[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3547-S3548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6424. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal year 2027 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 in title VIII, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. 8___. DESIGNATION AND USE OF A GOVERNMENT-OWNED, 
                   CONTRACTOR-OPERATED RAPID MANUFACTURING 
                   FACILITY FOR UNCREWED SYSTEMS.

       (a) Designation of Facility.--The Secretary of Defense 
     shall designate an existing Government-owned facility, or 
     modify an existing facility within the organic industrial 
     base, to function as a Government-owned, contractor-operated 
     rapid manufacturing facility (in this section referred to as 
     the ``Facility'') for the purpose of supporting accelerated 
     production and integration of airborne and maritime uncrewed 
     systems.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Facility shall be to 
     provide the Department of Defense with a surge-capable 
     capability to rapidly produce, reconfigure, and scale 
     uncrewed systems and associated payloads in response to 
     operational requirements and contingency planning needs.
       (c) Activities.--The Facility shall--
       (1) support the production of airborne and maritime 
     uncrewed systems, including attritable systems, loitering 
     munitions, autonomous surface vessels, and modular payloads;

[[Page S3548]]

       (2) employ modular open architectures, digital engineering, 
     and advanced manufacturing techniques, including additive 
     manufacturing and automation, to enable flexible production;
       (3) maintain the capability to shift production across 
     system types based on operational demand;
       (4) prioritize systems capable of being fielded within 12 
     to 24 months using iterative development and deployment 
     approaches; and
       (5) support rapid transition from prototyping to production 
     consistent with existing Department of Defense acquisition 
     authorities.
       (d) Operation.--
       (1) Contract.--The Secretary shall provide for the 
     operation of the Facility through a competitively awarded 
     contract or consortium agreement using existing contracting 
     authorities.
       (2) Priority in operator selection.--In selecting an 
     operator for the award of a contract or agreement under 
     paragraph (1), the Secretary shall prioritize entities with 
     demonstrated experience in rapid prototyping, advanced 
     manufacturing, and defense system integration.
       (e) Integration With Existing Efforts.--In carrying out 
     this section, the Secretary shall ensure coordination with, 
     and avoid duplication of, existing Department of Defense 
     efforts, including--
       (1) the Defense Innovation Unit;
       (2) the Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation 
     Institutes;
       (3) the Manufacturing Technology Program; and
       (4) the transition activities of the Defense Advanced 
     Research Projects Agency.
       (f) Workforce Development.--The Secretary shall use the 
     Facility, to the maximum extent practicable, to support 
     training and reskilling of Department of Defense personnel 
     and members of the defense industrial workforce in advanced 
     manufacturing, digital engineering, and agile production 
     methods, using existing training programs and authorities.
       (g) Limitation.--The Facility may not be used for the 
     production of major defense acquisition program platforms, 
     including ships and submarines.
       (h) Implementation Plan.--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 report 
     describing--
       (1) the facility designated under subsection (a);
       (2) the manner by which existing authorities, facilities, 
     and appropriations will be used to carry out this section;
       (3) the management and contracting structure for the 
     Facility; and
       (4) metrics to evaluate production speed, flexibility, and 
     operational relevance.
       (i) Budget Neutrality.--
       (1) No additional funds authorized.--No additional funds 
     are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section.
       (2) Use of existing resources.--The Secretary of Defense 
     shall carry out this section using amounts otherwise 
     authorized and appropriated for the Department of Defense.
       (3) No new program element required.--Nothing in this 
     section shall be construed to require the establishment of a 
     new program element or budget line.
       (j) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
     construed to alter or expand the statutory requirements 
     applicable to major defense acquisition programs or to create 
     a new acquisition category.
                                 ______