10 U.S.C. § 8698 (ARMED FORCES)
§ 8698. Roles and responsibilities relating to sustainment and readiness of certain naval surface vessels
(a) Type Commander Leadership.—
(1) Beginning on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of the Navy shall—
(A) designate type commanders as the primary authorities responsible for the maintenance, repair, sustainment, and readiness of covered vessels; and
(B) ensure that regional maintenance centers act under the direction of, and in support of, type commanders with respect to such maintenance, repair, and sustainment.
(2) The responsibilities of each type commander under paragraph (1)(A) shall include—
(A) overseeing all maintenance and repair activities at private shipyards for covered vessels in the naval force of that type commander; and
(B) setting priorities and approving contracts for the maintenance and repair of such vessels.
(b) Maintenance and Repair at Private Shipyards.—
(1) Beginning on the date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this section, for each covered vessel undergoing maintenance or repair at a private shipyard, the project manager concerned, the port engineer concerned, and the commanding officer of such vessel—
(A) may jointly determine the work to be performed during the overhaul period for the covered vessel, including by jointly adjusting priorities for such work consistent with the applicable budget and schedule for such maintenance or repair; and
(B) shall report directly to the type commander of the naval force to which the covered vessel belongs with respect to such maintenance or repair.
(2) Contracting officers of the Department of Defense shall manage contracts as necessary to ensure consistency with any determination or adjustment made pursuant to paragraph (1)(A).
(c) Definitions.—
In this section:
(1) The term “covered vessel” means a naval surface vessel that is not propelled or powered by a nuclear reactor.
(2) The term “port engineer concerned” means, with respect to a naval vessel, the technical expert on the condition of such vessel responsible for advising on repairs and related standards for such vessel.
(3) The term “project manager concerned” means, with respect to a naval vessel undergoing maintenance or repair, the individual responsible for overseeing the overhaul period with respect to such maintenance or repair.
(4) The term “regional maintenance center”—
(A) means an organization of the Navy that supports ship maintenance in a designated geographic region; and
(B) includes the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center in Nofolk, Virginia, the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center in San Diego, California, the Southeast Regional Maintenance Center in Mayport, Florida, and the Hawaii Regional Maintenance Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
(5) The term “type commander” means the flag officer in command of a naval surface force, such as the following:
(A) Commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic.
(B) Commander, Naval Surface Force, Pacific Fleet.
(Added Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title III, § 337, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 819.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in text, means the date of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, which was approved on December 18, 2025.