[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 189 (Wednesday, October 27, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3919. Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mrs. Shaheen) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr. 
Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. __. REPORT ON MATERIAL READINESS OF VIRGINIA CLASS 
                   SUBMARINES OF THE NAVY.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Navy shall 
     submit to the congressional defense committees a report on 
     the material readiness of the Virginia class submarines.
       (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include the following:
       (1) An assessment of the number of components and parts 
     that have required replacement prior to the end of their 
     estimated useful life or scheduled replacement timeline, 
     including efforts to increase the reliability of ``life of 
     ship'' components.
       (2) An assessment of the extent to which part and material 
     shortages have impacted deployment and maintenance 
     availability schedules, including an estimate of the number 
     of active part cannibalizations or other actions taken to 
     mitigate those impacts.
       (3) An identification of the planned lead time to obtain 
     key material for Virginia class submarines from shipbuilders 
     and vendors.
       (4) An identification of the actual lead time to obtain 
     such material from shipbuilders and vendors.
       (5) An identification of the cost increases of key 
     components and parts for new construction and maintenance 
     availabilities above planned material costs.
       (6) An assessment of potential courses of action to improve 
     the material readiness of the Virginia class submarines, 
     including efforts to align new construction shipyards with 
     maintenance shipyards and Naval Sea Systems Command to 
     increase predictability of materials and purchasing power.
       (7) Such recommendations as the Secretary may have for 
     legislative changes, authorities, realignments, and 
     administrative actions, including reforms of the Federal 
     Acquisition Regulation, to improve the material readiness of 
     the Virginia class submarines.
       (8) Such other elements as the Secretary considers 
     appropriate.
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