10 U.S.C. § 117 (ARMED FORCES)
§ 117. Readiness reporting system
(a) Required Readiness Reporting System.—
The Secretary of Defense shall establish a comprehensive readiness reporting system for the Department of Defense. The readiness reporting system shall measure in an objective, accurate, and timely manner the capability of the armed forces to carry out—
(1) the National Security Strategy prescribed by the President in the most recent annual national security strategy report under section 108 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3043);
(2) the defense planning guidance provided by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to section 113(g) of this title; and
(3) the National Military Strategy prescribed by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(b) Readiness Reporting System Characteristics.—
In establishing and maintaining the readiness reporting system, the Secretary shall ensure—
(1) that the readiness reporting system and associated policies are applied uniformly throughout the Department of Defense, including between and among the joint staff and each of the armed forces;
(2) that is the single authoritative readiness reporting system for the Department, and that there shall be no military service specific systems;
(3) that readiness assessments are accomplished at an organizational level at, or below, the level at which forces are employed;
(4) that the reporting system include resources information, force posture, and mission centric capability assessments, as well as predicted changes to these attributes;
(5) that information in the readiness reporting system is continually updated, with (A) any change in the overall readiness status of a unit, or element of a unit, that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system being reported within 24 hours of the event necessitating the change in readiness status, and (B) any change in the overall readiness status of an element of the training establishment or an element of defense infrastructure that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system being reported within 72 hours of the event necessitating the change in readiness status; and
(6) that sufficient resources are provided to establish and maintain the system so as to allow reporting of changes in readiness status as required by this section.
(c) Capabilities.—
The readiness reporting system shall measure such factors relating to readiness as the Secretary prescribes, except that the system shall include the capability to do each of the following:
(1) Measure the readiness of units (both as elements of their respective armed force and as elements of joint forces) to conduct their designed and assigned missions.
(2) Measure the capability of training establishments to provide trained and ready forces for designed and assigned missions.
(3) Measure the capability of defense installations and facilities and other elements of Department of Defense infrastructure, both in the United States and abroad, to provide appropriate support to forces in the conduct of their designed and assigned missions.
(4) Measure critical warfighting deficiencies in unit capability.
(5) Measure critical warfighting deficiencies in training establishments and defense infrastructure.
(6) Measure the extent to which units of the armed forces remove serviceable parts, supplies, or equipment from one vehicle, vessel, or aircraft in order to render a different vehicle, vessel, or aircraft operational.
(d) Semi-annual and Monthly Joint Readiness Reviews.—
(1) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall—
(A) on a semi-annual basis, conduct a joint readiness review, which includes a validation of readiness data currency and accuracy; and
(B) on a monthly basis, review any changes that have been reported in readiness since the previous joint readiness review.
(2) The Chairman shall incorporate into both the joint readiness review required under paragraph (1)(A) and the monthly review required under paragraph (1)(B) the current information derived from the readiness reporting system and shall assess the capability of the armed forces to execute their wartime missions based upon their posture at the time the review is conducted. The Chairman shall submit to the Secretary of Defense the results of each review under paragraph (1), including the deficiencies in readiness identified during that review.
(e) Submission to Congressional Committees.—
The Secretary shall semi-annually submit to the congressional defense committees a report in writing containing the results of the most recent joint readiness review under subsection (d)(1)(A), including the current information derived from the readiness reporting system. Each such report shall be submitted in unclassified form and may, as the Secretary determines necessary, also be submitted in classified form.
(f) Quarterly Report on Monthly Changes in Current State of Readiness of Units.—
For each quarter that begins after the date of the enactment of this subsection and ends on or before September 30, 2023, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on each monthly upgrade or downgrade of the current state of readiness of a unit that was issued by the commander of a unit during the previous quarter, together with the rationale of the commander for the issuance of such upgrade or downgrade.
(g) Annual Report on Operational Contract Support.—
The Secretary shall each year submit to the congressional defense committees a report in writing containing the results of the most recent annual measurement of the capability of operational contract support to support current and anticipated wartime missions of the armed forces. Each such report shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
(h) Regulations.—
The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section. In those regulations, the Secretary shall prescribe the established information technology system for Department of Defense reporting, specifically authorize exceptions to a single-system architecture, and identify the organizations, units, and entities that are subject to reporting in the readiness reporting system, what organization resources are subject to such reporting, and the elements of the training establishment and of defense infrastructure that are subject to such reporting.
(Added Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title III, § 373(a)(1), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 1990; amended Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title III, § 361(d)(1), title X, § 1067(1), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 575, 774; Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title III, § 371], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–80; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title X, § 1031(a)(1), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1595; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title VIII, § 845(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1848; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title X, § 1071(c)(2), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3508; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title III, § 331(b), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1354; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title III, § 331(a)–(g)(1), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1723, 1724.)
heading: References in Text
text: The date of the enactment of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (f), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 115–232, which was approved Aug. 13, 2018.
heading: Prior Provisions
text: A prior section 117, added Pub. L. 97–295, § 1(2)(A), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1287, § 133a; renumbered § 117 and amended Pub. L. 99–433, title I, §§ 101(a)(2), 110(d)(3), Oct. 1, 1986, 100 Stat. 994, 1002, required annual report on North Atlantic Treaty Organization readiness, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XIII, § 1301(1), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1668.
heading: Amendments
text: 2018—Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(g)(1), struck out “: establishment; reporting to congressional committees” after “system” in section catchline.
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(a)(1), inserted “and maintaining” after “establishing” in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(a)(2), substituted “reporting system and associated policies are applied uniformly throughout the Department of Defense, including between and among the joint staff and each of the armed forces” for “reporting system is applied uniformly throughout the Department of Defense”.
Subsec. (b)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(a)(4), added pars. (2) to (4). Former pars. (2) and (3) redesignated (5) and (6), respectively.
Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(a)(3), (5), redesignated par. (2) as (5) and inserted “, or element of a unit,” after “readiness status of a unit”.
Subsec. (b)(6). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(a)(3), redesignated par. (3) as (6).
Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(b)(1), substituted “Measure the readiness of units” for “Measure, on a monthly basis, the capability of units” and “conduct their designed and assigned missions” for “conduct their assigned wartime missions”.
Subsec. (c)(2), (3). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(b)(2), (3), substituted “Measure” for “Measure, on an annual basis,” and “designed and assigned missions” for “wartime missions”.
Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(b)(4), substituted “Measure” for “Measure, on a monthly basis,”.
Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(b)(5), substituted “Measure” for “Measure, on an annual basis,”.
Subsec. (c)(6) to (8). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(b)(6), (7), redesignated par. (7) as (6), substituted “Measure” for “Measure, on a quarterly basis,”, and struck out former pars. (6) and (8) which read as follows:
“(6) Measure, on a monthly basis, the level of current risk based upon the readiness reporting system relative to the capability of forces to carry out their wartime missions.
“(8) Measure, on an annual basis, the capability of operational contract support to support current and anticipated wartime missions of the armed forces.”
Subsec. (d)(1)(A). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(c), inserted “, which includes a validation of readiness data currency and accuracy” after “joint readiness review”.
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(d)(2), added subsec. (f). Former subsec. (f) redesignated (h).
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(e), added subsec. (g).
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 115–232, § 331(d)(1), (f), redesignated subsec. (f) as (h) and substituted “prescribe the established information technology system for Department of Defense reporting, specifically authorize exceptions to a single-system architecture, and identify the organizations, units, and entities that are subject to reporting in the readiness reporting system, what organization resources are subject to such reporting” for “prescribe the units that are subject to reporting in the readiness reporting system, what type of equipment is subject to such reporting”.
2017—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–91, § 331(b)(1)(A), substituted “Semi-annual” for “Quarterly” in heading.
Subsec. (d)(1)(A). Pub. L. 115–91, § 331(b)(1)(B), substituted “semi-annual” for “quarterly”.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–91, § 331(b)(2), substituted “semi-annually” for “each quarter”.
2014—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted “(50 U.S.C. 3043)” for “(50 U.S.C. 404a)”.
2013—Subsec. (c)(8). Pub. L. 112–239 added par. (8).
2003—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 108–136 substituted “each quarter submit to the congressional defense committees a report in writing containing the results of the most recent joint readiness review under subsection (d)(1)(A)” for “each month submit to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report in writing containing the results of the most recent joint readiness review or monthly review conducted under subsection (d)”.
2000—Subsec. (c)(7). Pub. L. 106–398 added par. (7).
1999—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 106–65, § 361(d)(1)(A), substituted “with (A) any change in the overall readiness status of a unit that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system being reported within 24 hours of the event necessitating the change in readiness status, and (B) any change in the overall readiness status of an element of the training establishment or an element of defense infrastructure that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system being reported within 72 hours” for “with any change in the overall readiness status of a unit, an element of the training establishment, or an element of defense infrastructure, that is required to be reported as part of the readiness reporting system, being reported within 24 hours”.
Subsec. (c)(2), (3), (5). Pub. L. 106–65, § 361(d)(1)(B), substituted “an annual” for “a quarterly”.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 106–65, § 1067(1), substituted “and the Committee on Armed Services” for “and the Committee on National Security”.
heading: Termination of Reporting Requirements
text: For termination, effective Dec. 31, 2021, of provisions in subsec. (e) of this section requiring submittal of quarterly report to Congress, see section 1061 of Pub. L. 114–328, set out as a note under section 111 of this title.
heading: Limitation on Availability of Funds for Service-Specific Defense Readiness Reporting Systems
text: Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title III, § 358, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1732, provided that:
“(a) Limitation.—
None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act [see Tables for classification] or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2019 for research, development, test, and evaluation or procurement, and available to develop service-specific Defense Readiness Reporting Systems (referred to in this section as ‘DRRS’) may be made available for such purpose except for required maintenance and in order to facilitate the transition to DRRS-Strategic (referred to in this section as ‘DRRS-S’).
“(b) Plan.—
Not later than February 1, 2019, the Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness shall submit to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] a resource and funding plan to include a schedule with relevant milestones on the elimination of service-specific DRRS and the migration of the military services and other organizations to DRRS-S.
“(c) Transition.—
The military services shall complete the transition to DRRS-S not later than October 1, 2019. The Secretary of Defense shall notify the congressional defense committees upon the complete transition of the services.
“(d) Reporting Requirement.—
“(1) In general.—
The Under Secretary for Personnel and Readiness, the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, and the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments and other organizations with relevant technical expertise, shall establish a working group including individuals with expertise in application or software development, data science, testing, and development and assessment of performance metrics to assess the current process for collecting, analyzing, and communicating readiness data, and develop a strategy for implementing any recommended changes to improve and establish readiness metrics using the current DRRS-Strategic platform.
“(2) Elements.—
The assessment conducted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include—
“(A) identification of modern tools, methods, and approaches to readiness to more effectively and efficiently collect, analyze, and make decision based on readiness data; and
“(B) consideration of cost and schedule.
“(3) Submission to congress.—
Not later than February 1, 2020, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees the assessment conducted pursuant to paragraph (1).
“(e) Defense Readiness Reporting Requirements.—
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary of Defense shall meet defense readiness reporting requirements consistent with the recommendations of the working group established under subsection (d)(1).”
heading: Defense Materiel Readiness Board
text: Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(a), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2062, provided that: “The Defense Materiel Readiness Board established pursuant to section 871 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181; 10 U.S.C. 117 note) [formerly set out below] is hereby disestablished.”
Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(b), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2062, provided that: “The Department of Defense Strategic Readiness Fund established by section 872(d) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181; 10 U.S.C. 117 note) [formerly set out below] is hereby closed.”
Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title VIII, subtitle G, Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 260, which required Secretary of Defense to establish Defense Materiel Readiness Board to provide independent assessments of materiel readiness, materiel readiness shortfalls, and materiel readiness plans to Secretary of Defense and Congress; provided for designation of critical materiel readiness shortfalls; established Department of Defense Strategic Readiness Fund; and required Secretary of military department to notify Congress with respect to determination that use of a multiyear procurement contract would address a critical material readiness shortfall, was repealed by Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(c), Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 2062.
heading: Implementation
text: Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title III, § 373(b), (c), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 1992, as amended by Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title III, § 361(d)(2), Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 575, directed the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report, not later than Mar. 1, 1999, setting forth a plan for implementation of this section, and required the Secretary to establish and implement the readiness reporting system required by this section so as to ensure that required capabilities would be attained not later than Apr. 1, 2000.