[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3785-S3786]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 6593. Ms. ALSOBROOKS 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 X, insert the following:

     SEC. 10__. PILOT PROGRAM ON USE OF ADDITIVE AND ADVANCED 
                   MANUFACTURING TO SUPPORT NAVAL SHIPBUILDING.

       (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of the Navy shall conduct 
     a pilot program through

[[Page S3786]]

     which the Secretary shall expand the use of additive 
     manufacturing and advanced manufacturing technologies to 
     address supply chain constraints, production delays, and part 
     shortages affecting naval shipbuilding and ship repair.
       (b) Design of Pilot.--The Secretary shall design the pilot 
     program to--
       (1) identify shipbuilding components, replacement parts, 
     tooling, fixtures, and other items that are constrained by 
     limited suppliers, long lead times, obsolete production 
     methods, or foreign dependence;
       (2) evaluate the use of additive manufacturing and advanced 
     manufacturing to produce such items in a manner that meets 
     applicable Navy technical, safety, cybersecurity, quality 
     assurance, and certification requirements;
       (3) reduce schedule delays in ship construction, 
     maintenance, and repair caused by shortages of parts or 
     production capacity;
       (4) strengthen domestic manufacturing capacity for naval 
     shipbuilding; and
       (5) support the development of qualification standards and 
     repeatable certification pathways for additive manufactured 
     shipbuilding components.
       (c) Implementation.--In carrying out the pilot program, the 
     Secretary shall--
       (1) select not fewer than three classes of naval vessels 
     for participation in the pilot program;
       (2) prioritize components and parts that have demonstrated 
     supply chain constraints, production bottlenecks, or 
     recurring availability issues;
       (3) partner with public shipyards, private shipbuilders, 
     suppliers, and other entities within the domestic 
     shipbuilding industrial base;
       (4) support University Affiliated Research Centers, 
     federally funded research and development centers, and other 
     qualified technical organizations with expertise in additive 
     manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, materials science, and 
     industrial base modernization;
       (5) establish procedures for testing, qualification, and 
     certification of additive manufactured parts for naval use; 
     and
       (6) ensure that any technical data, digital models, or 
     manufacturing processes developed under the pilot program are 
     managed to support long-term Navy sustainment and avoid 
     vendor lock-in.
       (d) UARC Support.--The Secretary may enter into agreements 
     with University Affiliated Research Centers to provide 
     technical support for the pilot program, including support 
     for--
       (1) identifying candidate parts and components suitable for 
     additive or advanced manufacturing;
       (2) developing manufacturing processes and qualification 
     standards;
       (3) conducting materials testing and performance 
     validation;
       (4) assessing cybersecurity risks associated with digital 
     manufacturing files and production systems;
       (5) supporting workforce development and training for 
     additive manufacturing in the naval shipbuilding industrial 
     base; and
       (6) advising the Navy on how to scale successful 
     technologies across shipbuilding and ship repair programs.
       (e) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
     congressional defense committees a report on the 
     implementation of the pilot program, including--
       (1) the ship classes, shipyards, and industrial base 
     partners participating in the pilot program;
       (2) the categories of parts or components selected for 
     additive manufacturing or advanced manufacturing;
       (3) the extent to which the pilot program has reduced lead 
     times, production delays, costs, or supplier constraints;
       (4) any barriers to qualification, certification, 
     cybersecurity, intellectual property, or technical data 
     rights;
       (5) the role of University Affiliated Research Centers and 
     other technical organizations in supporting the pilot 
     program; and
       (6) recommendations for expanding the use of additive and 
     advanced manufacturing across naval shipbuilding and ship 
     repair.
       (f) Duration.--The authority under this section shall 
     terminate on December 31, 2032.
                                 ______