milestone A approval, Milestone 
B approval, and Milestone C approval, or equivalent; and 
(2) document such assessment within the acquisition deci-
sion memorandum, or equivalent, for the program or project. 
SEC. 1642. MATTERS RELATING TO NUCLEAR-CAPABLE SEA-LAUNCHED 
CRUISE MISSILE. 
(a) REPORT ON DETERRENCE.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that 
describes the approach by the Department of Defense for deterring 
theater nuclear employment by Russia, China, and North Korea, 
including— 
(1) an assessment of the current and future theater nuclear 
capabilities and doctrines of Russia, China, and North Korea; 
(2) an explanation of the strategy and capabilities of the 
United States for deterring theater nuclear employment; and 
(3) a comparative assessment of options for strengthening 
deterrence of theater nuclear employment, including pursuit 
of the nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missile and other 
potential changes to the nuclear and conventional posture and 
capabilities of the United States. 
(b) CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS AND OPERATIONAL IMPLICATIONS.— 
(1) CONCEPT
OF
OPERATIONS.—Not later than 150 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Vice Chairman 
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in coordination with the Chief 
of Naval Operations, the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, 
the Commander of the United States Strategic Command, the 
Commander of the United States European Command, and 
the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, 
shall develop and validate a concept of operations for a nuclear- 
capable sea-launched cruise missile that provides options for, 
at a minimum— 
(A) regularly deploying the missile in relevant oper-
ational theaters; and 
(B) maintaining the missile in reserve and deploying 
as needed to relevant operational theaters. 
(2) OPERATIONAL IMPLICATIONS.—Not later than 270 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and based upon 
the concept of operations developed pursuant to paragraph 
(1), the Chief of Naval Operations, in coordination with the 
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commander 
of the United States Strategic Command, the Commander of 
the United States European Command, and the Commander 
of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, shall submit to 
the congressional defense committees a report that describes 
the operational implications associated with deploying nuclear- 
capable 
sea-launched 
cruise 
missiles 
on 
naval 
vessels, 
including— 
(A) anticipated effects on the deterrence of regional 
nuclear use by Russia, China, and North Korea from such 
deployment;
H. R. 7776—552 
(B) expected adjustments in the regional balances of 
nuclear forces between the United States and Russia, 
China, and North Korea respectively, based on the antici-
pated effects under subparagraph (A); 
(C) anticipated operational and deterrence implications 
of allocating missile or torpedo tubes from conventional 
munitions to nuclear munitions if additional vessels beyond 
current planning are not available; 
(D) anticipated operational constraints and trade-offs 
associated with reserving or limiting naval vessels, if 
applicable, on account of nuclear mission requirements; 
(E) adjustments to posture and operationally available 
capabilities that may be required if the Navy is not pro-
vided with additional resources to support tactical nuclear 
operations, including potential costs and constraints 
relating to nuclear certification, modifications to port infra-
structure, personnel training, and other factors; and 
(F) any other issues identified by the Chief, Vice Chair-
man, and Commanders. 
(c) REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 270 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator for Nuclear 
Security shall submit to the congressional defense committees a 
report that describes the cost and timeline of developing and pro-
ducing a variation of the W80–4 warhead for a nuclear-capable 
sea-launched cruise missile, including— 
(1) the cost of developing, producing, and sustaining the 
warhead; 
(2) the timeline for the design, production, and fielding 
of the warhead; and 
(3) an assessment of how the pursuit of a variant of the 
W80–4 warhead may affect other planned warhead activities 
of the National Nuclear Security Administration, including 
whether there would be risk to the cost and schedule of other 
warhead programs of the Administration if the Nuclear 
Weapons Council added a nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise 
missile warhead to the portfolio of such programs. 
(d) SPEND PLAN.—Not later than 45 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Navy and the 
Administrator for Nuclear Security shall submit to the congressional 
defense committees the anticipated spend plans for the research 
and development of a nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missile 
and the associated warhead for the missile with respect to each 
of the following: 
(1) The funds for such research and development appro-
priated by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Public 
Law 117–103). 
(2) The funds for such research and development authorized 
to be appropriated by this Act. 
(e) CONSOLIDATED REPORT.—The reports required by sub-
sections (a) and (b)(2) may be submitted in one consolidated report. 
(f) PREFERRED COURSE
OF ACTION.—To inform the reports 
under this section, not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall identify one 
or more preferred courses of action from among the actions identi-
fied in the analysis of alternatives for a nuclear-capable sea- 
launched cruise missile. 
(g) LIMITATION.—
H. R. 7776—553 
(1) IN GENERAL.—None of the funds authorized to be appro-
priated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 
2023 for the Department of Defense or the National Nuclear 
Security Administration may be obligated or expended for a 
purpose specified in paragraph (2) until each of the reports 
under this section and a detailed, unclassified summary of 
the analysis of alternatives regarding the nuclear-capable sea- 
launched cruise missile have been submitted to the congres-
sional defense committees. 
(2) FUNDS SPECIFIED.—The purposes specified in this para-
graph are the following: 
(A) With respect to the Department of Defense, system 
development and demonstration of a nuclear-capable sea- 
launched cruise missile. 
(B) With respect to the National Nuclear Security 
Administration, development engineering for a modified, 
altered, or new warhead for a sea-launched cruise missile. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘development engineering’’ means activities 
under phase 3 of the joint nuclear weapons life cycle (as defined 
in section 4220 of the Atomic Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 
2538b) or phase 6.3 of a nuclear weapons life extension pro-
gram. 
(2) The term ‘‘system development and demonstration’’ 
means the activities occurring in the phase after a program 
achieves Milestone B approval (as defined in section 4172 of 
title 10, United States Code). 
Subtitle D—Missile Defense Programs 
SEC. 1651. BIANNUAL BRIEFING ON MISSILE DEFENSE AND RELATED 
ACTIVITIES. 
Chapter 23 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting after section 486 the following new section (and con-
forming the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter 
accordingly): 
‘‘§ 487. Biannual briefing on missile defense and related 
activities 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—On or about June 1 and December 1 of 
each year, the officials specified in subsection (b) shall provide 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House 
of Representatives a briefing on matters relating to missile defense 
policies, operations, technology development, and other similar 
topics as requested by such committees. 
‘‘(b) OFFICIALS SPECIFIED.—The officials specified in this sub-
section are the following: 
‘‘(1) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition. 
‘‘(2) The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy. 
‘‘(3) The Director of the Missile Defense Agency. 
‘‘(4) The Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy of the 
Joint Staff. 
‘‘(c) DELEGATION.—An official specified in subsection (b) may 
delegate the authority to provide a briefing required by subsection 
(a) to a member of the Senior Executive Service who reports to 
the official.
H. R. 7776—554 
‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—The requirement to provide a briefing 
under subsection (a) shall terminate on January 1, 2028.’’. 
SEC. 
1652. 
IMPROVEMENTS 
TO 
ACQUISITION 
ACCOUNTABILITY 
REPORTS ON THE BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM. 
(a) ELEMENTS OF BASELINES.—Subsection (b) of section 225 
of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ‘‘and flight’’ and 
inserting ‘‘, flight, and cybersecurity’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (C) and 
inserting the following new subparagraph (C): 
‘‘(C) how the proposed capability satisfies a capability 
requirement or performance attribute identified through— 
‘‘(i) the missile defense warfighter involvement 
process, as governed by United States Strategic Com-
mand Instruction 538-03, or such successor document; 
or 
‘‘(ii) processes and products approved by the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff or Joint Requirements Oversight 
Council;’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 
inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(E) an explanation for why a program joint cost anal-
ysis requirements description has not been prepared and 
approved, and, if a program joint cost analysis require-
ments description is not applicable, the rationale for such 
inapplicability.’’. 
(b) ANNUAL REPORTS ON ACQUISITION BASELINES.—Subsection 
(c) of such section is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B)(ii)— 
(A) in subclause (I)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘initial’’ and inserting ‘‘original’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in subclause (II), by striking the period at the 
ending and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following new subclause: 
‘‘(III) the most recent adjusted or revised acquisition 
baseline for such program element or major subprogram 
under subsection (d).’’; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(3)(A) Each report under paragraph (1) shall include the total 
system costs for each element described in subparagraph (B) that 
comprises the missile defense system, without regard to funding 
source or management control (such as the Missile Defense Agency, 
a military department, or other element of the Department of 
Defense). 
‘‘(B) The elements described in this subparagraph shall include 
the following: 
‘‘(i) Research and development.