[House Report 115-676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


115th Congress   }                                         {   Report
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                 
2d Session       }                                         {   115-676
_______________________________________________________________________

                                     


        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019

                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 OF THE

                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES

                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                   ON

                               H.R. 5515

                             together with

                    ADDITIONAL AND DISSENTING VIEWS

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
      
      

                                     
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                     

  May 15, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed
              
              
              
                        _________ 
                                  
             U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
 30-053              WASHINGTON : 2018      
              
              
              
              
                      COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
                     One Hundred Fifteenth Congress

             WILLIAM M. ``MAC'' THORNBERRY, Texas, Chairman

WALTER B. JONES, North Carolina      ADAM SMITH, Washington
JOE WILSON, South Carolina           ROBERT A. BRADY, Pennsylvania
FRANK A. LoBIONDO, New Jersey        SUSAN A. DAVIS, California
ROB BISHOP, Utah                     JAMES R. LANGEVIN, Rhode Island
MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio              RICK LARSEN, Washington
MIKE ROGERS, Alabama                 JIM COOPER, Tennessee
BILL SHUSTER, Pennsylvania           MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO, Guam
K. MICHAEL CONAWAY, Texas            JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut
DOUG LAMBORN, Colorado               NIKI TSONGAS, Massachusetts
ROBERT J. WITTMAN, Virginia          JOHN GARAMENDI, California
DUNCAN HUNTER, California            JACKIE SPEIER, California
MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado               MARC A. VEASEY, Texas
VICKY HARTZLER, Missouri             TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
AUSTIN SCOTT, Georgia                BETO O'ROURKE, Texas
MO BROOKS, Alabama                   DONALD NORCROSS, New Jersey
PAUL COOK, California                RUBEN GALLEGO, Arizona
BRAD R. WENSTRUP, Ohio               SETH MOULTON, Massachusetts
BRADLEY BYRNE, Alabama               COLLEEN HANABUSA, Hawaii
SAM GRAVES, Missouri                 CAROL SHEA-PORTER, New Hampshire
ELISE M. STEFANIK, New York          JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
MARTHA McSALLY, Arizona              A. DONALD McEACHIN, Virginia
STEPHEN KNIGHT, California           SALUD O. CARBAJAL, California
STEVE RUSSELL, Oklahoma              ANTHONY G. BROWN, Maryland
SCOTT DesJARLAIS, Tennessee          STEPHANIE N. MURPHY, Florida
RALPH LEE ABRAHAM, Louisiana         RO KHANNA, California
TRENT KELLY, Mississippi             TOM O'HALLERAN, Arizona
MIKE GALLAGHER, Wisconsin            THOMAS R. SUOZZI, New York
MATT GAETZ, Florida                  JIMMY PANETTA, California
DON BACON, Nebraska
JIM BANKS, Indiana
LIZ CHENEY, Wyoming
JODY B. HICE, Georgia
PAUL MITCHELL, Michigan

                      Jen Stewart, Staff Director
                      
                            C O N T E N T S

                              ----------                              
                                                                   Page

Purpose of the Legislation.......................................    01
Rationale for the Committee Bill.................................    02
Hearings.........................................................    04
Committee Position...............................................    04
Explanation of the Committee Amendments..........................    04
Relationship of Authorization to Appropriations..................    04
Summary of Discretionary Authorizations in the Bill..............    05
Budget Authority Implication.....................................    05

DIVISION A--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATIONS.................    06
TITLE I--PROCUREMENT.............................................    06
    Aircraft Procurement, Army...................................    06
      Items of Special Interest..................................    06
        Apache attack helicopters................................    06
        Light utility helicopter.................................    06
        Report on efforts to reduce operational and maintenance 
          costs for CH-47........................................    07
        Unmanned aerial system units for Army National Guard.....    07
    Missile Procurement, Army....................................    07
      Items of Special Interest..................................    07
        Stinger missile modernization program....................    07
    Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army.....    08
      Items of Special Interest..................................    08
        Armored brigade combat team modernization................    08
        M240 medium machine gun modernization....................    09
        M3E1 Carl Gustaf weapon system...........................    10
        Paladin Integrated Management............................    10
        Stryker upgrades.........................................    10
    Procurement of Ammunition, Army..............................    11
      Items of Special Interest..................................    11
        M58 MICLIC...............................................    11
    Other Procurement, Army......................................    12
      Items of Special Interest..................................    12
        CREW electronic counter-measure systems..................    12
        Enhanced rapid airfield construction capability..........    12
        Mine resistant ambush protected vehicle sustainment......    13
        Tactical Communication and Protective Systems (TCAPS) 
          authorization..........................................    13
        Tactical network modernization...........................    13
        Tactical wheeled vehicle industrial base sustainment.....    14
    Aircraft Procurement, Navy...................................    14
      Items of Special Interest..................................    14
        Current and future anti-submarine warfare system study...    14
        Long-range naval carrier aviation........................    15
        MQ-4.....................................................    15
        Navy Reserve F/A-18 aircraft.............................    16
    Weapons Procurement, Navy....................................    16
      Items of Special Interest..................................    16
        Advanced Low Cost Munition Ordnance......................    16
    Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy............................    17
      Items of Special Interest..................................    17
        Frigate..................................................    17
        Nimitz-class aircraft carrier service life extension.....    17
    Other Procurement, Navy......................................    18
      Items of Special Interest..................................    18
        Arleigh Burke-class destroyer radar backfit..............    18
        MH-60R dipping sonar upgrades............................    18
        SPY-6 inherent capabilities..............................    19
        Surface ship torpedo defense.............................    19
    Procurement, Marine Corps....................................    20
      Items of Special Interest..................................    20
        Indoor Simulated Markmanship Trainers....................    20
        Rapid acquisition of Rifle Integrated Controller.........    20
    Aircraft Procurement, Air Force..............................    21
      Items of Special Interest..................................    21
        A-10 replacement wings...................................    21
        Air Force enlisted pilot implementation initiatives......    21
        B-2 secure communication modernization plan..............    22
        C-130H modernization efforts.............................    22
        C-130H propulsion systems upgrade........................    23
        Compass Call transition plan.............................    23
        F-15C Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability 
          System.................................................    24
        F-35 autonomic logistics information system..............    24
        F-35 canopy transparencies...............................    25
        F-35 sustainment affordability...........................    25
        Future sustainment of remotely piloted aircraft tactical 
          intelligence and strike capabilities...................    26
        OA-X light attack aircraft program.......................    26
        Production adjustment for KC-46A air refueling aircraft..    27
        RQ-4 Global Hawk and EQ-4 battlefield airborne 
          communications node aircraft...........................    28
        Total Force C-17 Fleet Management Plan...................    28
        Total Force KC-135R net centric operations and 
          battlespace awareness..................................    29
        U-2......................................................    29
    Missile Procurement, Air Force...............................    30
      Items of Special Interest..................................    30
        AIM-120 production rate..................................    30
    Other Procurement, Air Force.................................    30
      Items of Special Interest..................................    30
        Deployable Air Base Systems..............................    30
    Procurement, Defense-Wide....................................    31
      Items of Special Interest..................................    31
        Common Analytical Laboratory System......................    31
        Multi-Domain Command and Control.........................    31
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................    31
    Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations..................    31
      Section 101--Authorization of Appropriations...............    31
    Subtitle B--Army Programs....................................    31
      Section 111--National Guard and Reserve Component Equipment 
        Report...................................................    31
      Section 112--Limitation on Availability of Funds for M27 
        Infantry Automatic Rifle Program.........................    32
    Subtitle C--Navy Programs....................................    32
      Section 121--Increase in Number of Operational Aircraft 
        Carriers of the Navy.....................................    32
      Section 122--Procurement Authority for Ford Class Aircraft 
        Carrier Program..........................................    32
      Section 123--Full Ship Shock Trial for Ford Class Aircraft 
        Carrier..................................................    32
      Section 124--Multiyear Procurement Authority for Amphibious 
        Vessels..................................................    32
      Section 125--Multiyear Procurement Authority for Standard 
        Missile-6................................................    32
      Section 126--Multiyear Procurement Authority for E-2D 
        Aircraft.................................................    32
      Section 127--Multiyear Procurement Authority for F/A-18E/F 
        Aircraft and EA-18G Aircraft.............................    33
      Section 128--Modifications to F/A-18 Aircraft to Mitigate 
        Physiological Episodes...................................    33
      Section 129--Frigate Class Ship Program....................    33
      Section 130--Limitation on Procurement of Economic Order 
        Quantities for Virginia Class Submarine Program..........    33
      Section 131--Limitation on Use of Funds for DDG-51 
        Destroyers...............................................    33
    Subtitle D--Air Force Programs...............................    33
      Section 141--Inventory Requirement for Air Refueling Tanker 
        Aircraft; Limitation on Retirement of KC-10A Aircraft....    33
      Section 142--Limitation on Use of Funds for KC-46A Aircraft 
        Pending Submittal of Certification.......................    34
      Section 143--Retirement Date for VC-25A Aircraft...........    34
      Section 144--Contract for Logistics Support for VC-25B 
        Aircraft.................................................    34
      Section 145--Multiyear Procurement Authority for C-130J 
        Aircraft.................................................    34
      Section 146--Removal of Waiting Period for Limitation on 
        Availability of Funds for EC-130H Compass Call 
        Recapitalization Program.................................    34
      Section 147--Findings and Sense of Congress Regarding KC-46 
        Aerial Refueling Tankers.................................    34
    Subtitle E--Defense-Wide, Joint, and Multiservice Matters....    34
      Section 151--Buy-to-Budget Acquisition of F-35 Aircraft....    34
      Section 152--Certification on Inclusion of Technology to 
        Minimize Physiological Episodes in Certain Aircraft......    34
TITLE II--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION............    35
    Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Army............    35
      Items of Special Interest..................................    35
        Accelerated integration to counter emerging threats......    35
        Assured Position, Navigation and Timing..................    35
        Targeted Soldier Borne Sensor efforts....................    36
        Computational molecular modeling and simulation for 
          material development...................................    36
        Future digital munitions and integration.................    36
        Future Vertical Lift.....................................    37
        Harnessing Emerging Research Opportunities to Empower 
          Soldiers...............................................    37
        High energy laser systems integration laboratory.........    38
        Improved Turbine Engine Program..........................    38
        Initial Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense capability......    38
        Iron Dome experimentation and assessment for short-range 
          air defense............................................    39
        Lightweight metal matrix composite technology for combat 
          and tactical vehicles..................................    40
        M119 105mm self-propelled artillery system technology....    40
        Mobile camouflage system.................................    41
        Personal Protective Equipment advance technology 
          development............................................    41
        Shoot-on-the-Move experimentation for short range air 
          defense systems........................................    42
        Soldier power and composite armor development............    42
        Squad multipurpose equipment transport...................    42
        Supercavitating ammunition technology....................    43
        Third Generation Forward-Looking Infrared development....    43
        Transport telemedicine system............................    44
        Urban warfare training...................................    44
    Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Navy............    45
      Items of Special Interest..................................    45
        Academic partnerships for undersea unmanned warfare 
          research...............................................    45
        Artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies 
          in Navy unmanned systems...............................    45
        Briefing for the Senate Committee on Armed Services and 
          the House Committee on Armed Services on US Navy's 
          efforts to expand carrier air wing long-range strike 
          capability.............................................    46
        Briefing on Navy support for research into autonomous 
          systems................................................    46
        Briefing on ongoing engine noise reduction efforts.......    47
        Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services.....    47
        Defense University Research Instrumentation Program......    47
        Directed energy and non-lethal weapons technology policy 
          and guidance...........................................    48
        E2-D Advanced Hawkeye Identification Friend or Foe.......    48
        Joint Air-to-Ground Missile for fixed wing aircraft 
          (JAGM-F) integration...................................    48
        Marine Corps Group 5-class unmanned aircraft development.    49
        Maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance 
          capabilities demonstration.............................    49
        Naval underwater test ranges.............................    50
        MQ-25 Unmanned Carrier Aviation program..................    50
        Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal recovery operations.....    51
        Navy Next Generation Enterprise Network..................    51
        Navy Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare prototyping..........    51
        Ocular Interruption System...............................    52
        Passive rocket propelled grenade armor protection 
          technology.............................................    52
        Small Business Innovation Research--Automated Test and 
          Retest Program.........................................    52
        TH-57 follow-on training system..........................    53
        U.S. Navy MH-60R helicopter antisubmarine warfare and 
          aircraft health monitoring.............................    53
        Warfighter safety and performance........................    54
    Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Air Force.......    54
      Items of Special Interest..................................    54
        Academic and industrial partnerships for aerospace 
          materials..............................................    54
        Academic partnerships for modeling, design, and analysis 
          of unmanned air platforms..............................    55
        Advanced engine development program......................    55
        Advanced pilot training program..........................    56
        Advanced radar threat system emitters....................    56
        Advanced Turbine Engine Gas Generators...................    57
        Aerospace composite structures manufacturing.............    57
        Air Force test and evaluation support....................    57
        Air Operations Center software modernization utilizing 
          agile development software processes...................    58
        Autonomous life support system...........................    58
        Education and outreach for anti-tampering and 
          cybersecurity research.................................    59
        F-15 ALQ-128 electronic warfare warning set..............    59
        F-35 follow-on development...............................    60
        Metals Affordability Initiative..........................    60
        Passive ground-based imaging of space objects............    61
        Precision metrology tools................................    61
        Recapitalization of Battle-Management, Command and 
          Control, and associated intelligence capabilities in 
          support of ground forces...............................    61
        Reusable hypersonic vehicle structure development........    62
        Robust aircraft electrical power and thermal management 
          systems................................................    62
        Secure-live-virtual-constructive advanced training 
          environment............................................    63
        Small diameter bomb II cost reduction initiative.........    63
        Technology Transition Program............................    63
        Wide-area motion imagery intelligence capability.........    64
        Wind energy development radar mitigation efforts.........    64
    Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Defense-Wide....    65
      Items of Special Interest..................................    65
        Advanced ceramic capabilities............................    65
        Antitoxin to combat botulinum toxin......................    65
        Autonomous capabilities..................................    66
        Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program...........    66
        Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and 
          explosive standoff detection...........................    67
        Common data environment for modeling and simulation......    67
        Contraband cellular devices..............................    67
        Counter small tactical unmanned air systems..............    67
        Counter-unmanned aerial system threat detection..........    68
        Enhanced Maritime Biological Detection...................    68
        Fielding of radiation detection devices..................    69
        Future uses of synthetic biology.........................    69
        Historically black colleges and universities, and 
          minority serving institutions..........................    69
        Innovative installation capabilities.....................    70
        Joint Regional Security Stacks...........................    70
        Joint threat warning system..............................    70
        Military Free Fall School................................    71
        Minerva Research Initiative..............................    71
        National Hypersonics Initiative..........................    71
        National lab integration in defense innovation hubs......    72
        Non-lethal directed energy technologies..................    73
        Protect DIB critical technologies........................    73
        Rapidly deployable radar system..........................    73
        Report on DoD target and threat systems..................    74
        Research to enhance the understanding of adversarial 
          influence operations...................................    74
        Use of authority for transactions other than contracts 
          and grants by the Department of Defense................    75
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................    76
    Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations..................    76
      Section 201--Authorization of Appropriations...............    76
    Subtitle B--Program Requirements, Restrictions, and 
        Limitations..............................................    76
      Section 211--Modification of Authority to Carry Out Certain 
        Prototype Projects.......................................    76
      Section 212--Extension of Directed Energy Prototype 
        Authority................................................    76
      Section 213--Prohibition on Availability of Funds for the 
        Weather Common Component Program.........................    76
      Section 214--Limitation Pending Certification on the Joint 
        Surveillance Target Attack Radar System Recapitalization 
        Program..................................................    77
      Section 215--Limitation on Availability of Funds for F-35 
        Continuous Capability Development and Delivery...........    77
      Section 216--Limitation on Availability of Funds Pending 
        Report on Agile Software Development and Software 
        Operations...............................................    77
      Section 217--Limitation on Availability of Funds for 
        Certain High Energy Laser Advanced Technology............    78
      Section 218--Plan for Elimination or Transfer of the 
        Strategic Capabilities Office of the Department of 
        Defense..................................................    78
      Section 219--National Security Science and Technology 
        Strategy.................................................    78
      Section 220--Modification of CVN-73 to Support Fielding of 
        MQ-25 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle............................    78
    Subtitle C--Reports and Other Matters........................    78
      Section 221--Report on Survivability of Air Defense 
        Artillery................................................    78
      Section 222--Report on T-45 Aircraft Physiological Episode 
        Mitigation Actions.......................................    79
      Section 223--Report on Efforts of the Air Force to Mitigate 
        Physiological Episodes Affecting Aircraft Crewmembers....    79
      Section 224--Briefing on Use of Quantum Sciences for 
        Military Applications and Other Purposes.................    79
      Section 225--Report on Defense Innovation Unit Experimental    79
TITLE III--OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.............................    79
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................    79
    Logistics and Sustainment Issues.............................    79
      Briefing on Rapidly Deployable Structures..................    79
      Corrosion Prevention for Improved Air Force Readiness......    80
      Innovative Engine Sustainment Wash-Down Management Program.    80
      Leveraging Technology to Improve Equipment Readiness.......    81
      Life Cycle Costs of Major Defense Acquisition Programs.....    81
      Management of Navy Legacy F/A-18 Aircraft..................    82
      Navy Next-Generation Small Arms Weapons Training and 
        Readiness Requirements...................................    82
      Navy Ship Maintenance and Repair...........................    83
      Supply of Aviation Parts and Spares........................    84
    Readiness Issues.............................................    84
      Additive Manufacturing in Depot Facilities.................    84
      Adversary Air Training.....................................    84
      Army Soldier and Squad Virtual Trainer.....................    85
      Assessment of Navy Standard Workweek.......................    85
      Availability and Sufficiency of Training Ranges to Conduct 
        Training against Near-Peer Adversaries...................    85
      Briefing on Security Forces Assistance Brigade Location 
        Plan.....................................................    86
      CONUS Training Facilities..................................    86
      Entry Control Facility Technology..........................    87
      Foreign Language Readiness.................................    87
      Forward Deployed Naval Force Ship Maintenance and Repair 
        Capacity.................................................    88
      Immersive Virtual Shipboard Environment Training...........    88
      Information Operations.....................................    89
      Live, Virtual, and Constructive Training Solution 
        Enhancements.............................................    89
      Military Working Dog Capacity and Facilities...............    90
      Modeling and Simulation for Training, Exercises, and Joint 
        Planning.................................................    90
      Modernization and Integration of Major Range and Test 
        Facilities Bases.........................................    91
      Surface Fleet Live Fire Training...........................    91
      Universal Camouflage Inventory and Overdye Technology......    91
    Other Matters................................................    92
      Air Refueling Capability and Capacity......................    92
      Disposition of Excess Military Ground Vehicles.............    92
      Fluorine-Free Fire Fighting Foam...........................    93
      Improving Water Security and Efficiency on Installations...    93
      Joint Navy-Coast Guard Arctic Strategy.....................    94
      Meeting Readiness Requirements Efficiently.................    94
      Motorcycle Safety Training.................................    94
      Open-Air Disposal of Munitions and Munition Constituents...    95
      Physical Security at U.S. Shipyards........................    95
      Quality of Life at Remote Sites............................    96
      Regional Biosecurity Plan..................................    96
      Review of Household Good Weight Allowances.................    96
      Review of Mandatory Training Required by Law...............    97
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................    97
    Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations..................    97
      Section 301--Authorization of Appropriations...............    97
    Subtitle B--Energy and Environment...........................    97
      Section 311--Inclusion of Consideration of Energy and 
        Climate Resiliency Efforts in Master Plans for Major 
        Military Installations...................................    97
      Section 312--Use of Proceeds from Sales of Electrical 
        Energy Derived from Geothermal Resources for Projects at 
        Military Installations Where Resources Are Located.......    97
      Section 313--Extension of Authorized Periods of Permitted 
        Incidental Takings of Marine Mammals in the Course of 
        Specified Activities by Department of Defense............    98
      Section 314--State Management and Conservation of Species..    98
    Subtitle C--Logistics and Sustainment........................    98
      Section 321--Examination of Naval Vessels..................    98
      Section 322--Overhaul and Repair of Naval Vessels in 
        Foreign Shipyards........................................    98
      Section 323--Limitation on Length of Overseas Forward 
        Deployment of Naval Vessels..............................    98
      Section 324--Temporary Modification of Workload Carryover 
        Formula..................................................    99
      Section 325--Limitation on Use of Funds for Implementation 
        of Elements of Master Plan for Redevelopment of Former 
        Ship Repair Facility in Guam.............................    99
      Section 326--Business Case Analysis for Proposed Relocation 
        of J85 Engine Regional Repair Center.....................    99
      Section 327--Army Advanced and Additive Manufacturing 
        Center of Excellence.....................................    99
    Subtitle D--Reports..........................................    99
      Section 331--Matters for Inclusion in Quarterly Reports on 
        Personnel and Unit Readiness.............................    99
      Section 332--Annual Comptroller General Reviews of 
        Readiness of Armed Forces to Conduct Full Spectrum 
        Operations...............................................   100
      Section 333--Surface Warfare Training Improvement..........   100
      Section 334--Report on Optimizing Surface Navy Vessel 
        Inspections and Crew Certifications......................   100
    Subtitle E--Other Matters....................................   101
      Section 341--Coast Guard Representation on Explosive Safety 
        Board....................................................   101
      Section 342--Shiloh National Military Park Boundary 
        Adjustment and Parker's Crossroads Battlefield 
        Designation..............................................   101
      Section 343--Sense of Congress Regarding Critical Minerals.   101
TITLE IV--MILITARY PERSONNEL AUTHORIZATIONS......................   101
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   101
    Subtitle A--Active Forces....................................   101
      Section 401--End Strengths for Active Forces...............   101
      Section 402--Revisions in Permanent Active Duty End 
        Strength Minimum Levels..................................   102
    Subtitle B--Reserve Forces...................................   102
      Section 411--End Strengths for Selected Reserve............   102
      Section 412--End Strengths for Reserves on Active Duty in 
        Support of the Reserves..................................   102
      Section 413--End Strengths for Military Technicians (Dual 
        Status)..................................................   103
      Section 414--Maximum Number of Reserve Personnel Authorized 
        To Be on Active Duty for Operational Support.............   103
    Subtitle C--Authorization of Appropriations..................   104
      Section 421--Military Personnel............................   104
TITLE V--MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY...............................   104
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   104
      Active Military Service of the Korean Constabulary.........   104
      Best Practices for Prevention and Response to Sexual 
        Assault..................................................   104
      Briefing on Commissioning Production of Senior Reserve 
        Officer Training Corps...................................   105
      Briefing on Credentialing Programs.........................   105
      Briefing on Department of Defense Inspector General 
        Processing Times.........................................   105
      Comptroller General Report on Active Duty Female Retention.   106
      Deconflicting Reserve Component and Expeditionary Civilian 
        Deployments to Provide Adequate Dwell Time...............   106
      Federal Wildland Firefighting Education in the Transition 
        Assistance Program (TAP).................................   107
      Foreign Area Officer Personnel Training and Career 
        Management...............................................   108
      Foster and Adoptive Military Families......................   108
      Implicit Bias Training.....................................   109
      Incorporating Consideration of Advanced Technologies into 
        Professional Military Education..........................   109
      Interagency Recruitment Cooperation Efforts................   110
      Joint Professional Military Education and Professional 
        Military Education Curricula.............................   111
      Military Academy Preparatory School Class Enrollment.......   111
      Report on Certain Victims' Rights in Connection with 
        Prosecution of Sex-Related Offenses......................   112
      Report on Legal Training for Commanders....................   112
      Report on Processes for Federal Recognition of Promotion of 
        Commissioned National Guard Officers.....................   113
      U.S. Air Force Pilot Staff Requirements Validation.........   114
      U.S. Special Operations Command Preservation of the Force 
        and Families Program Contract Support....................   114
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   115
    Subtitle A--Regular Component Management.....................   115
      Section 501--Expansion of Authority to Award Constructive 
        Service Credit for Advanced Education, Experience, or 
        Training, upon Original Appointment as a Commissioned 
        Officer..................................................   115
      Section 502--Surface Warfare Officers Career Paths.........   115
      Section 503--Authority of Selection Boards to Recommend 
        Officers of Particular Merit Be Placed at the Top of the 
        Promotion List...........................................   115
      Section 504--Deferred Deployment for Members Who Give Birth   115
      Section 505--Codification of Lowered Grade for Retired 
        Officers or Persons Who Committed Misconduct in a Lower 
        Grade....................................................   116
      Section 506--Retention of Military Technicians Who Lose 
        Dual Status under Certain Circumstances..................   116
    Subtitle B--Reserve Component Management.....................   116
      Section 511--Placement of National Guard Military 
        Technicians (Dual Status) in the Competitive Service.....   116
      Section 512--Authorized Strength and Distribution in Grade.   116
      Section 513--National Guard Promotion Accountability.......   116
      Section 514--Extension of Authority for Pilot Program on 
        Use of Retired Senior Enlisted Members of the Army 
        National Guard as Army National Guard Recruiters.........   116
    Subtitle C--General Service Authorities and Correction of 
        Military Records.........................................   117
      Section 521--Enlistments Vital to the National Interest....   117
      Section 522--Statement of Benefits.........................   117
      Section 523--Modification to Forms of Support That May Be 
        Accepted in Support of the Mission of the Defense POW/MIA 
        Accounting Agency........................................   117
      Section 524--Correction of Military Records Website........   117
      Section 525--Modification of DD Form 214 to Include Email 
        Addresses................................................   117
      Section 526--Public Availability of Reports Related to 
        Senior Leader Misconduct.................................   117
      Section 527--Appointment and Training of Personnel to Staff 
        the Board of Corrections for Military and Naval Records..   117
    Subtitle D--Military Justice.................................   118
      Section 531--Minimum Confinement Period Required for 
        Conviction of Certain Sex-Related Offenses Committed by 
        Members of the Armed Forces..............................   118
      Section 532--Punitive Article in the Uniform Code of 
        Military Justice on Domestic Violence....................   118
      Section 533--Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, 
        Prosecution, and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed 
        Forces...................................................   118
      Section 534--Modification of Military Rules of Evidence to 
        Exclude Admissibility of General Military Character 
        toward Probability of Innocence in Any Offense Not 
        Strictly Related to Performance of Military Duties.......   118
      Section 535--Improved Crime Reporting......................   118
      Section 536--Oversight of Registered Sex Offender 
        Management Program.......................................   118
    Subtitle E--Other Legal Matters..............................   119
      Section 541--Security Clearance Reinvestigation of Certain 
        Personnel Who Commit Certain Offenses....................   119
      Section 542--Consideration of Application for Transfer for 
        a Student of a Military Service Academy Who Is the Victim 
        of a Sexual Assault or Related Offense...................   119
      Section 543--Standardization of Policies Related to 
        Expedited Transfer in Cases of Sexual Assault............   119
      Section 544--Development of Oversight Plan for 
        Implementation of Department of Defense Harassment 
        Prevention and Response Policy...........................   119
      Section 545--Development of Resource Guides Regarding 
        Sexual Assault for the Military Service Academies........   119
      Section 546--Report on Victims in MCIO Reports.............   119
    Subtitle F--Member Education, Training, Resilience, and 
        Transition...............................................   120
      Section 551--Permanent Career Intermission Program.........   120
      Section 552--Improvements to Transition Assistance Program.   120
      Section 553--Employment and Compensation of Civilian 
        Faculty Members at the Joint Special Operations 
        University...............................................   120
      Section 554--Program to Assist Members of the Armed Forces 
        in Obtaining Professional Credentials....................   120
      Section 555--Extension of Pilot Program to Assist Members 
        in Obtaining Post-Service Employment.....................   120
      Section 556--Direct Employment Pilot Program for Members of 
        the Reserve Components and Veterans......................   120
      Section 557--Extended Duration of Availability of Military 
        OneSource Program Services for Members of the Armed 
        Forces upon their Separation or Retirement...............   121
      Section 558--Comptroller General Briefing and Report on 
        Permanent Employment Assistance Centers..................   121
      Section 559--Activities to Increase Awareness of 
        Apprenticeship Programs..................................   121
    Subtitle G--Defense Dependents' Education and Military Family 
        Readiness Matters........................................   121
      Section 561--Enhancement and Clarification of Family 
        Support Services for Family Members of Members of Special 
        Operations Forces........................................   121
      Section 562--Additional Matters for Assessment and Report 
        on Childcare Services of the Department of Defense.......   121
      Section 563--Continued Assistance to Schools with 
        Significant Numbers of Military Dependent Students.......   121
      Section 564--Department of Defense Education Activity 
        Misconduct Database......................................   122
      Section 565--Report on Assessment of Frequency of Permanent 
        Changes of Station of Members of the Armed Forces on 
        Employment among Military Spouses........................   122
    Subtitle H--Decorations and Awards...........................   122
      Section 571--Limitations on Authority to Revoke Certain 
        Military Decorations Awarded to Members of the Armed 
        Forces...................................................   122
      Section 572--Authorization for Award of Expeditionary Medal 
        to Certain Marines for Actions on June 8, 1995...........   122
    Subtitle I--Miscellaneous Reports and Other Matters..........   122
      Section 581--Public Availability of Top-Line Numbers of 
        Deployed Members of the Armed Forces.....................   122
      Section 582--Criteria for Interment at Arlington National 
        Cemetery.................................................   122
      Section 583--Report on General and Flag Officer Costs......   123
      Section 584--Report on Outside Employment of Senior 
        Personnel................................................   123
      Section 585--Limitation on Use of Funds Pending Submittal 
        of Report on Army Marketing and Advertising Program......   123
TITLE VI--COMPENSATION AND OTHER PERSONNEL BENEFITS..............   123
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   123
      Availability of Alcohol at Military Commissary Stores......   123
      Examination of Flexible/Noncontinuous Maternity Leave......   123
      Imminent Danger Pay Adjudication Process...................   124
      Small Business Purchasing Contracts for Fresh Fruits and 
        Vegetables for the Defense Commissary Agency (``DeCA'')..   124
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   125
    Subtitle A--Pay and Allowances...............................   125
      Section 601--Prompt Review of Request for Imminent Danger 
        Pay......................................................   125
      Section 602--Application of Basic Allowance for Housing to 
        Members of the Uniformed Services in the Virgin Islands..   125
      Section 603--Mandatory Increase in Insurance Coverage under 
        Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance for Members Deployed 
        to Combat Theaters of Operation..........................   125
      Section 604--Military Housing Privatization Initiative.....   125
      Section 605--Per Diem Allowance Policies...................   125
    Subtitle B--Bonuses and Special Incentive Pays...............   126
      Section 611--One-Year Extension of Certain Expiring Bonus 
        and Special Pay Authorities..............................   126
    Subtitle C--Other Matters....................................   126
      Section 621--Expansions of Installation Benefits to 
        Surviving Spouses, Dependent Children, and Other Next of 
        Kin......................................................   126
      Section 622--Transportation on Military Aircraft on a 
        Space-Available Basis for Disabled Veterans with a 
        Service-Connected, Permanent Disability Rated as Total...   126
      Section 623--Extension of Parking Expenses Allowance to 
        Civilian Employees at Recruiting Facilities..............   126
      Section 624--Advisory Boards Regarding Military 
        Commissaries and Exchanges...............................   127
      Section 625--Study and Report on Development of a Single 
        Defense Resale System....................................   127
TITLE VII--HEALTH CARE PROVISIONS................................   127
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   127
      Advanced Pain Management Fellows Program...................   127
      Athletic Trainers..........................................   127
      Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).....................   128
      Comprehensive Women's Health for Active Duty...............   128
      Department of Defense Action Plan for Countering Infectious 
        Diseases.................................................   128
      Diabetes Prevention Program................................   129
      Direct Report Language on National Guard Mental Health.....   129
      Exceptional Family Member Program..........................   130
      GAO Audit of TRICARE.......................................   130
      Global Health Engagement Organization Consolidation........   131
      Improving Delivery of Mental Health Services...............   131
      Improving Health Care Choices for Severely Injured Service 
        Members..................................................   132
      Joint Advanced Orthopedic Surgical Training................   132
      Mental Health Care in the Military Health System...........   132
      Military Entrance Processing Command Physical Examination 
        Model....................................................   133
      Military Nurse Work Experience.............................   134
      Military Nutrition and Diet Planning.......................   134
      Mitigating Work Place Violence in Military Treatment 
        Facilities...............................................   135
      Orthotics for New Recruits.................................   135
      Periodic Health Assessment Analysis........................   135
      Podiatric Surgeons in the Military.........................   136
      Podiatry in the Military...................................   136
      Study on CT Angiography and Fractional Flow Reserve 
        Computed Tomography in the Military Health System........   137
      Support for Global Health Security Agenda and Briefing on 
        Joint Staff Recommendations..............................   137
      Therapeutic Service Dog Training Program for Service 
        Members..................................................   138
      TRICARE Managed Care Support Contractor Reporting..........   138
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   139
    Subtitle A--TRICARE and Other Health Care Benefits...........   139
      Section 701--TRICARE Medicare Advantage Demonstration 
        Program..................................................   139
      Section 702--Pilot Program on Treatment of Members of the 
        Armed Forces for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Related 
        to Military Sexual Trauma................................   139
      Section 703--Pilot Program on Cryopreservation and Storage.   139
    Subtitle B--Health Care Administration.......................   139
      Section 711--Transition of Administration by Defense Health 
        Agency of Military Medical Treatment Facilities..........   139
      Section 712--Sharing Information with State Prescription 
        Drug Monitoring Programs.................................   139
      Section 713--Improvement to Notification to Congress of 
        Hospitalization of Combat-Wounded Members of the Armed 
        Forces...................................................   139
      Section 714--Improvements to Trauma Center Partnerships....   140
      Section 715--Wounded Warrior Policy Review.................   140
      Section 716--Joint Force Medical Capabilities Development 
        and Standardization......................................   140
    Subtitle C--Reports and Other Matters........................   140
      Section 721--Establishment of Triservice Dental Research 
        Program..................................................   140
      Section 722--Increasing the Number of Appointed Directors 
        of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of 
        Military Medicine........................................   140
      Section 723--Extension of Authority for Joint Department of 
        Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility 
        Demonstration Fund.......................................   140
      Section 724--Inclusion of Gambling Disorder in Health 
        Assessments and Related Research Efforts of the 
        Department of Defense....................................   140
      Section 725--Medical Simulation Technology and Live Tissue 
        Training within the Department of Defense................   141
      Section 726--Limitation on Changes to Federal Emergency 
        Services Certification Levels of the Air Force...........   141
      Section 727--Strategic Medical Research Plan...............   141
      Section 728--Independent Evaluation of Mental Health Care..   141
      Section 729--Study on Reimbursement Rates for Mental Health 
        Care Providers under TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select in 
        the East and West Regions of the TRICARE Program.........   141
TITLE VIII--ACQUISITION POLICY, ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT, AND 
    RELATED MATTERS..............................................   141
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   141
      Assessment of Acquisition Workforce........................   141
      Briefing on Athletic Footwear for New Recruits.............   142
      Comptroller General Report on the Issuance of Regulations 
        in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement.   142
      Contract Incentives for Superior Supplier Performance......   143
      Core Logistics Capability..................................   143
      Data Rights Impact to Sustainment..........................   143
      Domestic Samarium Cobalt Magnet Manufacturing..............   144
      Ensuring Availability of Beryllium.........................   144
      Final Activities of and Archiving of Records for Advisory 
        Panel on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition 
        Regulations..............................................   145
      Installation of Command, Control, Communication and 
        Computer Systems.........................................   145
      Mandatory Arbitration Briefing.............................   146
      Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program................   146
      National Defense Stockpile.................................   147
      Navy Build-to-Print Cost Savings...........................   147
      One Hundred Percent Employee-Owned Contractors.............   147
      Report on REE-Bearing Waste Recycling......................   147
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   148
    Subtitle A--Streamlining of Defense Acquisition Statutes and 
        Regulations..............................................   148
      Section 800--Effective Dates; Coordination of Amendments...   148
     Part I--Consolidation of Defense Acquisition Statutes in New 
        Part V of Subtitle A of Title 10, United States Code.....   148
      Section 801--Framework for New Part V of Subtitle A........   148
     Part II--Redesignation of Sections and Chapters of Subtitles 
        B, C, and D to Provide Room for New Part V of Subtitle A.   149
      Section 806--Redesignation of Sections and Chapters of 
        Subtitle D of Title 10, United States Code--Air Force....   149
      Section 807--Redesignation of Sections and Chapters of 
        Subtitle C of Title 10, United States Code--Navy and 
        Marine Corps.............................................   149
      Section 808--Redesignation of Sections and Chapters of 
        Subtitle B of Title 10, United States Code--Army.........   150
      Section 809--Cross References to Redesignated Sections and 
        Chapters.................................................   150
     Part III--Repeals of Certain Provisions of Defense 
        Acquisition Law..........................................   150
      Section 811--Amendment to and Repeal of Statutory 
        Requirements for Certain Positions or Offices in the 
        Department of Defense....................................   150
      Section 812--Repeal of Certain Defense Acquisition Laws....   151
      Section 813--Repeal of Certain Department of Defense 
        Reporting Requirements...................................   151
    Subtitle B--Amendments to General Contracting Authorities, 
        Procedures, and Limitations..............................   151
      Section 821--Contract Goal for the AbilityOne Program......   151
      Section 822--Increased Micro-Purchase Threshold Applicable 
        to Department of Defense Procurements....................   151
      Section 823--Preference for Offerors Employing Veterans....   151
      Section 824--Revision of Requirement to Submit Information 
        on Services Contracts to Congress........................   152
      Section 825--Data Collection and Inventory for Services 
        Contracts................................................   153
      Section 826--Competition Requirements for Purchases from 
        Federal Prison Industries................................   153
      Section 827--Requirement for a Fair and Reasonable Price 
        for Technical Data Before Development or Production of 
        Major Weapon Systems.....................................   153
      Section 828--Revisions in Authority Relating to Program 
        Cost Targets and Fielding Targets for Major Defense 
        Acquisition Programs.....................................   153
      Section 829--Revision of Timeline for Use of the Rapid 
        Fielding Pathway for Acquisition Programs................   154
      Section 830--Clarification of Services Contracting 
        Definitions..............................................   154
    Subtitle C--Provisions Relating to Commercial Items..........   154
      Section 831--Revision of Definition of Commercial Item for 
        Purposes of Federal Acquisition Statutes.................   154
      Section 832--Definition of Subcontract.....................   155
      Section 833--Limitation on Applicability to Department of 
        Defense Commercial Contracts of Certain Provisions of Law 
        and Certain Executive Orders and Regulations.............   155
      Section 834--Modifications to Procurement through 
        Commercial E-Commerce Portals............................   155
    Subtitle D--Industrial Base Matters..........................   155
      Section 841--Requirement That Certain Ship Components Be 
        Manufactured in the National Technology and Industrial 
        Base.....................................................   155
      Section 842--Report on Domestic Sourcing of Specific 
        Components for All Naval Vessels.........................   156
      Section 843--Removal of National Interest Determination 
        Requirements for Certain Entities........................   156
      Section 844--Pilot Program to Test Machine-Vision 
        Technologies to Determine the Authenticity and Security 
        of Microelectronic Parts in Weapon Systems...............   156
    Subtitle E--Small Business Matters...........................   157
      Section 851--Department of Defense Small Business Strategy.   157
      Section 852--Prompt Payments of Small Business Contractors.   157
      Section 853--Increased Participation in the Small Business 
        Administration Microloan Program.........................   158
      Section 854--Amendments to Small Business Innovation 
        Research Program and Small Business Technology Transfer 
        Program..................................................   158
      Section 855--Construction Contract Administration..........   158
      Section 856--Broadband and Emerging Information Technology 
        Coordinator..............................................   158
      Section 857--Amendments to the Small Business Investment 
        Act of 1958..............................................   159
      Section 858--Consolidated Budget Justification for the 
        Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research 
        Program and Small Business Technology Transfer Program...   159
      Section 859--Funding for Procurement Technical Assistance 
        Program..................................................   159
      Section 860--Exemption of Certain Contracts from the 
        Periodic Inflation Adjustments to the Acquisition-Related 
        Dollar Threshold.........................................   159
    Subtitle F--Other Matters....................................   159
      Section 871--Additional Requirements for Negotiations for 
        Noncommercial Computer Software..........................   159
      Section 872--Removal of Requirement for Risk and 
        Sensitivity Analysis of Baseline Estimates in Selected 
        Acquisition Reports......................................   160
      Section 873--Prohibition on Acquisition of Sensitive 
        Materials from Non-Allied Foreign Nations................   160
      Section 874--Transfer or Possession of Defense Items for 
        National Defense Purposes................................   160
      Section 875--Expedited Hiring Authority for Shortage 
        Category Positions in the Acquisition Workforce..........   160
      Section 876--Extension of Prohibition on Providing Funds to 
        the Enemy................................................   161
      Section 877--Repeal of Certain Determinations Required for 
        Grants of Exceptions to Cost or Pricing Data 
        Certification Requirements and Waivers of Cost Accounting 
        Standards................................................   161
      Section 878--Reporting on Projects Performed through 
        Transactions Other Than Contracts, Cooperative 
        Agreements, and Grants...................................   161
      Section 879--Standardization of Formatting and Public 
        Accessibility of Department of Defense Reports to 
        Congress.................................................   162
      Section 880--Defending United States Government 
        Communications...........................................   162
TITLE IX--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT......   164
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   164
    Subtitle A--Organization and Management of the Department of 
        Defense Generally........................................   164
      Section 901--Authority of Secretary of Defense to Determine 
        Command and Control Relationships........................   164
      Section 902--Civilian Personnel Management.................   164
      Section 903--Performance of Civilian Functions by Military 
        Personnel................................................   164
      Section 904--Roles of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy 
        and Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence..........   164
      Section 905--Designation of Navy Commanders................   165
    Subtitle B--Comprehensive Pentagon Bureaucracy Reform and 
        Reduction................................................   165
      Section 911--Authorities and Responsibilities of the Chief 
        Management Officer of the Department of Defense..........   165
      Section 912--Authorities and Responsibilities of the 
        Inspector General of the Department of Defense...........   166
      Section 913--Transition of Certain Defense Agencies and 
        Department of Defense Field Activities...................   167
      Section 914--Actions to Increase the Efficiency and 
        Transparency of the Defense Logistics Agency.............   167
      Section 915--Review of Functions of Defense Contract Audit 
        Agency and Defense Contract Management Agency............   167
      Section 916--Streamlining of Defense Finance and Accounting 
        Services.................................................   168
      Section 917--Reduction in Number of Chief Information 
        Officers in the Senior Executive Service.................   168
      Section 918--General Provisions............................   168
    Subtitle C--Other Matters....................................   168
      Section 921--Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 
        Policy and Oversight Council.............................   168
      Section 922--Limitation on Transfer of the Chemical, 
        Biological, and Radiological Defense Division of the Navy   169
TITLE X--GENERAL PROVISIONS......................................   169
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   169
    Counter-Drug Activities......................................   169
      Colombian Security and the U.S.-Colombian Partnership......   169
      DOD Support to Combating the Opioid Epidemic...............   170
      United States-Mexico Security Cooperation..................   170
    Other Matters................................................   170
      Assessment of Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve 
        Involuntary Mobilization Plans to Support Special 
        Operations Activities....................................   170
      Briefing on Ukrainian Special Operations Forces Training...   171
      Civil Support Team Information Management System...........   172
      Close Combat Lethality Task Force..........................   172
      Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Authority for United 
        States Facilities and Assets.............................   173
      Counterterrorism Effectiveness Research....................   174
      Development and Procurement of Combat Equipment and 
        Clothing for Female Servicemembers in Combat Occupations.   175
      Foreign Currency Fluctuation Account.......................   176
      Friendly Force Identification in Close Air Support.........   176
      Genetic and Medical Information Security...................   177
      MQ-9 Enterprise Supporting Air Combat Command and Air Force 
        Special Operations Command Activities....................   177
      National Guard Access to Department of Defense Owned 
        Unmanned Aircraft Systems................................   178
      Preparedness of U.S. Forces to Counter North Korean 
        Chemical and Biological Weapons..........................   179
      Report on NORTHCOM Response to Hurricane Maria.............   179
      Review of National Guard Capabilities in Support of 
        Incident Awareness and Assessment Mission Operations.....   179
      Senior Civilian or Military Leaders in Charge of Audit and 
        Financial Management.....................................   180
      Soo Locks..................................................   180
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   181
    Subtitle A--Financial Matters................................   181
      Section 1001--General Transfer Authority...................   181
      Section 1002--Expertise in Audit Remediation...............   181
      Section 1003--Authority to transfer funds to Director of 
        National Intelligence for CAPNET.........................   181
      Section 1004--Independent Public Accountant Audit of 
        Financial Systems of the Department of Defense...........   181
    Subtitle B--Counterdrug Activities...........................   182
      Section 1011--Department of Defense Support for Combating 
        Opioid Trafficking and Abuse.............................   182
    Subtitle C--Naval Vessels and Shipyards......................   182
      Section 1021--Inclusion of Operation and Sustainment Costs 
        in Annual Naval Vessel Construction Plans................   182
      Section 1022--Purchase of Vessels Using Funds in National 
        Defense Sealift Fund.....................................   182
      Section 1023--Purchase of Vessels Built in Foreign 
        Shipyards with Funds in National Defense Sealift Fund....   182
      Section 1024--Technical Corrections and Clarifications to 
        Chapter 633 of Title 10, United States Code, and Other 
        Provisions of Law Regarding Naval Vessels................   182
      Section 1025--Retention of Navy Hospital Ship Capability...   182
    Subtitle D--Counterterrorism.................................   183
      Section 1031--Definition of Sensitive Military Operation...   183
      Section 1032--Prohibition on Use of Funds for Transfer or 
        Release of Individuals Detained at United States Naval 
        Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States......   183
      Section 1033--Prohibition on Use of Funds to Construct or 
        Modify Facilities in the United States to House Detainees 
        Transferred from United States Naval Station, Guantanamo 
        Bay, Cuba................................................   183
      Section 1034--Prohibition on Use of Funds for Transfer or 
        Release of Individuals Detained at United States Naval 
        Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Certain Countries......   183
    Subtitle E--Miscellaneous Authorities and Limitations........   183
      Section 1041--Notification on the Provision of Defense 
        Sensitive Support........................................   183
      Section 1042--Coordinating United States Response to Malign 
        Foreign Influence Operations and Campaigns...............   184
      Section 1043--Workforce Issues for Military Realignments in 
        the Pacific..............................................   184
      Section 1044--Mitigation of Operational Risks Posed to 
        Certain Military Aircraft by Automatic Dependent 
        Surveillance-Broadcast Equipment.........................   184
      Section 1045--Limitation on Availability of Funds for 
        Unmanned Surface Vehicles................................   184
      Section 1046--Program for Department of Defense Controlled 
        Unclassified Information in the Hands of Industry........   185
      Section 1047--Protection of Emerging and Foundational 
        Technologies.............................................   185
    Subtitle F--Studies and Reports..............................   185
      Section 1051--Additional Matter for Inclusion in Annual 
        Report on Civilian Casualties in Connection with United 
        States Military Operations...............................   185
      Section 1052--Department of Defense Review and Assessment 
        on Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Machine 
        Learning.................................................   185
      Section 1053--Report on Joint Enterprise Defense 
        Infrastructure...........................................   186
      Section 1054--Report on Proposed Consolidation of 
        Department of Defense Global Messaging and Counter 
        Messaging Capabilities...................................   186
      Section 1055--Comprehensive Review of Professionalism and 
        Ethics Programs for Special Operations Forces............   186
      Section 1056--Munitions Assessments and Future-Years 
        Defense Program Requirements.............................   186
      Section 1057--Report on Establishment of Army Futures 
        Command..................................................   186
      Section 1058--Assessment of Department of Defense 
        Electromagnetic Spectrum Warfare Enterprise..............   187
      Section 1059--Report on Support for Non-Contiguous States 
        and Territories in the Event of Threats and Incidents....   187
      Section 1060--Report on Low-Boom Flight Demonstration......   187
      Section 1061--Report on Cyber-Enabled Information 
        Operations...............................................   187
    Subtitle G--Other Matters....................................   188
      Section 1071--Technical, Conforming, and Clerical 
        Amendments...............................................   188
      Section 1072--Principal Advisor on Countering Weapons of 
        Mass Destruction.........................................   188
      Section 1073--Receipt of Firearm or Ammunition.............   188
      Section 1074--Federal Charter for Spirit of America........   188
      Section 1075--Transfer of Aircraft to Other Departments....   188
      Section 1076--Reauthorization of National Aviation Heritage 
        Area.....................................................   188
      Section 1077--Recognition of America's Veterans............   188
      Section 1078--National Commission on Military Aviation 
        Safety...................................................   189
      Section 1079--Target Practice and Marksmanship Training 
        Support..................................................   189
      Section 1080--Sense of Congress on Adversary Air 
        Capabilities.............................................   189
      Section 1081--Sense of Congress Regarding Organic Attack 
        Aviator Training Capability..............................   189
      Section 1082--Sense of Congress on the Legacy, 
        Contributions, and Sacrifices of American Indian and 
        Alaska Natives in the Armed Forces.......................   189
      Section 1083--Amateur Radio Parity.........................   190
      Section 1084--Sense of Congress Regarding the International 
        Borders of the United States.............................   190
      Section 1085--Program to Commemorate 75th Anniversary of 
        World War II.............................................   190
TITLE XI--CIVILIAN PERSONNEL MATTERS.............................   190
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   190
      Civilian Talent Recruitment................................   190
      Direct Hiring Authority....................................   191
      Presidential Management Fellows Program....................   191
      Recruitment and Hiring of Navy Astronomers.................   192
      Workplace Flexibility for Federal Civilians................   192
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   193
      Section 1101--Direct Hire Authority for the Department of 
        Defense for Certain Competitive Service Positions........   193
      Section 1102--Modification of Direct Hire Authority for the 
        Department of Defense for Post-Secondary Students and 
        Recent Graduates.........................................   193
      Section 1103--Extension of Overtime Rate Authority for 
        Department of the Navy Employees Performing Work Aboard 
        or Dockside in Support of the Nuclear-Powered Aircraft 
        Carrier Forward Deployed in Japan........................   193
      Section 1104--One-Year Extension and Expansion of Authority 
        to Waive Annual Limitation on Premium Pay and Aggregate 
        Limitation on Pay for Federal Civilian Employees Working 
        Overseas.................................................   193
      Section 1105--Appointment of Retired Members of the Armed 
        Forces to Positions in or under the Department of Defense   193
      Section 1106--Extension of Authority to Conduct Telework 
        Travel Expenses Test Programs............................   194
      Section 1107--Personnel Demonstration Projects.............   194
      Section 1108--Expanded Flexibility in Selecting Candidates 
        from Referral Lists......................................   194
      Section 1109--Temporary and Term Appointments in the 
        Competitive Service......................................   194
TITLE XII--MATTERS RELATING TO FOREIGN NATIONS...................   194
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   194
      Carrier Presence in the Middle East........................   194
      Casualty Evacuation in U.S. Africa Command Area of 
        Operations...............................................   195
      Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa...................   195
      Coordinating Efforts to Counter the Malign Activities of 
        the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation 
        Across Combatant Commands................................   196
      Department of Defense Inspector General Audit of Foreign 
        Military Sales...........................................   196
      Foreign Military Sales.....................................   197
      Improved Coordination of Activities in Africa with 
        International Partners...................................   197
      International Armaments Cooperation........................   198
      Multilateral Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula...........   198
      Naval Mine Countermeasure Capability in the U.S. Central 
        Command's Area of Operations.............................   199
      Non-Standard Acquisition in Foreign Military Sales.........   199
      Report on New START Treaty.................................   200
      Report on U.S. Casualty Estimates for Armed Conflict with 
        North Korea..............................................   200
      Security and Stability in Venezuela........................   201
      Support to Syrian Women....................................   201
      Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Support to the Afghan National 
        Defense and Security Forces..............................   201
      Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP).........   202
      U.S. Military Education and Training Locations.............   203
      Western Hemisphere Region Report on Strategy to Increase 
        Engagement with Region...................................   203
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   204
    Subtitle A--Assistance and Training..........................   204
      Section 1201--Report on the Use of Security Cooperation 
        Authorities..............................................   204
      Section 1202--Clarification of Authority to Waive Certain 
        Expenses for Activities of the Regional Centers for 
        Security Studies.........................................   204
      Section 1203--NATO Strategic Communications Center of 
        Excellence...............................................   205
      Section 1204--NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of 
        Excellence...............................................   205
      Section 1205--Participation in and Support of the Inter-
        American Defense College.................................   205
      Section 1206--Increase in Cost Limitation for Small Scale 
        Construction Related to Security Cooperation.............   205
      Section 1207--Report on Security Cooperation with Haiti....   205
      Section 1208--Review and Report on Processes and Procedures 
        Used to Carry Out Section 362 of Title 10, United States 
        Code.....................................................   205
    Subtitle B--Matters Relating to Afghanistan and Pakistan.....   206
      Section 1211--Extension of Authority to Transfer Defense 
        Articles and Provide Defense Services to the Military and 
        Security Forces of Afghanistan...........................   206
      Section 1212--Extension of Authority for Reimbursement of 
        Certain Coalition Nations for Support Provided to United 
        States Military Operations...............................   206
      Section 1213--Extension and Modification of Commanders' 
        Emergency Response Program...............................   206
      Section 1214--Report on Assistance to Pakistan.............   206
    Subtitle C--Matters Relating to Syria, Iraq, and Iran........   206
      Section 1221--Extension and Modification of Authority to 
        Provide Assistance to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq 
        and Syria................................................   206
      Section 1222--Extension of Authority to Provide Assistance 
        to the Vetted Syrian Opposition..........................   207
      Section 1223--Extension and Modification of Authority to 
        Support Operations and Activities of the Office of 
        Security Cooperation in Iraq.............................   207
      Section 1224--Sense of Congress on Ballistic Missile 
        Cooperation to Counter Iran..............................   207
      Section 1225--Strategy to Counter Destabilizing Activities 
        of Iran..................................................   207
      Section 1226--Report on Compliance of Iran under the 
        Chemical Weapons Convention..............................   208
      Section 1227--Report on Potential Release of Chemical 
        Weapons or Chemical Weapons Precursors from Barzeh 
        Research and Development Center and Him Shinshar Chemical 
        Weapons Storage and Bunker Facilities in Homs Province of 
        Syria....................................................   208
      Section 1228--Report on Cooperation between Iran and the 
        Russian Federation.......................................   208
    Subtitle D--Matters Relating to the Russian Federation.......   208
      Section 1231--Prohibition on Availability of Funds Relating 
        to Sovereignty of the Russian Federation over Crimea.....   208
      Section 1232--Limitation on Availability of Funds Relating 
        to Implementation of the Open Skies Treaty...............   209
      Section 1233--Comprehensive Response to the Russian 
        Federation's Material Breach of the INF Treaty...........   210
      Section 1234--Modification and Extension of Ukraine 
        Security Assistance Initiative...........................   210
      Section 1235--Statement of Policy on United States Military 
        Investment in Europe.....................................   211
      Section 1236--Imposition of Sanctions with Respect to 
        Certain Persons Providing Sophisticated Goods, Services, 
        or Technologies for Use in the Production of Major 
        Defense Equipment or Advanced Conventional Weapons.......   211
      Section 1237--Extension of Limitation on Military 
        Cooperation between the United States and the Russian 
        Federation...............................................   212
      Section 1238--Sense of Congress regarding Russia's 
        Violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention............   212
      Section 1239--United States Actions regarding Material 
        Breach of INF Treaty by the Russian Federation...........   212
      Section 1240--Limitation on Availability of Funds to Extend 
        the Implementation of the New START Treaty...............   212
    Subtitle E--Matters Relating to the Indo-Pacific Region......   213
      Section 1251--Support for Indo-Pacific Stability Initiative   213
      Section 1252--United States Strategy on China..............   213
      Section 1253--Strengthening Taiwan's Force Readiness.......   213
      Section 1254--Modification, Redesignation, and Extension of 
        Southeast Asia Maritime Security Initiative..............   214
      Section 1255--Missile Defense Exercises in the Indo-Pacific 
        Region with United States Regional Allies and Partners...   214
      Section 1256--Quadrilateral Cooperation and Exercise.......   214
      Section 1257--Name of United States Indo-Pacific Command...   214
      Section 1258--Requirement for Critical Languages and 
        Expertise in Chinese, Korean, and Russian................   215
      Section 1259--Modification of Report Required under 
        Enhancing Defense and Security Cooperation with India....   215
      Section 1260--Statement of Policy on Naval Vessel Transfers 
        to Japan.................................................   215
      Section 1261--Report and Public Notification on China's 
        Military, Maritime, and Air Activities in the Indo-
        Pacific Region...........................................   215
      Section 1262--Senior Defense Engagement with Taiwan........   216
      Section 1263--Limitation on Use of Funds to Reduce the 
        Total Number of Members of the Armed Forces on Active 
        Duty Who Are Deployed to the Republic of Korea...........   216
      Section 1264--Enhancing Missile Defense Cooperation with 
        Partners.................................................   216
    Subtitle F--Other Matters....................................   216
      Section 1271--Report on Status of the United States 
        Relationship with the Republic of Turkey.................   216
      Section 1272--Sense of Congress on Unity of Gulf 
        Cooperation Council Member Countries.....................   217
      Section 1273--Report on United States Government Police 
        Training and Equipping Programs for Mexico...............   217
      Section 1274--Authority to Increase Engagement and 
        Military-to-Military Cooperation with Western Balkans 
        Countries................................................   217
      Section 1275--Technical Corrections Relating to Defense 
        Security Cooperation Statutory Reorganization............   218
      Section 1276--United States-Israel Countering Unmanned 
        Aerial Systems Cooperation...............................   218
      Section 1277--Three-Year Extension of Authorization of Non-
        Conventional Assisted Recovery Capabilities..............   218
      Section 1278--Revision of Statutory References to Former 
        NATO Support Organizations and Related NATO Agreements...   218
      Section 1279--Sense of the Congress Concerning Military-to-
        Military Dialogues.......................................   218
      Section 1280--Modifications to Global Engagement Center....   218
      Section 1281--Report on Acquisition and Cross-Servicing 
        Agreements...............................................   219
      Section 1282--Prohibition on Provision of Weapons and Other 
        Forms of Support to Certain Organizations................   219
      Section 1283--Certification and Authority to Terminate 
        Funding for Academic Research Relating to Foreign Talent 
        Programs.................................................   219
      Section 1284--Sense of Congress on Support for Georgia.....   219
      Section 1285--Sense of Congress on Support for Estonia, 
        Latvia, and Lithuania....................................   219
      Section 1286--Report on United States Strategy in Yemen....   219
      Section 1287--Report on Hizballah..........................   220
TITLE XIII--COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION.........................   220
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   220
      Future of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.........   220
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   221
      Section 1301--Funding Allocations..........................   221
      Section 1302--Specification of Cooperative Threat Reduction 
        Funds....................................................   221
TITLE XIV--OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS..................................   221
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   221
    Subtitle A--Military Programs................................   221
      Section 1401--Working Capital Funds........................   221
      Section 1402--Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, 
        Defense..................................................   221
      Section 1403--Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug 
        Activities, Defense-Wide.................................   221
      Section 1404--Defense Inspector General....................   221
      Section 1405--Defense Health Program.......................   221
      Section 1406--National Defense Sealift Fund................   222
    Subtitle B--Other Matters....................................   222
      Section 1411--Authority for Transfer of Funds to Joint 
        Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs 
        Medical Facility Demonstration Fund for Captain James A. 
        Lovell Health Care Center, Illinois......................   222
      Section 1412--Authorization of Appropriations for Armed 
        Forces Retirement Home...................................   222
      Section 1413--Quarterly Briefing on Progress of Chemical 
        Demilitarization Program.................................   222
TITLE XV--AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR OVERSEAS 
    CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS.......................................   222
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   222
      Cargo Inspections to Counter Vehicle Borne IED Threats.....   222
      National Guard and Reserve Component Equipment Account.....   223
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   223
    Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations..................   223
      Section 1501--Purpose of Certain Authorizations of 
        Appropriations...........................................   223
      Section 1502--Procurement..................................   224
      Section 1503--Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation..   224
      Section 1504--Operation and Maintenance....................   224
      Section 1505--Military Personnel...........................   224
      Section 1506--Working Capital Funds........................   224
      Section 1507--Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug 
        Activities, Defense-Wide.................................   224
      Section 1508--Defense Inspector General....................   224
      Section 1509--Defense Health Program.......................   224
    Subtitle B--Financial Matters................................   224
      Section 1511--Treatment as Additional Authorizations.......   224
      Section 1512--Special Transfer Authority...................   225
    Subtitle C--Limitations, Reports, and Other Matters..........   225
      Section 1521--Afghanistan Security Forces Fund.............   225
      Section 1522--Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Fund..........   225
TITLE XVI--STRATEGIC PROGRAMS, CYBER, AND INTELLIGENCE MATTERS...   225
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   225
    Space Activities.............................................   225
      Briefing on Deployed Satellite Communications Terminals....   225
      Briefing on Supply Chain for In-Space Propulsion Thrusters.   226
      Commercial Satellite Imagery...............................   226
      Commercial Space Situational Awareness Capabilities........   226
      Criteria for Launch Service Agreement Down-Select..........   227
      GPS Backup Demonstration...................................   227
      Launch Support and Infrastructure Modernization............   227
      Launch Vehicle Upper Stage Mission Enhancement.............   228
      Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Satellites....   228
      Plan for Use of Allied Launch Services in Case of Emergency 
        Need.....................................................   228
      Portable Satellite Data Receiver Status....................   229
      Rapid Satellite Capability Reconstitution..................   229
      Satellite Communications...................................   230
      Space Flag Exercise and Responsive Launch..................   230
      Use of Commercial Items in Follow-On Wideband 
        Communications System....................................   231
    Missile Defense Programs.....................................   231
      Airborne Tracking and Targeting System.....................   231
      Cruise Missile Threat to Hawaii............................   232
      Cybersecurity of Ballistic Missile Defense System..........   232
      Hypersonic Defense.........................................   232
      Maintenance of Patriot Batteries...........................   233
      Options to Supplement Missile Defense of Hawaii............   233
      Patriot Interceptor Inventory..............................   234
      Protection of Ballistic Missile Defense System Components..   234
      Standard Missile-3 Testing and Reliability.................   234
      Warfighter Procedures for Responding to and Releasing 
        Information Regarding an Inbound Ballistic Missile Threat   235
    Nuclear Forces...............................................   236
      Air Force Global Strike Command and Nuclear Deterrence 
        Institute................................................   236
      B83-1 Nuclear Gravity Bomb.................................   236
      Comptroller General Review of Plans to Swap B61 Bombs in 
        Europe...................................................   237
      Nuclear Survivability and Hostile Environments Testing.....   237
      Perimeter Security at NATO Nuclear Bases...................   238
      Plutonium Pit Production and Reuse.........................   239
      Tonopah Test Range Land Use Agreement......................   239
    Cyber-Related Matters........................................   240
      Addressing Readiness Deficiencies through the Hacking for 
        Defense Innovation Education Program.....................   240
      Comptroller General Review of Current Military Cyber 
        Operations...............................................   240
      Comptroller General Review of Information Operations 
        Strategy.................................................   241
      Cyber Scholarship Program..................................   242
      Information Security Continuous Monitoring and Comply-to-
        Connect Implementation...................................   242
      Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure....................   243
      Mitigation of Autonomous Systems...........................   243
      Network Protection.........................................   244
      Operational Cyber Testing of Weapons Systems...............   244
      Plan to Enhance Coordination with Universities and Industry 
        on Cyber Education.......................................   244
      Securing Personally Identifiable Information...............   245
      Threat Cyberspace Operations...............................   245
    Intelligence Matters.........................................   246
      Foundational Intelligence Analysis Modernization...........   246
      Insider Threat Detection and User Activity Monitoring......   246
      Insider Threat Risk Model Validation.......................   246
      Intelligence Combat Support Agencies.......................   247
      Intelligence Support to Cyber Operations...................   247
      Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Careers in 
        Defense Intelligence.....................................   248
      Security and Intelligence Role in Export Control...........   248
      Security Clearance Background Investigation Reciprocity....   248
      Strengthening Oversight of the Military Intelligence 
        Program Budget...........................................   249
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   250
    Subtitle A--Space Activities.................................   250
      Section 1601--Improvements to Acquisition System, 
        Personnel, and Organization of Space Forces..............   250
      Section 1602--Rapid, Responsive, and Reliable Space Launch.   250
      Section 1603--Provision of Space Situational Awareness 
        Services and Information.................................   250
      Section 1604--Budget Assessments for National Security 
        Space Programs...........................................   251
      Section 1605--Enhancement of Positioning, Navigation, and 
        Timing Capacity..........................................   251
      Section 1606--Use of Small- and Medium-Size Buses for 
        Strategic and Tactical Satellite Payloads................   251
      Section 1607--Designation of Component of Department of 
        Defense Responsible for Coordination of Modernization 
        Efforts Relating to Military-Code Capable GPS Receiver 
        Cards....................................................   252
      Section 1608--Designation of Component of Department of 
        Defense Responsible for Coordination of Hosted Payload 
        Information..............................................   252
      Section 1609--Limitation on Availability of Funds for Joint 
        Space Operations Center Mission System...................   252
      Section 1610--Evaluation and Enhanced Security of Supply 
        Chain for Protected Satellite Communications Programs and 
        Overhead Persistent Infrared Systems.....................   252
      Section 1611--Report on Protected Satellite Communications.   253
      Section 1612--Plan on Space Warfighting Readiness..........   253
      Section 1613--Study on Space-Based Radio Frequency Mapping.   253
      Section 1614--Plan to Provide Persistent Weather Imagery 
        for United States Central Command........................   253
    Subtitle B--Defense Intelligence and Intelligence-Related 
        Activities...............................................   253
      Section 1621--Role of Under Secretary of Defense for 
        Intelligence.............................................   253
      Section 1622--Security Clearance for Dual Nationals........   253
      Section 1623--Department of Defense Counterintelligence 
        Polygraph Program........................................   254
      Section 1624--Defense Intelligence Business Management 
        Systems..................................................   254
      Section 1625--Modification to Annual Briefing on the 
        Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance 
        Requirements of the Combatant Commands...................   254
      Section 1626--Prohibition on the Availability of Funds for 
        Department of Defense Assuming Background Investigation 
        Mission for the Federal Government.......................   254
    Subtitle C--Cyberspace-Related Matters.......................   254
      Section 1631--Amendments to Pilot Program Regarding Cyber 
        Vulnerabilities of Department of Defense Critical 
        Infrastructure...........................................   254
      Section 1632--Budget Display for Cyber Vulnerability 
        Evaluations and Mitigation Activities for Major Weapon 
        Systems of the Department of Defense.....................   255
      Section 1633--Transfer of Responsibility for the Department 
        of Defense Information Network to United States Cyber 
        Command..................................................   255
      Section 1634--Pilot Program Authority to Enhance 
        Cybersecurity and Resiliency of Critical Infrastructure..   255
      Section 1635--Pilot Program on Regional Cyber Security 
        Training Center for the Army National Guard..............   255
      Section 1636--Procedures and Reporting Requirement on 
        Cybersecurity Breaches and Loss of Personally 
        Identifiable Information.................................   255
      Section 1637--Cyber Institutes at the Senior Military 
        Colleges.................................................   256
      Section 1638--Study and Report on Reserve Component Cyber 
        Civil Support Teams......................................   256
    Subtitle D--Nuclear Forces...................................   256
      Section 1641--Under Secretary of Defense for Research and 
        Engineering and the Nuclear Weapons Council..............   256
      Section 1642--Long-Range Standoff Weapon Requirements......   256
      Section 1643--Acceleration of Ground-Based Strategic 
        Deterrent Program and Long-Range Standoff Weapon Program.   256
      Section 1644--Procurement Authority for Certain Parts of 
        Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Fuzes.................   257
      Section 1645--Prohibition on Reduction of the 
        Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles of the United States.   257
      Section 1646--Extension of Prohibition on Availability of 
        Funds for Mobile Variant of Ground-Based Strategic 
        Deterrent Missile........................................   257
      Section 1647--Independent Study on Nuclear Weapons Launch-
        Under-Attack Option......................................   257
      Section 1648--Extension of Annual Report on the Plan for 
        the Nuclear Weapons Stockpile, Nuclear Weapons Complex, 
        Nuclear Weapons Delivery Systems, and Nuclear Weapons 
        Command and Control System...............................   258
      Section 1649--Sense of Congress on Nuclear Posture of the 
        United States............................................   258
      Section 1650--Sense of Congress on Extended Nuclear 
        Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific Region....................   258
    Subtitle E--Missile Defense Programs.........................   258
      Section 1661--Development of Persistent Space-Based Sensor 
        Architecture.............................................   258
      Section 1662--Boost Phase Ballistic Missile Defense........   258
      Section 1663--Improvements to Research and Development and 
        Acquisition Processes of Missile Defense Agency..........   259
      Section 1664--Layered Defense of the United States Homeland   259
      Section 1665--Testing of Redesigned Kill Vehicle Prior to 
        Production...............................................   260
      Section 1666--Requirements for Ballistic Missile Defense 
        Capable Ships............................................   260
      Section 1667--Multiyear Procurement Authority for Standard 
        Missile-3 Block IB Missiles..............................   260
      Section 1668--Limitation on Availability of Funds for Army 
        Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor................   260
      Section 1669--Missile Defense Radar in Hawaii..............   260
      Section 1670--Reports on Unfunded Priorities of the Missile 
        Defense Agency...........................................   261
      Section 1671--Report on Ballistic Missile Defense..........   261
      Section 1672--Sense of Congress on Missile and Rocket 
        Defense Cooperation between the United States and Israel.   261
    Subtitle F--Other Matters....................................   261
      Section 1681--Extension of Commission to Assess the Threat 
        to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse Attacks 
        and Similar Events.......................................   261
      Section 1682--Procurement of Ammonium Perchlorate and Other 
        Chemicals for Use in Solid Rocket Motors.................   261
      Section 1683--Conventional Prompt Global Strike Hypersonic 
        Capabilities.............................................   262
      Section 1684--Report Regarding Industrial Base for Large 
        Solid Rocket Motors......................................   262
      Section 1685--National Intelligence Estimate with Respect 
        to Russian and Chinese Interference in Democratic 
        Countries................................................   262

DIVISION B--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATIONS.................   263
  PURPOSE........................................................   263
  MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND FAMILY HOUSING OVERVIEW..............   263
      Section 2001--Short Title..................................   263
      Section 2002--Expiration of Authorizations and Amounts 
        Required To Be Specified by Law..........................   263
      Section 2003--Effective Date...............................   263
TITLE XXI--ARMY MILITARY CONSTRUCTION............................   263
  SUMMARY........................................................   263
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   264
      Explanation of Funding Adjustments.........................   264
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   264
      Section 2101--Authorized Army Construction and Land 
        Acquisition Projects.....................................   264
      Section 2102--Family Housing...............................   264
      Section 2103--Authorization of Appropriations, Army........   264
      Section 2104--Extension of Authorizations of Certain Fiscal 
        Year 2015 Projects.......................................   265
TITLE XXII--NAVY MILITARY CONSTRUCTION...........................   265
  SUMMARY........................................................   265
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   265
      Explanation of Funding Adjustments.........................   265
      Aegis Ashore Poland Austere Housing........................   267
      Infrastructure in Support of Submarine Training and 
        Operational Requirements.................................   268
      Public Shipyard Infrastructure.............................   268
      Red Hill Bulk Underground Fuel Storage Facility............   269
      Tijuana Sewage Runoff......................................   269
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   270
      Section 2201--Authorized Navy Construction and Land 
        Acquisition Projects.....................................   270
      Section 2202--Family Housing...............................   270
      Section 2203--Improvements to Military Family Housing Units   270
      Section 2204--Authorization of Appropriations, Navy........   270
TITLE XXIII--AIR FORCE MILITARY CONSTRUCTION.....................   271
  SUMMARY........................................................   271
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   271
      Explanation of Funding Adjustments.........................   271
      Infrastructure Investments in Support of Research and 
        Development Contracts....................................   273
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   273
      Section 2301--Authorized Air Force Construction and Land 
        Acquisition Projects.....................................   273
      Section 2302--Family Housing...............................   273
      Section 2303--Improvements to Military Family Housing Units   273
      Section 2304--Authorization of Appropriations, Air Force...   274
      Section 2305--Modification of Authority to Carry Out 
        Certain Phased Project Authorized in Fiscal Years 2015, 
        2016, and 2017...........................................   274
      Section 2306--Modification of Authority to Carry Out 
        Certain Fiscal Year 2017 Project.........................   274
      Section 2307--Modification of Authority to Carry Out 
        Certain Fiscal Year 2018 Project.........................   274
      Section 2308--Additional Authority to Carry Out Certain 
        Fiscal Year 2019 Projects................................   274
      Section 2309--Additional Authority to Carry Out Project at 
        Travis Air Force Base, California, in Fiscal Year 2019...   274
TITLE XXIV--DEFENSE AGENCIES MILITARY CONSTRUCTION...............   275
  SUMMARY........................................................   275
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   275
      Explanation of Funding Adjustments.........................   275
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   276
      Section 2401--Authorized Defense Agencies Construction and 
        Land Acquisition Projects................................   276
      Section 2402--Authorized Energy Conservation Projects......   276
      Section 2403--Authorization of Appropriations, Defense 
        Agencies.................................................   276
      Section 2404--Extension of Authorizations of Certain Fiscal 
        Year 2015 Projects.......................................   277
TITLE XXV--INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS................................   277
  SUMMARY........................................................   277
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   277
      Facilities and Infrastructure for U.S. Military Personnel 
        at North Atlantic Treaty Organization Host Nation Bases..   277
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   278
    Subtitle A--North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security 
        Investment Program.......................................   278
      Section 2501--Authorized NATO Construction and Land 
        Acquisition Projects.....................................   278
      Section 2502--Authorization of Appropriations, NATO........   278
    Subtitle B--Host Country In-Kind Contributions...............   278
      Section 2511--Republic of Korea Funded Construction 
        Projects.................................................   278
TITLE XXVI--GUARD AND RESERVE FORCES FACILITIES..................   278
  SUMMARY........................................................   278
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   278
      Explanation of Funding Adjustments.........................   278
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   279
    Subtitle A--Project Authorizations and Authorization of 
        Appropriations...........................................   279
      Section 2601--Authorized Army National Guard Construction 
        and Land Acquisition Projects............................   279
      Section 2602--Authorized Army Reserve Construction and Land 
        Acquisition Projects.....................................   279
      Section 2603--Authorized Navy Reserve and Marine Corps 
        Reserve Construction and Land Acquisition Projects.......   279
      Section 2604--Authorized Air National Guard Construction 
        and Land Acquisition Projects............................   279
      Section 2605--Authorized Air Force Reserve Construction and 
        Land Acquisition Projects................................   280
      Section 2606--Authorization of Appropriations, National 
        Guard and Reserve........................................   280
    Subtitle B--Other Matters....................................   280
      Section 2611--Modification of Authority to Carry Out 
        Certain Fiscal Year 2016 Project.........................   280
      Section 2612--Modification of Authority to Carry Out 
        Certain Fiscal Year 2018 Project.........................   280
      Section 2613--Additional Authority to Carry Out Certain 
        Fiscal Year 2019 Project.................................   280
TITLE XXVII--BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE ACTIVITIES.............   280
  SUMMARY........................................................   280
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   281
      Explanation of Funding Adjustments.........................   281
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   281
      Section 2701--Authorization of Appropriations for Base 
        Realignment and Closure Activities Funded through 
        Department of Defense Base Closure Account...............   281
      Section 2702--Additional Authority to Realign or Close 
        Certain Military Installations...........................   281
      Section 2703--Prohibition on Conducting Additional Base 
        Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Round.....................   281
TITLE XXVIII--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION GENERAL PROVISIONS...........   281
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   281
      Allied Pilot Training on Advanced Pilot Trainer............   281
      Comptroller General Review of Utilities Privatization......   282
      Core Sampling at Joint Base San Antonio....................   282
      Department of Defense Lands Leases in Hawaii...............   283
      Incremental Funding of Military Construction Projects......   283
      Naval Academy Dairy Farm...................................   284
      Operational Energy Technologies............................   284
      Privatization of On-Base Lodging...........................   284
      Relocation of Defense Non-Tactical Generator and Rail 
        Equipment Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah..............   285
      Wireless Communications on Base............................   285
      Yucca Mountain.............................................   286
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   287
    Subtitle A--Military Construction Program and Military Family 
        Housing..................................................   287
      Section 2801--Commercial Construction Standards for 
        Facilities on Leased Property............................   287
      Section 2802--Extension of Temporary, Limited Authority to 
        Use Operation and Maintenance Funds for Construction 
        Projects Outside the United States.......................   287
      Section 2803--Small Business Set-Aside for Contracts for 
        Architectural and Engineering Services and Construction 
        Design...................................................   287
      Section 2804--Authority to Obtain Architectural and 
        Engineering Services and Construction Design for Defense 
        Laboratory Modernization Program.........................   287
      Section 2805--Repeal of Limitation on Certain Guam Project.   287
      Section 2806--Enhancing Force Protection and Safety on 
        Military Installations...................................   287
      Section 2807--Limitation on Use of Funds for Acquisition of 
        Furnished Energy for New Medical Center in Germany.......   288
      Section 2808--Treatment of Leases of Non-Excess Property 
        Entered into with Insured Depository Institutions........   288
    Subtitle B--Real Property and Facilities Administration......   288
      Section 2811--Optional Participation in Collection of 
        Information on Unutilized and Underutilized Military 
        Installation Properties Available for Homeless Assistance   288
      Section 2812--Force Structure Plans and Infrastructure 
        Capabilities Necessary to Support the Force Structure....   288
      Section 2813--Retrofitting Existing Windows in Military 
        Family Housing Units To Be Equipped with Fall Prevention 
        Devices..................................................   288
      Section 2814--Updating Prohibition on Use of Certain 
        Assessment of Public Schools on Department of Defense 
        Installations to Supersede Funding of Certain Projects...   289
    Subtitle C--Land Conveyances.................................   289
      Section 2821--Authority for Transfer of Administrative 
        Jurisdiction over Certain Lands, Marine Corps Air Ground 
        Combat Center Twentynine Palms, California, and Marine 
        Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona..........................   289
      Section 2822--Public Inventory of Guam Land Parcels for 
        Transfer to Government of Guam...........................   289
      Section 2823--Land Conveyance, Naval Academy Dairy Farm, 
        Gambrills, Maryland......................................   289
      Section 2824--Technical Correction of Description of 
        Limestone Hills Training Area Land Withdrawal and 
        Reservation, Montana.....................................   289
      Section 2825--Land Conveyance, Wasatch-Cache National 
        Forest, Rich County, Utah................................   290
    Subtitle D--Military Land Withdrawals........................   290
      Section 2831--Indefinite Duration of Certain Military Land 
        Withdrawals and Reservations and Improved Management of 
        Withdrawn and Reserved Lands.............................   290
      Section 2832--Designation of Potential Wilderness Area.....   290
    Subtitle E--Other Matters....................................   290
      Section 2841--Defense Community Infrastructure Program.....   290
      Section 2842--Restrictions on Use of Funds for Development 
        of Public Infrastructure in Commonwealth of Northern 
        Mariana Islands..........................................   290
      Section 2843--Study and Report on Coleman Bridge, York 
        River, Virginia..........................................   290
      Section 2844--Certifications Required Prior to Transfer of 
        Certain Veterans Memorial Object.........................   291
TITLE XXIX--OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS MILITARY CONSTRUCTION   291
  SUMMARY........................................................   291
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   291
      Explanation of Funding Adjustments.........................   291
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   292
      Section 2901--Authorized Army Construction and Land 
        Acquisition Projects.....................................   292
      Section 2902--Authorized Navy Construction and Land 
        Acquisition Projects.....................................   292
      Section 2903--Authorized Air Force Construction and Land 
        Acquisition Projects.....................................   292
      Section 2904--Authorized Defense Agencies Construction and 
        Land Acquisition Projects................................   292
      Section 2905--Authorization of Appropriations..............   292
      Section 2906--Restrictions on Use of Funds for Planning and 
        Design Costs of European Deterrence Initiative Projects..   292

DIVISION C--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL SECURITY AUTHORIZATIONS 
  AND OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS.......................................   293
TITLE XXXI--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAMS......   293
  OVERVIEW.......................................................   293
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   293
    National Nuclear Security Administration.....................   293
      Overview...................................................   293
      Weapons Activities.........................................   293
        Defense Nuclear Security and related construction 
          projects...............................................   293
        Directed Stockpile Work..................................   294
        Domestic uranium.........................................   294
        Fusion technology pathways...............................   295
        Inertial Confinement Fusion..............................   296
        Infrastructure...........................................   297
        Lithium and tritium......................................   297
        Report on IW-1 and W78 replacement.......................   298
        Secure transportation asset and Mobile Guardian 
          Transporter............................................   298
        Streamlined and innovative approaches to non-nuclear 
          construction projects..................................   299
        Weapons Activities and the Future Years Nuclear Security 
          Program................................................   300
      Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation...........................   300
        Future nuclear proliferation challenges..................   300
        Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response program...   301
      Naval Reactors.............................................   301
        Naval Reactors program...................................   301
      Federal Salaries and Expenses..............................   302
        Management and operating contracts for national security 
          laboratories...........................................   302
        Security clearance investigations for the nuclear 
          security enterprise....................................   302
    Environmental and Other Defense Activities...................   303
      Overview...................................................   303
      Defense Environmental Cleanup..............................   303
        Briefings on vapor events at Hanford Site................   303
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   304
    Subtitle A--National Security Programs and Authorizations....   304
      Section 3101--National Nuclear Security Administration.....   304
      Section 3102--Defense Environmental Cleanup................   304
      Section 3103--Other Defense Activities.....................   304
      Section 3104--Nuclear Energy...............................   304
    Subtitle B--Program Authorizations, Restrictions, and 
        Limitations..............................................   304
      Section 3111--Security Clearance for Dual Nationals 
        Employed by National Nuclear Security Agency.............   304
      Section 3112--Department of Energy Counterintelligence 
        Polygraph Program........................................   304
      Section 3113--Extension of Enhanced Procurement Authority 
        to Manage Supply Chain Risk..............................   304
      Section 3114--Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons....................   305
      Section 3115--Use of Funds for Construction and Project 
        Support Activities Relating to MOX Facility..............   305
      Section 3116--Prohibition on Availability of Funds for 
        Programs in Russian Federation...........................   305
      Section 3117--Prohibition on Availability of Funds for 
        Research and Development of Advanced Naval Nuclear Fuel 
        System Based on Low-Enriched Uranium.....................   305
      Section 3118--Limitation on Availability of Funds Relating 
        to Submission of Annual Reports on Unfunded Priorities...   306
    Subtitle C--Reports..........................................   306
      Section 3121--Notification Regarding Release of 
        Contamination at Hanford Site............................   306
    Subtitle D--Other Matters....................................   306
      Section 3131--Inclusion of Capital Assets Acquisition 
        Projects in Activities by Director for Cost Estimating 
        and Program Evaluation...................................   306
      Section 3132--Whistleblower Protections....................   306
TITLE XXXII--DEFENSE NUCLEAR FACILITIES SAFETY BOARD.............   307
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   307
      Section 3201--Authorization................................   307
TITLE XXXIV--NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVES............................   307
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   307
      Section 3401--Authorization of Appropriations..............   307
TITLE XXXV--MARITIME MATTERS.....................................   307
  ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST......................................   307
      Maritime Security Program..................................   307
  LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS.........................................   308
    Subtitle A--Maritime Administration..........................   308
      Section 3501--Authorization of the Maritime Administration.   308
      Section 3502--Compliance by Ready Reserve Fleet Vessels 
        with SOLAS Lifeboats and Fire Suppression Requirements...   308
      Section 3503--Maritime Administration National Security 
        Multi-Mission Vessel Program.............................   308
      Section 3504--Permanent Authority of Secretary of 
        Transportation to Issue Vessel War Risk Insurance........   308
      Section 3505--Use of State Maritime Academy Training 
        Vessels..................................................   308
    Subtitle B--Coast Guard......................................   309
      Section 3521--Alignment with Department of Defense and Sea 
        Services Authorities.....................................   309
      Section 3522--Preliminary Development and Demonstration....   309
      Section 3523--Contract Termination.........................   309
      Section 3524--Reimbursement for Travel Expenses............   309
      Section 3525--Capital Investment Plan......................   310
      Section 3526--Major Acquisition Program Risk Assessment....   310
      Section 3527--Marine Safety Implementation Status..........   310
      Section 3528--Retirement of Vice Commandant................   310
      Section 3529--Large Commercial Yacht Code..................   310
    Subtitle C--Coast Guard and Shipping Technical Corrections...   311
     Chapter 1--Coast Guard......................................   311
      Section 3531--Commandant Defined...........................   311
      Section 3532--Training Course on Workings of Congress......   311
      Section 3533--Miscellaneous................................   311
      Section 3534--Department of Defense Consultation...........   311
      Section 3535--Repeal.......................................   311
      Section 3536--Mission Need Statement.......................   311
      Section 3537--Continuation on Active Duty..................   311
      Section 3538--System Acquisition Authorization.............   312
      Section 3539--Inventory of Real Property...................   312
     Chapter 2--Maritime Transportation..........................   312
      Section 3541--Definitions..................................   312
      Section 3542--Authority to Exempt Vessels..................   312
      Section 3543--Passenger Vessels............................   312
      Section 3544--Tank Vessels.................................   312
      Section 3545--Grounds for Denial or Revocation.............   313
      Section 3546--Miscellaneous Corrections to Title 46, U.S.C.   313
      Section 3547--Miscellaneous Corrections to Oil Pollution 
        Act of 1990..............................................   313
      Section 3548--Miscellaneous Corrections....................   313

DIVISION D--FUNDING TABLES.......................................   313
      Section 4001--Authorization of Amounts in Funding Tables...   313
      Summary of National Defense Authorizations for Fiscal Year 
        2019.....................................................   314
      National Defense Budget Authority Implication..............   320
TITLE XLI--PROCUREMENT...........................................   322
      Section 4101--Procurement..................................   322
      Section 4102--Procurement for Overseas Contingency 
        Operations...............................................   368
TITLE XLII--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION..........   384
      Section 4201--Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation..   384
      Section 4202--Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation 
        for Overseas Contingency Operations......................   423
TITLE XLIII--OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE...........................   427
      Section 4301--Operation and Maintenance....................   427
      Section 4302--Operation and Maintenance for Overseas 
        Contingency Operations...................................   448
TITLE XLIV--MILITARY PERSONNEL...................................   459
      Section 4401--Military Personnel...........................   459
      Section 4402--Military Personnel for Overseas Contingency 
        Operations...............................................   459
TITLE XLV--OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS..................................   460
      Section 4501--Other Authorizations.........................   460
      Section 4502--Other Authorizations for Overseas Contingency 
        Operations...............................................   464
TITLE XLVI--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION................................   465
      Section 4601--Military Construction........................   465
      Section 4602--Military Construction for Overseas 
        Contingency Operations...................................   478
TITLE XLVII--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAMS.....   480
      Section 4701--Department of Energy National Security 
        Programs.................................................   480

Department of Defense Authorization Request......................   493
Communications from Other Committees.............................   495
Congressional Budget Office Estimate.............................   508
Statement Required by the Congressional Budget Act...............   509
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................   509
Advisory of Earmarks.............................................   509
Oversight Findings...............................................   509
General Performance Goals and Objectives.........................   510
Statement of Federal Mandates....................................   510
Federal Advisory Committee Statement.............................   510
Applicability to the Legislative Branch..........................   511
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................   511
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings..............................   511
Committee Votes..................................................   511
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............   530
Additional Views.................................................   532
Dissenting Views.................................................   535





115th Congress   }                                            {    Report
                         HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session      }                                            {   115-676

======================================================================



 
        NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019

                                _______
                                

  May 15, 2018.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Thornberry, from the Committee on Armed Services, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                    ADDITIONAL AND DISSENTING VIEWS

                        [To accompany H.R. 5515]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Armed Services, to whom was referred the 
bill (H.R. 5515) to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2019 for military activities of the Department of Defense and 
for military construction, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon with amendments 
and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
    The amendments are as follows:
    The amendment strikes all after the enacting clause of the 
bill and inserts a new text which appears in italic type in the 
reported bill.
    The title of the bill is amended to reflect the amendment 
to the text of the bill.

                       PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION

    The bill would: (1) authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2019 for procurement and for research, development, test, 
and evaluation (RDT&E); (2) authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2019 for operation and maintenance (O&M) and for working 
capital funds; (3) authorize for fiscal year 2019 the personnel 
strength for each Active Duty component of the military 
departments, and the personnel strength for the Selected 
Reserve for each Reserve Component of the Armed Forces; (4) 
modify various elements of compensation for military personnel 
and impose certain requirements and limitations on personnel 
actions in the defense establishment; (5) authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military construction 
and family housing; (6) authorize appropriations for Overseas 
Contingency Operations; (7) authorize appropriations for fiscal 
year 2019 for the Department of Energy national security 
programs; and (8) authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2019 
for the Maritime Administration.

                    RATIONALE FOR THE COMMITTEE BILL

    H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2019, is a key mechanism through which Congress 
fulfills one of its primary responsibilities as mandated in 
Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution of the United States, 
which grants Congress the power to provide for the common 
defense, to raise and support an Army, to provide and maintain 
a Navy, and to make rules for the government and regulation of 
the land and naval forces. Rule X of the House of 
Representatives provides the House Committee on Armed Services 
with jurisdiction over the Department of Defense generally and 
over the military application of nuclear energy. The committee 
bill includes findings and recommendations resulting from its 
oversight activities, conducted through hearings, briefings, 
and roundtable discussions with Department of Defense and 
Department of Energy civilian and military officials, 
intelligence analysts, outside experts, and industry 
representatives, and it is informed by institutional 
experience.
    The committee believes that America's military faces 
strategic challenges, including the re-emergence of strategic 
competitors such as the Russian Federation and the People's 
Republic of China; threats posed by the Islamic Republic of 
Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and those 
posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, al-Qaida, 
and other terrorist groups. H.R. 5515 adheres to the Bipartisan 
Budget Act of 2018, and it provides the Department of Defense 
and the Department of Energy with important policy authorities 
to speed decision making and improve agility, while restoring 
readiness and increasing capabilities and capacities.

National Defense Strategy

    H.R. 5515 builds on the National Defense Strategy's 
recognition of long-term strategic competition. It empowers the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy to develop, implement, 
and integrate Department of Defense activities across all 
geographic regions and military functions and domains, and to 
lead the integration of Department of Defense activities across 
the interagency of the Federal Government.
    With respect to Russia, the bill maintains the long-
standing prohibition of military-to-military cooperation with 
Russia; it maintains the prohibition of U.S. Government 
recognition of the illegal occupation of Crimea; it funds the 
President's request of $250.0 million for assistance to 
Ukraine, including for lethal defensive items; and, it funds 
the President's request for $6.3 billion for the European 
Defense Initiative (EDI) to further reinforce the U.S. presence 
in Europe, and it moves the EDI-request for the Army Pre-
positioned Stock United Set to the base budget.
    With respect to the whole-of-society plans of the Chinese 
Community Party of the People's Republic of China (PRC), the 
bill directs the creation of a whole-of-government strategy to 
confront these plans; it improves security cooperation to 
counter the PRC's rising influence in Africa, Southeast Asia, 
and other regions; and, it improves Taiwan's self-defense 
capabilities by expanding joint training, foreign military 
sales, the use of security cooperation authorities, and senior-
level military-to-military engagement initiatives.
    H.R. 5515 also continues the committee's efforts to 
reorganize the U.S. Government's efforts with respect to malign 
foreign influence operations and campaigns by directing the 
President to designate an official on the staff of the National 
Security Council to coordinate a whole-of-government response 
to these operations and campaigns.

Impacts on Military Preparedness

    The committee is particularly concerned by the state of 
military readiness. In 2017, nearly four times as many members 
of the military died in training accidents as were killed in 
combat. In all, 21 service members died in combat while 80 died 
as a result of non-combat, training-related accidents. This 
spring alone, 25 were killed in military aviation mishaps. In 
2017, there were a total of 60 Class-A aviation mishaps across 
the services.
    These mishaps are not limited to military aviation. This 
past summer, the Navy lost 17 Sailors in separate collisions 
involving the USS John S. McCain and the USS Fitzgerald.
    H.R. 5515 makes it a top priority of the Department of 
Defense to increase training of the Joint Force to promote 
readiness. The funding will allow the Army to conduct 20 Combat 
Training Center rotations in fiscal year 2019, including 4 
rotations for the Army National Guard, doubling the number of 
Brigade Combat Teams sent to the Center. It will authorize 
funding for the Army to hold two Security Force Assistance 
Brigade (SFAB) culminating training events a year, enhancing 
the Army's combat capability and capacity. The funding in the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 enables 
the Marine Corps to continue maximizing the capacity of their 
full-spectrum collective training exercises to help restore the 
capability of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. H.R. 5515 
includes increased funding for equipment maintenance, spare 
parts, and training to rebuild readiness for ships, aircraft 
squadrons, and ground units.
    The proposal fully supports the President's budget request 
of $2.8 billion for the procurement of spare airplane parts for 
the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. And it also provides 
$21.8 billion for equipment maintenance and $3.7 billion for 
spare parts; this represents an increase of $927.9 million over 
the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus.
    H.R. 5515 also takes specific steps to restore and rebuild 
the readiness of the U.S. Navy. It directs the Navy to provide 
clear chains of command for operations, for building readiness, 
and for shipyard maintenance. It would limit the time a Navy 
vessel is forward deployed to more than 10 years, and it would 
increase the number of Navy vessels authorized for 
construction. It accelerates construction of the fourth Ford-
class aircraft carrier, authorizes two additional Littoral 
Combat Ships, and supports two additional Virginia-class attack 
submarines in fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

Reforming the Department of Defense: Promoting Efficiency, 
        Effectiveness, and Agility

    The FY16, FY17 and FY18 National Defense Authorization Acts 
(NDAAs) included several reforms to the Department of Defense, 
including reforms to the Department's acquisition processes and 
to the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
    H.R. 5515 focuses on the defense agencies and field 
activities (DAFAs) that are not part of a military service and 
do not report directly to the Secretary of Defense. It empowers 
the newly-created Department of Defense Chief Management 
Officer (CMO) to eliminate redundancy and cross enterprise 
activities (e.g., logistics, civilian resource management, real 
property management, and services contracting). It also 
requires the CMO to review and assess the function of each DAFA 
to validate its usefulness to the Joint Force or to recommend 
its elimination or transformation.

                                HEARINGS

    Committee consideration of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 results from posture and 
budget-related hearings that began on February 14, 2018, and 
that were completed on April 19, 2018. The full committee 
conducted 9 hearings and the 6 subcommittees conducted a total 
of 23 sessions during this time period. Additionally, over the 
past year, the committee conducted numerous policy and program 
oversight hearings, including hearings in support of its reform 
initiatives, to inform its development of the legislative 
proposals contained in this Act.

                           COMMITTEE POSITION

    On May 9, 2018, the Committee on Armed Services held a 
markup session to consider H.R. 5515. The committee ordered the 
bill H.R. 5515, as amended, favorably reported to the House of 
Representatives by a recorded vote of 60-1, a quorum being 
present.

                EXPLANATION OF THE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

    The committee adopted an amendment in the nature of a 
substitute during the consideration of H.R. 5515. The title of 
the bill is amended to reflect the amendment to the text of the 
bill. The remainder of the report discusses the bill, as 
amended.

            RELATIONSHIP OF AUTHORIZATION TO APPROPRIATIONS

    The bill does not provide budget authority. This bill 
authorizes appropriations; subsequent appropriations acts will 
provide budget authority. However, the committee strives to 
adhere to the recommendations as issued by the Committee on the 
Budget as it relates to the jurisdiction of this committee.
    The bill addresses the following categories in the 
Department of Defense budget: procurement; research, 
development, test, and evaluation; operation and maintenance; 
military personnel; working capital funds; and military 
construction and family housing. The bill also addresses the 
Armed Forces Retirement Home, Department of Energy National 
Security Programs, the Naval Petroleum Reserve, and the 
Maritime Administration.
    Active Duty and Reserve personnel strengths authorized in 
this bill and legislation affecting compensation for military 
personnel determine the remaining appropriation requirements of 
the Department of Defense. However, this bill does not provide 
authorization of specific dollar amounts for military 
personnel.

          SUMMARY OF DISCRETIONARY AUTHORIZATIONS IN THE BILL

    The President requested discretionary budget authority of 
$708.1 billion for programs within the jurisdiction of the 
committee for fiscal year 2019. Of this amount, $617.1 billion 
was requested for ``base'' Department of Defense programs, 
$69.0 billion was requested for Overseas Contingency Operations 
requirements covering the entire fiscal year, $21.8 billion was 
requested for Department of Energy national security programs 
and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, and $0.2 
billion was requested for defense-related activities associated 
with the Maritime Administration.
    The committee recommends an overall discretionary 
authorization of $708.1 billion in fiscal year 2019. The 
committee authorization is a $16.0 billion increase above the 
levels provided for in the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91).
    The table preceding the detailed program adjustments in 
division D of this report summarizes the committee's 
recommended discretionary authorizations by appropriation 
account for fiscal year 2019 and compares these amounts to the 
President's request.

                      BUDGET AUTHORITY IMPLICATION

    The President's total request for the national defense 
budget function (050) in fiscal year 2019 is $725.5 billion, as 
estimated by the Congressional Budget Office. In addition to 
funding for programs addressed in this bill, the total 050 
request includes discretionary funding for national defense 
programs not in the committee's jurisdiction, discretionary 
funding for programs that do not require additional 
authorization in fiscal year 2019, and mandatory programs.
    The table preceding the detailed program adjustments in 
division D of this report details changes to the budget request 
for all aspects of the national defense budget function.

            DIVISION A--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATIONS

                          TITLE I--PROCUREMENT

                       Aircraft Procurement, Army


                       Items of Special Interest


Apache attack helicopters

    The committee understands the Army's current aviation 
modernization and equipping strategy that resulted from the 
Army's Aviation Restructure Initiative currently resources the 
Army National Guard (ARNG) to retain 4 attack reconnaissance 
battalions for a total of 72 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. 
The committee notes that these ARNG attack reconnaissance 
battalions would be equipped with 18 AH-64 attack helicopters 
as compared to the Active Component battalions that are 
equipped with 24 AH-64 attack helicopters. The committee is 
aware the ARNG is no longer solely the strategic reserve of the 
past, but also an operational force, and provides significant 
capability through rotational support to combatant commanders. 
The committee believes that given the current global threat 
environment, reliance on ARNG capabilities is expected to 
increase.
    Therefore, the committee believes that all 4 ARNG attack 
reconnaissance battalions should be equipped with 24 AH-64 
attack helicopters, the same as Active Component battalions, in 
order to improve overall readiness and compatibility between 
the ARNG and Active Component. The committee encourages the 
Secretary of the Army to plan, program, and budget for 24 
additional AH-64 attack helicopters to address ARNG 
requirements across the Future Years Defense Program.

Light utility helicopter

    The budget request included $6.4 million for utility 
helicopter modifications to the UH-60 Black Hawk and the UH-72A 
Lakota helicopters, but contained no funding for UH-72A life-
cycle sustainment and product improvements. The UH-72A Lakota 
helicopter provides general aviation support for aviation units 
in the Active and Reserve Components. The committee supports 
the requirement to conduct mid-life sustainment and product 
improvement activities for the UH-72A, and includes funding to 
conduct the analysis, engineering, certification, and risk 
reduction activities necessary to update the UH-72A Life Cycle 
Support Plan. The committee also recognizes that the UH-72A was 
initially fielded without aircraft survivability equipment, 
which could potentially limit the Active Component and Army 
National Guard's utilization of the UH-72A platform. As 
reflected in Division D of this Act, the committee recommends 
additional funding for the National Guard and Reserve Component 
Equipment Account (NGREA). The committee understands that while 
no requirements have been formally identified for UH-72A Lakota 
ballistic armor or aircraft survivability equipment by the 
National Guard Bureau, should a requirement be put forth, the 
committee expects the Army National Guard to utilize NGREA 
funds.
    The committee recommends $16.4 million, an increase of 
$10.0 million, in utility helicopter modifications for UH-72A 
life-cycle sustainment and product improvements. Further, the 
committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by February 
8, 2019, on the Army's long-term sustainment strategy for the 
UH-72A Lakota helicopter fleet.

Report on efforts to reduce operational and maintenance costs for CH-47

    The committee is aware the Army has recently validated a 
new specification for an improved thermal-acoustic blanket for 
CH-47 helicopters, which does not appear to be reflected in the 
logistics and material databases and support system. By greatly 
improving capabilities over current blankets, including dry/wet 
weight, air permeability, thermal and acoustic insulation, and 
durability the Army has developed a cost-effective way to 
significantly reduce operational and maintenance costs for the 
heavy lift fleet. The committee commends the Army for this 
effort, and directs the Secretary of the Army to provide a 
briefing to the Armed Services Committees of the House of 
Representatives and Senate no later than September 28, 2018 
detailing plans to outfit all current and future CH-47s with 
this enhanced capability and the status of the material and 
logistics supply chain's incorporation of this new 
specification. The briefing should include a schedule for 
fielding blankets for the current fleet and the status of 
inserting the new specification into CH-47 block II production.

Unmanned aerial system units for Army National Guard

    The committee understands the Army's current fielding plan 
for MQ-1C Gray Eagle units includes Active Duty combat aviation 
brigades and intelligence units, and that at present no systems 
are planned for fielding to the Army National Guard. However, 
the committee notes that there are many missions involving 
military support to civilian authorities for which the MQ-1C 
Gray Eagle could contribute, including wildfire response, 
search and rescue, border security, counter-narcotics, and 
communications support during emergencies. Therefore, the 
committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by March 1, 
2019, on the potential utility, feasibility, and cost of 
establishing MQ-1C Gray Eagle units in the Army National Guard. 
The briefing shall include, at a minimum, a detailed analysis 
of the resources needed to create a minimum of two Gray Eagle 
companies in the Army National Guard, and an analysis of how 
such units could provide support to civilian authorities for 
domestic emergencies.

                       Missile Procurement, Army


                       Items of Special Interest


Stinger missile modernization program

    The committee supports the Army's accelerated strategy to 
restore capacity and capability in Short-Range Air Defense 
(SHORAD) teams, to include reconstituting man-portable air 
defense teams using Stinger missiles to counter current and 
emerging threats from fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing 
aircraft, and unmanned air systems (UAS). However, the 
committee has significant concerns regarding the adequacy of 
the Army's Stinger missile inventory, as well as the resiliency 
of the associated industrial base that produces key components, 
including those required for the Stinger missile seeker.
    The committee recognizes the requirement for Stinger 
missiles will likely increase as a result of increased demand 
for SHORAD capability. The Army's current acquisition strategy 
does not include any new production of Stinger missiles, and 
instead implements a service life extension program (SLEP) for 
existing Stinger missiles. The committee notes that the last 
new Stinger missile was produced in 2001, and that missiles 
expire annually due to attrition and decay. While the Stinger 
SLEP program does extend the missile life by 10 years and 
improves counter-UAS capability by adding a proximity fuze, the 
current SLEP program will not mitigate the decline in Stinger 
missile inventory. Further, the Stinger SLEP program does not 
address the capability of the Stinger guidance section, 
electronics or seeker.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by December 
3, 2018, on the Stinger Modernization Program. The briefing 
should address the Army's strategy to mitigate the decline of 
the Stinger missile inventory, to include required funding, 
maintenance of the Stinger industrial base, and modernization 
of the Stinger program in the out-years.

        Procurement of Weapons and Tracked Combat Vehicles, Army


                       Items of Special Interest


Armored brigade combat team modernization

    In the committee report accompanying the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (H. Rept. 115-200), the 
committee expressed concerns about the stability of armored 
brigade combat team (ABCT) modernization funding in fiscal year 
2018 and beyond, noting that the Army was currently modernizing 
one ABCT every 2 years at best. Furthermore, in H. Rept. 115-
200 the committee encouraged the Army to fully modernize at 
least one ABCT per year, and the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) authorized the 
additional funding necessary to modernize one complete ABCT. 
The committee is encouraged by the Army's increased investment 
for ABCT modernization in the budget request.
    Given this increased investment for ABCT modernization, the 
committee believes the Army should examine the cost benefits of 
using multiyear procurement contracts for combat vehicle 
platforms comprising ABCTs. However, the committee is also 
aware the Army has concerns over the loss of fiscal flexibility 
that occurs when it commits to a multiyear contract.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by December 3, 2018, on the results of a cost-benefit analysis 
comparing a traditional 5-year multiyear contract for ABCT 
platforms with an alternative 3-year multiyear contract with 2 
successive single-year options.
    In addition, the committee is concerned that the Army's 
current nomenclature for a critical part of the ABCT, the M1 
Abrams tank, has become so complicated that it fails to 
communicate the importance of the Army's planned upgrades for 
the tank. Specifically, the committee is concerned that Army's 
use of ``M1A1 situational awareness,'' ``M1A2 system 
enhancement program version 3,'' and ``M1A2 system enhancement 
program version 4'' to refer to Army upgrade programs for the 
M1 Abrams tank fails to clearly and concisely convey the 
significant capability upgrades resident in these efforts. The 
committee encourages the Army to change, as soon as possible, 
to clearer M1 Abrams upgrade program descriptions such as the 
``M1A3'' and ``M1A4'' to more efficiently describe these 
programs. The committee believes that such a change does not 
require any additional testing or funding.

M240 medium machine gun modernization

     The committee is concerned the Army may be assuming too 
much risk in the small arms industrial base with respect to the 
family of M240 medium machine guns. Current funding profiles 
could lead to a potential production line shutdown. The 
shutdown of existing production lines would create significant 
operational impacts if requirements increase. The committee 
notes that the budget request included $2.1 million for M240 
production; however, no funding is projected for new production 
in fiscal year 2020 or fiscal year 2021. The committee 
encourages the Army to closely monitor this critical industrial 
base and work with the original equipment manufacturer to 
develop courses of action to ensure the production line remains 
viable and capable of supporting potential increased 
requirements.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives by September 28, 2018. This briefing shall 
include, at a minimum:
    (1) the projected service life of the current M240 
inventory;
    (2) the Army's plan and schedule to replace the current 
M240 inventory either with newer M240 models or an entirely new 
system;
    (3) how the Army will address increased requirements caused 
by increases in end strength and combat formations;
    (4) relevant cost analysis for restarting the M240 
production line after a period of dormancy; and
    (5) a description of interaction and communication with the 
original equipment manufacturer regarding capacity challenges 
and minimum sustaining production rates.
    Additionally, the committee directs the Secretary of the 
Army to provide an advisability and feasibility study to the 
House Committee on Armed Services by September 28, 2018, on 
transitioning the existing fleet of M240B medium machine guns 
to the lighter-weight M240L configuration. This assessment 
shall include the estimated costs associated with this 
transition and using current inventories of M240Bs.

M3E1 Carl Gustaf weapon system

    The committee understands the M3E1 Carl Gustaf is the 
Army's current platform for addressing the Army's multi-role 
anti-armor anti-personnel weapon system requirement. The 
committee notes that the Army is implementing a directed 
requirement signed in January 2017 to expand the fielding of 
lightweight Carl Gustaf systems to infantry and scout platoons 
in its infantry brigade combat teams and Stryker brigade combat 
teams.
    The committee notes, however, that the Army does not have 
plans or funding for a precision-guided round for the Carl 
Gustaf that will provide pinpoint, multitarget engagement 
capability at substantially extended ranges. The committee is 
aware of an emerging U.S. Special Operations Command 
requirement for a Guided Carl Gustaf Munition and encourages 
the Army to accelerate development and production of a 
precision-guided round for the Carl Gustaf weapon system.

Paladin Integrated Management

    The base budget request included $351.8 million for 30 
M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) self-propelled 
howitzers. The M109A7 PIM program modernizes the legacy M109A6 
Paladin self-propelled howitzer and M992A2 Field Artillery 
Ammunition Support Vehicle.
    The committee has worked closely with the Army to stabilize 
production for combat vehicle programs and armored brigade 
combat team modernization in order to maintain overmatch 
against near-peer and peer strategic competitors. As such, the 
committee is concerned that the Army's budget request for the 
Paladin Integrated Management program does not adequately fund 
the current production contract. The committee notes that the 
Army has decreased planned PIM funding in fiscal year 2019 by 
approximately $237.0 million and that this funding decrease has 
resulted in a loss of 24 vehicle sets below the original 60 
sets authorized under the contract. Furthermore, the committee 
understands the Army plans to increase production back to 60 
sets per year beginning in fiscal year 2020. The committee 
believes this variance from planned and contracted funding 
amounts could cause significant disruptions to the PIM supply 
chain. The committee encourages the Army to maintain funding 
for PIM consistent with the 60 vehicles sets per year included 
in its current production contract.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $426.8 million, an 
increase of $75.0 million, to increase production for the 
M109A7 PIM program.

Stryker upgrades

    The budget request contained $21.9 million for the 
procurement of three conversions of Stryker flat-bottom hull 
vehicles to the Double V-Hull (DVH) configuration with 
Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 1 upgrades resulting in a 
Stryker DVHA1 vehicle to be fielded in Stryker brigade combat 
teams (SBCTs). The budget request also contained $287.5 million 
for Stryker vehicle modifications to resolve reliability, 
lethality, safety, operational, and performance degradation 
issues in Stryker vehicles.
    The committee understands the Stryker DVHA1 ECP addresses 
mobility and electrical power degradation issues resulting from 
over 10 years supporting overseas contingency combat 
operations, as well as other improvements in network capability 
intended to provide the platform for future evolution of the 
fleet. The committee notes that the Chief of Staff of the Army 
just recently completed an assessment of Stryker program 
priorities and directed that all six remaining SBCTs convert to 
the Stryker DVHA1 configuration. The committee supports this 
directed requirement, and believes the conversion would provide 
SBCTs with a more survivable vehicle, as well as regain the 
mobility and automotive performance lost due to the additional 
weight of the existing survivability upgrades. To facilitate 
and support this effort in fiscal year 2019, the committee 
notes the Army has requested realignment of $149.3 million from 
the Stryker modification budget request, and also has 
identified new unfunded requirements for Stryker upgrades.
    The committee recommends an additional $188.8 million to 
accelerate Stryker DVHA1 upgrades for SBCTs. The committee also 
recommends the realignment of $149.3 million from the Stryker 
modification budget request for Stryker DVHA1 upgrades. The 
committee recommends a total of $360.0 million, a total 
increase of $337.3 million, for Stryker DVHA1 upgrades.

                    Procurement of Ammunition, Army


                       Items of Special Interest


M58 MICLIC

    The committee has continuing interest in the Department of 
Defense's plans to modify and upgrade the M58 Mine Clearing 
Line Charge (MICLIC). This antiquated system has been employed 
by the United States Marine Corps and U.S. Army since the 
Vietnam-era. Since the beginning of the Global War on 
Terrorism, enemy mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) 
have been used to counter U.S. ground mobility assets. The past 
17 years of conflict, coupled with recent trends indicate that 
these types of defensive tactics and techniques will be used in 
future engagements. While the enemy continues to adapt, the M58 
MICLIC costs $83.6K per system and has not seen any significant 
upgrade in capability since its introduction.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than February 1, 2019, on the Army's plan for 
upgrading or replacing the M58 MICLIC. The briefing should 
include:
    (1) A description of current MICLIC employment statistics 
and mission requirements
    (2) An overview of a plan and timeline to upgrade the 
current system or field a newer variant
    (3) The costs associated with the research, development, 
test, and evaluation of a new system
    (4) Any employment or effectiveness shortfalls with the 
current M58 system.

                        Other Procurement, Army


                       Items of Special Interest


CREW electronic counter-measure systems

    The budget request contained $42.7 million for the 
procurement of counter radio controlled improvised explosive 
devices (RCIED) electronics warfare (CREW) family of electronic 
counter measure (ECM) systems to protect dismounted soldiers, 
fixed-sites, and tactical and combat vehicles. The committee 
supports this program and notes that the United States Marine 
Corps and United States Special Operations Command are 
currently procuring the same family of systems. The committee 
is aware that the Army has two Program Executive Offices (PEOs) 
responsible for developing and procuring ground-based mounted 
and dismounted CREW and ECM systems. The committee notes that 
PEO Ammunition procures these systems specifically for Army 
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units and that PEO 
Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors (IEW&S) for all 
other Army organizational units. The committee needs to be 
assured that these PEOs are coordinating effectively on 
materiel solutions and are engaged in mutually supporting 
activities regarding CREW ECM systems.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by August 
30, 2018, on the Army's efforts to coordinate and synchronize 
the requirements process, rapid acquisition efforts, and 
programs of record of PEO IEW&S and PEO Ammunition related to 
CREW ECM systems.

Enhanced rapid airfield construction capability

    The budget request included $0.9 million for enhanced rapid 
airfield construction capability (ERACC) equipment.
    The committee understands ERACC equipment provides the 
joint commander with the capability enhancement to rapidly 
construct new airfields and runways, and to upgrade existing 
facilities to meet joint task force requests. The committee 
notes this request specifically provides for the procurement, 
installation, and fielding of equipment in support of ERACC 
Type II mission requirements. The committee understands ERACC 
Type II mission equipment consists of a grade control system 
that includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) and laser 
leveling system that is installed on a dozer, grader, scraper 
and Deployable Universal Combat Earthmover. The committee notes 
the laser leveling systems allow for precision survey planning 
with three-dimensional software. The committee understands this 
system would significantly reduce operational time required for 
heavy construction missions, and result in fewer machines 
required to complete missions, as well as fuel savings. The 
committee believes there are emerging requirements for 
additional ERACC Type II capability.
    The committee recommends $8.4 million, an increase of $7.5 
million, to accelerate the competitive modernization of ERACC 
equipment.

Mine resistant ambush protected vehicle sustainment

    The committee commends the military services for retaining 
the most capable mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) 
vehicles to meet military operational and training needs, as 
well as standardizing the fleet to improve long-term 
sustainment. The committee notes the Army has an enduring 
requirement of 8,222 MRAP vehicles, and that MRAP vehicles 
continue to be a critical high demand force protection asset 
for overseas contingency operations in the U.S. Central 
Command's area of responsibility. The committee also notes that 
since the military services finalized the enduring requirements 
for MRAP vehicles, the military services face an increasingly 
complex and significantly worse global threat environment.
    In this environment, the committee believes demand for MRAP 
vehicles could increase. Additionally, MRAP vehicles may be 
needed to fulfill emerging requirements that may not have been 
fully considered as part of the Army's long-term tactical 
wheeled vehicle modernization strategy, such as requirements 
for key leader or command and control vehicles. The committee 
notes with concern that the Army's budget request contained no 
funding for MRAP vehicle modifications or improvements for the 
existing inventory of MRAP vehicles. The committee encourages 
the Army to take necessary steps to ensure the MRAP vehicle 
industrial base remains viable.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in coordination with 
the Secretary of the Army, to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by December 14, 2018, that details 
the Army's long-term strategy for planning, programming, and 
budgeting for long-term sustainment, research and development, 
and procurement of MRAP vehicle platforms.

Tactical Communication and Protective Systems (TCAPS) authorization

    The House Armed Services Committee is aware that service 
members are routinely exposed to extreme loud noises that can 
damage their hearing. The committee further notes that 
technologies are available that integrate advanced hearing 
protection into tactical radio headsets, significantly 
improving communications ability as well as overall situational 
awareness. The committee is concerned, however, that disparity 
in the procurement and fielding schedules of these components 
is leading to inefficiencies that unnecessarily undermine 
readiness and could jeopardize the long-term health of service 
members.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army, 
in coordination with the Director of the Soldier Lethality 
Cross-Functional Team pilot as well as the appropriate program 
executive offices, to provide a briefing to the House Committee 
on Armed Services by September 1, 2018 on potential courses of 
action to mitigate the aforementioned disparity.

Tactical network modernization

    The committee understands the Army's new tactical network 
modernization strategy is designed to enable the Army to 
``fight tonight,'' while also actively seeking next-generation 
solutions to stay ahead of potential adversaries. The committee 
notes this strategy would fix the existing programs that are 
necessary to fulfill the most critical operational shortfalls, 
while pivoting to a new acquisition methodology that fosters 
rapid insertion of new technology. In the report required by 
section 112 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91), the Army stated that 
``the Army will continually evaluate available solutions, 
including those that may not have originally been designed for 
military application, using operational units to demonstrate, 
experiment with, and test them in the field. The Army will then 
'adapt and buy' the best of the tested solutions to meet unique 
military challenges.'' Consistent with this new tactical 
network modernization strategy, the committee expects the 
Director of the Army's Network Command, Control, Communication, 
and Intelligence cross-functional team pilot to test and 
consider readily available, non-developmental tactical 
communications technologies that deliver the improved 
performance in voice, video, and data dissemination at the 
squad and individual soldier level.

Tactical wheeled vehicle industrial base sustainment

    The committee is aware that the Army's Future Years Defense 
Program (FYDP) projections for the family of medium tactical 
vehicles (FMTVs) and the family of heavy tactical vehicles 
(FHTVs) Recapitalization program in the budget request are 
significantly lower than corresponding fiscal year 2018 FYDP 
projections. The committee is concerned that a drastic, 
unexpected decrease in FYDP procurement projections for these 
critical vehicle programs could have significant impacts to the 
medium and heavy tactical wheeled vehicle defense industrial 
base. The committee notes with concern that this could put at 
risk the TWV industrial base's ability to provide surge 
capacity in an emergency. The committee encourages the 
Secretary of the Army to develop procurement plans for tactical 
wheeled vehicles and corresponding recapitalization programs 
that do not place unreasonable pressure on the tactical wheeled 
vehicle industrial base, nor undermine its capacity for surge 
production.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
September 30, 2018, on the Army's current acquisition strategy 
and sustainment strategy for FMTVs and FHTVs. The briefing 
should also include potential courses of action to minimize 
impacts to the industrial base, as well as ways to maintain 
surge capacity across the FYDP.

                       Aircraft Procurement, Navy


                       Items of Special Interest


Current and future anti-submarine warfare system study

    Preceding the Navy Department's MH-60R Mid-Life Upgrade 
(MLU) in Fiscal Year 20, advances in anti-submarine warfare 
systems manufactured in the U.S. warrant a review. The 
committee is encouraged by advances in dipping sonar utilizing 
low frequency detection and beam-forming technologies, allowing 
multiple boundary interactions, and interoperability with 
shipboard sonars and sonobuoys adding greatly enhanced 
protection to the carrier battle group. Moreover, these 
advances in technology are derived from U.S. sources, vice 
foreign technologies.
    Additionally, the committee is concerned that the current 
MH-60R anti-submarine warfare system, Airborne Low Frequency 
Sonar (ALFS), that serves as the primary ASW sensor in the 
Carrier Strike Group, has a component failure rate that has 
depleted the spares inventory, impacting deployed and 
nondeployed readiness including the ability to support 
concurrent MH-60R deployments.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to submit a report to the House Armed Services Committee by 
March 1, 2019 on the current operability and readiness issues 
of ALFS system and the potential utilization of existing, 
advanced U.S. technologies to upgrade the MH-60R fleet's anti-
submarine warfare system.

Long-range naval carrier aviation

    The committee notes that section 1067 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-
92) directed the Secretary of Defense to provide three 
independent studies of alternative future fleet platform 
architectures for the Navy in the 2030 timeframe.
    The committee further notes that the three studies concur 
as to the need for an enhanced carrier-based unmanned long-
range strike capability beyond current plans and programs. The 
committee remains concerned that while the MQ-25 program 
leverages Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and 
Strike requirements justification, the most recent 
documentation sent to industry did not include precision strike 
capability as a requirement. The committee believes that the 
Navy may be unnecessarily excluding a critical capability and 
precluding future growth in a platform that will likely be 
integrated into the carrier air wing for the next 30 years.
    Therefore, the committee encourages the Navy to develop an 
unmanned anti-access penetrating long-range strike capability 
from the aircraft carrier, in addition to the current focus on 
the MQ-25A.

MQ-4

    The budget request contained $577.8 million for procurement 
of three MQ-4C unmanned aircraft. The committee understands the 
MQ-4C will be a forward-deployed, land-based, autonomously 
operated system that provides a persistent maritime 
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability 
using a multi-sensor mission payload. The MQ-4C's unique 
combination of long endurance and advanced sensors will support 
combatant commanders and provide a common operational picture 
of the maritime environment.
    The committee supports the budget request of $577.8 million 
for procurement of three MQ-4C aircraft. However, how, when, 
and what quantity of MQ-4C aircraft will be integrated into the 
Department of Defense's ISR Global Force Management Allocation 
Process (GFMAP) for airborne ISR aircraft is still unclear. 
Therefore, the committee also directs the Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff (CJCS), in consultation with the Secretary of 
the Navy, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services, not later than October 15, 2018, that details the 
strategy and plan to integrate MQ-4C into the CJCS ISR GFMAP 
process. At a minimum, the briefing should illustrate the 
methodology that will be used to determine the quantity of MQ-
4C aircraft involved in the process, the scheduling start date, 
the type of aircraft capability, and the capacity of 
intelligence discipline capability the MQ-4C will provide to 
the combatant commanders.

Navy Reserve F/A-18 aircraft

    The committee remains concerned about the health and 
readiness of the Navy Reserve combat air fleet. The committee 
is aware that the Navy Reserve tactical aviation squadrons 
provide critical adversary support and strike fighter weapons 
training to Active Duty forces, and must maintain a high 
mobilization readiness level as the sole strategic reserve 
available to the Department of the Navy. The committee 
understands that the Navy Reserve currently operates 33 legacy 
F/A-18A+ aircraft that are currently shared between two 
squadrons. The committee notes that with an average airframe 
age of 31 years and aircraft systems that are no longer 
compatible with today's carrier air wing, the Navy Reserve 
aircraft are increasingly less capable than the F/A-18E/F Super 
Hornet aircraft used by the Navy's Active Duty fleet. The 
committee believes that this situation could affect the ability 
of the two Navy Reserve squadrons to meet requirements for 
advanced strike employment, and the capability to simulate 
current advanced threat aircraft. The committee also believes 
that the legacy F/A-18A+ aircraft needs to be recapitalized 
with next-generation capability in order to provide realistic 
threat-representative training for naval aviators and to 
maintain operational readiness that provides a relevant and 
deployable reserve to the Active Duty air wings.
    Accordingly, the committee directs the Secretary of the 
Navy, in coordination with the Chief of the Navy Reserve, to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than December 4, 2018, on its updated plans to 
recapitalize the Navy Reserve combat air fleet.

                       Weapons Procurement, Navy


                       Items of Special Interest


Advanced Low Cost Munition Ordnance

    The committee continues to support development of the 
Advanced Low Cost Munition Ordnance (ALaMO), a guided 57 mm 
projectile, to counter the growing threats posed by small boat 
swarms, unmanned aerial systems, and other emerging threats. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
August 30, 2018, on accelerating development of ALaMO's 
capabilities to address threats posed by unmanned aerial 
systems. The briefing should also include, but not be limited 
to, an evaluation of the current funding profile of this 
program across the Future Years Defense Program, as well as 
potential courses of action to accelerate or streamline the 
current program strategy.

                   Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy


                       Items of Special Interest


Frigate

    The committee is aware that the Navy awarded five contracts 
for conceptual design for its new guided missile frigate 
program, FFG(X), with multiple shipbuilders currently 
developing their respective designs to compete for a detail 
design and construction contract award planned for September 
2020. This pursuit represents a significant shift from the 
Navy's previous plans to award a contract in fiscal year 2018 
for a frigate derived from minor modifications to a Littoral 
Combat Ship (LCS) design. The FFG(X) program intends to 
leverage the proposed capabilities of the previous frigate 
plans and expand upon them to create a more lethal and 
survivable ship to meet the Small Surface Combatant (SSC) 
requirement. Toward that end, the committee encourages the 
Secretary of the Navy to emphasize concepts of risk reduction, 
commonality with existing platform equipment, and reduced 
acquisition and life cycle and sustainment costs to provide a 
best value solution for this critical platform. FFG(X) 
represents a significant investment, with the Navy's fiscal 
year 2019 long-range shipbuilding plan estimating over $5.5 
billion through fiscal year 2023 for the first 6 frigates, and 
a total of 20 frigates planned through fiscal year 2030.
    Since 2005, the Comptroller General of the United States 
has reported extensively on the LCS program, the predecessor 
small surface combatant. Considering the lessons learned during 
the LCS program, the committee directs the Comptroller General 
of the United States conduct a review of the FFG(X) program and 
provide a report to the congressional defense committees by 
March 1, 2019. The report shall include, at a minimum, analysis 
on the following:
    (1) conceptual design plans and activities to support the 
advancement of multiple ship designs for a full and open 
competition in fiscal year 2020;
    (2) activities to establish requirements and system 
specifications, and to develop the program's overall 
acquisition approach, including cost and schedule estimates, as 
well as a test strategy; and
    (3) plans for the detail design and construction award 
contract, to include a review of the implications of a 
potential request by the Navy for a block buy award.

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier service life extension

    In December 2016, the Secretary of the Navy determined that 
a 355-ship Navy is required to support force structure demands. 
A part of this force structure requirement is a power 
projection requirement of 12 aircraft carriers. With the 
delivery of the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) in 2023, the Navy 
will reach their 12 aircraft carrier goal but will quickly lose 
this overall capacity with the programmed retirement of USS 
Nimitz (CVN 68) in fiscal year 2023.
    The committee believes that there are several options to 
retain required aircraft carrier force structure to include 
accelerating construction of the Ford-class carriers. 
Additionally, the committee believes that service life 
extension options may be available for USS Nimitz. Therefore, 
the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by March 1, 
2019, on options that exist to extend the service life of USS 
Nimitz, to include the extension of major components. 
Additionally, such a briefing should include cost estimates and 
major modernization components.

                        Other Procurement, Navy


                       Items of Special Interest


Arleigh Burke-class destroyer radar backfit

    The committee notes that Navy witnesses have provided 
testimony to the committee and indicated their recommendation 
to extend the service life of the Arleigh Burke-class 
destroyers for 45 years. Navy notes that expansion of the 
service life will allow Navy to reach the 355-ship Navy by 2036 
or 2037. The committee supports retention of destroyers beyond 
their current service life but notes that such support is 
contingent on providing a comprehensive modernization plan for 
the entirety of the in-service destroyers. As part of this 
overall modernization of the destroyer fleet, the committee 
believes that it is essential the Navy develop a next 
generation maritime radar system for in service Arleigh Burke-
class destroyers to address existing and emerging gaps in 
integrated air and missile defense. The committee understands 
that the Secretary of the Navy is still developing its strategy 
for how to pursue this capability. The committee further 
recognizes that the recent decision to perform a class wide 
service life extension program (SLEP) on all in service 
destroyers could have an impact on the timing of a radar 
backfit program. The committee believes that it would be 
premature to make any decisions regarding specific radars until 
the Secretary has completed a comprehensive threat and 
capabilities based assessment of what will be required for a 
new radar for in service destroyers. Therefore, the committee 
directs the Secretary of the Navy to brief the House Armed 
Services Committee on the details of their DDG-51 radar backfit 
strategy once an overall modernization strategy has been 
completed.

MH-60R dipping sonar upgrades

    The committee notes numerous advancements in anti-submarine 
warfare systems preceding the Department of the Navy's MH-60R 
Mid-Life Upgrade in fiscal years 2020 through 2023. 
Specifically, the committee is encouraged by advances in 
dipping sonar utilizing low frequency detection and beam-
forming technologies, allowing multiple boundary interaction 
and interoperability with shipboard sonars and sonobuoys to 
expand the lethality of Navy forces. The committee is concerned 
that the current MH-60R anti-submarine warfare system, the 
airborne low frequency sonar that serves as the primary anti-
submarine warfare sensor in the carrier strike group, has a 
high component failure rate.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by February 1, 2019, on the potential use of existing advanced 
technologies to upgrade the MH-60R fleet. If available 
manufactured systems meet or exceed current legacy technologies 
reliability or capability, then the Department of the Navy is 
encouraged to conduct a full and open competition for MH-60R 
dipping sonar upgrades, repairs, and replacements as part of 
the fleet sustainment of these capabilities.

SPY-6 inherent capabilities

    The committee is aware that next generation AN/SPY-6(V) Air 
and Missile Defense Radars will soon be entering the fleet. As 
the SPY-6 family of radars begin to deploy and better protect 
our service members and allies, the committee is also aware 
that capabilities beyond those designed for nominal radar 
operations may exist. To provide the committee a better 
understanding of the full range of capabilities resident in 
SPY-6(V) radar modular assembly (RMA) based radars, the 
committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to provide a 
briefing to the House Armed Services Committee on a plan that 
will exploit the inherent capabilities of SPY-6(V) within 90 
days from the enactment of this Act.

Surface ship torpedo defense

    The evolving challenges and tensions in the Indo-Asia-
Pacific region underscore the ongoing requirement for a surface 
ship torpedo defense (SSTD) capability for the Navy's high-
value units. The committee understands that the Chief of Naval 
Operations highlighted this requirement in a 2010 urgent 
operational need statement and that since that time, potential 
regional adversaries have continued to improve their submarine 
and torpedo capabilities. Despite this increasing threat to 
Navy carrier strike groups and surface platforms, and the 
continued SSTD testing success and program maturation, the 
budget request and the Future Years Defense Program 
inadequately support currently deployed systems and cancel 
further development of this SSTD capability.
    The committee is concerned that this decision is based on 
the need to balance several years of inadequate funding 
resources across a range of priorities and that this budgetary 
dynamic is forcing decisions that put at risk the readiness and 
security of U.S. naval and Marine forces without adequate 
alternative plans to mitigate that threat. As raised in 
previous communications with Navy officials, the committee also 
has concerns that the Navy has distributed various SSTD program 
responsibilities among various Navy resource sponsors, which 
has led to a lack of determined support for efficient program 
execution and a lack of focused leadership.
    In light of these concerns, the committee directs the 
Secretary of the Navy to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by October 1, 2018, that includes, 
but is not limited to, the following: an assessment of the 
current and foreseeable torpedo threats facing high-value units 
and the Navy's plan to adequately protect them, a description 
of the requirements for SSTD, an assessment of the development 
program concerning each of the SSTD capability elements, the 
plan to consolidate responsibility of the SSTD program, and the 
plan to manage and sustain currently fielded SSTD systems.

                       Procurement, Marine Corps


                       Items of Special Interest


Indoor Simulated Markmanship Trainers

    The budget request contained $52.0 million for Marine Corps 
Training Devices. Of this amount, $2.7 million was requested 
for Indoor Simulated Marksmanship Trainers (ISMTs).
    The ISMT system is a three-dimensional simulation-based 
trainer for indoor use, capable of instructing in basic and 
advanced marksmanship, shoot/no-shoot judgment, combat 
marksmanship, and weapons employment tactics. The committee 
recognizes the value of this training system for remedial and 
virtual instruction to augment live fire upon simulated 
targets. The committee notes the ISMT systems are used both 
within the continental United States (CONUS) and outside CONUS. 
The committee also recognizes the value of this capability in 
that it would allow for rapid generation of new training 
scenarios, thus adding new capability quickly and efficiently 
to meet the training demands resulting from doctrinal and/or 
mission requirement changes. The committee encourages the 
Marine Corps to continue to work with the industrial base to 
improve and upgrade components for the Training Device 
portfolio.
    The committee recommends $2.7 million, the full amount in 
the budget request, for the ISMT system.

Rapid acquisition of Rifle Integrated Controller

    The committee understands the Marine Corps is currently 
evaluating a rifle accessory control unit (RACU) through a two-
phase process that should result in fielding capability 
improvements in the operational performance and close-combat 
lethality of individual marines. The committee understands the 
RACU will be fully integrated with current Marine Corps weapons 
and communication devices and will be evaluated for operational 
utility at the unit level. The committee recognizes the 
challenges that exist for an individual marine to operate 
separate situational awareness, communications, target 
designators, thermal sights, and other battle management 
devices. The committee notes the RACU system would consolidate 
these disparate capabilities into one unified capability. The 
committee is encouraged by the initial feedback regarding the 
performance of the RACU during the phase 1 evaluation. The 
committee understands the phase 2 evaluation should conclude by 
the end of fiscal year 2018.
    The committee expects the Marine Corps to expeditiously 
complete the phase 2 evaluation and, subject to a successful 
evaluation, expects the capability to result in a validated 
requirement. The committee encourages the Commandant of the 
Marine Corps to consider a rapid acquisition strategy to 
accelerate the fielding and procurement of the RACU utilizing 
existing acquisition reform authorities.

                    Aircraft Procurement, Air Force


                       Items of Special Interest


A-10 replacement wings

    The base budget request contained $98.7 million for A-10 
aircraft modifications, of which $79.2 million was included for 
the A-10 wing replacement program. The committee notes that 
increases for fiscal years 2017 and 2018 will enable the 
Department of the Air Force to begin a second wing replacement 
program for an additional 110 A-10 replacement wings.
    The committee continues to believe that sustainment of the 
281-aircraft A-10 fleet helps to meet Air Force fighter 
aircraft capacity requirements. The committee notes that A-10 
force structure consists of five Air Reserve Component and four 
Active Duty squadrons, and that any fewer than nine squadrons 
will not meet future combatant commander demand for A-10 
aircraft. Consequently, subsequent to the test and evaluation 
of the F-35A and A-10C required by section 134 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328), the Department should not take any action to reduce the 
number of A-10 squadrons. Accordingly, the committee believes 
the Department of the Air Force should accelerate the A-10 wing 
replacement program.
    The committee recommends $163.7 million in the base budget 
for A-10 modifications, an increase of $65.0 million for the A-
10 wing replacement program.
    The committee also notes that multiyear contracting 
strategies have resulted in more efficient and cost effective 
acquisition programs, and believes such a strategy could also 
result in cost savings for the A-10 wing replacement program. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than February 15, 2019, on Department of the Air 
Force plans to utilize a multiyear contracting strategy to 
procure A-10 replacement wings.
    Additionally, the committee notes that exercising the 
option to deliver the remaining 110 wings on the contract that 
expired in September 2016 could have resulted in cost savings 
compared to current plans to contract separately for a second 
wing replacement program. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Secretary of the Air Force to provide a report to the House 
Committee on Armed Services, not later than February 15, 2019, 
on the cost of the additional 110 A-10 replacement wings using 
a second contract compared to the cost of exercising the option 
to procure the 110 A-10 replacement wings on the original 
contract.

Air Force enlisted pilot implementation initiatives

    The committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than March 4, 2019, on the plan to implement the enlisted 
pilot aircrew requirements of Section 1052 of the FY17 NDAA for 
the MQ-9 enterprise of the Active, Guard, and Reserve 
components of the Air Force. Furthermore, the committee directs 
the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a report to the 
congressional defense committees not later than April 1, 2019, 
on the costs, benefits, and feasibility of authorizing enlisted 
Airmen or Warrant Officers as pilots, navigators, or weapon 
systems operators on all Air Force aircraft or rotorcraft 
platforms. The report should also assess and explain any policy 
or guidance impediments that would preclude enlisted Airmen or 
Warrant Officers from serving as pilots, navigators, or weapon 
systems operators.

B-2 secure communication modernization plan

    The committee notes that the Air Force released its 
``Bomber Vector'' in conjunction with its fiscal year 2019 
President's budget request which outlines the future of the B-
1, B-2, B-52, and B-21 bomber fleets. According to this 
document, during development and production of the B-21, the 
Air Force will sustain the B-2 bomber to assure no gaps in 
bomber force availability. In addition to availability, the 
committee is concerned that the B-2 bomber fleet must keep pace 
with the threat level and have no gaps in capability during the 
transition. This is critical as competitor nations increasingly 
field anti-access and area denial weapon systems that impede 
and degrade the Air Force's ability to hold any target at risk 
around the globe.
    The committee is aware that, as noted in the Department of 
Defense fiscal year 2019 budget request, ``modern 
communications are key enablers for the B-2 in the anti-access/
area denial battle-space and directly enhance lethality and 
force multiplication.'' The committee is concerned that the 
Department terminated the Extremely High Frequency Satellite 
Communications program, which provided two-way, high-bandwidth, 
secure, survivable, strategic communication in anti-access and 
area denial environments. In its place, the Air Force has 
chosen to rely on the Common Very-Low-Frequency Receiver (CVR), 
which is to provide the B-2 with receive-only, secure, 
survivable communications.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by February 28, 2019, on the B-2 secure communications 
modernization plan. This briefing should include the following:
    (1) the impact of the Air Force's decision to downgrade B-2 
communications capabilities on the ability of the B-2 to 
perform its critical strike missions in anti-access/area denial 
environments;
    (2) recommend solutions that would enable automated 
transfer of data to the B-2 and enable the aircraft to operate 
in a networked fashion with other elements for the long-range 
strike family of systems and other Air Force and Joint systems; 
and
    (3) provide estimated modernization costs and timelines, 
and consider opportunities to exploit capabilities developed 
for other programs.

C-130H modernization efforts

    The committee notes that the C-130H aircraft that are flown 
primarily by the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve 
continue to provide critical tactical airlift capabilities and 
will continue to support this mission for years to come. The 
committee further notes that in order to sustain mission 
capability and effectiveness, various sustainment and 
improvement initiatives are currently underway. The committee 
supports all of these initiatives however, it does recognize 
that shortfalls still remain. Specifically, the C-130H Avionics 
Modernization Program (AMP) addresses cockpit modernization 
needs of the aircraft however; the AMP program does not include 
the flight engineers control panel, which is a key component of 
the cockpit. Failure to upgrade the flight engineer control 
panel could leave the C-130H fleet with continued obsolescence 
issues post AMP. If the Air Force were to decide to upgrade 
this equipment at a later date, they will have missed the 
efficiencies of conducting those upgrades concurrent with the 
AMP upgrades. Therefore, the committee encourages the Air Force 
to explore the possibility of upgrading the C-130H flight 
engineer overhead control panel using readily available off the 
shelf technology. Furthermore, if the Air Force determines that 
these upgrades are necessary, they should make every effort to 
upgrade the aircraft in parallel with the AMP program in order 
to minimize disruption to the operation of the C-130H fleet and 
mission.

C-130H propulsion systems upgrade

    The budget request contained $22.1 million for procurement 
of C-130 modifications but no funds for C-130H propulsion 
systems upgrades.
    The committee continues to support the upgrade of C-130H/
LC-130H aircraft with the T56 3.5 engine enhancement and NP2000 
8-bladed propeller. The committee notes that the Air National 
Guard (ANG) completed testing of the T56 3.5 engine enhancement 
and reported results that exceeded expectations for fuel 
savings and performance. The committee understands that the ANG 
expects to issue a full test report in the summer of 2018, to 
be followed by a business case analysis for upgrading the 
entire fleet of C-130H/LC-130H aircraft. Additionally, the 
committee is aware that fiscal year 2016 and 2017 propulsion 
upgrade funds have been put on contract. The committee expects 
the Air Force to include the necessary funds to accelerate C-
130H/LC-130H upgrades in future base budgets.
    The committee recommends $129.0 million for the C-130H/LC-
130H propulsion systems upgrade program.

Compass Call transition plan

    The committee supports the Air Force's efforts to 
recapitalize the aging EC-130H Compass Call fleet with the more 
capable EC-37 type aircraft. The committee notes that the Air 
Force must first comply with the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328) and the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91) before it can carry on with the transition plan. The Air 
Force requested $108.1 million for fiscal year 2019 for one EC-
37. The committee is concerned that the Air Force plan to 
procure one aircraft per year over 10 years in order to 
recapitalize this fleet is not the most efficient way to move 
the capability to the field quickly, and may put the Compass 
Call mission at unacceptable risk of mission failure.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by February 1, 2019, on the Compass Call transition 
plan. This plan should include:
    (1) courses of action to accelerate the recapitalization of 
the EC-130H fleet and Baseline 4 development and deployment for 
incoming EC-37 aircraft;
    (2) attendant timelines for each course of action;
    (3) cost estimates for each course of action;
    (4) recommended course of action and a plan to manage both 
fleets while supporting combatant commander requirements; and
    (5) an assessment of the potential for future cooperative 
development and procurement of EC-37B Compass Call aircraft by 
the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom and the Royal 
Australian Air Force in a way the leverages the best practices 
of the RC-135 cooperative program arrangement with the Royal 
Air Force of the United Kingdom.

F-15C Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System

    The budget request contained $147.7 million for procurement 
of the F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability 
System (EPAWSS) for the F-15E, but included no funds for 
procurement of F-15C EPAWSS kits. The F-15 EPAWSS provides 
radar warning, geo-location, situational awareness, and self-
protection solutions to detect and defeat surface and airborne 
threats in contested environments.
    The committee notes that the budget request includes $137.1 
million to continue execution of the engineering, manufacturing 
and development phase for F-15 C and E aircraft, which includes 
delivering test assets, development test activities, and 
continued acquisition support for Milestone C. The committee 
also notes that the budget request includes $147.7 million to 
initiate procurement of F-15E EPAWSS kits, but believes that 
procurement of F-15C EPAWSS kits is critical to ensure the F-
15C's survivability on a modern battlefield in the air 
superiority mission.
    Consequently, the committee recommends $214.9 million for 
F-15 EPAWSS procurement, an increase of $67.2 million for 
procurement of four F-15C EPAWSS kits. The committee expects 
that the Department of the Air Force will execute the F-15 
EPAWSS procurement upgrade program for the planned 217 F-15Es 
and 196 F-15Cs.

F-35 autonomic logistics information system

    The F-35 Lightning II is the Department of Defense`s 
largest acquisition program, which will eventually deliver 
2,443 F-35 aircraft to the Departments of the Navy and Air 
Force. The committee believes that the F-35 will form the 
backbone of U.S. air combat superiority for decades to come, 
replacing or complementing the legacy tactical fighter fleets 
of the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps with a dominant, 
multi-role, fifth-generation aircraft capable of projecting 
U.S. power and deterring potential adversaries. The committee 
notes that for the F-35 program's international partners and 
foreign military sales customers who are participating in the 
program, the F-35 will become a cornerstone for future 
coalition operations. The committee believes that the F-35 will 
help to close a crucial capability gap that will enhance the 
strength of our security alliances. The committee, therefore, 
continues its strong support of this essential aircraft 
development and procurement program.
    Consistent with its support of the F-35 program and 
oversight responsibilities, the committee notes that at a 
hearing held by the House Committee on Armed Services' 
Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces on March 7, 2018, 
the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force witnesses all expressed a 
concern about the autonomic logistics information system 
(ALIS). The Air Force witness testified that the ALIS is 
currently labor-intensive for maintainers and support 
personnel, negatively affecting flight line operations and 
workforce development. During a subcommittee visit to Hill Air 
Force Base, Utah, in April 2018, subcommittee members met with 
Air Force F-35 maintenance personnel who reported that they are 
still very disappointed in the autonomic logistics information 
system, and continue to have to use manual workarounds that 
take time and effort, resulting in lower aircraft availability 
and mission capable rates. Given these ongoing problems, the 
committee will continue to conduct a detailed review of the 
ALIS program.

F-35 canopy transparencies

    The F-35 canopy transparency is the transparent enclosure 
over the cockpit of the F-35 aircraft. The committee notes that 
the F-35 program uses a sole-source contract to procure F-35 
canopy transparencies.
    The committee understands that the F-22 program uses a two-
source acquisition strategy for canopy transparencies, and that 
competition from that acquisition strategy has resulted in a 
more secure supply chain, increased innovation, longer product 
service life, and lower operating costs. Accordingly, the 
committee believes a two-source acquisition strategy for F-35 
canopy transparencies could provide similar benefits.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services not later than December 14, 2018, on the costs, 
benefits, analysis, and schedule impacts of the F-35 program 
using a two-source acquisition strategy for F-35 canopy 
transparencies.

F-35 sustainment affordability

    At a hearing held by the House Committee on Armed Services' 
Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces on March 7, 2018, 
the witnesses all expressed a concern about current operations 
and sustainment costs and testified that those costs would need 
to be reduced by over 30 percent to make the F-35 operationally 
affordable. At that hearing, the Air Force witness testified 
that if projected overall costs for the F-35 are not reduced, 
the Air Force would not be able to afford its planned 
procurement of 1,763 aircraft. While the F-35 program is 
currently procuring early production lots of F-35 aircraft, the 
committee believes opportunities exist to take actions that 
would reduce future F-35 operations and sustainment costs.
    Accordingly, the committee strongly urges the Secretary of 
the Air Force and the Secretary of the Navy, in concert with 
the F-35 Joint Program Office, to undertake the necessary 
actions to reduce F-35 sustainment costs. The committee 
believes that those actions should include, but not be limited 
to, addressing spare part shortages, addressing technical data 
requirements, accelerating both land- and sea-based 
intermediate maintenance capabilities, and modernization of the 
autonomic logistics information system.
    Additionally, the committee believes that increased F-35 
production rates and larger F-35 economies of scale could also 
help lower unit procurement and sustainment costs. Moreover, 
the committee also believes that advances in potential 
adversary aircraft and surface-to-air missile defense systems 
necessitate a combat fighter force with a higher percentage of 
fifth generation aircraft. Accordingly, the committee strongly 
encourages the Department to increase future F-35 production 
rates.

Future sustainment of remotely piloted aircraft tactical intelligence 
        and strike capabilities

    The budget request contained $946.6 million for procurement 
of 29 MQ-9A aircraft.
    The committee recognizes that the Air Force has a 380 total 
aircraft inventory (TAI) requirement for MQ-9A aircraft, and is 
also using a current metric of 40,000 hours for the MQ-9A 
airframe service-life determination, an increase of 20,000 
hours beyond the validated airframe service-life metric. The 
committee is also waiting to receive a cost-benefit analysis 
(CBA) from the Air Force, required by section 137 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public 
Law 115-91), comparing continued procurement of MQ-9A Block 5 
aircraft versus a transition to procurement of MQ-9B aircraft 
that is still in prototype development by the aircraft 
manufacturer. The committee understands that the Air Force 
could forgo the option of continued Block 5 upgrades to 
existing MQ-9A aircraft, and could pursue an option to 
participate in development and procurement of the MQ-9B 
aircraft, but the committee still lacks the required 
information to make an informed determination as to which 
effort the Air Force should pursue. The committee is also 
concerned by the Air Force's attempt this year to categorize 
MQ-9A aircraft that reach their airframe service-life limit as 
``combat-loss attrition'' to justify additional aircraft 
procurement using Overseas Contingency Operations resources, 
when past practice has been to categorize combat-loss attrition 
only as those aircraft that are destroyed or damaged beyond 
repair due to hostile engagement by adversaries or aircraft 
accidents. The committee is also concerned by the Air Force's 
irregular procurement quantity of aircraft outlined in the 
Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) and assesses that a more 
stable profile is needed.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $796.6 million, a 
decrease of $149.9 million and quantity of 7 aircraft, for a 
total procurement of 22 MQ-9A in fiscal year 2019. This 
decrease will minimize any waste of resources should the 
aforementioned Air Force CBA favor procuring MQ-9B instead of 
continuing MQ-9A Block 5 procurement, and also provide a more 
stable quantity procurement profile during the FYDP without 
harming TAI goals. The committee also expects the Secretary of 
the Air Force to adjust the future strategy for sustainment of 
remotely piloted aircraft tactical intelligence and strike 
capabilities if the CBA determines it best to procure MQ-9B 
aircraft instead of MQ-9A Block 5 aircraft.

OA-X light attack aircraft program

    The budget request contained no funds for the OA-X light 
attack aircraft program. The committee understands that the 
Department of the Air Force intends to include funding for the 
OA-X light attack aircraft program in fiscal year 2020.
    The committee believes that a light attack fighter aircraft 
is a continuing and exigent need to conduct close air support, 
counterinsurgency, armed reconnaissance, and other combat 
operations in more permissive threat environments. The 
committee further believes that procurement of light attack 
aircraft would increase the number of cockpits available to 
season Air Force pilots, thereby providing improvement to 
current pilot personnel shortfalls. Additionally, the committee 
notes that the Air Force Chief of Staff has stated, ``A light 
attack aircraft would not only provide relief to our 4th and 
5th generation aircraft, but also bolster our interoperability 
so we can more effectively employ airpower as an international 
team.''
    Accordingly, the committee encourages the Department of the 
Air Force to accelerate the OA-X light attack program.
    Additionally, to ensure the Department of the Air Force 
procures a low-cost aircraft that will provide cost efficiency 
along with quality capability, the committee encourages the 
Department to use a best value, rather than a lowest price 
technically acceptable, criteria for its source selection 
decision.

Production adjustment for KC-46A air refueling aircraft

    The budget request contained $2.56 billion for the 
procurement of 15 KC-46A air refueling tankers.
    The committee notes that the KC-46A program costs remain 
stable, but the delivery schedule may be further delayed. 
Currently, the Air Force is reporting three category one 
deficiencies including two for the remote vision system (RVS) 
and one for the center-line drogue system (CDS). The Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) observed in its latest report, GAO-
18-353, that the program updated its delivery schedule in 2017 
to allow the defense contractor to delay delivery of the first 
18 fully capable aircraft by 14 months. This delay moved the 
delivery date from August 2017 to October 2018. According to a 
schedule risk assessment and GAO's analysis, if risk is not 
mitigated, deliveries could be delayed further to May 2019, 21 
months from the originally scheduled delivery. The continued 
delays are set to cause a backup of unaccepted aircraft 
awaiting the completion of contractual test and documentation 
requirements. The defense manufacturer believes that it will 
meet the current delivery schedule and that it has taken 
appropriate steps to address all category one deficiencies by 
improving the RVS visual display and fine-tuning CDS software 
to reduce the number of unintended refueling disconnects. Given 
the latest Air Force schedule risk assessment, the committee 
believes the Secretary of the Air Force could use the variation 
in quantity provision in the contract to reduce the procurement 
by three aircraft in fiscal year 2019 without impacting the 
out-year per unit cost of each aircraft. The committee believes 
that the three additional aircraft funded in the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) could be awarded 
in fiscal year 2019 to help mitigate any production line 
impact. Elsewhere in this bill, funds have been limited for the 
procurement of three additional KC-46A aircraft until certain 
conditions are met. Lastly, the committee believes that it is 
warranted to reduce funds for interim contractor support 
concurrent with the late delivery of aircraft. The committee 
intends to provide strict oversight of this issue and review 
timelines to compliance to ensure reductions are aligned with 
ongoing decisions to accept aircraft.
    The committee recommends $2.06 billion, a decrease of 
$499.0 million, for the procurement of 12 KC-46A air refueling 
tankers and $50.0 million for interim contractor support.

RQ-4 Global Hawk and EQ-4 battlefield airborne communications node 
        aircraft

    The budget request contained $23.7 million for RQ-4 Global 
Hawk and EQ-4 modifications, but contained no funding for 
additional EQ-4 aircraft.
    The committee recognizes that both the RQ-4 and EQ-4 
provide critical warfighting capabilities in communications 
relay and high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and 
reconnaissance (ISR) mission areas for combatant commanders 
(COCOM). The committee is also satisfied that the EQ-4 has 
transitioned to a formal Air Force program of record. However, 
the committee is concerned that the current communication 
architecture for operating the RQ-4 is antiquated, difficult to 
maintain, and limits the Air Force's ability to fully use the 
system to meet COCOM demands for increased capacity and 
capability. The committee also believes that insufficient 
capacity exists for the robust communications capability the 
EQ-4 provides to COCOMs, and that based on current quantity of 
mission support taskings, the EQ-4 fleet of aircraft could 
reach service-life limits quicker than anticipated, creating an 
unmitigated capability gap. The committee supports any Air 
Force plan to initiate development of the RQ-4 Communication 
System Modernization Program (CSMP) in fiscal year 2020 to meet 
combatant commander requirements for expanded airborne 
communications relay and ISR, as well as establish a pathway to 
more quickly meet emerging high-altitude, long-endurance ISR 
and communications requirements.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $128.7 million, an 
increase of $105.0 million, for procurement of one additional 
EQ-4 aircraft and associated modifications. The committee also 
directs the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a report to 
the congressional defense committees, not later than February 
5, 2019, on the RQ-4 CSMP acquisition strategy. The report 
should include an updated RQ-4 CSMP acquisition strategy, 
including a program schedule and budget requirements for 
development, testing, and fielding of the capability, and a 
description of how the Air Force is balancing the resources 
required for CSMP with other efforts to increase RQ-4 sensor 
capabilities over this same time period.

Total Force C-17 Fleet Management Plan

    The committee notes that the Air Force must carefully 
manage the life cycle of each of its 222 C-17 strategic airlift 
aircraft assigned to the Regular, Reserve, and Air National 
Guard Components from an enterprise point of view in order to 
extract the maximum amount of utility from this limited 
resource. The committee is also aware that the Air Force is 
unable to meet its current requirement for strategic airlift as 
outlined by the fiscal year 2013 Mobility Capability 
Requirements Study (MCRS). Furthermore, the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) 
directed the Secretary of Defense to carry out a new MCRS. This 
study is to take into account attrition for the first time, 
which is likely to result in a higher requirement for strategic 
airlift.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by February 1, 2019, on the Total Force C-17 Fleet 
Management Plan. This briefing should include:
    (1) a table and timeline that shows when C-17s will be 
retired by tail number;
    (2) various courses of action that could be pursued and the 
impact to meeting the strategic airlift requirements;
    (3) limitation or impediments to controlling the retirement 
timeline of C-17 aircraft; and
    (4) legislative relief that could enable better management 
of the fleet through retirement.

Total Force KC-135R net centric operations and battlespace awareness

    The committee is aware that all three Air Force components 
of the Total Force (Regular, Air National Guard, and Reserve) 
operate the KC-135 Stratotanker, which is Air Mobility 
Command's primary air refueling platform. The KC-135 provides 
approximately 87 percent of air refueling support to U.S., 
allied, and coalition military aircraft.
    The committee believes that upgrades to KC-135 defensive 
systems, including tactical data link technologies, situational 
awareness displays that bring real-time threat information, and 
secure radio capability, greatly enhance KC-135 air refueling, 
airlift, and aeromedical evacuation missions. These systems are 
meant to protect the aircraft during takeoff, landing, and 
refueling flight regimes. Also, the systems offer protection 
during normal refueling flight operations against both infrared 
and radar-guided air-to-air missiles. Furthermore, the 
committee believes that upgrades to the KC-135 Real-Time 
Information in the Cockpit (RTIC) system would enhance network 
capability and provide a common processing and display platform 
resulting in consolidated situational awareness.
    As reflected in division D of this Act, the committee 
recommends additional funding for the National Guard and 
Reserve Equipment Account. The committee expects the Secretary 
of the Air Force to consider using these funds to modernize the 
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve with RTIC and self-
protection commercial off-the-shelf solutions through a 
competitive process.

U-2

    The budget request contained $106.9 million in PE 34260F 
for the airborne signals intelligence (SIGINT) enterprise and 
$70.6 million in PE 35202F for U-2 sensor development, but 
contained insufficient funding to develop a single-pod SIGINT 
capability or accelerate electro-optical and infrared sensor 
upgrades.
    The committee supports the Air Force's renewed commitment 
to the U-2 program reflected in the President's budget request 
for fiscal year 2019, and the Future Years Defense Program. To 
ensure the combat capability needed to stay ahead of emerging 
threats, the committee supports accelerating U-2 modernization 
and sustainment efforts. The planned efforts have the potential 
to provide a substantial leap in intelligence capability to the 
warfighter over the upcoming years.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $109.9 million in PE 
34260F, an increase of $3.0 million, for single-pod SIGINT 
development, and recommends $87.6 million in PE 35202F, an 
increase of $17.0 million, to accelerate electro-optical and 
infrared sensor upgrades. The committee also recommends 
elsewhere in this Act an increase of $38.0 million to refurbish 
and restore U-2 tail number 80-1099 to combat-ready status, and 
to provide increased high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, 
and reconnaissance capacity to the combatant commanders.

                     Missile Procurement, Air Force


                       Items of Special Interest


AIM-120 production rate

    The budget request contained $552.7 million for procurement 
of 363 AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles 
(AMRAAM).
    The committee notes that this request is 294 fewer AMRAAM 
missiles than were projected for fiscal year 2019 in last 
year's budget request. The committee notes further that 
additional stocks of the most modern version of the AMRAAM 
missile is a top priority of numerous combatant commands. While 
the committee understands that this production rate drop is due 
to significant delays with the form, fit, function refresh plan 
to address obsolescence issues, it is concerned that the Air 
Force is also limiting production quantities of other AMRAAM 
models sold via foreign military sales (FMS). The committee 
believes that production of additional FMS variants may help 
mitigate risk to the supplier base and overall production 
capacity for the weapon. Therefore, the committee encourages 
the Secretary of Defense to ensure that the AMRAAM production 
line is kept at or near full capacity whenever possible, either 
by increasing production to fill U.S. military requirements or 
by supplementing production for the U.S. military with higher 
FMS production.
    The committee recommends $552.7 million, the full amount 
requested, for AIM-120 AMRAAM procurement.

                      Other Procurement, Air Force


                       Items of Special Interest


Deployable Air Base Systems

    Given increasing threats, the committee supports efforts to 
enhance U.S., allied, and partner airbase resiliency in the 
Indo-Pacific region. The committee is especially supportive of 
the logistics and resiliency investments identified by the 
Commander of U.S. Pacific Command's (PACOM) critical 
investments list as well as the forward air base resiliency 
requirements as identified on PACOM's integrated priority list.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services, no later than December 1, 2018, on potential courses 
of action, to include rapid acquisition strategies to rapidly 
procure Deployable Air Base Systems in order to address 
identified PACOM capability gaps.

                       Procurement, Defense-Wide


                       Items of Special Interest


Common Analytical Laboratory System

    The budget request contained $48.3 million for the Common 
Analytical Laboratory System (CALS), a tool to enable detection 
and identification of chemical, biological, radiological, 
nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats. CALS provides 
analytical lab capabilities in the field, allowing field 
commanders to make faster and more informed response decisions, 
minimizing the effects of CBRNE threats. The committee 
recommends $48.3 million, the amount requested, for the Common 
Analytical Laboratory System.

Multi-Domain Command and Control

    The committee understands the Department of the Air Force 
and Department of the Navy are undertaking efforts to create 
robust Multi-Domain Command and Control (MDC2) capabilities. 
The committee supports each Department's plans to ensure MDC2 
program efforts are leveraging rapid experimentation and 
fielding of forward-deployed modular mission Systems for 
resilient communications and high-performance computing 
resources for the MDC2 mission.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force and the Secretary of the Navy to provide a briefing to 
the House Committee on Armed Services by September 1, 2018, 
that explains future funding and any other requirements to 
achieve rapid experimentation and fielding of MDC2 capabilities 
to the warfighter.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


              Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations


              Section 101--Authorization of Appropriations

    This section would authorize appropriations for procurement 
at the levels identified in section 4101 of division D of this 
Act.

                       Subtitle B--Army Programs


   Section 111--National Guard and Reserve Component Equipment report

    This section would modify the annual National Guard and 
Reserve Component Equipment report, as required by section 
10541 of title 10, United States Code, to include an assessment 
by the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Chief of the National 
Guard Bureau regarding modernization equipment parity between 
the active component, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.

   Section 112--Limitation on availability of funds for M27 infantry 
                        automatic rifle program

    This section would limit the obligation or expenditure of 
20 percent of the funds for the Marine Corps M27 infantry 
automatic rifle program until the Commandant of the Marine 
Corps provides an assessment of the Marine Corps views on the 
Army's Small Arms Ammunition Configuration Study, and whether 
the outcomes of this study are informing future small arms 
procurement for the Marine Corps. The assessment shall also 
include details regarding the Marine Corps near- and long-term 
small arms modernization strategy.

                       Subtitle C--Navy Programs


Section 121--Increase in Number of Operational Aircraft Carriers of the 
                                  Navy

    This section would provide the sense of Congress as to 
aircraft carrier force structure. Additionally, this section 
would modify section 5062 of title 10, United States Code, by 
increasing the required aircraft carrier force structure from 
11 to 12 operational aircraft carriers by September 30, 2022.

  Section 122--Procurement Authority for Ford Class Aircraft Carrier 
                                Program

    This section would authorize the construction of one Ford 
class aircraft carrier designated CVN-81.

   Section 123--Full Ship Shock Trial for Ford Class Aircraft Carrier

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
incorporate full ship shock trial results into the construction 
of the Ford class aircraft carrier designated CVN-81.

  Section 124--Multiyear Procurement Authority for Amphibious Vessels

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to 
enter into a multiyear procurement for five San Antonio-class 
amphibious transport dock ships with a Flight II configuration.

  Section 125--Multiyear Procurement Authority for Standard Missile-6

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to 
enter into one or more multiyear contracts for 625 Standard 
Missile-6 missiles beginning in fiscal year 2019, in accordance 
with section 2306b of title 10, United States Code.

     Section 126--Multiyear Procurement Authority for E-2D Aircraft

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to 
enter into one or more multiyear contracts for up to 24 E-2D 
aircraft beginning in fiscal year 2019, in accordance with 
section 2306b of title 10, United States Code.

Section 127--Multiyear Procurement Authority for F/A-18E/F Aircraft and 
                            EA-18G Aircraft

    Subject to section 2306b of title 10, United States Code, 
this section would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to enter 
into one or more multiyear contracts, beginning with the fiscal 
year 2019 program year, for the procurement of F/A-18E/F 
aircraft and EA-18G aircraft.

Section 128--Modifications to F/A-18 Aircraft To Mitigate Physiological 
                                Episodes

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
modify the F/A-18 aircraft to reduce the occurrence of, and 
mitigate the risk posed by, physiological episodes affecting 
crewmembers of the aircraft, and require the Secretary to 
include certain minimum modifications, and submit to the 
congressional defense committees a written update on the status 
of all modifications to the F/A-18 aircraft carried out 
pursuant to this section not later than February 1, 2019, and 
annually thereafter through February 1, 2021.

                Section 129--Frigate Class Ship Program

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
procure technical data rights to any acquired frigate class 
vessel. Additionally, this section would require the Secretary 
to recompete the frigate class procurement not later than the 
award of the 10th frigate using the acquired technical data 
rights.

Section 130--Limitation on Procurement of Economic Order Quantities for 
                    Virginia Class Submarine Program

    This section would modify section 124 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91) and prohibit the Secretary of the Navy from entering into 
economic order quantity contracts for the Virginia-class 
submarine program until the Secretary certifies that such 
funding shall be used to enter into economic order quantities 
for 12 Virginia-class submarines.

     Section 131--Limitation on Use of Funds for DDG-51 Destroyers

    This section would limit expenditures of Shipbuilding and 
Conversion, Navy, for DDG-51 destroyers until the Secretary of 
the Navy submits a report as to incorporating degaussing 
standards into the destroyer program.

                     Subtitle D--Air Force Programs


 Section 141--Inventory Requirement for Air Refueling Tanker Aircraft; 
              Limitation on Retirement of KC-10A Aircraft

    This section would require the Secretary of the Air Force 
to increase the current air refueling tanker fleet from 457 to 
479 primary assigned aircraft before it can begin to retire KC-
10A aircraft. The Air Force shall maintain 479 total tanker 
aircraft thereafter, unless adjusted by the fiscal year 2018 
``Mobility Capability and Requirements Study.''

  Section 142--Limitation on Use of Funds for KC-46A Aircraft Pending 
                       Submittal of Certification

    This section would limit the funds authorized to be 
appropriated to procure three KC-46A aircraft until the 
Secretary of the Air Force certifies that both supplemental and 
military type certifications have been approved and that the 
first aircraft has been accepted by the Air Force.

            Section 143--Retirement Date for VC-25A Aircraft

    This section would fix the retirement date for the purposes 
of this statute as it applies to the two Air Force VC-25A 
aircraft as not later than December 31, 2025.

    Section 144--Contract for Logistics Support for VC-25B Aircraft

    This section would require the Secretary of the Air Force 
to ensure that the VC-25B contract for logistics support 
complies with part 17.204(e) of the Federal Acquisition 
Regulation and also complies with section 2304 of title 10, 
United States Code, with regard to open competition.

    Section 145--Multiyear Procurement Authority for C-130J Aircraft

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Air Force 
to enter into one or more multiyear contracts for up to 52 C-
130J aircraft beginning in fiscal year 2019, in accordance with 
section 2306b of title 10, United States Code.

 Section 146--Removal of Waiting Period for Limitation on Availability 
       of Funds for EC-130H Compass Call Recapitalization Program

    This section would strike the 30-day waiting period imposed 
on EC-130H funds by section 135(a) of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91).

  Section 147--Findings and Sense of Congress Regarding KC-46 Aerial 
                           Refueling Tankers

    This section would express the sense of Congress in support 
of industry and Air Force ensuring that the first KC-46A tanker 
is delivered in fiscal year 2018.

       Subtitle E--Defense-Wide, Joint, and Multiservice Matters


        Section 151--Buy-to-Budget Acquisition of F-35 Aircraft

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense, 
subject to section 2308 of title 10, United States Code, to 
procure a higher quantity of F-35 aircraft than authorized by 
this Act if such additional procurement does not require 
additional funds.

   Section 152--Certification on Inclusion of Technology To Minimize 
               Physiological Episodes in Certain Aircraft

    This section would require that not later than 15 days 
before entering into a contract for the procurement of a 
covered aircraft, the Secretary concerned would submit to the 
congressional defense committees a written statement certifying 
that the aircraft to be procured under a contract would include 
the most recent technological advancements necessary to 
minimize the impact of physiological episodes on aircraft 
crewmembers.

         TITLE II--RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION

           Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Army


                       Items of Special Interest


Accelerated integration to counter emerging threats

    The Committee supports the accelerated integration 
capability to counter emerging threats being initiated by the 
Program Executive Office, Missiles and Space. The Army is 
developing a government-owned capability to provide cyber-
robust networked weapon systems designed to operate within 
rapidly evolving threat timelines.
    The Committee understands this is being accomplished 
through a unique approach to adapt and respond to real-time 
threats, dramatically accelerating the timeline to employ 
resilience in networked weapon systems.
    The Committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives by March 1, 2019, on the status of progress 
being made through this accelerated program.

Assured Position, Navigation and Timing

    In response to global peer threats and demands from 
combatant commanders, the committee last year expressed its 
concern that the Army was not moving fast enough to field 
Assured Position Navigation and Timing (APNT) solutions. APNT 
solutions are required because of the reliance of military 
vehicles, communications and weapons systems on precise 
position, navigation and timing. The committee understands that 
strategic high-end competitors possess the capability to 
disrupt systems that depend on GPS which could pose an 
unacceptable level of risk to U.S. operations in GPS-denied 
environments. The committee notes the Army has stood up a Cross 
Functional Team (CFT) pilot to rapidly assess material 
development solutions to address the APNT mission area and 
perceived capability gaps.
    In response to Section 236 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2018, the Army submitted a 
report to the congressional defense committees dated March 
30th, 2018 that described its approach to test various systems 
at White Sands Missile Range in the 3rd Quarter of Fiscal Year 
2018. The Army's report further described fielding both the A 
kits and B kits of a Quick Reaction Capability to specific 
units starting in the Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2019. The 
committee understands that this testing is ongoing.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army, in 
coordination with the Director of the Army's APNT CFT pilot, to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
September 1, 2018 that outlines potential courses of action to 
begin immediate procurement of these systems, subject to 
successful test and evaluations.

Targeted Soldier Borne Sensor efforts

    The committee is encouraged by the Army's efforts to field 
the new Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) capability to the warfighter 
and is encouraged by the Army's recognition of this capability 
requirement at the squad level. The committee understands the 
additional visual and situational awareness provided by the 
sensor to the warfighter will improve the survivability and 
lethality of the force. The committee also notes that a 
capability to operate within high-threat and GPS-denied areas, 
including but not limited to indoors and within tunnels, is 
currently available with SBS technologies under evaluation. 
However, the committee understands there are concerns regarding 
the current generation of thermal sensors associated with 
ongoing SBS technology evaluations. Specifically, the committee 
understands that current thermal sensors reportedly do not 
provide sufficient resolution to meet desired performance 
objectives. The committee encourages the Secretary of the Army 
to focus development efforts to accelerate technology 
development of electro-optic and infrared sensors that could be 
carried by the SBS.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
September 28, 2018, on current development efforts to address 
and resolve concerns regarding electro-optic and infrared 
sensor capabilities within the SBS platform. This briefing 
shall also include a detailed analysis of the electro-optic and 
infrared sensor technologies under evaluation and a plan for 
addressing the SBS requirement.

Computational molecular modeling and simulation for material 
        development

    The committee is aware the use of modeling and simulation 
during development of materials and other technologies may 
result in cost savings and other benefits, such as enhanced 
lethality and survivability. The committee understands that 
computational molecular modeling and simulation results 
subsequently tested using cold spray synthesis and mechanical 
testing have resulted in new repair techniques for armor, 
helmets, and other personal protective equipment. The 
committee, therefore, encourages the Army Research Lab to 
continue the utilization of computational molecular research 
for material development.

Future digital munitions and integration

    The committee recognizes the importance for the Army to 
retain lethality overmatch within its aviation portfolio. The 
committee continues to support the Army's Future Vertical Lift 
and Joint Multi-Role technology demonstration initiatives. 
However, the committee is concerned about the Army's ability to 
mitigate Apache helicopter and Grey Eagle Unmanned Aerial 
System munitions and launcher obsolescence limitations for the 
foreseeable future. The committee believes existing and 
emerging threats are key factors to ensuring lethality 
overmatch. As digital aviation-launched munitions evolve, the 
need for the Army to retain flexibility in aircraft to 
munitions integration is critical to ensuring Army Aviation 
platforms retain a decisive edge.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than September 15, 2018, on the following:
    (1) all requirements, acquisition program plans, and 
developmental initiatives that address the modernization 
strategy for all aviation platform munitions and launchers 
beyond currently fielded systems; and
    (2) recommendations on the utility for any development 
efforts that would modernize aviation launchers and munitions.

Future Vertical Lift

    The committee understands that dedicated investment in 
incremental rotorcraft upgrades has kept America's current 
vertical lift aviation capabilities viable, and will continue 
to enable the fleet to bridge capability gaps through the near 
term. The committee believes that as more dangerous threats 
emerge at an accelerated pace in the mid-term, unwavering 
investment in advanced future disruptive technologies like 
Future Vertical Lift (FVL) will enable rotorcraft aviation to 
retain overmatch through significant capability improvements in 
reach, speed, protection, and lethality.
    The committee notes that the Army leads the Department of 
Defense's rotorcraft technology portfolio, which needs 
additional research and development funding to regain America's 
world leadership in rotorcraft innovation. Because of America's 
eroding lead in rotorcraft capability, the committee encourages 
the Department to explore opportunities to accelerate the FVL 
program in order to meet national security challenges. The 
committee expects the Department to maximize full and open 
competition in doing so.
    The committee believes that fiscal years 2019 and 2020 are 
pivotal years for the FVL modernization efforts, as critical 
technology demonstrations provide essential evidence during the 
completion of the FVL analysis of alternatives, and the Army 
uses this data and analysis to inform its path forward. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
December 3, 2018, on the outcome of the analysis of 
alternatives and on any other analysis utilized in deciding the 
Army's priority of rotorcraft investment for FVL prior to the 
release of a request for proposal.

Harnessing Emerging Research Opportunities to Empower Soldiers

    The committee is aware of the work being done by the Army's 
Warfighter Technology directorate in improving the protection, 
survivability, mobility, and combat effectiveness of the Army. 
The committee is also aware of Harnessing Emerging Research 
Opportunities to Empower Soldiers (HEROES), an ongoing joint 
research and development initiative involving both academia and 
industry. The committee understands that the HEROES initiative 
accelerates research and innovation through integration of 
intellectual assets and research facilities, such as those at 
Natick Laboratory and others. The committee believes programs 
like HEROES provide benefit to research in areas of advanced 
ballistic polymers for body armor, fibers to make uniforms more 
fire resistant, and lightweight structures for advanced 
shelters that provide tangible benefits to the warfighter. 
Therefore, the committee encourages the Army to continue to 
support such programs.

High energy laser systems integration laboratory

    The committee has continuing interest in the Army's 
research, development, and testing of high energy laser weapons 
systems. The committee is aware of the Army's efforts to 
develop a high energy laser system integration laboratory in 
order to provide an interactive means to conduct warfighter 
assessments and develop the tactics, techniques, and procedures 
required to employ this technology. The committee recognizes 
this integration will be critical in bridging the gap from 
developmental technology to operational capability, while 
mitigating risk and ensuring warfighter utility. The committee 
encourages the Army to continue to mature the high energy laser 
system integration lab, as well as the benefit these activities 
provide to the research, development, and testing of directed 
energy weapons.

Improved Turbine Engine Program

    The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is a competitive 
acquisition program designed to develop a more fuel efficient 
and powerful engine to upgrade and enhance the performance and 
operational readiness of the current Black Hawk and Apache 
helicopter fleets. This new engine will increase operational 
capabilities in high altitudes and hot conditions while 
reducing operating and support costs. The committee has 
supported significant Army investments into competitive 
technology development programs for turbine engines over the 
past decade. During this time, the Army has made significant 
progress in maturing technologies that will lower ITEP 
programmatic risk with the goal of improving warfighting 
capabilities. In addition, the committee has encouraged the 
Army to prioritize maintenance and sustainment costs for ITEP 
to ensure the continued affordability of the program.
    The committee also acknowledges the benefits of improved 
fuel efficiencies through lower specific fuel consumption that 
the ITEP will bring to the battlefield. This program represents 
a cost-effective approach to modernizing Army aviation and the 
committee continues to encourage the Army to pursue 
opportunities to accelerate the fielding of this capability. 
The committee recognizes 2019 as a crucial year for the program 
with Engineering Manufacturing Development (EMD) source 
selection slated for first quarter fiscal year 2019. Given the 
positive progress of this critical program, the committee is 
fully funding ITEP in fiscal year 2019 and encourages the Army 
to robustly fund ITEP in the EMD phase of the program.

Initial Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense capability

    The committee is aware that the Army's critical capability 
gap for Air and Missile Defense remains protecting maneuvering 
forces. The committee understands that Army maneuver formations 
require short range air defense (SHORAD) and counter-UAS (CUAS) 
capabilities that can cover a wide range of air threats to 
include: unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), rotary wing (RW), 
fixed wing (FW), and rockets artillery and mortars (RAM). As 
such, the committee understands the Army is pursuing cross-
domain, multi-dimensional solutions that can address these 
threats as part of a maneuver short-range air defense and 
indirect fires protection capability. The committee encourages 
the Army to consider areas where commonality exists between 
current CUAS and SHORAD mission platforms and technologies.
    The committee understands the Army has formalized a 
directed requirement to initiate integration and procurement of 
an initial Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) 
capability on a Stryker combat vehicle. The IM-SHORAD directed 
requirement requires capability to counter threats posed by 
UAS, RW, FW, and RAM, as well as address an emerging 
operational need in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve to 
provide air and missile defense protection of Stryker and 
Armored Brigade Combat Teams. The committee understands the 
acquisition strategy to support this directed requirement is 
still being developed.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
September 14, 2018, on the Army's accelerated acquisition 
strategy for the IM-SHORAD initiative, as well as identify 
requirements that are similar to both the SHORAD and CUAS 
missions. The briefing should also address capabilities 
currently under development or already fielded that could 
simultaneously address the CUAS and M-SHORAD mission areas.

Iron Dome experimentation and assessment for short-range air defense

    The budget request included $38.0 million in PE 64020A for 
cross functional team (CFT) advanced development and 
prototyping.
    The committee understands the Army established six CFT 
pilots to examine how the Army could leverage existing 
resources and accelerate getting needed capability to the 
warfighter. The Army's critical capability gap for Air and 
Missile Defense (AMD) remains protecting the maneuvering force 
and is aware the AMD CFT pilot is focused on accelerating 
delivery of a maneuver short-range air defense (SHORAD) 
capability. The committee commends the AMD CFT for getting an 
approved directed requirement for an interim-maneuver SHORAD 
capability that accelerated the original schedule by 5 years. 
The committee notes the AMD CFT is also reviewing other AMD 
capability gaps for the protection of fixed and semi-fixed 
sites. The committee expects the AMD CFT to immediately address 
capability gaps in the areas of indirect fire protection 
capability and AMD.
    Since 2011, Congress has provided over $1.5 billion for the 
procurement of Iron Dome batteries for the State of Israel, a 
system with demonstrated capability against a wide-range of 
threats. There is value in experimenting with the Iron Dome 
system through demonstrations to assess operational suitability 
for the fixed and semi-fixed site AMD mission, and M-SHORAD 
missions. Such demonstrations will evaluate challenges 
associated with integration of the Iron Dome command and 
control system with the existing AMD C2 system and sensors.
    The committee recommends $68.0 million, an increase of 
$30.0 million, in PE 64020A to support the acquisition of Iron 
Dome hardware and associated integration activities, for the 
operational demonstration of the Iron Dome system against a 
range of threats to evaluate issues associated with the 
following:
    (1) integrating the Iron Dome launcher into a U.S. Army AMD 
architecture for complimentary support of fixed, semi-fixed, 
and M-SHORAD operations;
    (2) re-designing the Iron Dome launcher to be compatible 
with the Indirect Fire Protection Capability Multi-Mission 
Launcher; and
    (3) potential options for accelerating development of the 
Skyhunter missile.
    Further, the committee directs the Director of the AMD CFT 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by April 2, 2019, on the Army's plans for this experiment and 
demonstration. If warranted by the demonstration results, the 
committee directs the Director of the AMD CFT to provide a 
follow-on briefing on the advisability and feasibility of 
rapidly transitioning Iron Dome hardware for immediate use, 
with budgetary recommendations and schedules for accelerated 
procurement of additional systems.

Lightweight metal matrix composite technology for combat and tactical 
        vehicles

    In the committee report (H. Rept. 115-200) accompanying the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, the 
committee recognized the versatility and broad application that 
Metal Matrix Composite (MMC) Technology provides for the Armed 
Forces by reducing the weight of parts by 50 percent and 
increasing their service life by three to four times that of 
traditional steel parts. The committee understands the U.S. 
Army Tank and Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering 
Command (TARDEC) is currently evaluating technologies that can 
reduce vehicle weight, reduce fuel consumption, increase 
payload capacity, and extend service life of combat and 
tactical vehicles, and that MMC technology is part of this 
ongoing evaluation. The committee supports these efforts and 
recommends the U.S. Army TARDEC continue to test MMC 
technology, develop and field components that can reduce 
vehicle weight, reduce fuel consumption, increase payload 
capacity, and extend service life.

M119 105mm self-propelled artillery system technology

    The committee understands the Army is examining the 
operational benefits of procuring a self-propelled 105mm 
howitzer in order to address existing capability gaps for 
infantry brigade combat teams (IBCTs) indirect fires 
capabilities. The committee understands that recent 
demonstrations as part of the Army's Maneuver and Fires 
Integration Experiment at Fort Sill produced positive results. 
The committee supports continued demonstrations of this 
capability and is aware of a potential future demonstration 
under consideration by the 18th Airborne Corps. The committee 
understands the demonstrated system incorporated artillery soft 
recoil technology with existing 105mm artillery systems and 
then integrated these technologies onto an existing light 
tactical vehicle. The committee expects the outcomes from these 
demonstrations to inform future operational requirements and 
procurement strategies.
    The committee believes this capability could enable the 
Army to achieve significant improvements in combat capability 
and lethality through only a modest reinvestment of funding for 
current or future planned M119 105mm howitzer modifications. 
Further, the committee also believes a light, self-propelled 
105mm artillery system could substantially improve the 
deterrence posture of the U.S. Army and allied armies in Europe 
that may face sophisticated, quick-fire counter-battery 
systems.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army, in 
coordination with the Directors of the Long-Range Precision 
Fires and Soldier Lethality cross-functional teams, to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by December 
14, 2018, on the advisability and feasibility of rapidly 
accelerating the testing, evaluation, and procurement of a 
self-propelled 105mm howitzer to address the indirect fire 
capability gaps in IBCTs. The briefing shall include feedback 
and results from recent demonstrations of self-propelled 105mm 
howitzer technology, specifically the demonstration that 
occurred as part of the Army's Maneuver and Fires Integration 
Experiment at Fort Sill.

Mobile camouflage system

    The committee notes the longstanding success of our allied 
partner nations who employ mobile camouflage systems on their 
combat vehicles, especially within the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization and the European theater. These relatively 
inexpensive camouflage net systems provide enhanced signature 
management protection, reduce heat and temperature inside and 
around combat vehicles, and yield fuel savings without 
interfering with the operation of the vehicles. Army commanders 
have expressed an immediate operational need for mobile 
camouflage systems, in particular woodland, desert, and Arctic 
variants. The committee is aware of the Army's ongoing 
operational testing of mobile camouflage systems at the 
National Training Center, and encourages further acceleration 
of those efforts.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
September 28, 2018, that outlines the mobile camouflage system 
test results and the Army's plan and timeline to fund the 
accelerated development and fielding of these systems to the 
warfighter.

Personal Protective Equipment advance technology development

    The budget request contained $18.0 million in PE 63827A for 
soldier systems-advanced development.
    The committee recognizes advancements the military services 
have made in researching and developing materials for Personal 
Protective Equipment (PPE). The committee notes that this work 
has steadily reduced the weight of and increased ballistic 
protection for items like helmets, body armor, and protective 
undergarments designed for the men and women of the Armed 
Forces. The committee understands, based on the views of senior 
defense laboratory scientists, that further research on current 
materials, such as ceramics and Kevlar, are experiencing 
diminishing returns. The committee supports further research on 
advanced materials like high molecular weight polyethylene film 
and new and harder ceramics like boron suboxide.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $28.0 million, an 
increase of $10.0 million, in PE 63827A for PPE advanced 
materials research.

Shoot-on-the-Move experimentation for short range air defense systems

    The budget request contained $61.1 million in PE 63313A for 
Missile and Rocket Advanced Technology, to include investment 
in missile components enabling detection and full kinematic 
capabilities to develop shoot-on-the-move capability for future 
short range air defense (SHORAD).
    The committee is aware the Army is currently pursuing a 
near-term maneuver short range air defense (M-SHORAD) 
capability; however, the near-term solution will not include a 
shoot-on-the-move capability. The committee understands the 
capability to shoot-on-the-move would potentially be considered 
as a future capability requirement as part of follow-on M-
SHORAD increments. The committee believes that the development 
and demonstration of a shoot-on-the-move capability could 
enable future combat formations to be protected from modern and 
advanced air and missile delivered fires while maneuvering, and 
enable continuous force protection during offensive operations.
    The committee recommends $71.1 million, an increase of 
$10.0 million, in PE 63313A to accelerate the development and 
potential demonstration of shoot-on-the-move capability for M-
SHORAD platforms and associated systems.

Soldier power and composite armor development

    The budget request contained $28.6 million in PE 62105A for 
Materials Technology research.
    The committee understands that soldier power and composite 
armor technology development is critical to meeting the 
increased power demands of soldiers' equipment, while reducing 
weight. The committee recognizes that conformal wearable 
battery technology provides a lightweight, flexible power 
solution that offers greater mobility and flexibility than 
current capabilities, while streamlining the various battery 
types and sizes carried by the soldiers. The committee notes 
these capabilities provide soldiers with expeditionary power, 
as well as multiple power management alternatives that are all 
designed for combat operations in austere environments and can 
be tailored to any mission. The committee supports these 
programs and believes that they will help to reduce the 
soldiers' combat carrying load, while meeting the future 
demands of an increased power burden as well as maximizing 
survivability and protection. The committee encourages the Army 
to continue to work with the industrial base to improve and 
upgrade components in the soldier power and composite armor 
portfolio to potentially reduce weight and cost, as well as to 
improve overall performance.
    The committee recommends $29.6 million, an increase of $1.0 
million, in PE 62105A for Materials Technology research.

Squad multipurpose equipment transport

    The committee understands the Army is conducting a 12-month 
technology demonstration leading to a capabilities production 
document and eventual procurement of a squad multipurpose 
equipment transport system (SMET). The SMET is an unmanned 
ground vehicle that will transport equipment for specific 
missions, resupply, and extended operations, thereby reducing 
soldier load and increasing squad mobility. The committee 
supports the Army's use of other transaction authority to 
achieve a rapid start to this effort, and encourages the Army 
to seek additional ways to expedite acquisition of this 
critical capability.
    The committee directs the Army's Program Executive Officer 
for Combat Support and Combat Service Support to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by November 
30, 2018, that includes:
    (1) options to accelerate this acquisition strategy;
    (2) courses of action to ensure the delivered system meets 
all key performance parameters;
    (3) findings and analysis from the user evaluations 
conducted by two brigade combat teams; and
    (4) an assessment of each variant's reliance on generators 
versus batteries, power generation capabilities, noise 
signatures, abilities to adapt to additional systems such as 
flail and mine rollers, dual stretchers, backhoe and loader 
kits, as well as any other capabilities considered to be 
essential by the program executive officer.

Supercavitating ammunition technology

    In the committee report accompanying the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (H. Rept. 115-200), the 
committee noted that supercavitating ammunition can be used in 
various operational environments, including air-to-air, water-
to-water, air-to-water, and water-to-air, and that this 
technology could potentially address critical mission 
capability gaps for the warfighter. The committee also directed 
the U.S. Army Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Ammunition, 
who acts as the single manager of all conventional ammunition, 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
on the current status of supercavitating ammunition technology 
across the Department ammunition enterprise. The briefing 
acknowledged that the entire ammunition enterprise of the 
Department of Defense recognizes the value of supercavitating 
ammunition, and indicated that several efforts are underway to 
evaluate its performance. The committee notes that this 
technology is currently in use by the Department of the Navy 
and that other organizations in the Department of Defense are 
evaluating supercavitating small caliber ammunition. The 
committee is pleased that the Department of Defense is 
continuing to evaluate the performance of this technology and 
remains supportive of these efforts.
    Therefore, the committee directs the PEO for Ammunition, in 
coordination with all relevant Department of Defense agencies, 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by September 14, 2018, on all current test and evaluation 
activity currently ongoing and planned for supercavitating 
ammunition technology.

Third Generation Forward-Looking Infrared development

    The committee is aware of a growing parity in U.S. Army 
sights and sensors against current and emerging threats, 
particularly when it comes to combat vehicle platforms. The 
committee is concerned that the Third Generation Forward-
Looking Infrared (FLIR) development program is proceeding at 
too slow of a pace to ensure it will enter production as an 
integrated system in the next Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting 
Vehicle upgrades.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by March 15, 2019, on the Army's plans to synchronize the Third 
Generation FLIR program with the M1A2 SEP V4 Abrams Upgrade and 
M2A5 Bradley Fighting Vehicle upgrade. The briefing should also 
include potential courses of action for, and costs associated 
with, the acceleration of Third Generation FLIR development.

Transport telemedicine system

    The committee is aware that the Department of Defense is 
developing capabilities that would provide telemedicine and 
remote physiological monitoring for casualty care of deployed 
forces. The committee recognizes that such telemedicine 
capabilities can provide useful reachback support for complex 
injuries, especially for sensitive organs where combat medics 
and surgeons may not have in-depth specialty training. The 
committee encourages the Department to continue to experiment 
with and examine ways to use emerging telemedicine capabilities 
to allow for consultation with specialty subject matter experts 
to provide soldiers on the battlefield with access to high-
quality care for complex and difficult injuries. Additionally, 
the committee supports the idea of partnering with subject 
matter experts in order to provide direct, real-time 
consultation between geographically dispersed military and 
civilian medical personnel; this would support complex 
diagnostic and surgical problems, as well as allow conferencing 
for complicated, but less urgent, patient management decisions 
and virtualized training and continuing medical education.

Urban warfare training

    The committee has continuing interest in the Department of 
Defense's ability to prepare for and operate in complex, 
densely populated urban terrain. Recent trends reflect that the 
future of global violence is urban, and that the next war will 
likely be fought in densely populated cities. The committee is 
supportive of the Department's ongoing efforts, but remains 
concerned with the lack of Army prioritization and resourcing 
to address these challenges. The committee is particularly 
concerned with the Army's lack of realistic training sites that 
reflect the scale and density of real-world urban operating 
environments. The committee believes the Army should more 
aggressively prepare for urban warfare and explore the 
construction of an urban warfare training center that focuses 
on basic and advanced skills to fight, survive, and win in 
urban operating environments. This training should address the 
challenges associated with vertical, subterranean, and dense 
urban terrain, and the inclusion and integration of joint and 
interagency enablers.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than February 1, 2019, on the Army's plan for urban 
warfare training. The report should include:
    (1) a description of urban warfare training requirements;
    (2) an overview of a plan and timeline to integrate urban 
warfare training within the Army;
    (3) an identification of costs associated with an urban 
warfare training program;
    (4) a feasibility study on the construction of an urban 
warfare training center;
    (5) feasibility of utilizing existing private facilities 
and contracting training iterations until a final DOD facility 
can be constructed;
    (6) any critical technology, maneuver, or mobility 
shortfalls associated with operating in a dense urban 
environment; and
    (7) force design impacts or considerations within the Army.

           Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Navy


                       Items of Special Interest


Academic partnerships for undersea unmanned warfare research

    The budget request contained $58.0 million in PE 62747N for 
undersea warfare applied research.
    The committee supports the Navy's efforts to develop the 
next generation of nuclear submarines and other undersea 
systems and capabilities. Specifically, the committee supports 
research, development, testing, and demonstration of maritime 
robotic systems that may be used for security and surveillance, 
inspection and survey, munitions retrieval, and environmental 
monitoring.
    The committee understands that there are additional 
opportunities to enhance development of the next generation 
submarines and maritime robotics technology in the areas of 
autonomy, adaptive decision making, docking, 3-D imaging, 
energy technologies such as marine and hydrokinetic convertors, 
and data transfer. The committee believes that university-based 
research and innovation centered on the development of maritime 
robotic technology and other capabilities required for advanced 
undersea warfare will be essential in maintaining the Navy's 
competitive advantage.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $78.0 million, an 
increase of $20.0 million, in PE 62747N. Elsewhere in this 
title, the committee notes the importance of partnerships with 
academia to advance unmanned platforms and systems in order to 
maintain a competitive war fighting advantage.

Artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies in Navy 
        unmanned systems

    The committee has continuing interest in the Navy's ability 
to leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, and 
computer vision in exploitation and analysis. The committee 
also recognizes the increasing amounts of imagery and other 
sensor data that Navy unmanned undersea and unmanned surface 
vessels generate, and the demand this creates for additional 
processing, exploitation, management, and dissemination of 
information. The committee recommends the Navy synchronize 
their efforts with the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Intelligence, and ensure that unmanned undersea and unmanned 
surface vessel computer vision and artificial intelligence 
requirements are incorporated into Project Maven and other 
Department of Defense research and development programs. The 
committee supports the Department's initiatives to leverage 
commercial technology and innovative solutions to rapidly 
address current Department challenges, and believes the Navy 
can benefit from similar capabilities.

Briefing for the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the House 
        Committee on Armed Services on US Navy's efforts to expand 
        carrier air wing long-range strike capability

    The committee notes that the aircraft carrier air wing has 
been optimized for striking power and sortie generation and 
believes that it may not be configured to support the long-
range strike required by current and future threat systems. 
While the introduction of the F-35C will significantly expand 
stealth capabilities, the F-35C could require increased range 
to address necessary targets. The committee believes that 
several options could be used to address this issue to include 
developing a stealth tanker capability, improved engine 
technology or to develop and procure a strike capability that 
is purposely built to strike at increased range. The committee 
further notes that the Navy previously desired to significantly 
increase the carrier air wing range with the development of the 
A-12 aircraft. The committee understands that the A-12 would 
have included a 5,000-pound internal carriage payload, stealth, 
and a range of 800 nautical miles. While the committee believes 
that requirements to support this capability remain relevant 
and the technology available, the development of the A-12 
aircraft was mired in acquisition challenges that eventually 
resulted in the cancellation of the program. While the 
committee further believes that the Department of Defense has 
successfully developed a suite of long-range intelligence, 
surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, the committee 
also believes that it is vital that the Navy develop a carrier-
based long-range strike capability.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to provide a briefing to the Senate Committee on Armed Services 
and the House Committee on Armed Services by January 25, 2019, 
on options to expand the strike range of a carrier air wing in 
a contested environment, including manned and unmanned 
capabilities, and, Department of the Navy capabilities it plans 
to pursue in the Next Generation Air Dominance capability.

Briefing on Navy support for research into autonomous systems

    The committee is aware of the Robotarium, a laboratory 
hosted at the Georgia Institute of Technology, sponsored by the 
Office of Naval Research (ONR), where researchers conduct 
experiments with interconnected, heterogeneous unmanned ground 
and aerial systems. The committee is supportive of 
competitively awarded grant programs that enhance academia's 
ability to conduct complex experiments with autonomous systems. 
As the role of autonomous systems in operations is expected to 
grow, the Committee believes it will be increasingly important 
for ONR to continue to fund initiatives that prepare future 
engineers to conduct cutting edge research in this discipline, 
especially with different classes of autonomous systems 
including unmanned underwater vehicles, unmanned surface 
vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles operating simultaneously 
across multiple domains. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Director of ONR to brief the House Committee on Armed Services 
by November 1, 2018, on initiatives that enhance the ability of 
academia to conduct complex experiments with autonomous 
systems.

Briefing on ongoing engine noise reduction efforts

    The Committee continues to support ongoing efforts to 
reduce engine noise from the F-414 engine on the F/A-18 E/F 
Super Hornet and E/A-18 G Growler.
    Attachments, known as chevrons, could reduce the noise 
associated with operations of these aircraft. A reduction in 
engine noise would benefit sailors working in close proximity 
to the aircraft, particularly on the carrier deck, and 
communities near installations home to these squadrons.
    Having received the briefing required by the House Report 
to the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, the 
committee is aware that the Navy may be requesting authority to 
reprogram Fiscal Year 2018 funding in order to engineer, 
manufacture, proof and test redesigned chevrons. The Committee 
supports such a request, provided the funding source is a 
program with unexecutable funds.
    The Committee is aware that these funds would be used to 
develop an improved chevron design which could achieve 
significant noise reduction at full military power. The 
committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to brief the House 
Committee on Armed Services no later than September 30, 2018 on 
engineering plans for Fiscal Year 2018 and 2019 and potential 
applications of chevron designs to additional aircraft.

Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services

    The committee acknowledges the Navy's efforts to modernize 
the functions of its existing command, control, communications, 
computers, and intelligence network systems through 
Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) 
installation. The committee recognizes that, through CANES, the 
Navy seeks to build a more responsive and adaptable information 
technology platform by creating a common computing environment 
that will increase capabilities, address cybersecurity 
vulnerabilities, and lower sustainment costs across the fleet. 
Therefore, the committee continues to support full deployment 
of CANES, as scheduled, to ensure the Navy's networking 
environment remains adequately equipped for information 
warfare.

Defense University Research Instrumentation Program

    The budget request contained $119.4 million in PE 61103N 
for University Research Initiatives.
    The Defense University Research Instrumentation Program 
(DURIP), administered by the Office of Naval Research, provides 
academic institutions conducting research for the Department of 
Defense the ability to acquire the necessary infrastructure to 
support high-quality research. Additionally, the 
instrumentation developed and acquired through the DURIP 
process ensures that the next generation of scientists and 
engineers are trained with cutting-edge capabilities for the 
defense science and technology workforce. The committee 
understands there is additional opportunity for the Navy to 
facilitate research in an area of interest to the Navy through 
the DURIP program.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $129.4 million, an 
increase of $10.0 million, in PE 61103N, to support the 
acquisition of infrastructure required by universities to 
conduct cutting-edge Navy research.

Directed energy and non-lethal weapons technology policy and guidance

    The budget request contained $27.6 million in PE 63851M for 
Joint Non-Lethal Weapons testing.
    The committee continues to support the Department of 
Defense's efforts to develop non-lethal technologies as a 
materiel solution to provide military commanders with a non-
lethal capability to protect military bases, security 
perimeters, and other secured spaces. The committee 
acknowledges the importance of these technologies as a force 
multiplier that gives service members more options, and 
minimizes civilian casualties and collateral damage. Recent 
development efforts of High Power Radio Frequency directed 
energy technologies have advanced these weapons to a maturity 
that can be used globally by the military services and 
combatant commands to stop vehicles, vessels, and other 
systems. The committee is concerned that the lack of policy, 
strategy, and guidance for employment of these non-lethal 
weapons has limited the potential benefits of deploying these 
technologies for use more broadly across the combatant 
commands.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by November 1, 2018, on the future strategy for non-lethal 
weapons, including development of appropriate policy and 
guidance for employment. The briefing should also describe the 
current organizational structure of the non-lethal weapons 
program and consider the assignment of a joint proponent for 
non-lethal weapons who would be responsible for coordinating 
command requirements, facilitating policy development, and 
setting conditions for further integration of these 
capabilities.
    The committee recommends $32.6 million, an increase of $5.0 
million, in PE 63851M for the Non-Lethal Weapons program.

E2-D Advanced Hawkeye Identification Friend or Foe

    The budget request contained $223.6 million for the E-2D 
Advanced Hawkeye program.
    The committee notes that the E-2D Identification Friend or 
Foe (IFF) Interrogation System has certain limitations at long 
range. These limitations affect the ability of the crewmembers 
to identify threats at range, reducing critical time to react. 
The committee also notes that applying meta-materials to the E-
2D IFF system may improve the E-2D IFF range detection and 
overall ability of the fleet to react against distant threats.
    The committee recommends $225.6 million, an increase of 
$2.0 million, for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program.

Joint Air-to-Ground Missile for fixed wing aircraft (JAGM-F) 
        integration

    The committee notes the Department of the Navy, with the 
eventual retirement of the Maverick missile has similar 
requirements as the Air Force for Joint Air-to-Ground Fixed 
(JAGM-F) missile on its AV-8B Harrier, F/A-18C/D/E/F Hornet, 
and F-35B/C aircraft. JAGM-F is an improvement to the Army's 
JAGM which will allow the missile to be eject-launched from 
fixed-wing aircraft to eliminate time sensitive moving targets 
and high value covered/sheltered and armored targets. The 
committee understands JAGM-F will be able to combat adverse 
weather, low visibility and austere communication environments 
on land and at sea while engaging multiple targets near 
simultaneously in multiple engagement modes.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by February 8, 2019 that provides potential options for 
accelerating Navy and Marine Corps efforts with respect to 
integrating JAGM on fixed-wing aircraft.

Marine Corps Group 5-class unmanned aircraft development

    The budget request contained $25.3 million in PE 34240M for 
development of advanced tactical unmanned aircraft system 
capabilities.
    The committee understands that the Marine Corps plans to 
develop a medium- to large-sized, long-range, medium-altitude, 
multi-mission, unmanned aircraft system that can persist and 
survive in an anti-access, area-denial contingency environment. 
The committee is also aware of multiple capabilities and 
platforms across joint-service portfolios that could likely 
mitigate, if not eliminate, the capability gaps and shortfalls 
identified in the Marine Corps' Initial Capabilities Document, 
from August 10, 2016, ``Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned 
Aircraft System Expeditionary Capabilities.'' The committee 
believes the Marine Corps underestimates the required 
communications, data link, launch, mission execution, and 
recovery infrastructure, or the human capital resources 
required to train, operate, maintain, and sustain such a 
system. The Marine Corps also underestimates the necessary 
human capital resources required to meet current deployment-to-
dwell policy and guidance issued by the Secretary of Defense.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $10.3 million, a 
decrease of $15.0 million, in PE 34240M for development of 
advanced tactical unmanned aircraft system capabilities. The 
committee also directs the Chairman of the Joint Requirements 
Oversight Council to provide a briefing to the House Committee 
on Armed Services, not later than February 5, 2019, that 
assesses all existing or future joint-service capabilities that 
are similar in nature to the Marine Corps' planned system, and 
includes a detailed explanation for why each of those joint-
service capabilities could not mitigate or fulfill the gaps or 
shortfalls identified by the Marine Corps. The committee also 
directs the Secretary of the Navy to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services, not later than February 5, 
2019, that explains the acquisition and funding strategy of the 
Marine Corps to affordably develop and field an unmanned 
capability of this nature, and the personnel, funding, 
infrastructure, and mission-execution resources that would be 
needed to viably sustain and support this capability.

Maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities 
        demonstration

    The budget request contained no funding for the MS-177A 
maritime enhanced sensor demonstration program.
    The committee notes that the Navy has the opportunity to 
leverage a $300.0 million Air Force investment in the MS-177A 
sensor, which is meant to improve maritime target detection and 
long-range imaging. This investment could significantly reduce 
procurement costs and expedite fielding. The committee is aware 
that U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) identified the MS-177A in its 
fiscal year 2018 integrated priority list for consideration. 
The committee believes that having an organic Navy MS-177A 
demonstration in the PACOM area of responsibility could help 
the Navy to assess the full range of anti-surface unit warfare 
and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. In addition, the MS-
177A would help gather needed intelligence against threats in 
the PACOM strategic environment. The MS-117A would improve the 
Navy organic capability to conduct standoff anti-surface unit 
warfare intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and long-
range positive identification of targets.
    The committee recommends $23.5 million for the MS-177A 
maritime enhanced sensor demonstration program.

Naval underwater test ranges

    The committee has continuing interest in the Department of 
Defense's plan to redevelop and modernize the Barking Sands 
Tactical Underwater Range (BARSTUR). The committee report (H. 
Rept. 114-577) accompanying the Department of Defense 
Appropriations Act, 2017, directed the Navy to submit a report 
to the congressional defense committees on the plan to 
redevelop and modernize BARSTUR. The report was submitted on 
October 13, 2017. The report provided by the Navy noted that 
BARSTUR is an invaluable asset to numerous Hawaii-based and 
transiting subsurface, surface, and aviation platforms. The 
committee notes the underwater range is used extensively to 
conduct submarine sonar, fire control, and weapons technical 
and operational evaluations, and serves a critical role in 
hosting the world's largest international maritime warfare 
exercise, Rim of the Pacific. This exercise serves as a means 
of promoting stability in the region and represents a unique 
training opportunity to foster and sustain cooperative 
relationships that are necessary for ensuring the safety of sea 
lines of communication and security in the Pacific Ocean. The 
committee remains concerned about the readiness and operational 
status of the Barking Sands Tactical Underwater Range and its 
ability to support critical training and exercises. The 
committee encourages the Navy to aggressively sustain the 
modernization timeline, begin the program requirement and 
acquisition process, and support a competitive source selection 
and contract award to achieve operational capability in fiscal 
year 2026.

MQ-25 Unmanned Carrier Aviation program

    The budget request contained $718.9 million for the MQ-25 
Unmanned Carrier Aviation program.
    The committee supports the Navy's efforts to develop and 
field a carrier-based unmanned aerial system to provide 
refueling as well as intelligence, surveillance, and 
reconnaissance support to the fleet. The committee notes that 
the Chief of Naval Operations intends to accelerate this 
program by 2 years in order to provide this capability by 2026. 
To date, the Navy has provided insufficient air vehicle 
justification. Budget documents state that $598.78 million will 
go to Air Segment Primary Hardware Development with very little 
further justification or cost estimates.
    The committee recommends a decrease of $116.9 million, for 
a total of $602.0 million, to procure one test article for the 
MQ-25 Unmanned Carrier Aviation program.

Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal recovery operations

    Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) forces require a 
safe, effective, and supportable means to conduct Raise, Tow, 
and Beach (RTB) operations. These operations entail attaching 
suitable lifting mechanisms to the item of interest on the sea 
bed (e.g., threat items, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), salvage 
items), actuating the lifting mechanism to raise the item to 
the sea surface, and securing and/or transporting the item of 
interest to a safe environment for subsequent action. The 
committee notes that Navy desired to employ the MK V Ordnance 
Recovery Air Bag (ORCA), a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) lift 
bag with similar lift capacity to legacy requirements. However, 
the ORCA system was never transitioned to a program of record 
that could replace the Mod 1 because the system experienced 
numerous material and design shortcomings making its continued 
use unacceptable without significant design modifications. Last 
year, Navy reassessed this issue and determined that the EOD 
Lift Balloon capability should be provided by the MK 2 MOD 2 
Flotation Bladder Assembly. The committee notes that comparable 
capabilities exist to support this requirement including a 
developmental lift balloon and an automated tow coupling 
actuation system currently in limited use by EOD. Therefore, 
the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to provide a 
brief to the House Armed Services Committee by October 1, 2018 
that provides a comparison of the current program of record 
with other developmental efforts.

Navy Next Generation Enterprise Network

    The committee acknowledges the Defense Information System 
Agency's current role in providing network management and 
security to the Navy's networks. The committee is also aware 
that the Navy has sought commercial sector input for 
modernizing its information technology services through the 
Navy Next Generation Enterprise Network. The committee 
recognizes that employing advanced commercial network 
capabilities for end-to-end network connectivity can promote 
rapid innovation, lead to cost efficiencies, and enhance 
security capabilities. Therefore, the committee encourages the 
Department of Defense, where practicable, to take advantage of 
commercial-off-the-shelf capabilities for supporting, securing, 
and modernizing its networks.

Navy Theater Anti-Submarine Warfare prototyping

    The committee understands that the Navy plans to begin a 
Deployables Program of Record (PoR) in fiscal year 2020 which 
intends to address operational gaps in wide area undersea 
surveillance. The committee commends the Navy for conducting a 
robust prototyping program as a part of Theater Anti-Submarine 
Warfare (TASW) efforts since fiscal year 2015, which will 
inform future requirements and will produce valuable technical 
and operational information regarding the fielding and 
employment of deployables capabilities. However, the committee 
is also aware that under the current fiscal year 2020 start 
timeline, tested production units from the Deployable System of 
Systems Project effort will not be operationally available 
until late 2022. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary 
of the Navy to brief the House Committee on Armed Services by 
August 30, 2018 as to a plan to maximize the capabilities that 
have been achieved from current prototyping efforts as well as 
how the Secretary intends to mitigate the operational gaps that 
could result because of the Deployables PoR fielding schedule.

Ocular Interruption System

    The Committee is aware the Marine Corps' new Ocular 
Interruption System, which will replace the current decades-old 
system, represents a materiel solution providing personnel a 
single, non-lethal hail and warning capability applicable 
across the range of military operations where the objective is 
to minimize civilian casualties and limit collateral damage. 
The Committee is concerned with the budget request's proposed 
reduction of the Marine Corps Approved Acquisition Objective 
(AAO) requirement of 1,758 units from the previously stated 
goal of 1,848 units, and the delay of Full Operational 
Capability (FOC) until the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020. 
The Committee is further concerned that the AAO requirement and 
the FOC timeline may have been altered without an associated 
change in requirements. Therefore, the Committee directs the 
Commandant of the Marine Corps to provide a briefing, not later 
than September 1, 2018, to the House Armed Services Committee 
on a plan to potentially fulfill its original AAO requirement 
of 1,848 units. This briefing shall include to planned delivery 
order schedule, pricing per unit, and fielding schedule.

Passive rocket propelled grenade armor protection technology

    The committee notes there have been significant 
improvements in passive rocket propelled grenade (RPG) armor 
protection over legacy RPG armor systems, which are heavy and 
cumbersome, and present form, fit, and function constraints, 
particularly for Marine Corps ground combat tactical vehicle 
fleets operating in expeditionary environments. The committee 
encourages the Secretary of the Navy to consider lightweight 
RPG armor solutions that provide protection against RPG attacks 
while maintaining the ability to fold flat against the vehicle 
to allow for rapid deployment and transport from amphibious 
ships and aircraft.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by February 1, 2019, on the testing, evaluation, and 
integration of lightweight, textile, and flexible RPG armor 
solutions that provide protection against RPG attacks, while 
maintaining the ability to fold flat against the vehicle to 
allow for rapid deployment and transport from amphibious ships 
and aircraft.

Small Business Innovation Research--Automated Test and Retest Program

    The committee recognizes the Small Business Innovation 
Research (SBIR) program is a valuable tool to engage small 
business and provide a pathway for innovators to conduct 
business with the Department of Defense. The National Defense 
Authorization Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-81), Section 5001, 
also known as the SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011, 
mandates that agencies, to the greatest extent practicable, 
shall issue Phase III awards to the SBIR award recipients that 
developed the technology. The committee is aware that the 
technology developed for the Automated Test and Retest Program 
has demonstrated success that has led to an enterprise-wide 
approach, and offers cost savings over current efforts. The 
committee encourages the Navy to continue to support SBIR award 
recipients to the greatest extent practicable for any Phase III 
awards associated with the Automated Test and Retest Program.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy, 
no later than 31 January 2019, to provide to the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives, a briefing on 
the Automated Test and Retest Program. The briefing should 
include an overview of SBIR award recipients associated with 
this program, the Navy's methodology and process for 
considering SBIR Phase III awards, and a plan detailing how the 
Navy's Automated Test and Retest program will comply with the 
SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act of 2011 for future contract 
awards.

TH-57 follow-on training system

    The budget request contained no funds in PE 63208N for the 
TH-57 follow-on training system program.
    The committee notes that the Department of the Navy 
procured the TH-57B and TH-57C helicopters used to train Navy, 
Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and foreign military partners 
between November 1981 and December 1985. The committee further 
notes that budget justification materials submitted with the 
budget request for fiscal year 2019 describe the TH-57 training 
system as experiencing obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing 
sources and material shortages, and increasingly expensive 
operating costs relating to aging aircraft issues. The 
committee understands that this situation results in potential 
pilot training shortfalls that will have a negative impact on 
readiness.
    Accordingly, the committee believes the Department of the 
Navy should accelerate the program to procure a follow-on 
system to replace the TH-57B and TH-57C helicopters. The 
committee recommends $1.0 million in PE 63208N for this 
purpose.

U.S. Navy MH-60R helicopter antisubmarine warfare and aircraft health 
        monitoring

    The committee understands the U.S. Navy operates a fleet of 
Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) equipped MH-60R helicopters. The 
committee notes the MH-60R is fitted with advanced mission 
systems and sensors that are capable of detecting and engaging 
modern submarines in littoral and open ocean scenarios. 
However, the committee understands that the current ASW 
sonobuoy receiver is heavy and limited to its specific mission 
of receiving and transmitting data to and from U.S. Navy 
sonobuoy fields for analysis through acoustic processors.
    The committee is aware that new Size Weight and Power 
(SWaP) receiver technology currently being used on the DDG-51 
that could provide the Navy with enhanced capability while also 
reducing weight on the MH-60R by over forty pounds. 
Additionally, the committee understands that the new receiver 
has the capability to integrate a Next Generation Health 
Monitoring System (NGHMS), which has the potential to replace 
the current HUMS system on the aircraft, saving an additional 
fifty pounds of critical weight. The committee is also aware 
the U.S. Army is currently conducting demonstrations of NGHMS 
on the UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopter.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Navy, or his 
designee, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by September 28, 2018 that provides operational 
details of the DDG-51 SWaP receiver to include capabilities, 
any challenges associated with integration with NGHMS and 
subsequently onto the MH-60R platform. The briefing should also 
include a notional plan for testing this technology as well as 
a notional acquisition strategy.

Warfighter safety and performance

    The budget request contained $56.2 million in PE 62236N for 
Warfighter Sustainment Applied Research.
    The committee notes that this program has been instrumental 
in technology efforts to improve warfighter safety, prevent 
occupational injury in hazardous, deployed areas, and minimize 
the effects of extreme environments. The committee believes 
additional research focused on the safety, performance, and 
resilience of Navy divers can further reduce risk during 
dangerous missions in adverse conditions. Research areas that 
warrant additional focus include studies on decompression 
sickness, oxygen toxicity, optimization of diver performance, 
and assessment of the impact of thermal stress. This research 
can also illuminate human performance characteristics and 
technologies that have implications across a much larger set of 
mission-relevant performance calculations.
    The committee recommends $56.2 million, the amount 
requested, in PE 62236N for Warfighter Sustainment Applied 
Research.

         Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Air Force


                       Items of Special Interest


Academic and industrial partnerships for aerospace materials

    The budget request contained $42.0 million in PE 63680F for 
the manufacturing technology program.
    The Air Force has been studying materials for advanced 
aerospace needs to enhance lethality and survivability in 
accordance with the 2018 National Defense Strategy. The 
committee understands developing and manufacturing advanced 
materials can be challenging, and that opportunity may exist 
for the Air Force Research Laboratory to leverage existing 
relationships, and form new partnerships, with higher education 
and industrial partners in the Manufacturing Technology Program 
to better understand these challenges. Specifically, the 
committee believes greater leveraging of software and 
simulation tools to assess new machining, composite 
manufacturing, casting, and additive manufacturing technologies 
being developed by original equipment manufacturers, will 
ultimately improve advanced material development and 
manufacturing.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $47.0 million, an 
increase of $5.0 million, in PE 63680F to develop advanced 
materials and increase advanced materials manufacturing through 
academic and industrial partnerships to better support 
aerospace needs.

Academic partnerships for modeling, design, and analysis of unmanned 
        air platforms

    The budget request contained $190.9 million in PE 62203F 
for aerospace propulsion research and development.
    The committee is aware that the Air Force performs a wide 
range of advanced research and engineering in multi-
disciplinary design for unmanned air platforms. Further, the 
committee recognizes that advanced modeling and design, as well 
as quicker comparative analyses, are beneficial to this effort. 
The committee believes that academia is well-suited to partner 
with the Air Force on modeling, design, and comparative 
analysis through the use of Educational Partnership Agreements, 
which are mutually beneficial agreements that may also enhance 
the Air Force's effort to recruit a diverse and educated 
workforce.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $195.9 million, an 
increase of $5.0 million, in PE 62203F for Educational 
Partnership Agreements for unmanned platforms.
    Elsewhere in this title, the committee notes the importance 
of partnerships with academia to advance unmanned platforms and 
systems in order to maintain a competitive war fighting 
advantage.

Advanced engine development program

    The budget request contained $1.2 billion in PE 64858F for 
technology transition programs, of which $790.4 million was 
included for the advanced engine development project.
    The advanced engine development project enables 
demonstration of advanced turbine engine prototypes. The 
committee notes that the main effort in this project is the 
adaptive engine transition program, which is maturing fuel-
efficient adaptive engine component technologies and reducing 
associated risk in preparation for next-generation propulsion 
system development for multiple combat aircraft applications. 
The committee understands that adaptive engine technology 
enables next generation combat aircraft capabilities by 
combining the efficiency of high-bypass turbofans used by 
commercial airlines with the performance demanded of military 
fighter engines. This technology has undergone initial 
development through the adaptive engine technology and adaptive 
engine technology demonstrator programs, which the committee 
has supported in past years. The committee believes that both 
legacy aircraft and future aircraft can benefit from this 
capability and technology. Therefore, the committee encourages 
the Department of the Air Force to continue to make the 
necessary investments in these critical technology 
demonstrations and engine developments to ensure operational 
capability is achieved at the earliest opportunity.
    The committee recommends $790.4 million, the full amount 
requested, in PE 64858F in order to continue the advanced 
engine development project, and further encourages the 
Department of Defense to consider early initiation of 
development programs aimed at transitioning advanced engines 
into the field for both legacy and future combat weapon 
systems.

Advanced pilot training program

    The budget request contained $265.5 million in PE 65223F 
for the advanced pilot training (APT) program. The APT program 
will replace the Air Education Training Command's aging T-38C 
fleet with new aircraft, a ground-based training system, a 
maintenance training system, and support infrastructure 
currently used in the fighter/bomber advanced Specialized 
Undergraduate Pilot Training track, as well as in the 
Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals program.
    The committee continues to view the APT program as a 
critical program to replace the aging T-38C aircraft in order 
to train student pilots in an advanced training aircraft so 
they can make a more effective transition to fifth-generation 
combat aircraft upon graduation from undergraduate pilot 
training. The committee notes that for fiscal year 2018, 
contract award had been planned for late 2017, and has now been 
delayed until the summer of 2018. If the delay in contract 
award extends beyond the summer of 2018, the committee expects 
the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services within 30 days of the delay 
announcement, detailing the reasons for further delay, impact 
on aircraft delivery, and efforts to mitigate the delay so that 
initial and full operational capability remains on schedule.
    The committee recommends $265.5 million, the full amount 
requested, in PE 64233F to continue the APT program. The 
committee also expects the Secretary of the Air Force to 
provide the briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
directed in the committee report (H. Rept. 115-200) 
accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2018, on potential options to accelerate the APT program, 
subsequent to contract award.

Advanced radar threat system emitters

    The budget request contained $35.9 million in PE 64735F for 
Department of the Air Force combat training range development, 
of which $34.8 million was included for development of a family 
of advanced radar threat system (ARTS) emitters. The ARTS 
programs develop, design, build, and test threat system 
simulators based on advanced foreign-fielded surface-to-air 
missile (SAM) radar threat systems. ARTS will be used at 
Department of Defense training ranges for fourth- and fifth-
generation aircrew training and tactics development to increase 
combat effectiveness and aircrew survivability by training 
aircrews to engage or defend against an advanced SAM threat 
before encountering it in actual combat to stress their 
tactics, techniques, and procedures.
    The committee understands that ARTS radars would add 
modern, high-fidelity threat training devices to the ranges 
that are capable of interacting with fifth-generation sensor-
fusion technologies. During a visit to Hill Air Force Base, 
Utah, in April 2018, F-35A pilots briefed committee members 
that current training ranges are not equipped with the threat 
radars necessary to provide the most effective training for F-
35 pilots, and the committee believes that the ARTS emitter 
programs should be accelerated.
    Accordingly, the committee recommends $62.9 million in PE 
64735F for Air Force combat training range development, an 
increase of $27.0 million, to accelerate the ARTS emitter 
programs, and understands that this amount is executable in 
fiscal year 2019.

Advanced Turbine Engine Gas Generators

    The Advanced Turbine Engine Gas Generator project develops 
and demonstrates core engine technologies to address the 
growing need for affordable small turbofans utilized in current 
and future missile and remotely piloted aircraft propulsion 
systems. The project develops and demonstrates technology to 
reduce cost of ownership by half while improving mission 
flexibility and fuel consumption to increase range. It will 
also pave the way for providing much needed competition where 
there currently is none. The committee directs the Secretary of 
the Air Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on 
Armed Services, not later than February 15, 2019, on Department 
of the Air Force plans to fund technologies which lead to low 
cost, high performance turbofan engines of up to 1,200 pounds 
of thrust.

Aerospace composite structures manufacturing

    The budget request contained $42.0 million in PE 63680F for 
the Air Force manufacturing technology program. Of this amount, 
$30.1 million was requested for advanced manufacturing 
technology, including agile manufacturing capabilities.
    The committee believes that manufacturing technology 
related to cost reduction for aerospace composite structures is 
a particularly important part of this overall effort. 
Specifically, the committee encourages work on production cost 
reduction methods, low-cost tooling, and agile manufacturing 
technologies to enable future Air Force unmanned systems 
requirements to be achieved at an affordable cost.
    The committee recommends $42.0 million, the full amount 
requested, in PE 63680F for the Air Force manufacturing 
technology program.

Air Force test and evaluation support

    The budget request contained $692.8 million in PE 65807F 
for Department of the Air Force test and evaluation support. 
The committee notes that this amount is $14.5 million, or about 
2 percent, higher than the budget request for fiscal year 2018. 
The committee also notes that test facilities, capabilities, 
and resources operated through this program include wind 
tunnels, rocket and jet engine test cells, armament test 
ranges, civilian payroll, and contractor services.
    In the committee report (H. Rept. 115-200) accompanying the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, the 
committee reported on a briefing it received on a comprehensive 
assessment of Major Range and Test Facility Base needs and 
investments to meet the testing required for fifth- and sixth-
generation aircraft and air armament, including hypersonic 
strike weapons. The committee noted that among its findings 
were that fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft and weapons 
introduce test and evaluation gaps, and that significant 
research and development and operations and support investments 
are required to fill those gaps.
    For fiscal year 2018, Department of the Air Force officials 
informed the committee that funding for test and evaluation 
support is about $30.0 million below its historical norms, and 
that this funding erosion has diminished the ability of the Air 
Force Test and Evaluation (T&E) enterprise to support T&E of 
next-generation capabilities in the near term. Since the budget 
request for fiscal year 2019 would only provide an inflation 
increase over the previous year, the committee believes that 
the budget request for fiscal year 2019 is also about $30.0 
million below historical norms.
    Consequently, the committee recommends $724.7 million in PE 
65807F for Air Force test and evaluation support, an increase 
of $31.9 million, to provide improved open-air range test 
capabilities on a timeline that supports the Air Force's roles 
in the development of next-generation platforms and air 
armament, and addresses the growing range challenges.

Air Operations Center software modernization utilizing agile 
        development software processes

    The budget request contained $106.1 million in PE 27410F 
for the Air and Space Operations Center (AOC), of which, $97.6 
million is for development of applications and software for the 
AOC utilizing agile software development and operations (Ag 
DevOps) techniques.
    The committee is disappointed in the past attempt to 
modernize and upgrade AOC capability through the AOC 10.2 
program and the waste of fiscal resources that occurred as a 
result of AOC 10.2 program termination. The committee is 
concerned by the Air Force's lack of knowledge regarding 
contractual insights and cost data, the inability to explain 
cost-estimation tools and planning considerations necessary to 
formulate budgets, and how the Air Force values the goods and 
services received for the resources expended.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $79.6 million in PE 
27410F, a decrease of $26.5 million, for development of 
applications and software for the AOC utilizing Ag DevOps 
techniques. The committee also includes a provision elsewhere 
in this title that would provide the Secretary of the Air Force 
25 percent of authorized funding recommended until the 
Secretary provides a report to the congressional defense 
committees on software development cost-estimation tools needed 
to develop ``should-cost'' models, information regarding costs 
incurred to date for software development, and a sufficiency 
review of the report by the Department of Defense Director, 
Defense Pricing and Acquisition Policy office prior to 
submitting the report to Congress.

Autonomous life support system

    The budget request contained $36.5 million in PE 63456F for 
human effectiveness advanced technology development, but 
included no funds for an autonomous life support system (ALSS). 
An ALSS is a system in development that would monitor the 
physiologic state, respiratory profile, and environmental 
conditions of a pilot in a fighter or training aircraft. It 
automatically adjusts to the pilot's physiologic demands, 
thereby diminishing the prospect that a pilot would be 
subjected to a physiological episode resulting from an 
inadequate supply of oxygen.
    A National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 
report conducted by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center, 
dated September 14, 2017, on F/A-18 and EA-18 fleet 
physiological episodes, recommended the development of systems 
that would monitor a pilot's physiologic state. The committee 
understands that the Air Force's 711th Human Performance Wing 
is pursuing a cooperative research and development agreement 
with a contractor to develop an ALSS that includes capabilities 
for monitoring inhaled and exhaled gas. The committee further 
understands that the scope of funded work should also include 
the monitoring of pilot physiology for heart rate, pulse or 
tissue oxygenation, and estimated core temperature, and that an 
increase in funds for this purpose would accelerate the 
development of an ALSS.
    Consequently, the committee recommends $46.5 million, an 
increase of $10.0 million, in PE 63456F.

Education and outreach for anti-tampering and cybersecurity research

    The committee recognizes the role that anti-tampering 
technology plays in safeguarding U.S. military weapon systems 
from theft, reverse engineering, and exploitation. The 
committee acknowledges and supports the Air Force's highly 
focused efforts to grow technological advances in this area. 
Therefore, the committee encourages the Department of Defense 
to fully fund programs that support anti-tampering research and 
development. Furthermore, the committee encourages the 
Department to leverage talent from Historically Black Colleges 
and Universities (HBCUs) that have a proven track record of 
excellence in this particular field. The committee recognizes 
the vital contributions that HBCUs have made in supporting 
defense readiness and national security priorities through 
successful research initiatives.

F-15 ALQ-128 electronic warfare warning set

    The budget request contained $192.9 million in PE 27134F 
for development of F-15 systems, but included no funds for 
development of the ALQ-128 electronic warfare warning set 
(EWWS). The ALQ-128 EWWS is a countermeasures receiver used on 
the F-15C, D, and E aircraft. The ALQ-128, used in concert with 
other systems, provides active jamming against enemy radar 
threats.
    The committee notes that with the fielding of upgraded 
active electronically scanned array radars on the F-15 fleet, 
the aircraft's automatic electronic warfare warning 
countermeasures and active jamming capability was lost because 
the legacy ALQ-128 EWWS is not compatible with the new antennas 
and cannot be upgraded. The committee understands that an ALQ-
128 development program to re-design the ALQ-128 would regain 
the lost warfighter capability to provide active jamming 
against enemy radar threats, and is necessary to provide an 
expandable and upgradeable system to meet mission requirements.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $242.9 million, an 
increase of $50.0 million, in PE 27134F for development of the 
ALQ-128 EWWS.

F-35 follow-on development

    The committee notes that the F-35 program has accomplished 
the final developmental test flight of the system development 
and demonstration (SDD) phase of the program on April 11, 2018. 
While the SDD required flight test is now complete, the 
committee further notes that flight testing continues in 
support of phased capability improvements and modernization of 
the F-35 air system in an effort formerly known as block four 
and now known as continuous capability development and delivery 
(C2D2). The C2D2 program will provide timely, affordable 
incremental warfighting capability improvements to maintain 
joint air dominance against evolving threats to the United 
States and its allies.
    Section 224(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328) directed the 
Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the congressional 
defense committees that contains the basic elements of an 
acquisition baseline for the F-35 block four program. However, 
the report delivered in January 2018 provided only an initial 
insight into the basic elements of the F-35 C2D2 program. The 
committee understands that a complete report is planned to be 
submitted in March 2019, and believes that the basic elements 
of an acquisition baseline are vital to the ability of the 
committee to conduct its oversight responsibilities of a 
significant F-35 modernization budget.
    Therefore, elsewhere in this Act, the committee recommends 
a provision that would limit the obligation of funds for the F-
35 C2D2 program until the Secretary of Defense submits the 
complete report required by section 224(b) of Public Law 114-
328.
    The committee also notes that in its annual report on the 
F-35 program, the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation 
assessed that the F-35 C2D2 schedule was not executable due to 
insufficient test resources, including an inadequate number of 
test aircraft configured to conduct C2D2 test flight activity. 
Accordingly, the committee believes the Department should 
procure an additional six new test aircraft, two in each of the 
F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C configuration, to support the C2D2 
program so that capability improvements and modernization can 
be more rapidly developed and procured to meet evolving 
threats.

Metals Affordability Initiative

    The budget requested contained $37.9 million in PE 63112F 
for Advanced Materials for Weapons System.
    The committee recognizes the importance of this program in 
providing affordable materials and manufacturing technologies 
across the entire life-cycle of aerospace materials. 
Specifically, the Air Force Research Lab-managed Metals 
Affordability Initiative has reduced metallic aircraft 
component costs and accelerated the implementation and transfer 
of technologies across a wide range of aircraft platforms. The 
committee notes the value of this public-private partnership 
and the risk sharing model that has directly led to a nearly 
$2.4 billion return on the U.S. Government's investment. The 
committee recommends the Secretary of the Air Force create a 
dedicated funding line for the Metals Affordability Initiative 
to show the Air Force's clear commitment to this program.
    The committee recommends $47.9 million, an increase of 
$10.0 million, in PE 63112F for Advanced Materials for Weapons 
System.

Passive ground-based imaging of space objects

    The committee is aware of the progress with ground-based 
space imaging experiments being made by the Air Force Research 
Laboratory's (AFRL) Joint United States-United Kingdom Research 
Team. The committee recognizes the potential for high 
resolution imaging of geosynchronous satellites that also 
supports the AFRL Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics education goals. The committee is also aware of 
positive initial test results and additional ground based 
experiments using full scale baseline separations of over 100 
meters between the tracking telescopes. The committee 
recommends the AFRL continue ground-based space imaging 
experimentation with passive/unobtrusive optical amplitude 
interferometry imaging in combination with other surveillance 
systems for Department of Defense applications.

Precision metrology tools

    The budget request contained $125.3 million in PE 62102F 
for materials research and development.
    The committee recognizes that metrology, or the development 
of precise measurement tools, is an important aspect of 
materials research. As the ability to manipulate materials at 
the subatomic scale, and to generate new and novel materials 
from computational design, continues to advance, it will also 
require further development of precision measuring tools. The 
committee encourages the Air Force to explore new and 
innovative methods to develop and provision for these tools, 
including through public-private partnerships to field and 
maintain cutting-edge metrology systems.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $128.3 million, an 
increase of $3.0 million, in PE 62102F to support the 
development of advanced, precision metrology tools.

Recapitalization of Battle-Management, Command and Control, and 
        associated intelligence capabilities in support of ground 
        forces

    The budget request contained no funds in PE 37581F for the 
Joint Surveillance Target and Attack Radar System (JSTARS) 
Recapitalization (Recap) program, and $14.9 million for 
research and development, and $9.9 million for procurement 
activities related to the legacy E-8C JSTARS program.
    The committee is concerned and disagrees with the Air 
Force's decision to terminate the JSTARS Recap program. While 
the committee understands the Air Force's desire to transition 
to a new ``family of systems'' concept for providing 
intelligence to the Joint Force, it believes that the proposed 
plan involves significant risk in terms of technology 
development, integration, cost, and schedule, and therefore the 
termination of the JSTARS Recap program is unwarranted and will 
create a significant gap in overall ISR capability and 
capacity. While the Air Force claims to have accounted for such 
risks in its decision, the committee does not believe it is 
appropriate to accept these risks given the importance of this 
mission area to the Joint Force. In addition, the committee 
notes that the Air Force's decision on the JSTARS Recap program 
directly contradicts numerous Department of Defense analyses, 
and senior-officials' testimony provided to Congress regarding 
requirements, capabilities, war-gaming, and affordability that 
justified the existence and execution of the JSTARS Recap 
program, as recently as part of the fiscal year 2018 budget 
request.
    Further, the committee is also concerned that the Air 
Force's decision could impose an unacceptable level of risk to 
joint ground forces that will rely heavily upon JSTARS Recap to 
provide reliable, consistent, accurate, and highly integrated 
Battle-Management, Command and Control, and Ground Moving 
Target Indicator intelligence capabilities. Finally, the 
committee believes that the Air Force's decision did not take 
into account the significantly improved capabilities and 
increased capacity that the JSTARS Recap aircraft, utilizing a 
modern aircraft design with fifth-generation radar technology 
and integrated software processing, is currently designed to 
bring to the battlefield as compared to the current fleet of 
legacy E-8C aircraft.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $623.0 million, an 
increase of $623.0 million, in PE 37581F to fund the JSTARS 
Recap program's continued development. The committee also 
includes a provision elsewhere in this title that addresses 
this program.

Reusable hypersonic vehicle structure development

    The budget request contained $130.5 million in PE 62201F, 
and $125.4 million in PE 62102F for aerospace vehicle 
technologies and materials. The committee supports the 
Department of Defense's efforts to accelerate the testing and 
development of hypersonic vehicles. The committee believes 
further investment in the development of economically efficient 
reusable hypersonic systems will extend national defense 
capabilities beyond the limits of expendable systems. 
Additional reusable hypersonic vehicle structure development 
and thermal protection system development is necessary to 
enable rapid global response to threats, and extend the 
survivability of platforms in highly contested environments. 
Further research focused on ceramic matrix components, 
fabrication, assembly, and full-scale component testing is 
necessary in order to meet the Air Force's fiscal year 2019 
test bed vehicle operations goals. The committee recommends 
$140.5 million, an increase of $10.0 million, in PE 62201F and 
$135.34 million, an increase of $10.0 million, in PE 62102F for 
aerospace vehicle technologies and materials, to accelerate the 
development of reusable and air-launched hypersonic vehicle 
structures.

Robust aircraft electrical power and thermal management systems

    The budget request contained $115.5 million in PE 63216F 
and $190.9 million in PE 62203F for the development and 
demonstration of electrical power, thermal management, and 
distribution for aerospace applications.
    The committee recognizes the Air Force is highly focused on 
developing directed energy and laser weapons systems, both for 
self-protection and to provide offensive capability for future 
aircraft. In order to meet those goals, the Air Force will not 
just need a lasing system and optics with the size and weight 
to be incorporated into aircraft-sized systems, but it will 
also need an end-to-end power generation system that can meet 
all of these new power demands in addition to all of the other 
electrical and avionics subsystems on these aircraft. The 
committee encourages the Air Force to focus developmental work 
on the aerospace electrical power for lightweight and efficient 
power technologies needed for those future aircraft concepts.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $125.5 million, an 
increase of $10.0 million, in PE 63216F, and $195.9 million, an 
increase of $5.0 million, in PE 62203F, to accelerate design, 
fabrication, and testing to support a light-weight, robust 
electrical power and thermal management system for future 
aircraft needs.

Secure-live-virtual-constructive advanced training environment

    The budget request included $112.5 million in PE 62202F for 
Human Effectiveness Applied Research, a program element that 
includes learning and operational readiness.
    The committee notes that this project supports research on 
the application of cognitive science for performance 
improvement by enhancing training in mission-relevant 
environments. This includes advanced technology demonstrations 
for a secure live-virtual-constructive advanced training 
environment and live-virtual-constructive cockpit technologies. 
The committee recognizes the important advances that have 
resulted from this particular technology demonstration since 
its inception in 2015, and looks forward to a joint services 
proof of concept demonstration, as well as accelerated 
encryption and waveform development. As the U.S. Air Force 
continues to seek ways to leverage cutting-edge technologies in 
realistic training and improve mission readiness, the committee 
is interested in ensuring the joint interoperability of this 
technology in fifth generation aircraft.
    The committee recommends $112.5 million, the full amount 
requested, in PE 62202F for Human Effectiveness Applied 
Research.

Small diameter bomb II cost reduction initiative

    The committee understands the small diameter bomb increment 
II (SDB II) is a joint program between the Air Force and Navy. 
The SDB II can be used on every tactical fixed-wing aircraft 
platform and provides the warfighter the capability to attack 
mobile targets from stand-off ranges, through inclement weather 
and adverse conditions. The committee notes that since the 
award of the initial production contract the cost of an all up 
round (AUR) has increased largely as a result of lower-than-
expected quantities of the tri-mode seeker that is currently 
used on SDB II for other precision guided munition programs. 
The committee is concerned that this could negatively impact 
potential planned procurement of SDB IIs in the out-years, and 
as a result could delay SDB II fielding when the program is 
scheduled to increase production.
    The committee encourages the Secretary of the Air Force to 
examine implementing potential cost reduction efforts to 
address rising AUR costs related to the tri-mode seeker at this 
early stage of SDB II production in order to maximize return on 
investment for the Department of Defense and the taxpayer.

Technology Transition Program

    The budget request contained $1.2 billion in PE 64858F for 
the Technology Transition Program.
    The committee commends the program's efforts to accelerate 
and transition technologies and prototypes into acquisition 
programs of record and operational use. The committee notes a 
majority of the funds are allocated towards advanced engine 
development and prototyping, and is concerned that only $87.2 
million is allocated for experimentation with other 
technologies. The investment in non-engine technologies is 
insufficient to address the critical technology and development 
required to transition systems-of-systems research, mixing low-
tech and high-tech assets in a combat-effective framework, and 
scalable and additive manufacturing solutions.
    The committee recommends an increase of $15.0 million in PE 
64858F for non-engine technology experimentation and 
competitively awarded transition programs within the Technology 
Transition Program.

Wide-area motion imagery intelligence capability

    The budget request contained $175.3 million in PE 35206F 
for development of airborne reconnaissance systems, but 
contained no funding for continued development and 
modernization of wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) beyond line-of 
sight (BLOS) capabilities.
    The committee notes that persistent, near real-time day and 
night WAMI capability is considered by operational commanders 
to be a critical BLOS intelligence, surveillance, and 
reconnaissance capability for numerous combat units. WAMI 
capability has been deployed in support of combat operations in 
the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan since 2010 and in the 
Republic of Iraq since 2015; however, despite the invaluable 
capability that WAMI provides, the Air Force has only been able 
to provide four steady-state unmanned aircraft system lines of 
WAMI capability. The committee understands that 2 years ago, 
the Department of Defense validated a U.S. Central Command 
Joint Urgent Operational Need Statement that requires the 
further development and procurement of WAMI BLOS capabilities 
for forward-deployed operations. The committee notes that 
previous funding has resulted in preliminary multi-intelligence 
fusion capabilities, near-vertical-direction finding, and 
enhanced BLOS capabilities. However, a lack of fiscal year 2019 
funding will impede final delivery of these capabilities, and 
will prevent necessary sensor system upgrades to satisfy 
validated warfighter requirements.
    Accordingly, the committee recommends $186.1 million in PE 
35206F, an increase of $10.8 million, for development of WAMI 
BLOS sensor improvements, and to continue processing and 
exploiting improvements that would enable automated multi-
intelligence sensor fusion.

Wind energy development radar mitigation efforts

    The budget request contained $6.3 million in PE 35114F for 
the Air Traffic Control, Approach, and Landing System.
    The committee understands the growing importance of 
renewable energy as a national security imperative, in 
particular the rapid expansion of wind energy as an alternative 
energy source. The committee also recognizes the potential 
impact of wind energy development on the operational readiness, 
training activities, safety, and force protection of Department 
of Defense service members, aircraft, and installations. Given 
the expected increase in the U.S. wind energy development, 
mitigation approaches must be further developed and 
accelerated.
    The committee recommends that the U.S. Government and 
industry continue to evaluate the impacts of existing and 
planned wind energy developments in coordination with the 
Federal Interagency Wind Turbine Radar Impact Mitigation 
Working Group, and develop best practices for radar mitigation 
strategies. The committee is aware of an existing pilot program 
by the U.S. Transportation Command and Air Mobility Command to 
integrate gap-filler radar systems into their air traffic 
control operations to mitigate the impact of wind energy 
developments. This mitigation pilot program has reduced false 
target alerts and improved the situational awareness of air 
traffic control operators and the safety of aircrew. The 
committee recommends additional analysis to assess the 
feasibility and development requirements associated with the 
integration, operation, and performance of gap-fill radars 
integrated into existing air traffic command and control 
systems.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services not later than October 31, 2018, on the status of the 
pilot mitigation project and strategy for developing gap-filler 
radar thresholds and requirements.
    Additionally, the committee recommends $8.8 million, an 
increase of $2.5 million, in PE 35114F for the Air Traffic 
Control, Approach, and Landing System.

       Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation, Defense-Wide


                       Items of Special Interest


Advanced ceramic capabilities

    The committee is interested in advancements in dual-use 
ceramic capabilities and production technologies. The committee 
is aware that recent advancements in smelting have significant 
overlap with ceramic production methods and could lower ceramic 
production costs. Advanced ceramic capabilities have 
demonstrated versatility in critical military applications, 
including composite armor for soldier and vehicle protection, 
and for use in advanced hypersonic vehicle development.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering, no later November 1, 
2018, to provide to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives a briefing on dual-use ceramic 
capabilities. The briefing should include an overview of 
advances in ceramic production processes and technologies, the 
benefits ceramic capabilities provides, and any forecasted 
adoption of ceramic capabilities into current weapon systems.

Antitoxin to combat botulinum toxin

    Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) is a highly potent 
toxin, as well as a medical therapy with numerous uses in 
neurophysiology. The Department of Defense is managing efforts 
to develop a vaccine against BoNT/A; however, the potential 
impact of BoNT/A vaccination on future benefits of the medical 
uses of BoNT/A is unknown. These benefits include treatment of 
post-traumatic stress disorder-associated migraines and 
amputation pain.
    The committee understands that the Department is also 
pursuing a small molecule antitoxin drug to combat BoNT/A, 
which could be used by military personnel without impacting 
future use of medical therapies derived from BoNT/A. Therefore, 
the committee encourages the Secretary of Defense to continue 
its work to develop a monoclonal antibody-based BoNT/A 
antitoxin drug through the Joint Program Executive Office for 
Chemical and Biological Defense.

Autonomous capabilities

    Not later than April 1, 2019, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the committee on Armed Services an assessment 
on the consequences of the international proliferation of 
autonomous weapons, including those utilizing artificial 
intelligence and machine learning, and a strategy for U.S. 
engagement in international discussions. In conducting such an 
assessment, the Secretary of Defense shall consider each of the 
following:
    (1) An evaluation of the consequences of an arms race in 
autonomous weapons, cyber weapons, artificial intelligence and 
machine learning, both from the domestic and competitor point 
of views.
    (2) An explanation of the of the concept of ``appropriate 
human judgement'' and how it differs from ``meaningful human 
control''.
    (3) An explanation of the U.S. strategy towards influencing 
how other nations approach autonomous weapons, including human 
judgement, national safety review processes, and stability 
concerns.
    Further, the study should include an assessment of the 
current policy guidelines with respect to the role of autonomy 
in offensive and defensive cyberspace operations, and a 
discussion of how artificial intelligence and machine learning 
could impact current policy and doctrine. In conducting such an 
assessment, the Secretary of Defense shall evaluate the 
sufficiency of Department of Defense policies governing 
autonomy in cyberspace.

Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program

    The budget request contained $258.7 million in PE 64940D8Z 
for the Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program (CTEIP). 
The committee notes that CTEIP has been used to fund the 
development of critically needed, high-priority test and 
evaluation capabilities for the Department of Defense. CTEIP 
has used a corporate approach to combine service and Department 
requirements to maximize opportunities for joint efforts and 
avoid unwarranted duplication of test capabilities. The 
committee recommends additional focus on developing a 
geospatial architecture to assist in the testing, analysis, and 
visualization of cyber and electronic warfare threat systems, 
and their impact in a radio frequency compromised environment.
    The committee encourages the Department to explore efforts 
to automate data collection and analysis capabilities, thereby 
reducing manual data entry and expediting the preparation of 
products and reports. The committee recommends $258.7 million, 
the amount requested, in PE 64940D8Z for the Central Test and 
Evaluation Investment Program.

Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive standoff 
        detection

    The committee is aware of the enduring challenge of 
detecting chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and 
explosive (CBRNE) threats from a safe distance. The committee 
is also aware of a new technology that may be capable of 
dynamic wavelength modulation of laser light with potential 
applications in multiple mission areas, including standoff 
detection of CBRNE threats. Given the use of chemical weapons 
in the Syrian Arab Republic and the threat of CBRNE use in the 
Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sensors capable of 
standoff detection would provide early warning, thereby 
increasing timelines to prepare and respond to threats. 
Therefore, the committee encourages the Department of Defense 
to continue its efforts to develop standoff CBRNE detection.

Common data environment for modeling and simulation

    The committee recognizes that common data environments can 
yield benefits, such as increased interoperability and strong 
modeling and simulation (M&S) capabilities. The committee 
supports continued funding for projects that provide critical 
Department of Defense-wide data services, such as the Army's 
Enterprise Data Services Common Data Production Environment. 
The committee is aware that in the committee report (S. Rept. 
115-125) accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2018, the Senate Committee on Armed Services 
directed the Secretary of Defense to take actions to identify 
and address data collection, analysis, and sharing issues that 
limit robust M&S. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by November 1, 2018, on the 
Department's findings from the directive in S. Rept. 115-125.

Contraband cellular devices

    The committee is aware that the illegal use of cellular 
devices in Federal prisons is on the rise. The committee is 
also aware that new technologies, such as managed access 
systems, are being developed, tested, and deployed to detect 
the use of contraband cellular devices among Federal prison 
populations. The committee acknowledges that military 
correctional facilities are often plagued with the same ills 
that infiltrate Federal correctional facilities. Therefore, the 
committee encourages the Department of Defense to study the 
effectiveness of new technologies that detect contraband 
cellular devices to identify and prevent instances of such use 
in military correctional facilities.

Counter small tactical unmanned air systems

    The committee notes that Class I and II unmanned air 
systems (UAS), which in most cases are readily available 
commercial-off-the-shelf small and lightweight UAS, can be 
employed by state and non-state actors for use against U.S. 
military and civilian personnel. The committee understands that 
current maneuver short range air defense initiatives, as well 
as counter-UAS initiatives would address fixed-wing, 
rotorcraft, and medium-to-large UAS platforms. The committee is 
concerned by the rapid proliferation of small UAS and believes 
the military services should examine all potential combined 
kinetic and non-kinetic options to immediately address this 
perceived capability gap in organic air defense for Army 
Maneuver Brigades.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Defense to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
December 15, 2018 that provides an update on current Department 
of Defense programs to counter class I and II UAS. The briefing 
shall include:
    (a) The command responsible for developing and promulgating 
counter-UAS performance requirements;
    (b) A resource plan for developing and assessing potential 
material solutions for near-term and mid-term timeframes;
    (c) How the Department of Defense intends to ensure that 
units at the battalion and below echelons will be capable of 
defeating single and swarming Class 1 and II UAVs; and
    (d) The procedures whereby technical assessments will be 
shared and coordinated with the other military services.

Counter-unmanned aerial system threat detection

    The committee is interested in advancements in counter-
unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) technology and the threat these 
systems pose to the Armed Forces. The committee supports 
ongoing efforts by the U.S. Army and U.S. Special Operations 
Command to develop and employ unmanned aerial system (UAS) 
threat detection technology, and commends the services for 
recognizing the seriousness of the threat. In light of recent 
UAS attacks in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, 
the committee is concerned about the increased threat from 
unmanned aerial systems to forward operating bases and special 
operations forces personnel. The committee believes additional 
advancements in scalable C-UAS technologies are necessary to 
effectively detect, track, neutralize, and ensure the force 
protection and operational security of deployed service 
members.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by October 31, 2018, on the employment of C-UAS systems. The 
briefing should include an assessment of the UAS threat to the 
Armed Forces, a roadmap for C-UAS threat detection technology 
and capabilities, and the results of operational fielding of C-
UAS systems.

Enhanced Maritime Biological Detection

    The budget request contained $145.7 million in PE 64384BP 
for Contamination Avoidance (CA) Engineering Manufacturing 
Development (EMD) within the Department of Defense Chemical and 
Biological Defense Program (CBDP).
    The Enhanced Maritime Biological Detection (EMBD) program, 
an ongoing effort that began in fiscal year 2017, is included 
in CA EMD and will transition technology from the Joint United 
States Forces Korea Portal and Integration Threat Recognition 
Advanced Technology Demonstration to a program of record for 
the U.S. Navy. EMBD will complete development, testing, 
integration, and production of a lower cost biological point 
detection system that will detect, collect, and identify 
biological warfare agent aerosols, and provide automated 
warning at a lower sustained cost.
    The committee recommends $145.7 million, the amount 
requested in PE 64384BP, for CA EMD within the CBDP.

Fielding of radiation detection devices

    The committee is encouraged by the Army's efforts to field 
additional radiation detection devices, and endorses the Army's 
efforts in fiscal year 2019 to develop and field the next-
generation Joint Personal Dosimeter Individual (JPD-I), an 
individual dosimeter that includes immediate visual alert, 
measurement of radiation dose, and inclusion of a comprehensive 
record of radiation exposure over a soldier's career. The 
committee encourages the Army to conduct a rigorous, fair, and 
open competition for this new system to ensure the best 
dosimeter is developed and selected.

Future uses of synthetic biology

    The committee is aware of recent advancements in synthetic 
biology, genomics, biotechnology, and related novel 
technologies that may enhance human performance and improve 
traditional approaches to healthcare. This includes enhancing 
human ability to perform through stressful and resource-limited 
environments, improving decision making, minimizing the time 
between disease identification and treatment, and augmenting 
human immune systems to defeat a variety of diseases, rather 
than depending on specific vaccines and therapeutics. The 
development of advanced biosensors to understand hypoxia is a 
current example of the type of human performance challenges 
that can be addressed through these advancements.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by December 1, 2018, on how the Department of Defense may 
leverage these advancements, when appropriate, and in 
accordance with ethical standards, U.S. law, our nation's 
values, and Department of Defense policy, to enhance service 
members' performance, increase lethality and survivability, and 
improve battlefield healthcare. The briefing should also 
identify opportunities, when appropriate and feasible, to 
facilitate the maturation of capabilities based on recent 
advancements.

Historically black colleges and universities, and minority serving 
        institutions

    The budget request contained $30.4 million in PE 61228D8Z 
for research work with historically black colleges and 
universities, and minority serving institutions (HBCU/MI).
    The committee recognizes the important role this program 
plays in bolstering the research capabilities and capacities at 
HBCU/MIs. Not only is such work important in meeting the 
defense research needs of the Department of Defense, but the 
committee also believes it provides an added benefit by 
diversifying the supply of scientists, engineers, and 
researchers working on the Department of Defense's most 
challenging problems.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $40.4 million, an 
increase of $10.0 million, in PE 61228D8Z for additional 
research between historically black colleges and universities, 
and minority serving institutions, as well as increased teaming 
opportunities between these institutions and other research 
universities with experience supporting the Department's unique 
requirements.

Innovative installation capabilities

    The budget request contained $29.4 million in PE 63342D8W 
for the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx).
    DIUx supports the identification, development, and 
demonstration of game-changing technologies to satisfy joint 
force priorities at a faster pace than the traditional 
Department of Defense planning, programming, budgeting, and 
execution process. As DIUx leverages partnerships with academic 
institutions, science and technology communities, and private 
industries, the committee recognizes the advantages that DIUx 
may provide to accelerate fielding of decisive technical 
capabilities and interoperability while mitigating operational 
risk to the warfighter and promoting affordability.
    The committee supports the objective of DIUx to maintain 
U.S. technological superiority across the range of military 
operations. The committee believes DIUx should also increase 
efforts to support technological superiority at Department 
installations by addressing critical technological needs. This 
may also include mitigation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities 
identified during the ongoing review of critical infrastructure 
being conducted by the Department as directed in section 1650 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114-328).
    Therefore, the committee recommends prioritizing critical 
technological needs at Department installations, and directs 
the Director of DIUx to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by October 1, 2018, on a plan to 
invest in the rapid insertion of innovative installation 
capabilities.

Joint Regional Security Stacks

    The committee supports the Department of Defense's efforts 
to secure and simplify the Department's network environment 
through modernization. Specifically, the committee supports 
continued use of the Joint Regional Security Stacks (JRSS) and 
the modernization, streamlining, and optimization of JRSS 
architecture to improve performance, reduce the Department's 
attack surface, and eliminate outdated technical redundancy. 
The committee believes incorporation of next-generation 
technology may further increase the Department's cybersecurity 
posture and resiliency. Therefore, the committee encourages the 
Defense Information Systems Agency to make full use of next-
generation packet brokers which reduce costs by employing 
active-failover features, reducing redundancy of cybersecurity 
tools, and implementing new technology that eliminates 
duplicate network traffic.

Joint threat warning system

    The committee recognizes that the Joint Threat Warning 
System (JTWS) provides credible threat warning and intelligence 
information to special operations forces (SOF). The committee 
notes that this program has been critical to enhancing the 
situational awareness of SOF elements by alerting them to 
threats to the force and illuminating targeting opportunities. 
The committee is concerned that the program does not include an 
air-variant precision high frequency band capability. This gap 
in coverage exposes SOF operators to unknown threats and 
decreases their situational awareness. The committee recommends 
U.S. Special Operations Command further explore collection 
capabilities that address this critical air-variant high 
frequency gap in coverage.

Military Free Fall School

    The committee is aware of the increased demand being placed 
on the U.S. Army's Military Free Fall School (MFFS). The 
committee understands the increased student throughput is 
largely a result of the expanded population of U.S. Army 
Special Operations Command personnel who are required to attend 
MFFS. Consequently, the increased student throughput has 
resulted in shortfalls in resourcing, an over-reliance on 
contract personnel, and an increased risk to students and 
cadre. Therefore, the committee directs the Commander, U.S. 
Special Operations Command to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services not later than October 15, 2018, on 
Special Operations Force Military Free Fall requirements, the 
funds expended, the expected cost of operating the MFFS across 
the Future Years Defense Program, and any change in the rate of 
MFFS safety incidents or injuries from fiscal years 2012 
through 2018.

Minerva Research Initiative

    The committee recognizes the valuable contributions the 
Minerva Research Initiative has had on social science research 
relevant to national security. This initiative has supported 
innovations in social science and translated important 
scientific discoveries in the field of counter-terrorism and 
counter-violent extremism. The committee believes similar 
research examining our peer and near-peer adversaries' growing 
influence and competitive advantage against the United States 
is necessary. According to the National Security Strategy of 
2017, the People's Republic of China is reasserting its 
influence in order to deny the United States access in times of 
crisis and contest the Department of Defense's ability to 
operate freely in decisive locations. The committee believes 
additional national security-related social science research 
dedicated towards the Russian Federation, China, the Islamic 
Republic of Iran, and the Democratic People's Republic of 
Korea, and their export of military and security technology, 
will help understand these nations' true intentions and develop 
and implement strategy aimed at countering their influence.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than November 16, 2018, on the feasibility of 
expanding the Minerva Research Initiative to state actors, 
including Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. The briefing 
should include the program's ability to provide substantive 
research addressing peer and near-peer adversary statecraft, to 
include, but not limited to, foreign influence, foreign 
investment, emerging technologies, and military exports.

National Hypersonics Initiative

    The committee is aware of a National Hypersonics Initiative 
under development by the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Research and Engineering, in conjunction with the military 
services, defense labs, and the Defense Advanced Research 
Projects Agency. The committee recognizes the growing amount of 
resources and emphasis placed by the Department of Defense on 
the research and development of hypersonic vehicle technology. 
The committee supports the development of a National 
Hypersonics Initiative, and believes it is prudent and 
consistent with the roles and responsibilities granted to the 
Department's Joint Hypersonics Transition Office as authorized 
in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 
115-91). The committee is interested in any impact that the 
Treaty Between the United States of America and The Union of 
the Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their 
Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, signed in 1987 
and commonly referred to as the INF Treaty, is having on the 
research and development of hypersonic vehicle technology. The 
committee understands there is concern that the INF treaty 
obligations may limit the Department of Defense's ability to 
flight-test and operationally employ hypersonic vehicles.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering to provide a briefing to 
the House Committee on Armed Services not later than September 
15, 2018, on the status of the National Hypersonics Initiative 
and any impacts of the INF Treaty obligations on the research, 
development, prototyping, testing, or employment of hypersonic 
vehicle technology.

National lab integration in defense innovation hubs

    The committee has continuing interest in the Department of 
Defense laboratories and engineering centers, their 
responsiveness to Department of Defense requirements, and 
maximizing their expertise and reach. The Department's 
laboratories are integral to the Department's ability to retain 
capability in areas where the private sector has no commercial 
interest, and ensuring that commercial solutions are adapted 
for warfighter needs in a timely manner so that the United 
States remains dominant in the land, air, sea, space, and cyber 
domains.
    The committee recommends that the Department better enable 
laboratories and centers to embrace an open and innovative 
posture, while simultaneously becoming more active in the 
Department's requirements process. The committee is aware of 
the Army Research Lab's Open Campus project as an example of 
open innovation that encourages groundbreaking advances in 
basic and applied research areas through increased 
collaboration with the broader research enterprise. The 
committee believes that this serves as a model for laboratories 
to become more ingrained in the scientific and research 
communities, both locally and globally, and become a greater 
sensor for disruptive technologies that present opportunities 
or highlight vulnerabilities for the Department. Additionally, 
the committee recommends that the laboratories increase their 
presence in innovation hubs across the United States, like 
those established by the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, 
and enhance existing relationships with the Strategic 
Capabilities Office and the Defense Advanced Research Projects 
Agency.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering to provide a briefing to 
the House Committee on Armed Services not later than October 1, 
2018, on the respective plan for further integrating the 
laboratories across defense and commercial innovation hubs, and 
maximizing their expertise and reach. The briefing should 
include a robust plan and timeline for increasing the 
Department's laboratory joint presence in innovation hubs 
across the United States.

Non-lethal directed energy technologies

    The committee continues to support the need to minimize 
collateral damage, pursue all available avenues to reduce 
civilian casualties, and prevent damage to infrastructure in 
engagements abroad. The use of non-lethal directed energy 
technologies provides many opportunities to do so. Some of 
these technologies have matured and are already employed by 
military service and combatant commands in the operational 
environment across the globe. These technologies have the 
capacity to stop ground vehicles, small vessels, and unmanned 
aerial vehicles from infringing upon protected spaces, or to 
deny access to secured facilities. The committee continues to 
encourage the Department of Defense to make greater efforts to 
use these technologies where appropriate. Elsewhere in this 
report, the need for concurrent policy development, sustained 
integrated non-lethal directed energy technologies, and 
continued development of next-generation directed energy non-
lethal technologies, like the Marine Corps' Ocular Interruption 
System, is addressed.

Protect DIB critical technologies

    The committee recognizes the importance of safeguarding 
defense industrial base (DIB) critical technologies from cyber 
and economic actions conducted by our adversaries. The 
challenge in doing so is particularly acute as supply chains 
become increasingly globalized, as noted in the report 
published by the RAND Corporation entitled ``U.S. Authorities 
and DoD Options for Protecting the Defense Industrial Base from 
Cyber Intrusions and Economic Enticement, Influence, and 
Control.'' The report calls attention to the difficulties in 
protecting DIB members with supply chains in foreign countries 
and the resulting risks to the integrity of various critical 
technologies and materials.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Undersecretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering (R&E) to provide a 
briefing to the House Armed Services Committee no later than 1 
March 2019 on activities and investments the Department is 
making with respect to foreign suppliers of critical 
technologies to national defense to ensure their integrity, 
including microelectronics.

Rapidly deployable radar system

    The committee is aware of U.S. Special Operations Command's 
efforts to accelerate development of an ultra-low power, 
rapidly deployable radar system. This modular technology can 
enhance radar situational awareness for special operations 
forces elements in austere environments. The committee notes 
the value of this technology and its relevance in current 
conflicts, particularly due to the persistent threat of 
adversary controlled, small unmanned aerial systems. The 
committee looks forward to the results of additional testing 
and encourages the integration of this ultra-low power, rapidly 
deployable radar with other counter-unmanned aerial system 
efforts across the Department of Defense.

Report on DoD target and threat systems

    The Committee recognizes that military capabilities of 
adversary nations continue to improve over time thus 
challenging the ability of the United States military to 
project power and protect its national interests throughout the 
world. In order to ensure thorough and realistic testing and 
evaluation of defense weapons systems and effective operational 
unit training, it is imperative that DoD continues to develop 
and maintain a sufficient inventory of realistic targets and 
threat systems that accurately represent the capability of 
adversary nations. In support of that imperative, the Committee 
believes that the status and adequacy of target and threat 
systems programs need to be assessed.
    The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a review of the 
Department's targets and threat systems in support of test and 
evaluation and training and shall identify recommended actions 
to address shortcomings in those systems in a final report.
    The review, recommendations, and final report shall 
address, but not be limited to, the following:
    (A) All airborne, seaborne, ground, and undersea targets 
and target control systems used to support open air test and 
evaluation and warfighter training exercises;
    (B) All real and simulated threat systems used to support 
open air test and evaluation and warfighter training exercises;
    (C) The degree to which all of the above systems replicate 
both current and future threats;
    (D) The adequacy of target and threat systems inventories 
to meet current and future test and evaluation and training 
requirements;
    (E) The ability of the above systems to support effective 
testing and evaluation of future U.S. combat and weapon 
systems;
    (F) The ability of the above systems to support effective 
warfighter training against future threats.
    Not later than one year after the date of enactment, the 
Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees 
a final report on the review and recommended actions to address 
all shortcomings in the abilities of DoD targets and threat 
systems to effectively support open air test and evaluation 
events and training exercises.

Research to enhance the understanding of adversarial influence 
        operations

    Manipulation of the global information environment by 
adversaries using both human and machine means poses a 
challenge to the viability of democratic institutions and 
social stability. The committee is aware of research conducted 
by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to 
develop technologies for high-fidelity simulation of online 
social behavior, while testing and measuring simulation 
accuracy and other research projects to better understand 
influence. For example, the Social-Cognitive Information 
Security research program uses modeling and simulation to 
examine how behavior is manipulated in a way that compromises 
cyber or social infrastructures.
    The committee is aware that the Secretary of Defense 
recently designated the Commander, U.S. Special Operations 
Command, to be the Joint Proponent for Military Information 
Support Operations (MISO), and to establish a global messaging/
counter-messaging capability. The committee believes research 
conducted to enhance the understanding of the impact of 
adversarial manipulation of the global information environment 
may complement and inform information operation activities of 
the Department of Defense. Therefore, the committee encourages 
the Director of DARPA and the Commander, U.S. Special 
Operations Command, to collaborate and provide for transition 
of appropriate research projects that enhance and complement 
MISO.

Use of authority for transactions other than contracts and grants by 
        the Department of Defense

    The committee recognizes the need for agility and 
innovation in the procurement process. The committee believes 
that, when used appropriately, other transaction authority 
(OTA) of section 2371 of title 10, United States Code, can 
provide the necessary flexibility to give the Department of 
Defense a competitive edge in the commercial marketplace.
    The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 
(Public Law 114-92) modified and made permanent the 
Department's ability to carry out certain prototype projects 
using OTA. Further recognizing the benefits of OTA, section 867 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 
(Public Law 115-91) required the Secretary of Defense to 
establish a preference for using other transactions (OTs) ``in 
circumstances determined appropriate by the Secretary.''
    The committee supports the Department's continued use of 
OTA to rapidly explore cutting-edge technologies and reduce 
barriers to attract non-traditional defense contractors. The 
committee also acknowledges the Department's guidance that OTs 
should be used appropriately by individuals possessing the 
requisite level of business acumen and judgment to operate in a 
``relatively unstructured environment.''
    However, the committee is increasingly concerned by a 
perceived lack of transparency surrounding the use of OTA 
within the Department. The committee is particularly concerned 
by the limited details provided on the Defense Innovation Unit 
Experimental's use of OTA to award a large-scale follow-on 
production contract for cloud services. While the Department 
significantly reduced the original award from $950.0 million to 
$65.0 million, and greatly limited the scope of the production 
agreement, the committee remains concerned about the 
Department's failure to provide a comprehensive explanation for 
how such a large-scale award was made unbeknownst to senior 
Department officials, and why the award was later reduced.
    Therefore, the committee urges the Department to exercise 
greater prudence and transparency when employing OTA to prevent 
misuse and abuse. The committee also urges the Department to 
reiterate through established guidelines that OTA is not a 
means for circumventing appropriate use of the Federal 
Acquisition Regulation, and that full and open competition 
should be used to the maximum extent practicable to maintain a 
sense of integrity, fairness, and credibility in the Federal 
procurement process.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


              Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations


              Section 201--Authorization of Appropriations

    This section would authorize appropriations for research, 
development, test, and evaluation at the levels identified in 
section 4201 of division D of this Act.

    Subtitle B--Program Requirements, Restrictions, and Limitations


 Section 211--Modification of Authority to Carry Out Certain Prototype 
                                Projects

    This section would make modifications to section 2371b of 
title 10, United States Code, regarding use of transactions 
other than contracts and grants for follow-on production.

     Section 212--Extension of Directed Energy Prototype Authority

    This section would extend the directed energy prototype 
authority provided for in section 219(c)(4) of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328) through fiscal year 2019.

   Section 213--Prohibition on Availability of Funds for the Weather 
                        Common Component Program

    This section would restrict funding for further development 
of meteorological situational awareness sensor programs for 
unmanned aircraft systems, and require the Secretary of the Air 
Force to submit a report to the congressional defense 
committees that describes requirements, existing technologies, 
current program efforts, testing and evaluation, and a fielding 
plan for capabilities associated with providing meteorological 
situational awareness to unmanned aircraft aircrews.
    The committee notes that the Air Force office for Unmanned 
Aircraft Systems (UAS) Innovations and Integration under the 
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Intelligence, 
Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (HAF/A2) began an initiative 
in 2010 to develop an UAS sensor that could provide real-time 
meteorological situational awareness for UAS aircrews to 
increase mission effectiveness and mitigate reliance upon 
weather forecasting capabilities in geographic regions with 
limited or no weather services provided for flight operations. 
The effort culminated in 2015 and cost the Air Force $10.6 
million. On October 30, 2015, the then-12th Air Force 
Commander, and now current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air 
Force for Operations (HAF/A3), validated key global weather 
requirements for UAS operations, to include: increasing UAS 
situational awareness of current and predicted state of 
environmental phenomena to maximize mission effectiveness, 
efficiency, safety, resource protection, and risk management; 
relaying all onboard-UAS weather data and information, such as 
air temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, 
turbulence, ice accretion, and weather radar in real-time; and 
increasing real-time, on-board weather collection capability to 
provide pilot situational awareness and support Air Force 
forecast processes. However, the HAF/A2 sensor remains non-
deployed, despite the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve 
Command Test Center finding the sensor and its associated 
software to be potentially operationally effective and suitable 
in a formal report published in January 2018. More concerning 
to the committee is that a separate development effort is being 
undertaken by HAF/A3 weather officials that appears to 
duplicate the technology. Thus, this section would restrict 
further funding for additional systems until the Air Force 
provides a report that will allow the committee to evaluate the 
need for additional capability.

Section 214--Limitation Pending Certification on the Joint Surveillance 
          Target Attack Radar System Recapitalization Program

    This section would restrict obligation of funding for the 
Advanced Battle-Management System (ABMS) of Systems initiative 
of the Department of the Air Force, as well as a portion of the 
proposed divestment of legacy E-8C aircraft contained in the 
fiscal year 2019 budget request. The restriction would remain 
in effect until the Secretary of the Air Force certifies to the 
congressional defense committees that the Joint Surveillance 
Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) Recapitalization (Recap) 
program, as submitted and described in the fiscal year 2018 
budget request, is proceeding unhindered with originally 
planned activities associated with engineering, manufacturing, 
and development; low-rate initial production; production; and 
initial contractor support. This section also would require the 
Comptroller General of the United States to provide a report to 
the congressional defense committees that assesses the 
acquisition strategy associated with ABMS, and would require 
the Secretary of the Air Force to submit a report to the 
congressional defense committees that includes a strategy for 
accelerating the JSTARS Recap program, while also managing 
appropriately the legacy fleet of E-8C aircraft. This section 
would also authorize use of JSTARS Recap program funding to 
maintain the program office's functionality.

 Section 215--Limitation on Availability of Funds for F-35 Continuous 
                  Capability Development and Delivery

    This section would limit the obligation or expenditure of 
25 percent of the funds for the F-35 continuous capability 
development and delivery program until 15 days after the 
Secretary of Defense provides the congressional defense 
committees a detailed cost estimate and baseline schedule for 
the program. This section does not apply to any funds 
authorized to be appropriated by this Act for the development 
of F-35 dual capable aircraft capability.

  Section 216--Limitation on Availability of Funds Pending Report on 
           Agile Software Development and Software Operations

    This section would temporarily restrict funding for 
software development efforts that use agile development and 
operations methodology until the Secretary of the Air Force 
provides a report to the congressional defense committees that 
describes the cost-estimation tools, the types of contracts, 
and the mitigation efforts to avoid duplicative development 
related to the strategy for modernizing and upgrading existing 
software at worldwide Air Force Air Operations Centers.

   Section 217--Limitation on Availability of Funds for Certain High 
                    Energy Laser Advanced Technology

    This section would limit the availability of 50 percent of 
the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act, or 
otherwise made available for fiscal year 2019, until the 
Secretary of Defense provides the High Energy Laser logical 
roadmap and assessment to the congressional defense committees.

    Section 218--Plan for Elimination or Transfer of the Strategic 
            Capabilities Office of the Department of Defense

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a plan to the congressional defense committees by March 
1, 2019, for the elimination or transfer of the functions of 
the Strategic Capabilities Office to another organization or 
element of the Department of Defense.

     Section 219--National Security Science and Technology Strategy

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
develop a National Security Science and Technology Strategy to 
prioritize Department of Defense science and technology efforts 
and investments. The Secretary of Defense would be required to 
submit the most recent version of the strategy to the 
congressional defense committees not later than February 4, 
2019, and annually thereafter through December 31, 2021.

   Section 220--Modification of CVN-73 to Support Fielding of MQ-25 
                        Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

    This section would require the Navy to fund the 
modification of CVN-73 during its refueling and overhaul period 
in support of future MQ-25 unmanned carrier aircraft 
operations.

                 Subtitle C--Reports and Other Matters


     Section 221--Report on Survivability of Air Defense Artillery

    This section would require the Secretary of the Army to 
submit a report to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives by March 1, 2019, on 
efforts to improve Army Air Defense Artillery (ADA) 
survivability and require the Army to assess measures that 
could better enhance ADA defenses, both active and passive.
    The committee is concerned that U.S. Army Air Defense 
Artillery units may lack required active and passive non-
kinetic capabilities and training to maximize their level of 
survivability against sophisticated threats. The committee 
recognizes that ADA is a critical and increasingly important 
component of Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense. The 
committee also supports continued modernization and expansion 
of ADA capability.

 Section 222--Report on T-45 Aircraft Physiological Episode Mitigation 
                                Actions

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
submit a report to the congressional defense committees by 
March 1, 2019, on modifications made to T-45 aircraft and 
associated ground equipment to mitigate the risk of 
physiological episodes among T-45 aircraft crewmembers, and 
would require the Secretary include certain elements in such 
report.

      Section 223--Report on Efforts of the Air Force to Mitigate 
         Physiological Episodes Affecting Aircraft Crewmembers

    This section would require the Secretary of the Air Force 
to submit a report to the congressional defense committees by 
March 1, 2019, on all efforts of the Air Force to reduce the 
occurrence of, and mitigate the risk posed by, physiological 
episodes affecting crewmembers of covered aircraft and would 
require the inclusion of certain elements in such report. In 
this section, the term ``covered aircraft'' would mean F-35A 
aircraft of the Air Force, T-6A aircraft of the Air Force, and 
any other aircraft of the Air Force as determined by the 
Secretary of the Air Force.

     Section 224--Briefing on Use of Quantum Sciences for Military 
                    Applications and Other Purposes

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
provide to the congressional defense committees a briefing and 
plan for using quantum sciences for military applications and 
other purposes.

      Section 225--Report on Defense Innovation Unit Experimental

    This section would require the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Research and Engineering to submit a report to the 
congressional defense committees by May 1, 2019, on the 
integration of Defense Innovation Unit Experimental into the 
broader Department of Defense research and engineering 
community, the unit's measures of effectiveness, the number and 
type of transitions, and the impacts of the unit's initiatives 
and investments on the Department.

                  TITLE III--OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                    Logistics and Sustainment Issues


               Briefing on Rapidly Deployable Structures

    The committee is aware that the military services, 
including but not limited to the Air Force Civil Engineer 
Center at Tyndall Air Force Base, are testing and evaluating 
options that improve the deployability, safety, and energy 
efficiency of structures used by the Armed Forces in a variety 
of operational environments. Of particular interest is the use 
of such structures in remote areas, where access to reliable 
energy sources can be difficult and environmental conditions 
can be severe. As such efforts continue, the committee 
encourages the Department of Defense to allocate appropriate 
resources for the research, development, test, evaluation, and 
procurement of structures that leverage energy efficient and 
insulation technologies.
    Toward that end, the committee directs the Assistant 
Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment 
to provide a briefing to the House Armed Services Committee, by 
September 28, 2018, on the Department of Defense's efforts to 
leverage energy efficient technologies in deployed structures, 
particularly those capabilities that support operations in 
remote environments. This briefing shall include, a detailed 
assessment of recent tests and evaluations of such structures 
conducted by the military services, including but not limited 
to findings and analysis regarding thermal efficiency, energy 
generation and use, modularity, and other required 
capabilities; a description of key requirements, such as 
billeting, medical, command and control, and humanitarian and 
disaster relief, that could be addressed by these structures 
across the military services; and a plan to develop and 
promulgate guidance throughout the Department of Defense 
regarding energy efficient structures in operational 
environments.

         Corrosion Prevention for Improved Air Force Readiness

    The committee recognizes the importance of efforts to 
minimize corrosion, decrease aerodynamic drag, and reduce 
environmental and occupational risks in aircraft operations. 
These efforts include the application of alternative coatings 
applied to aircraft, such as powder-applied coatings, that 
increase durability while minimizing hazardous air pollutants 
and volatile organic compounds. In addition, the committee 
recognizes the importance of innovative technologies that can 
rapidly and efficiently remove coatings, such as advanced laser 
technologies, that enable the safe and efficient repair and 
sustainment of aircraft skin made of metal or composite 
materials. In addition to surface coatings, adhesives and 
sealants are critical to providing corrosion protection and 
structural strength. Lighter weight sealants can reduce 
aircraft weight, extending operational range and reducing fuel 
consumption. Furthermore, advances are being made in screening 
technologies to reduce the amount of time required to validate 
a material's performance and incorporate it into aircraft 
maintenance strategy. The committee supports additional efforts 
that incorporate a range of targeted solutions designed to 
minimize corrosion and meet Air Force needs for manned and 
unmanned aircraft. The committee encourages the Secretary of 
the Air Force to continue to support those efforts that improve 
operational capability and reduce the cost and amount of time 
required to sustain these weapon systems.

       Innovative Engine Sustainment Wash-Down Management Program

    The committee notes that aircraft flown by the United 
States Navy and United States Marine Corps often fly in 
corrosive or dusty environments. As a result, contaminants 
adhere to the turbine blades behind the combustion chamber and 
could adversely affect engine performance or operation. The 
committee believes the Department of the Navy should assess 
what additional operational or maintenance actions could be 
taken to further to improve fuel efficiency and aircraft 
availability rates in these corrosive and dusty environments. 
The committee understands the Navy and Marine Corps must be 
able to operate independently worldwide and that targeted 
investments in energy efficiency enhance combat capability and 
reduce need for logistics support. The committee understands 
that maintenance practices and technologies exist for aircraft 
engine sustainment, to include using ``washdown'' processes, 
that could potentially improve fuel efficiency, extend the 
servicelife of engine components and in turn, improve overall 
aviation readiness.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by September 28, 2018 on the advisability and feasibility of 
the establishment of a pilot program led by the Commander, U.S. 
Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to test new technologies and 
best practices in operational energy and resiliency for engine 
sustainment which reduces maintenance costs, improves aircraft 
availability rates, and lowers aircraft fuel consumption rates.

          Leveraging Technology To Improve Equipment Readiness

    The committee notes that readiness is defined by the 
Department of Defense as ``the ability of military forces to 
fight and meet the demands of assigned missions'' and is 
supported by personnel, training, and equipment readiness. 
Increasing and sustaining equipment readiness relies on 
balancing modernization initiatives with ensuring the proper 
maintenance, utilization, and sustainment of existing weapon 
systems. The committee is aware of innovative maintenance 
technologies and practices that may help reduce costs and the 
time that equipment and weapon systems are down for 
maintenance, while helping to maximize lifespan and operational 
availability rates. A significant amount of data can be 
captured through embedding diagnostic sensors and collecting 
operator observations, enabling predictive analytic software to 
proactively identify pending maintenance issues. The committee 
encourages the service secretaries to seek additional 
opportunities to leverage innovative technologies and 
maintenance practices, either as demonstration projects or by 
incorporating them into a fleet maintenance plan, to increase 
maintenance responsiveness and the operational availability of 
weapon systems.

         Life Cycle Costs of Major Defense Acquisition Programs

    The committee notes that section 2340 note of title 10, 
United States Code, requires the Department of Defense to 
ensure competition throughout the life cycle of major defense 
acquisition programs and the acquisition strategy for each 
major defense acquisition program includes measures to ensure 
competition or the option of competition and adequate 
documentation of the rationale for selection.
    Furthermore, the committee notes that section 2340 note of 
title 10 requires whenever a decision regarding source of 
repair results in a plan to award a contract for performance of 
maintenance and sustainment of a major weapon system or 
subsystem of a major weapon system, the Department shall take 
actions to ensure that, to the maximum extent practicable and 
consistent with statutory requirements, contracts for such 
maintenance and sustainment are awarded on a competitive basis 
and give full considerations to all sources.
    The committee is concerned about the life cycle costs of 
major defense acquisition programs and how the Department's 
implementation of section 2340 note of title 10 is impacting 
these associated program costs.
    The committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition and Sustainment to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services, not later than December 1, 2018, 
on the Department's implementation of section 2340 note of 
title 10. Specifically, the briefing will include the strategy 
for each major defense acquisition program, the measures taken 
to ensure competition at both the contract and subcontract 
level, and the impact of these measures on the life cycle costs 
for each major defense acquisition program. Additionally, the 
briefing will include for each major defense acquisition 
program the consideration of competition throughout the 
maintenance and sustainment phases.

               Management of Navy Legacy F/A-18 Aircraft

    The committee is aware of the Department of the Navy's 
intent to divest legacy F/A-18 aircraft when the majority of 
the F/A-18 aircraft inventory remains non-flyable due to 
maintenance backlogs and availability of spare parts. Further, 
these aircraft experience high physiological event rates. Even 
so, the committee was encouraged by the Navy's decision to 
award an alternative-source contract for F/A-18 A/B/C/D depot-
level maintenance to reduce the backlog of legacy F/A-18 depot-
level maintenance. This contract, awarded in February 2016, can 
help improve overall aviation readiness rates. The committee is 
concerned, however, that the Navy's plan for managing the life 
cycle of the fleet is not clear.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by November 30, 2018, on the Navy's plans for the F/A-18 legacy 
fleet. The briefing should address the divestiture plan for the 
F/A-18 aircraft and the rationale for divestiture. For the 
aircraft remaining, the briefing should address the readiness 
recovery plans, including plans to fully utilize the 
alternative-source depot-level maintenance contract.

    Navy Next-Generation Small Arms Weapons Training and Readiness 
                              Requirements

    The committee is concerned that after 5 years, the Navy has 
not developed a comprehensive plan to address significant small 
arms training shortfalls identified following the 2013 
Washington Navy Yard shooting. The committee reiterated these 
concerns in the committee report (H. Rept. 114-537) 
accompanying the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2017. The report directed the Navy to evaluate innovative, 
non-program-of-record small arms and crew-served training 
systems to improve Navy security force and fleetwide small arms 
tactical and crew-served training. The committee is aware of 
next-generation synthetic small arms training systems that can 
provide consistent, metrics-based proof of live-fire transfer 
across warfighter skill levels for individual and crew-served 
training. Such systems, which reduce ammunition expenditure and 
training time, have been demonstrated by the Navy Expeditionary 
Combat Command. The committee believes that these systems can 
improve reaction time and decision making under stress, skills 
critical to determining hostile intent and making escalation of 
force decisions. Given the benefits of these next-generation 
systems, the committee is concerned that the Navy has continued 
to rely on legacy simulation systems built for other services, 
without consideration of unique Navy small arms training and 
readiness requirements.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Commander of U.S. 
Fleet Forces Command to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services not later than November 30, 2018, 
regarding a comprehensive plan to meet small arms training 
requirements, how next-generation synthetic small arms training 
systems will be integrated into the comprehensive plan, and the 
Navy's acquisition strategy to support small arms training 
requirements.

                    Navy Ship Maintenance and Repair

    The committee is aware that the Navy changed its 
contracting strategy for ship maintenance and repair in 2013, 
moving away from the system used since 2004. Despite this 
change, the Navy continues to experience delays in completing 
ship availabilities, leading to a reduction in the time a 
ship's crew has to prepare for deployment. The committee 
appreciates the need to control costs and to resolve all 
emergent maintenance issues when a ship is in a maintenance 
availability. However, the committee is not persuaded that the 
Navy's current Multiple Award Contract, Multiple Order (MAC-MO) 
mechanism is always the best contracting approach. The 
committee has learned of delays in renegotiating contracts 
while vessels sit idle in the yard, as well as third party 
planning contractors not obtaining long lead time materials 
when needed. The committee is aware that the Comptroller 
General of the United States looked at similar issues, 
described in Government Accountability Office report GAO-17-54, 
issued in 2016.
    To better understand what adjustments may be needed to make 
improvements to the Navy's ship maintenance and repair process, 
the committee directs the Comptroller General to:
    (1) compare the Navy's execution of the MAC-MO strategy 
against the previous Multi-Ship, Multi-Option strategy, with 
particular emphasis on cost, lost operational days, and on-time 
completion;
    (2) assess the effectiveness of third party planners in the 
MAC-MO strategy, including their performance in developing 
stable well-defined requirements during advance planning;
    (3) assess the adequacy of the Navy's structure for 
contract oversight;
    (4) assess the stability and viability of the ship repair 
industrial base, including private industry's capacity to 
recruit and retain critically skilled workers and maintain safe 
and efficient facilities; and
    (5) assess advantages, disadvantages, or key differences 
between the MAC-MO and Multi-Ship, Multi-Option strategy 
depending on the location where the work will be performed.
    The committee directs the Comptroller General to submit a 
report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representative by March 1, 2019, on these matters 
and recommendations to improve the Navy's contracting process.

                  Supply of Aviation Parts and Spares

    The committee is concerned by the rate of non-mission 
capable aircraft due to issues with supply of parts and spares. 
The committee is aware of numerous examples of aircraft that 
have been non-mission capable for several months waiting for 
the arrival of a part. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than September 30, 2018, on the Department's efforts to 
address issues associated with the availability and supply of 
aviation parts and spares. At minimum, the briefing should 
provide an update on the rate of non-mission capable aircraft 
due to supply, specific actions the Department is taking to 
decrease this rate, and commercial and industry best-practices 
for maintenance and supply that may be adopted as part of an 
overall strategy to improve aircraft mission capability rates.

                            Readiness Issues


               Additive Manufacturing in Depot Facilities

    The committee is encouraged by the progress that depots and 
arsenals in each military department are making in developing 
additive manufacturing capabilities. The committee understands 
that this capability allows depots to quickly manufacture parts 
that are no longer available from commercial suppliers, 
allowing rapid repair of essential operational equipment. 
However, there remains substantial room across each of the 
services to add more additive manufacturing capacity. 
Additionally, the committee has observed little commonality 
across the Department of Defense in addressing intellectual 
property issues associated with this process.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later 
than December 3, 2018, on a strategy to further integrate 
additive manufacturing capabilities into industrial facilities 
across the Department to speed parts production, return 
equipment to the force, and improve material readiness. The 
briefing should also address progress in resolving legal and 
patent questions around use of additive manufacturing.

                         Adversary Air Training

    The committee notes that the budget request contained 
increased funds for the Air Force to provide more adversary air 
contracted support for Red Flag exercises, Warfighter 
Integration Center, and combat air force fighter formal 
training unit locations. The committee also notes that the 
budget request contained increased funds for the Navy to 
provide adversary air support at specialized schools including 
the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center. The committee supports 
these efforts to contract for adversary air training to aid 
aviation readiness recovery. Contract support will make more 
combat-coded pilots available for operational duties rather 
than adversary air training missions and reduce the number of 
training hours being placed on airframes. In acquiring 
contracted services for adversary air, the committee encourages 
the Secretary of the Air Force and the Secretary of the Navy to 
maximize competition and ensure the contracts provide 
flexibility to adjust to emerging training requirements. 
Finally, the committee encourages the Secretary of the Air 
Force and Secretary of the Navy to seek opportunities to 
coordinate adversary air requirements to reduce overall costs 
and maximize the support to aviation readiness recovery of both 
departments.

                 Army Soldier and Squad Virtual Trainer

    The committee commends the Army's decision to replace its 
legacy small arms simulation trainer and call for fire trainer 
with an advanced Soldier and Squad Virtual Trainer (S/SVT) 
program to achieve next-generation synthetic small arms, call 
for fire, use of force, and close quarters combat training and 
readiness objectives. The committee believes continued 
improvement of these systems is essential to future success of 
small units on the battlefield. The committee believes the Army 
should consider key capabilities such as the use of biometrics, 
advanced human performance techniques, cognitive drills, and 
robust data collection to verify soldier improvement. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than December 3, 2018, that details the status of the 
Army's plan for S/SVT and how key capability and system 
requirements currently projected by the Army are being 
accounted for, and will be implemented, in the final S/SVT 
program in order to sustain readiness.

                  Assessment of Navy Standard Workweek

    The committee notes that the Navy's Comprehensive Review 
identified fatigue and ineffective crew rest management in the 
four mishaps that occurred in the Western Pacific in 2017. As 
noted in the review, ``if crewmembers are overly fatigued, 
mission accomplishment, performance, and safety are in 
jeopardy.'' The Comprehensive Review went on to recommend the 
Navy establish a comprehensive fatigue management policy, and a 
circadian ship and watch rotation for surface ships.
    The committee directs the Chief of Naval Operations to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than September 30, 2018, that identifies how Chief of 
Naval Operations Instructions, and other relevant policy 
documents, have been updated to implement the recommendations 
of the Comprehensive Review and address crew fatigue, watch 
rotations, and overall workload for crewmembers of surface 
ships.

  Availability and Sufficiency of Training Ranges to Conduct Training 
                     against Near-Peer Adversaries

    To build and sustain full-spectrum combat readiness, the 
military services must train on ranges that replicate the 
capabilities of near-peer adversaries. Such training requires 
ranges with sizable land, sea, and air space to accommodate the 
tactics of modern systems and weapons. In addition, modern war 
demands extensive training on weapons employment and target 
identification, as potential adversaries possess complex air 
defenses and highly sophisticated electronic countermeasures. 
However, training ranges lack sufficient capability and 
capacity to support full-spectrum training requirements, 
including the replication of near-peer adversaries' 
capabilities. Further, because of the strategic significance of 
forward-deployed and rotational forces, building overseas 
training range capabilities is becoming more important to 
sustaining full-spectrum readiness.
    The committee is concerned that the Department of Defense's 
training range infrastructure is not keeping up with the demand 
to support full-spectrum training requirements. Therefore, the 
committee directs the Comptroller General of the United States 
to assess the following:
    (1) the extent to which the Department of Defense has 
identified the current capacity of training range 
infrastructure to meet the military services' demand for range 
access;
    (2) the extent to which the Department of Defense has 
evaluated the training range infrastructure to determine 
whether it is sufficient to conduct training against near-peer 
adversary capabilities; and
    (3) the extent to which the Department of Defense has 
developed a comprehensive strategy and investment plan to 
improve the availability and sufficiency of training ranges to 
meet the Department's training needs.
    The committee further directs the Comptroller General to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than February 1, 2019, on the findings of this review and 
to submit a report to the congressional defense committees on a 
date agreed to at the time of the briefing.

      Briefing on Security Forces Assistance Brigade Location Plan

    The committee recognizes that a future Security Forces 
Assistance Brigade (SFAB) construct should highly encourage an 
expansion of alliances and partnerships as called for in the 
2018 National Defense Strategy. Therefore, the committee 
directs the Secretary of the Army to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services, not later than January 1, 
2019, on the strategic alignment decision matrix and 
installations plan for the fielding of the Security Forces 
Assistance Brigades. The plan shall include an assessment of 
the feasibility and advisability of stationing SFABs 
appropriately to address the requirements of the geographic 
combatant commands.

                       CONUS Training Facilities

    In support of the Department of State's Anti-Terrorism-
Assistance program, many commercial companies created state of 
the art CONUS training facilities that provided critical skills 
to deployable personnel. However, these CONUS training 
facilities are now being underutilized due to an increased 
tendency to conduct training OCONUS. These training facilities 
have successfully increased readiness and contributed to 
overall mission success through partnerships with programs such 
as U.S. Military Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands (APH) as well as 
U.S. Military Observer Group (USMOG). The committee is aware of 
the excess capacity available at these commercial training 
facilities and encourages the Department of Defense and 
Department of State to use them to further enhance anti-
terrorism training. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of 
State, to provide a report by March 1, 2019 detailing the 
requirement for all services to conduct enhanced and critical 
skills training. In addition, this report should detail the 
feasibility of using CONUS facilities to conduct this 
antiterrorism training and identify any training backlogs and 
any facility infrastructure shortfalls that exist in order to 
accomplish this type of training.

                   Entry Control Facility Technology

    The committee remains concerned about the physical security 
of U.S. military facilities, both in the continental United 
States as well as abroad. Entry control points at such 
facilities are particularly vulnerable and require special 
attention and protection. The committee recognizes the need to 
continually assess new technology and develop enhanced entry 
control options in order to protect Department of Defense 
facilities against evolving adversarial technologies, such as 
drones and autonomous vehicles. The committee encourages the 
service secretaries to seek additional opportunities to 
leverage innovative technologies and research and development 
in order to enhance overall security, reduce military 
construction requirements, reduce annual operation and 
maintenance costs, increase joint interoperability, and protect 
valuable resources.

                       Foreign Language Readiness

    The committee believes that a globally engaged military 
force requires an adequate number of personnel trained and 
proficient in foreign languages. The committee notes the 
significant number of personnel who attend the Defense Language 
Institute--Foreign Language Center, the John F. Kennedy Special 
Warfare Center and School, and other foreign language training 
programs each year, as well as the global allocation of 
linguists among the geographic combatant command areas of 
responsibility. The committee believes these institutions can 
be augmented by innovative online programs conducted as a 
traditional classroom, with a live instructor engaging a small 
student group. Such programs reduce the need for travel and 
have proven more effective than self-paced instruction. The 
committee also notes efforts by the Department of Defense to 
recruit and utilize native speakers of critical languages to 
support combatant command requirements. Despite the critical 
requirements for foreign language expertise in certain career 
fields, the committee is concerned that the overall foreign 
language readiness of the total force is not adequately 
documented and assessed.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Personnel and Readiness to provide a briefing to 
the House Committee on Armed Services not later than March 1, 
2019, that assesses the foreign language readiness of the total 
force. The briefing shall address the required number of 
personnel trained and proficient in foreign languages, the 
current number of personnel trained and proficient in foreign 
languages, and the distribution of linguist personnel to the 
appropriate combatant commands; identify any gaps in foreign 
language readiness to include specific shortfalls in critical 
languages and mitigations to address those gaps; and assess the 
current foreign language training, education, and proficiency 
testing programs.

   Forward Deployed Naval Force Ship Maintenance and Repair Capacity

    The committee notes that since 2006, the Navy has doubled 
the number of surface ships assigned to overseas homeports, 
with more than 14 percent of the Navy's ships based at ports in 
the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Italian Republic, the Kingdom of 
Spain, and Japan. The committee also notes that combatant 
commander demand for naval presence drives the Navy to base 
ships at overseas ports. However, the extent to which the Navy 
has the capacity for ship maintenance and repairs overseas is 
not clear.
    To assess that capacity, the committee directs the 
Comptroller General of the United States to review the 
following:
    (1) ship maintenance and repair capacity overseas in either 
U.S. ports or foreign repair yards;
    (2) to what extent has the Navy identified and taken action 
to address its overseas maintenance requirements;
    (3) to what extent has the Navy identified the underlying 
causes of overseas maintenance overruns;
    (4) mitigation options to address any maintenance 
shortfalls; and
    (5) any other issues the Comptroller General determines 
appropriate with respect to forward deployed naval force ship 
maintenance and repair capacity.
    The committee further directs the Comptroller General to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than November 12, 2018, on the Comptroller General's 
preliminary findings and to submit a final report to the 
congressional defense committees on a date agreed to at the 
time of the briefing.

            Immersive Virtual Shipboard Environment Training

    The committee notes that the Navy has used game-based 
learning concepts and immersive virtual shipboard environment 
(IVSE) training for select watch stations aboard Littoral 
Combat Ships (LCS). The committee understands that IVSE courses 
offer scalable solutions that have led to faster qualification 
and certification times, a higher degree of training 
proficiency, and increased knowledge retention. The committee 
notes that the Navy's Strategic Readiness Review recognized 
that the Navy must ``foster a culture of learning and create 
the structures and processes that fully embrace this 
commitment'' in order to restore readiness, yet the Navy has 
made little progress in adopting proven methods to cultivate 
the learning culture.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services, 
not later than September 28, 2018, on the Navy's plans to 
improve training. The briefing should:
    (1) identify training benefits and lessons learned from the 
Navy's experience with game-based learning concepts and IVSE 
training for LCS watch stations;
    (2) outline a plan, including associated timelines, for 
applying such training to Navy and Marine Corps training 
requirements across all naval surface ship platforms in 
alignment with the Chief of Naval Operations' tenet of 
achieving high-velocity learning using 21st century technology;
    (3) identify discrete mission areas where insufficient 
assets are available to provide traditional training to achieve 
full-spectrum readiness and where IVSE would improve watch-
station training, including training for new platform 
development programs, coastal riverine operations, and 
amphibious operations; and
    (4) provide a report to the Committees on Armed Services of 
the Senate and House of Representatives by March 1, 2019 on the 
advisability and feasibility of procuring, altering, or 
otherwise modifying the Navy's bridge simulators, including the 
Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling Trainer, to enable 
high-fidelity physical representation of the different bridge 
layouts, characteristics, and operating environments of ships 
across the fleet.

                         Information Operations

    The committee understands the growing importance of space 
and cyber operations in military operations and in another 
provision elsewhere in this Act directed the Secretary of 
Defense to report readiness to conduct operations in the space 
and cyber domains. The committee believes that information 
operations are similarly becoming a major factor in military 
planning and that operational skill in conducting information 
operations will be critical to future military success. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to 
assess the value of measuring and regularly reporting the 
readiness of the joint force to conduct information operations 
and report his recommendations to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives by 
January 31, 2019.

     Live, Virtual, and Constructive Training Solution Enhancements

    The committee recognizes the important role that live 
training systems play as part of a comprehensive effort to 
improve readiness. The committee is aware the Army and Marine 
Corps are planning for the use of live, virtual, and 
constructive (LVC) simulation training systems that emphasize 
joint interoperability. However, the committee is concerned 
that despite recent progress advancing such LVC capabilities 
there remain challenges in both fielding and integrating live 
training devices with both individual and collective training 
objectives. Additional challenges occur when planned upgrades 
to new and existing vehicle platforms occur without the 
corresponding modifications to the training systems. The 
committee believes that the acquisition and fielding of 
training systems must be synchronized with the procurement, 
fielding, and modernization of weapon systems to ensure the 
services' overall training objectives are supported in a 
coordinated and cost-effective manner. In addition, the 
committee encourages the military departments to ensure that 
new LVC training systems are interoperable with both the joint 
force infrastructure and the advanced training systems of key 
allied nations and coalition partners.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army, in 
coordination with the Secretary of the Navy, to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later 
than December 3, 2018, on the plans of the Army and Marine 
Corps to utilize live training systems as part of readiness 
recovery and long-term training efforts. The briefing should 
address the plans and timelines for fielding live training 
systems and synchronizing such efforts with the fielding or 
modernization of weapon systems and efforts to ensure such 
systems are interoperable with our military partners and 
allies.

              Military Working Dog Capacity and Facilities

    The committee is aware that military working dogs are a 
critical enabler to both facility and operational force 
security and that the operational need continues to grow. The 
committee is concerned about the average age of the military 
working dog population and the capacity to train and access new 
dogs and handlers to meet future requirements. Additionally, 
the committee notes that investments in military working dog 
facilities have not kept pace with the increased demand for 
military working dogs.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force, as the executive agent for the military working dog 
program, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services not later than December 1, 2018, that addresses:
    (1) the total current and future requirement for military 
working dogs, handlers, and instructors by mission capability;
    (2) the total number of military working dogs and handlers 
currently available for operational tasking by mission 
capability;
    (3) an assessment of the condition and capacity of military 
working dog facilities to support current and future 
requirements, to include the ability to provide adequate 
medical care as well as meet mission training requirements; and
    (4) an assessment of capability gaps and plans to mitigate 
these gaps, including programmed investments.

  Modeling and Simulation for Training, Exercises, and Joint Planning

    The committee recognizes that the defense modeling and 
simulation technological and industrial base, including in 
academia, industry, and government, is an important national 
security asset. The committee appreciates that the Department 
of Defense continues to use modeling and simulation 
technologies across the spectrum of defense activities, 
including for training, exercises, and joint planning 
activities. The committee encourages the military services and 
the combatant commanders to maximize the use of modeling and 
simulation, including in service, joint, and combined 
exercises; in joint planning for theater operations and 
contingencies that cannot be accurately planned for by other 
means; and in the development of options for senior leadership 
at the strategic level.
    The committee believes it is important for Congress to have 
a clearer understanding of the benefits and impacts of the 
Department's use of modeling and simulation. Therefore, the 
committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report 
to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than 
November 30, 2018 on the effects of integrating modeling and 
simulation into the review and development of operational 
plans, joint training and exercises, and high-priority security 
cooperation initiatives.

 Modernization and Integration of Major Range and Test Facilities Bases

    The committee notes a lack of consistent policy and 
standardized processes within the Department of Defense to 
guide the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation and the 
Director of Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) in 
scheduling systems utilized by shared military test and 
training ranges. The committee is concerned that lack of 
standardization fails to optimize these vital resources nor 
accommodate joint force utilization. Therefore, the committee 
directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services not later than January 23, 
2019, on its plan to standardize major range and test 
facilities bases (MRTFB) scheduling. At a minimum, the briefing 
should:
    (1) identify processes to standardize and integrate current 
scheduling systems between the joint users of MRTFB ranges and 
facilities;
    (2) identify process that efficiently integrates next 
generation aircraft avionics, propulsion and weapons systems 
test and training;
    (3) optimizes use and capacity of training range land and 
airspace between competing needs; and,
    (4) provide recommendations on metrics and methods which 
will ensure each service has an equal opportunity to test and 
train on MRTFB.

                    Surface Fleet Live Fire Training

    The committee recognizes the Navy's desire to increase 
fleet readiness training and exercise ship systems before 
deployment by including live-firing of missiles in pre-
deployment training exercises. The committee also notes the 
Navy's Standard Missile-3 Block IA inventory is approaching the 
end of service life. Furthermore, the committee is aware that 
in lieu of demilitarization, the Navy intends to assess 
repurposing these missiles to conduct live-fire readiness 
training using shipboard ballistic missile defense systems. The 
committee encourages this initiative and directs the Secretary 
of the Navy to provide a briefing to the House Committee on 
Armed Services not later than November 5, 2018, on the Navy's 
progress in making SM-3 Block IA missiles approaching the end 
of their service life available for live-fire readiness 
training for ships and crews.

         Universal Camouflage Inventory and Overdye Technology

    The committee notes the Army's transition from Universal 
Camouflage Pattern (UCP) to Operational Camouflage Pattern 
(OCP) for soldier uniforms and personal equipment, even though 
the Army possesses a substantial inventory of now obsolete UCP 
products. The committee is also aware of Program Executive 
Office Soldier's efforts to evaluate overdye technologies and 
processes. This evaluation could validate processes that could 
alter UCP printed products into a color palette that blends 
with the new camouflage prints, allowing the Army to conserve 
resources by overdying UCP materials for use with OCP patterned 
equipment.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Army to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later 
than August 31, 2018, that includes any current efforts to 
repurpose and field UCP personal equipment, any evaluations of 
overdye technologies and processes, and a business case 
analysis of fielding these overdye technologies and processes.

                             Other Matters


                 Air Refueling Capability and Capacity

    The committee notes that air refueling capability is a 
critical component of logistical capacity and that the Air 
National Guard fulfills the majority of air refueling 
requirements. The committee notes that section 144 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public 
Law 115-91) required the Secretary of Defense to carry out a 
mobility capability and requirements study that includes an 
assessment of the air refueling tanker aircraft military 
requirement. Upon completion of the study, the committee is 
interested in how the Air Force will support the requirements 
for force structure and strategic laydown of aircraft necessary 
to implement the study.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services, not later than March 1, 2019, on how the Air Force 
will support the requirements for aerial refueling. At a 
minimum, the briefing shall include:
    (1) the current and future laydown plans for air refueling 
locations;
    (2) an overview of air refueling operations per air 
refueling wing locations to include the number of sortie 
requests, the number of sorties fulfilled, and the locations or 
missions the sorties supported;
    (3) fully mission capable and aircraft availability rates 
for all air refueling wings over the past 5 years;
    (4) an assessment of how the Air National Guard force 
structure, across all States and territories, can be leveraged 
to support current and emerging air refueling requirements;
    (5) a description of the long-term plan to maintain 
adequate refueling capability to meet current and emerging 
requirements;
    (6) a review of manpower levels across the air refueling 
force, an identification of current and projected skill set 
gaps, and recommendations on how to address these gaps; and
    (7) an overview of how the Air Force will determine the 
disposition of KC-135 aircraft as they are replaced by arrival 
of KC-46 aircraft.

             Disposition of Excess Military Ground Vehicles

    The committee notes that the Defense Logistics Agency's 
Disposition Services is responsible for disposing of excess 
property received from the military services. Excess military 
property is screened for reutilization within the Department of 
Defense; transfer to other Federal agencies; donation to State 
and local governments, or other qualified organizations; or 
sale to the general public. As part of the screening process, 
Disposition Services must assess demilitarization (DEMIL) 
requirements for the excess property to prevent unauthorized 
use or the compromise of national security. For ground 
vehicles, such DEMIL requirements can range from the removal of 
certain parts and components to the full mutilation and 
scrapping of the vehicle. The committee is aware of concerns 
that types of ground vehicles heretofore available for donation 
are now consigned to scrap.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in coordination with 
the Commander of the Defense Logistics Agency, to submit a 
report to the congressional defense committees by February 1, 
2019, regarding the disposition of military ground vehicles.
    The report should include classes and types of Department 
of Defense military ground vehicles eligible to be considered 
in the donation and sale program and explanation of the DEMIL 
codes used in the determination process. Additionally, the 
report should outline the DEMIL code determination process for 
ground vehicles, whether applicable polices were followed when 
ground vehicles previously made available to State and local 
governments or civilian military museums have instead been 
scrapped, and steps taken to reevaluate current policies and 
practices. Finally, the report should include measures taken by 
the Disposal Services program to improve transparency so that 
State and local governments or civilian military museums have 
appropriate access to ground vehicles.

                    Fluorine-Free Fire Fighting Foam

    The committee is aware that the military departments are in 
the process of replacing legacy aqueous film forming foam 
(AFFF) with an AFFF that does not contain perfluorooctane 
sulfonate (PFOS) compounds. In addition, the committee is aware 
the Department of Defense has undertaken research and 
development efforts related to fluorine-free AFFF. The 
committee encourages the Department to accelerate such efforts, 
to the extent possible. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and 
Environment to provide a briefing to the House Committee on 
Armed Services not later than March 1, 2019, on the progress 
made towards development and fielding of a fluorine-free AFFF 
that meets military requirements. At minimum, the briefing 
should summarize research and development initiatives on 
fluorine-free AFFF that have been funded by the Department of 
Defense to date, a summary of the current status and findings 
of such initiatives, and what additional research and 
development may be required prior to fielding a fluorine-free 
AFFF.

        Improving Water Security and Efficiency on Installations

    Efficient facilities are critical for the support, 
redeployment, and operation of military forces. While some 
installations have done great work to improve water efficiency, 
the Committee is concerned that the military may not be 
maximizing strategic use of water resources at all 
installations, and that this could be adding unnecessary costs 
that could be more effectively used elsewhere. Furthermore, 
water security is a vital component of installation readiness.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a report on innovative ways to reduce water use 
across installations in order to strengthen base readiness 
through improved water security, and to identify opportunities 
to replicate across installations some of the successful water-
saving tactics already being deployed at some bases, such as 
planting more native species and increasing use of gray water 
systems. The report shall be submitted to the House Committee 
on Armed Services, not later than March 1, 2019.

                 Joint Navy-Coast Guard Arctic Strategy

    The Navy and the Coast Guard currently produce their own 
Arctic strategies. The Committee believes the absence of a 
joint strategy stands in contradiction to the Secretary of 
Defense's National Defense Strategy, calling for greater 
integration of a joint force and renewed attention on more 
traditional peer competitors, namely Russia and China. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Chief of Naval Operations 
and the Commandant of the Coast Guard to provide a briefing to 
the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure by September 30, 2018 that 
provides a framework for a joint strategy integrating all 
components of the Navy and Coast Guard Arctic mission sets and 
providing adequate vessel and aircraft resource allocation 
allowing for the United States to effectively advance security 
and commercial interests in the region. The briefing should 
take into consideration the Arctic's relevance in the Navy's 
configuration of a 355 vessel fleet and identify proper Navy 
and Coast Guard resource allocation to that effect.

               Meeting Readiness Requirements Efficiently

    The House Armed Services Committee is concerned that the 
number of mandatory training and administrative requirements 
for Service members of the Department of Defense, and the 
burden that they maintain a multitude of different accounts on 
different systems to accomplish an array of administrative and 
training mandatory requirements especially for Reserve 
Component Service members, impedes their ability to efficiently 
achieve worldwide deployment readiness. The Committee is aware 
that, for example, the U.S. Navy Reserve maintains no fewer 
than ten different computer systems that service members must 
regularly use.
    The Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation is 
directed to submit to the congressional defense committees a 
report by April 1, 2019, detailing the costs incurred by each 
military service to maintain each training and administrative 
personnel system, particularly computerized systems, and 
options to consolidate these systems to save taxpayer money, 
reduce the burden on military members, and promote readiness.

                       Motorcycle Safety Training

    The committee is aware that each of the armed services 
conducts motorcycle safety training before allowing service 
members to operate a motorcycle on base. The committee applauds 
this training and encourages the Department of Defense to 
continue. The committee has learned that nine States, including 
several with large military installations, have imposed unique 
training requirements that go beyond those contained in the 
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compliant 
curriculum. The committee has also learned that the Air Force 
and Coast Guard adjust their training to meet unique State 
requirements, while the Departments of the Army and Navy do 
not, forcing soldiers, sailors, and marines to seek and pay for 
the added required training individually. The committee 
encourages the Secretaries of the Army and Navy to review the 
adequacy of motorcycle safety training in their respective 
military departments to ease the burden on soldiers, sailors, 
and marines.

        Open-Air Disposal of Munitions and Munition Constituents

    The committee remains concerned about the Department of 
Defense's continued reliance on open burning and open 
detonation for the demilitarization of excess, obsolete, or 
unserviceable munitions by its industrial depots rather than 
using alternative contained technologies. While the committee 
recognizes the Department may have a need to retain some open 
burning and open detonation capability for explosive safety 
reasons, the committee is aware of the Department's efforts to 
reduce its use of open burning and open detonation. Section 
1421 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-328) directed the Secretary of the Army to 
enter into an arrangement with the Board on Army Science and 
Technology of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
and Medicine to conduct a study of the conventional munitions 
demilitarization program of the Department of Defense. The 
intent of this study was to better understand the Department's 
current procedures, its rationale for using open burning and 
open detonation, and the status and suitability of alternative 
technologies in use or under development to reduce the 
Department's reliance on open burning and open detonation.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services, 
not later than 90 days after the date on which the National 
Academy of Science releases its report, on the actions the Army 
intends to take in response to the National Academy of Science 
committee's recommendations.

                  Physical Security at U.S. Shipyards

    The committee believes it is important to ensure the safety 
and security of personnel and Navy vessels undergoing 
maintenance in public and private shipyard facilities. While 
the security of the public shipyards is the responsibility of 
the Navy, the committee understands that private shipyards must 
meet specific requirements for physical security barriers, 
perimeter and waterfront access control, security forces, 
patrol craft, and other security measures while performing work 
on Navy vessels. The committee notes there are certain 
locations where private shipyards are near or adjacent to a 
Navy installation or to another shipyard performing work on 
Navy vessels. In such cases, each shipyard is required to 
individually meet the security requirements associated with a 
repair contract. The costs associated with these security 
requirements are ultimately passed back to the government 
through the cost of the repair contract. Therefore, the 
committee encourages the Secretary of the Navy to examine this 
issue and work with private shipyards to find opportunities to 
meet security requirements in a more collaborative and cost-
effective way at shipyards that are near or adjacent to a Navy 
installation or another shipyard performing work on Navy 
vessels.

                    Quality of Life at Remote Sites

    The committee notes that the Army and other military 
services operate several installations at isolated locations in 
the western United States. Some Army examples include Dugway 
Proving Ground, Utah; Hawthorne Army Depot, Nevada; and White 
Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. These remote locations are 
usually staffed with small populations, presenting financial 
solvency challenges for morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) 
business activities of the Department of the Army. As a result, 
there are few MWR activities, shopping venues, or dining 
options on or near the installation to support the daily 
working population of military personnel, Federal civilian 
personnel, contract employees, and family members. The 
committee encourages the Secretary of the Army to review the 
quality of life support options for all those who work at such 
installations and develop a plan for improvement.

                       Regional Biosecurity Plan

    The Secretary of Defense is directed to submit to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives, at the same time as the President submits the 
budget for a fiscal year under section 1105(a) of title 31, 
United States Code, a report describing the activities of the 
Department of Defense during the preceding fiscal year to 
implement the Regional Biosecurity Plan for Micronesia and 
Hawaii, which is a strategic plan led by the Department of 
Defense in collaboration with other Federal and non-Federal 
entities to prevent and control the introduction of invasive 
species in the United States Pacific region. The Department of 
Defense's report shall also include next steps and planned 
activities of the Department for further implementation of the 
plan, including estimates of additional funding to be used or 
needed for such next steps and planned activities.

               Review of Household Good Weight Allowances

    The committee believes that service members should pursue 
intellectual development by reading thoughtful books related to 
the military profession. Indeed, the Chairman of the Joint 
Chiefs of Staff and each Service Chief maintains active 
professional reading lists to encourage military members to 
read as part of professional development. The committee further 
recognizes that a growing number of military families opt for 
home schooling as a means to provide stability to children's 
education. The committee notes that the current household good 
movement weight allowance for military professional gear is 
2,000 pounds for military members and 500 pounds for dependent 
spouses. Professional gear includes a range of items including 
books, uniforms, and technical equipment. The committee 
understands that Joint Travel Regulation 051304 modified the 
allowable weight credit computation for professional gear and 
definition of professional gear. The committee is concerned 
that the household good professional gear weight allowance and 
allowable weight credit computation is insufficient to support 
increasingly educated workforce and military families who 
homeschool; therefore, the committee directs the Commander of 
U.S. Transportation Command in coordination with the military 
departments and the Defense Travel Management Office to provide 
a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services, not later 
than August 31, 2018, on the household goods weight allowances. 
This briefing shall include, at a minimum:
    (1) A summary of the most recent assessment of weight 
allowance requirements
    (2) Any changes to the household weight allowance for 
professional gear for the previous ten years
    (3) A review of complaints from service members on 
professional gear weight allowances and actions taken to 
address these concerns
    (4) Any recommended policy changes and actions.

              Review of Mandatory Training Required by Law

    The committee is encouraged by recent initiatives across 
the military services to review and reduce mandatory 
administrative training requirements. Such mandates consume 
time and resources of operational unit leaders and troops and 
should only be required when necessary to improve the readiness 
of the force. This issue is especially acute in the Reserve 
Components, with limited training days. The committee 
recognizes that such requirements are generated from within the 
Department of Defense as well as through legislative mandates 
and statutes. The committee intends to review current military 
training mandates that arise from statute for possible repeal 
and would welcome the views of the Secretary of Defense. To 
that end, the committee encourages the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a list of any legal mandates to conduct training to the 
House Committee on Armed Services, accompanied by his 
recommendation of any that should be repealed.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


              Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations


              Section 301--Authorization of Appropriations

    This section would authorize appropriations for operation 
and maintenance activities at the levels identified in section 
4301 of division D of this Act.

                   Subtitle B--Energy and Environment


     Section 311--Inclusion of Consideration of Energy and Climate 
  Resiliency Efforts in Master Plans for Major Military Installations

    This section would amend section 2864 of title 10, United 
States Code, to require energy and climate resiliency efforts 
to be considered in installation master plans to ensure the 
ability to sustain mission-critical operations.

 Section 312--Use of Proceeds from Sales of Electrical Energy Derived 
from Geothermal Resources for Projects at Military Installations Where 
                         Resources Are Located

    This section would amend section 2916 of title 10, United 
States Code, to enable certain proceeds from the sale of 
electrical energy generated from a geothermal energy resource 
to be used for installation energy or water security projects 
at the military installation in which the geothermal energy 
resource is located.

 Section 313--Extension of Authorized Periods of Permitted Incidental 
  Takings of Marine Mammals in the Course of Specified Activities by 
                         Department of Defense

    This section would amend section 1371 of title 16, United 
States Code, to extend the period the Secretary of Interior may 
authorize the incidental taking of marine mammals by the 
Department of Defense from 5 years to 10 years if the Secretary 
finds that such takings will have a negligible impact on any 
marine mammal species.

       Section 314--State Management and Conservation of Species

    This section would prohibit listing of the Greater Sage-
Grouse and the Lesser Prairie-Chicken under the Endangered 
Species Act for a 10-year period. This section would also 
provide that the previous such listing of the American Burying 
Beetle may not be enforced or reinstated.

                 Subtitle C--Logistics and Sustainment


               Section 321--Examination of Naval Vessels

    This section would amend section 7304 of title 10, United 
States Code, to provide that examinations of naval vessels 
performed under the authority of that section after October 1, 
2019, shall be conducted on a no notice basis. This section 
would also provide that reports detailing the results of such 
inspections be unclassified and available to the public.

 Section 322--Overhaul and Repair of Naval Vessels in Foreign Shipyards

    This section would amend section 7310 of title 10, United 
States Code, to require naval vessels that do not have a 
homeport be treated as being homeported in the United States or 
Guam with regard to repair and maintenance of those vessels. 
Additionally, this section would define the term voyage repair.

  Section 323--Limitation on Length of Overseas Forward Deployment of 
                             Naval Vessels

    This section would add a new section to chapter 633 of 
title 10, United States Code, that would require the Secretary 
of the Navy to limit the time a naval vessel is forward 
deployed overseas to 10 years. This section would permit the 
Secretary to waive the 10-year requirement for individual naval 
vessels with notification to the congressional defense 
committees. This section would further provide that all 
currently forward deployed naval ships which have exceeded 10 
years of service overseas shall have 3 years to return to a 
U.S. homeport. Finally, this section would require the 
Secretary to provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives on his 
rotation plan for forward deployed naval ships.

   Section 324--Temporary Modification of Workload Carryover Formula

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
modify the workload carryover calculation formula for each 
military department depot or arsenal through September 30, 
2021. These modifications would reflect the timing of enacted 
appropriations and the varying repair cycle times of the 
workload supported, and apply in addition to current Department 
of Defense carryover exemptions.

Section 325--Limitation on Use of Funds for Implementation of Elements 
of Master Plan for Redevelopment of Former Ship Repair Facility in Guam

    This section would provide that none of the funds 
authorized to be appropriated by this Act, or otherwise made 
available for fiscal year 2019 for the Navy, may be obligated 
or expended for any construction, alteration, repair, or 
development of the real property consisting of the Former Ship 
Repair Facility in Guam unless such project directly supports 
depot-level ship maintenance capabilities, to include the 
mooring of a floating dry dock.

  Section 326--Business Case Analysis for Proposed Relocation of J85 
                     Engine Regional Repair Center

    This section would require the Secretary of the Air Force 
to prepare a business case analysis for the proposed relocation 
of the J85 Engine Regional Repair Center. This section would 
also withhold funding for the proposed relocation until 150 
days after the Secretary of the Air Force has provided the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives a briefing on the business case analysis.

    Section 327--Army Advanced and Additive Manufacturing Center of 
                               Excellence

    This section would require the Secretary of the Army to 
establish a Center of Excellence on Advanced and Additive 
Manufacturing at an arsenal and authorize use of public-private 
partnerships and other transactional activity to facilitate the 
development of advanced and additive manufacturing techniques 
in support of Army industrial facilities.

                          Subtitle D--Reports


 Section 331--Matters for Inclusion in Quarterly Reports on Personnel 
                           and Unit Readiness

    This section would amend section 482 of title 10, United 
States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense and each 
military service to report appropriate readiness metrics for 
cyber and space operations in the existing periodic reporting 
requirement. This section would further amend section 482 to 
require combatant commanders to assess their readiness to 
conduct operations in a multidomain battle, integrating ground, 
air, sea, space, and cyber forces.

 Section 332--Annual Comptroller General Reviews of Readiness of Armed 
               Forces to Conduct Full Spectrum Operations

    This section would require the Comptroller General of the 
United States to assess the readiness of the Armed Forces in 
the warfighting domains of ground, sea, air, space, and cyber 
annually through 2022. The assessment would be based on metrics 
established by the Secretary of Defense and validated by the 
Comptroller General, to allow the committee to assess readiness 
status over time. While the Comptroller General may submit 
classified reports, unclassified versions of the reports should 
also be provided.
    The committee understands that military readiness is a 
result of a commander's skillful integration of available 
military personnel, equipment, supplies, and individual and 
collective training opportunities. The committee recognizes 
that readiness has suffered in all military services in recent 
years, driven by the erosive effects of the Budget Control Act 
and the unceasing demand for forces in various theaters of 
operation. The committee believes that the military services 
should demonstrate measurable readiness recovery with the 
additional appropriations made in fiscal year 2017, the 
additional appropriations made available in fiscal year 2018, 
as well as funding authorized for fiscal year 2019 in this Act.

           Section 333--Surface Warfare Training Improvement

    This section would express the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of the Navy should establish an assessment process 
for surface warfare officers prior to operational tour 
assignments and that the Secretary should expand the 
International Convention on Standards of Training, 
Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) qualification process for 
surface warfare officers and enlisted navigation watch team 
personnel to improve seamanship and navigation aboard Navy 
vessels. Further, this section would require the Secretary of 
the Navy to provide a report on surface warfare officer 
credentialing, training, and assessment to the congressional 
defense committees not later than March 1, 2019.

 Section 334--Report on Optimizing Surface Navy Vessel Inspections and 
                          Crew Certifications

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
provide a report on optimizing surface navy vessel inspections 
and crew certifications to reduce redundancies and the burden 
of inspection type visits that ships undergo. Further, this 
section would require the Secretary of the Navy to provide an 
interim briefing to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives not later than January 
31, 2019, on matters to be included in the required report.
    The committee notes that following the collisions involving 
U.S. Navy ships in the western Pacific, the Navy conducted a 
comprehensive review of recent surface force incidents. The 
committee also notes that the Navy's ``Comprehensive Review of 
Recent Surface Force Incidents'' identified an overabundance of 
inspections, certifications, and that ``ships can be subjected 
to as many as 238 separate inspection, certification, and 
assist visits in a 36 month period.'' The Navy's ``Strategic 
Readiness Review'' of these incidents further identified that 
there ``has been a dramatic increase in the operating tempo of 
individual ships, and accompanying reductions in the time 
available to perform maintenance, training, and readiness 
certification.'' The ``Strategic Readiness Review'' went on to 
note that ``sufficient time for training crews and maintaining 
ships is critical for restoring and monitoring readiness.''
    Given the continued operational demand on the fleet, the 
committee believes that the Navy should reduce the burden of 
inspection type visits that ships undergo.

                       Subtitle E--Other Matters


   Section 341--Coast Guard Representation on Explosive Safety Board

    This section would amend section 172 of title 10, United 
States Code, to provide that an officer of the Coast Guard 
serve as a voting member of the explosive safety board.

  Section 342--Shiloh National Military Park Boundary Adjustment and 
              Parker's Crossroads Battlefield Designation

    This section would modify the boundary of the Shiloh 
National Military Park located in Tennessee and Mississippi, to 
establish Parker's Crossroads Battlefield as an affiliated area 
of the National Park System.

       Section 343--Sense of Congress Regarding Critical Minerals

    This section would express the sense of Congress that 
aggregates, copper, molybendum, gold, zinc, nickel, lead, 
silver, and certain fertilizer compounds should be added to the 
``critical minerals list'' ordered by Executive Order 13817.

              TITLE IV--MILITARY PERSONNEL AUTHORIZATIONS

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


                       Subtitle A--Active Forces


              Section 401--End Strengths for Active Forces

    This section would authorize the following end strengths 
for Active Duty personnel of the Armed Forces as of September 
30, 2019:

  




----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                     FY 2019                   Change from
                                                FY 2018   ------------------------------------------------------
                   Service                     Authorized                  Committee      FY 2019      FY 2018
                                                             Request    Recommendation    Request     Authorized
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army........................................      483,500      487,500        487,500             0        4,000
Navy........................................      327,900      335,400        335,400             0        7,500
USMC........................................      186,000      186,100        186,100             0          100
Air Force...................................      325,100      329,100        329,100             0        4,000
                                             -------------------------------------------------------------------
  DOD Total.................................    1,322,500    1,338,100      1,338,100             0       15,600
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Section 402--Revisions in Permanent Active Duty End Strength Minimum 
                                 Levels

    This section would establish new minimum Active Duty end 
strengths for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force as of 
September 30, 2019. The committee recommends 487,500 as the 
minimum Active Duty end strength for the Army, 335,400 as the 
minimum Active Duty end strength for the Navy, 186,100 as the 
minimum Active Duty end strength for the Marine Corps, and 
329,100 as the minimum Active Duty end strength for the Air 
Force.

                       Subtitle B--Reserve Forces


            Section 411--End Strengths for Selected Reserve

    This section would authorize the following end strengths 
for Selected Reserve personnel, including the end strength for 
Reserves on Active Duty in support of the Reserves, as of 
September 30, 2019:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       FY 2019                 Change from
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
                    Service                        FY 2018                  Committee
                                                  Authorized    Request       Recom       FY 2019      FY 2018
                                                                            mendation     Request     Authorized
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army National Guard............................      343,500      343,500      343,500            0            0
Army Reserve...................................      199,500      199,500      199,500            0            0
Navy Reserve...................................       59,000       59,100       59,100            0          100
Marine Corps Reserve...........................       38,500       38,500       38,500            0            0
Air National Guard.............................      106,600      107,100      107,100            0          500
Air Force Reserve..............................       69,800       70,000       70,000            0          200
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
  DOD Total....................................      816,900      817,700      817,700            0          800
Coast Guard Reserve............................        7,000        7,000        7,000            0            0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Section 412--End Strengths for Reserves on Active Duty in Support of 
                              the Reserves

    This section would authorize the following end strengths 
for Reserves on Active Duty in support of the Reserves as of 
September 30, 2019:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       FY 2019                 Change from
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
                    Service                        FY 2018                  Committee
                                                  Authorized    Request       Recom       FY 2019      FY 2018
                                                                            mendation     Request     Authorized
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army National Guard............................       30,155       30,595       30,595            0          440
Army Reserve...................................       16,261       16,386       16,386            0          125
Navy Reserve...................................       10,101       10,110       10,110            0            9
Marine Corps Reserve...........................        2,261        2,261        2,261            0            0
Air National Guard.............................       16,260       19,861       19,861            0        3,601
Air Force Reserve..............................        3,588        3,849        3,849            0          261
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
  DOD Total....................................       78,626       83,062       83,062            0        4,436
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Section 413--End Strengths for Military Technicians (Dual Status)

    This section would authorize the following end strengths 
for military technicians (dual status) as of September 30, 
2019:


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       FY 2019                 Change from
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
                    Service                        FY 2018                  Committee
                                                  Authorized    Request       Recom       FY 2019      FY 2018
                                                                            mendation     Request     Authorized
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army National Guard............................       22,294       22,294       22,294            0            0
Army Reserve...................................        6,492        7,495        6,492       -1,003            0
Air National Guard.............................       19,135       18,969       18,969            0         -166
Air Force Reserve..............................        8,880        9,908        8,880       -1,028            0
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
  DOD Total....................................       56,801       58,666       56,635       -2,031         -166
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Section 414--Maximum Number of Reserve Personnel Authorized To Be on 
                  Active Duty for Operational Support

    This section would authorize, as required by section 115(b) 
of title 10, United States Code, the maximum number of Reserve 
Component personnel who may be on Active Duty or full-time 
National Guard duty during fiscal year 2019 to provide 
operational support. The personnel authorized here do not count 
against the end strengths authorized by section 401 or section 
412 of this Act unless the duration on Active Duty exceeds the 
limitations in section 115(b)(2) of title 10, United States 
Code.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                       FY 2019                 Change from
                                                             ---------------------------------------------------
                    Service                        FY 2018                  Committee
                                                  Authorized    Request       Recom-      FY 2019      FY 2018
                                                                            mendation     Request     Authorized
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Army National Guard............................       17,000       17,000       17,000            0            0
Army Reserve...................................       13,000       13,000       13,000            0            0
Navy Reserve...................................        6,200        6,200        6,200            0            0
Marine Corps Reserve...........................        3,000        3,000        3,000            0            0
Air National Guard.............................       16,000       16,000       16,000            0            0
Air Force Reserve..............................       14,000       14,000       14,000            0            0
                                                ----------------------------------------------------------------
  DOD Total....................................       69,200       69,200       69,200            0            0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              Subtitle C--Authorization of Appropriations


                    Section 421--Military Personnel

    This section would authorize appropriations for military 
personnel at the levels identified in the funding table in 
section 4401 of division D of this Act.

                   TITLE V--MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


           Active Military Service of the Korean Constabulary

    The Committee acknowledges the service and sacrifice of the 
officers and men of the Korean Constabulary formed under the 
operational command of the United States Military Government in 
Korea following the end of the Second World War. Organized, 
trained, equipped, and led by the United States Army, the 
Korean Constabulary performed vital security missions on behalf 
of the United States in the interwar period and played a 
crucial role in the formation and defense of the Republic of 
Korea. Repeatedly called to defend their homeland against 
attacks and insurrection by Communist forces allied with the 
Korean People's Army and supported by the Soviet Union, the men 
of the Korean Constabulary fought with distinction in some of 
the earliest battles of the Cold War.
    The Committee therefore requests the Secretary of Defense 
to review the eligibility of the officers and men of the Korean 
Constabulary for active military service from November 1945 to 
January 1949 under the provisions of Section 401 of Public Law 
95-202, and report his findings to the House Armed Services 
Committee by March 1, 2019.

      Best Practices for Prevention and Response to Sexual Assault

    The committee commends the Department for its efforts to 
continuously improve methods to prevent and respond to sexual 
assault. The committee further commends the Air Force's efforts 
to utilize evidenced based bystander intervention training 
previously shown to prevent and reduce power-based personal 
violence based on the premise that sexual violence can be 
measurably and systematically reduced within a community. The 
Air Force was additionally able to consolidate some of the 
required and annual briefings and shorten the amount of time 
they spent on training by focusing on quality over quantity. 
The committee directs the Department to report to the House 
Armed Services Committee no later than December 1, 2018 on 
current use of best practices for prevention and response to 
sexual assault; update on current research informed evaluation 
outcome criteria, and the feasibility of developing, and 
offering high quality, standardized, research informed best 
practices for training and response that are shown to prevent 
sexual assaults across the services.

Briefing on Commissioning Production of Senior Reserve Officer Training 
                                 Corps

    The committee is concerned about the number of Senior 
Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) units that are not 
meeting established commissioning production requirements for 
each of the services. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of 
the military services, to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services not later than April 1, 2019, on 
the performance of the Senior Reserve Officer Training Corps. 
Such briefing shall describe each of the following:
    (1) annual production requirement and production attainment 
for each ROTC host unit, to include a breakdown of 
demographics;
    (2) listing of units that have not met the standards set 
forth in Department of Defense Instruction 1215.08, for the 
past 5 years;
    (3) listing of the units that did not meet the standard in 
the past 5 years that are now compliant; and
    (4) list of units each service intends to disestablish or 
reduce in scope, but is not authorized to do so.

                   Briefing on Credentialing Programs

    The Committee is supportive of policies which allow 
servicemembers to attain civilian credentials while on active 
duty. These programs ensure that servicemembers possess the 
necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform their 
duties, and offer servicemembers the chance of better civilian 
employment upon separation from the military.
    However, not all credentialing programs are created equal, 
and the Department has acknowledged that few oversight 
mechanisms exist to protect servicemembers from aggressive 
marketing of credentialing programs of dubious rigor. The 
committee encourages the Department to work with partners in 
academia and industry to develop a tool that servicemembers 
could use to evaluate the quality of a credential based on its 
desirability in the civilian workforce.
    In addition, the Committee is also aware that the 
Department does not have conclusive evidence that possessing 
civilian credentials help servicemembers find post-separation 
employment. Therefore, the Committee directs the Department to 
brief the House Committee on Armed Services no later than 
February 1, 2019 on collaborative efforts to develop quality 
standards for credentialing and licensure programs and a review 
of academic literature on the impact on employability of 
attaining a credential.

  Briefing on Department of Defense Inspector General Processing Times

    The committee is concerned about the steady increase in 
processing times for Department of Defense Inspector General 
investigations into whistleblower reprisal and senior leader 
misconduct complaints. While the Department has conducted past 
studies into how best to reduce these processing times, and 
implemented efficiency measures, the problem persists.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than July 1, 2019, regarding steps the Department 
will take to reduce whistleblower reprisal and senior leader 
misconduct investigation processing times. The briefing shall 
include:
    (1) a general timeline for a typical whistleblower reprisal 
and senior leader misconduct investigation, including 
identification of phases of the investigation that often 
require substantial time;
    (2) whether changes to law or policy would improve the 
efficiency of these investigations; and
    (3) whether additional funding, manning, or other resources 
would improve processing times.

       Comptroller General Report on Active Duty Female Retention

    The committee commends the Secretary of Defense for the 
briefing on Female Propensity to serve in the Armed Forces as 
requested in the House Report 115-200. Inclusive and growth-
oriented recruiting must also ensure that the best and 
brightest females are not only recruited but that they are 
retained in the Armed Forces once presented with career 
options. Building on Female Propensity to serve in the Armed 
Forces, the committee recommends the Department expand their 
examination of female recruitment to include retention. An 
analysis conducted for the Defense Advisory Committee on Women 
in the Services finds that more women than men leave the 
military at various career points. Concerns persist that this 
attrition will result in a disproportionate impact to mission 
readiness if left unresolved. From an economic standpoint, when 
female employees leave, organizations must deal with higher 
recruiting costs, longer training times, and lower 
productivity. Therefore, not later December 1, 2018 the 
committee directs Comptroller General to submit a report 
containing the following components: (1) updated rates of 
promotion and attrition rates for women compared to other 
groups; (2) the reason for any differences in promotion and 
attrition; (3) recommendations to improve promotion and 
retention; (4) data and analysis to assist the committee in 
determining whether there are disparities in promotion and 
attrition rates; and (5) any other matters the commission 
believes are relevant to this issue.

Deconflicting Reserve Component and Expeditionary Civilian Deployments 
                     to Provide Adequate Dwell Time

    The committee notes that according to DoDI 1235.12, 
Accessing the Reserve Components, issued June 7, 2016, ``The RC 
provides an operational capability and strategic depth in 
support of the national defense strategy,'' and further that if 
the mobilization-to-dwell ratio for a unit or a member of the 
RC is less than 1 to 4, Secretary of Defense approval is 
required. In addition, the Department of Defense has an 
expeditionary workforce that includes defense civilian 
personnel who also deploy in support of contingency operations 
and may also be members of the Reserve Components. The 
committee is concerned that if the Reserve Components order a 
member to active duty who is employed as a defense civilian, 
the defense agency or military department may not count the 
member's previous recent deployment as an RC member when 
calculating the mobilization-to-dwell ratio. This lack of 
awareness by the Reserve Components of a civilian employee's 
deployment, or alternatively by the military departments or 
defense agencies about a Reserve Component member's 
expeditionary civilian deployment may lead to a lack of 
sufficient dwell time, with an impact on civilian personnel or 
RC retention.
    Therefore, in order to determine the scope of the problem 
of deconflicting Reserve Component and expeditionary civilian 
deployments for the purpose of providing adequate dwell time, 
the Secretary of Defense is directed to provide a report to the 
congressional defense committees by Feb. 15, 2019, as to 
whether the Reserve Components or the defense agencies and 
military departments have mechanisms in place to track and 
account for deployments of defense civilians who are also 
Reservists; to establish to scale of this problem; and to make 
recommendations to the committee for procedures to make it 
possible for the Reserve Components, and the defense agencies 
and military departments, to fully account for the service of 
civilian employees in contingency operations, whether in the RC 
or as expeditionary civilians.

 Federal Wildland Firefighting Education in the Transition Assistance 
                             Program (TAP)

    The Committee continues to look for ways to strengthen the 
Transition Assistance Program (TAP) program to match 
opportunities in the federal workforce with the unique skillset 
of transitioning service members. The Committee acknowledges 
that skills honed during military service including logistics, 
risk mitigation, emergency medicine and response, team 
communications, equipment maintenance, resource accountability, 
and leadership in support of mission are directly transferrable 
to wildland firefighting. While the committee is aware that the 
Department of Defense, DHS, and DOL collaborate with other 
agencies to include information and education about civil 
service opportunities in the federal workforce, the committee 
believes transitioning service members would benefit from 
bolstered TAP program education on wildland firefighting 
careers at agencies including the Bureau of Land Management and 
the U.S. Forest Service. In addition, the Committee encourages 
DOD to pursue strategic partnerships and collaborations with 
non-profit organizations that connect veterans with volunteer 
disaster relief opportunities as part of TAP. The Committee 
notes precedent for collaboration with agencies including USDA 
that provide education on career pathways in agriculture and 
seeks to build on similar successful models of interagency 
partnerships to meet the nation's workforce needs.
    Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to brief the House Committee on Armed Services no later than 
December 31, 2018 on current and potential interagency efforts 
in the TAP program related to wildland firefighting career 
pathways and opportunities in the federal government.

     Foreign Area Officer Personnel Training and Career Management

    The committee notes that the Department of Defense and the 
military services have developed a corps of foreign area 
officers and regional affairs strategists and implemented 
personnel policies to improve their education and training 
requirements. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328) required the Secretary to 
oversee the development and management of a professional 
workforce supporting security cooperation programs and 
activities of the Department. The committee is concerned with 
the implementation of this requirement as well as the services' 
career management of these officers.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by December 15, 2018, on the implementation of the Security 
Cooperation Workforce Development Program (SCWDP) required by 
section 384 of title 10, United States Code, and the service 
career management plan for foreign area officers. Elements of 
the briefing shall include:
    (1) how the Department of Defense SCWDP relates to the 
foreign area officer programs of the services;
    (2) how the foreign area officer programs of the services 
will benefit from the Department of Defense SCWDP;
    (3) how the Secretary of each military department is 
adapting their foreign area officer program to the National 
Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy;
    (4) what developmental opportunities the Secretary 
concerned provides for foreign area officers at each grade to 
prepare them for positions of greater responsibility;
    (5) how the Secretary concerned provides promotion 
opportunities for foreign area officers to serve through 
General/Flag Officer ranks, and how these compare to other 
promotion opportunities and rates across the services;
    (6) ways that the Secretary has coordinated efforts 
throughout the joint force to achieve the synergies of best 
practices across the security cooperation enterprise;
    (7) the steps each service is taking to incorporate the 
elements required under the scope of the final guidance of the 
SCWDP, as required under section 384(e)(3) of title 10, United 
States Code, into the career management of foreign area 
officers, and the relevant challenges; and
    (8) the steps the Department is taking to evaluate 
disparate training provided by services and Defense 
Intelligence Agency, and whether elements of such training 
should be provided to all Department of Defense personnel 
posted to embassies overseas.

                 Foster and Adoptive Military Families

    The committee is aware that military families face unique 
challenges as adoptive and foster families, including, but not 
limited to, varying jurisdictional standards and support 
services between states and countries. The committee also notes 
that it is critical to the well-being of the child that all 
adoptions are permanent, and that additional information is 
needed to promote successful adoptions for military families.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a report to the House Armed Services Committee not 
later than 1 March 2019, describing the barriers and challenges 
faced by military families to fostering or adopting. The report 
should include, if applicable, jurisdictional differences 
between states and between countries; access to information; 
pre-placement training; and post-placement support services; 
and causes and/or risks for disruptions or dissolutions of 
military family adoptions. The report should also include what 
pre- and post-placement support services are currently 
available for military families fostering and adopting; the 
feasibility of establishing additional necessary support 
services; and recommendations for implementing additional pre- 
and post-placement services. The report should also include any 
recommendations from the Secretary to address any barriers and 
challenges faced by military families to fostering and 
adopting.

                         Implicit Bias Training

    The Committee commends the Marine Corps for recognizing the 
importance of implicit bias and incorporating unconscious bias 
training when preparing for women joining combat units. 
Unconscious biases, sometimes called implicit biases, are a set 
of automatic preferences so ingrained in people's brains that 
they often do not realize they have them. Implicit or 
unconscious bias disproportionately impacts racial/ethnic 
minorities and women. Comprehensive bias training is research 
informed and addresses implicit/unconscious biases. The Marine 
Corps, civilian educational institutions, and the technology 
and business private sectors have addressed this by including 
both implicit and explicit bias training. Therefore, the 
committee encourages the Secretary of Defense to study the 
feasibility of expanding its current training to include 
research-informed training addressing implicit bias.

Incorporating Consideration of Advanced Technologies into Professional 
                           Military Education

    The Committee understands that a return to great power 
competition represents a key security challenge for the United 
States in the evolving global threat environment. The rapid 
development of new technologies in fields including anti-access 
and area denial weapons, cyber-warfare and electronic warfare, 
information systems, and other asymmetric fields threatens the 
U.S. military's historical overwhelming advantage in 
conventional warfare. Furthermore, the Committee is aware that 
these technologies are increasingly commercial and therefore 
available to both state and non-state actors.
    The Committee notes that, with this threat in mind, the 
Department of Defense is investing heavily in technology to 
enable continued American military supremacy in an environment 
characterized by ``rapid technological advancements and the 
changing character of war,'' per the National Defense Strategy 
(NDS). The Committee is also aware that these areas for 
investment include advanced computing, ``big data'' analytics, 
artificial intelligence, autonomy, robotics, directed energy, 
hypersonics, and biotechnology.
    The Committee notes that effective implementation of the 
NDS require not just research, development and fielding of 
these advanced technologies, but also the integration of these 
technologies into tactical, operational and strategic thought, 
planning, and training. The Committee is also aware that 
experimentation and exploration of these technologies is 
currently occurring in proof of concept programs, exercises, 
and in operational deployments.
    The Committee believes, however, that fully integrating 
advanced technologies into military strategy, operations, and 
tactics requires a comprehensive approach to considering the 
impact of these technologies at all levels of decision-making. 
The Committee is aware of the key role professional military 
education (PME) programs play in educating military leadership 
and providing them the conceptual framework for decision-
making. The Committee commends the efforts of the Department of 
Defense to align functions to support the goals of the NDS and 
look for ways to improve lethality. However, it is unclear how 
decision making under this new strategy is being included in 
PME education materials.
    The Committee therefore directs the Secretary of Defense to 
brief the House Committee on Armed Services on potential ways 
in which the Department of Defense can appropriately integrate 
consideration of next generation technologies into professional 
military education programs for military officers and enlisted 
personnel. This brief should include consideration of the 
appropriate PME schools, institutions or levels; address the 
feasibility of expanding civilian enrollment at PME 
institutions in order to expose military leaders to relevant 
commercial technology leaders; determine the extent to which 
these technological developments may require changes to 
existing warfighting doctrine or operational plans; and 
identify any relevant opportunities for improvement to the 
service-level or joint PME programs, as well as any other 
topics the Secretary deems appropriate, and should be delivered 
to the Committee by December 1, 2018.

              Interagency Recruitment Cooperation Efforts

    The committee notes that the current and future recruiting 
environment for military service is and will continue to be 
difficult with a population that has a lower propensity to 
serve, a recruit pool that is less qualified, and an economy 
that is robust. In this environment, the competition for this 
small pool of recruits will be fierce within the Department of 
Defense between the services, as well as with other Government 
agencies. Cooperation between Government agencies with regard 
to recruits will be critical going forward, especially those 
recruits with a propensity to serve but who might not be 
physically qualified for one service or the other.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by February 1, 2019, on interagency cooperation with regard to 
recruiting for military and other Government agency service. 
Elements of the briefing shall include the following:
    (1) an assessment by the Secretary of the value of cross-
Government agency recruitment and how that would affect 
Department of Defense recruitment efforts;
    (2) what policies the Secretary could put in place in 
cooperation with other agencies to assist with future 
recruitment needs;
    (3) what current coordination is being conducted with other 
agencies to assist when recruiting for the Department of 
Defense or other agencies; and
    (4) what recommendations the Secretary would make on 
interagency recruiting cooperation.

    Joint Professional Military Education and Professional Military 
                          Education Curricula

    The committee believes that quality Professional Military 
Education (PME) and Joint Professional Military Education 
(JPME) are integral to developing tomorrow's strategic leaders. 
The military services provide PME at their respective staff and 
war colleges in order to educate service members in their core 
competencies according to service needs. The JPME program 
places emphasis on preparing leaders to conduct operations as a 
joint force in complex operating environments. Currently, JPME 
is provided at multiple sites across the country, including the 
services' staff and war colleges and the National Defense 
University.
    The committee remains concerned that the quality and 
effectiveness of the faculty and curricula at JPME and PME 
institutions, particularly senior-service colleges, can vary 
based on service tradition, school location, and faculty. In 
addition, the committee is concerned that certain important 
subject areas may be excluded from the curricula because of 
time constraints.
    The committee supports the ongoing efforts of the Chairman 
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretaries of the 
Military Departments to evaluate and improve the quality of the 
education provided at JPME and PME institutions. As a part of 
this evaluation, the committee encourages the Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretaries of the Military 
Departments to consider whether JPME and PME curricula include 
exposure to whole-of-government education, including enrolling 
students from other Federal departments and agencies, hiring 
faculty from other Federal departments and agencies, and 
providing courses and programs designed to reinforce the 
importance of whole of government.

          Military Academy Preparatory School Class Enrollment

    The committee notes that the mission of the military 
academies' preparatory schools is to motivate, prepare, and 
evaluate selected candidates in an academic, military, moral, 
and physical environment in order to perform successfully at 
the military academy. The preparatory school achieves this 
mission by qualifying cadet candidates for academy 
appointments, and developing in those students a sense of 
accomplishment and self-confidence that enables them to succeed 
in a military academy's demanding environment. Admission to a 
preparatory school is competitive, with selections made by 
selection boards. The boards select both enlisted Active Duty 
and civilian applicants who have applied for admission to an 
academy, but were not selected for direct entry.
    The committee is concerned that the average military 
academy preparatory school class consists of only approximately 
25 percent prior-enlisted service members. The committee 
believes that this percentage is extremely low, and that the 
services should focus their outreach efforts for attendance to 
the preparatory schools on the qualified enlisted force who has 
already exhibited propensity to serve.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretaries of the Air 
Force, the Army and the Navy to develop individual service 
plans with the goal of increasing the enrollment of enlisted 
service members at each of the Service Academy Preparatory 
Schools. The Secretaries concerned shall also provide briefings 
to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives by February 1, 2019, on the new outreach plan 
and their recommendations for increased enlisted member 
enrollment.

  Report on Certain Victims' Rights in Connection with Prosecution of 
                          Sex-Related Offenses

    The committee is concerned about the implementation of 
section 534 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public 
Law 113-291), which enhances victims' rights in connection with 
the prosecution of certain sex-related offenses. Specifically, 
the committee is interested in how the Department of Defense 
has implemented the requirement that victims be consulted in 
order to solicit their preference whether the covered offenses 
should be prosecuted by court-martial or in a civilian court 
with jurisdiction over the offense. The committee notes that 
the annual Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and 
Response Office report contains statistics on the number of 
cases prosecuted in civilian courts, but it is not evident from 
this data whether these civilian prosecutions were in 
accordance with the wishes of the victim or simply the only 
option for prosecution of the offenses.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Department of Defense 
Inspector General to submit a report to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives not 
later than April 1, 2019, on the results of a review of the 
Department of Defense and military departments' processes for 
consulting victims in cases in which section 534 applies. The 
report shall include a description of who is responsible for 
consulting with the victim to determine the preference for 
prosecution; an analysis of whether the military services are 
complying with the notification requirement; the method used to 
record the victim's preference and convey the information to 
the relevant authorities; and an analysis of whether the policy 
is applied consistently across the military services.

                Report on Legal Training for Commanders

    The committee understands that U.S. military commanders are 
entrusted with a wide range of responsibilities that are 
necessary to carry out their designated missions. Many of these 
responsibilities involve interpretation of and compliance with 
legal requirements. While the committee understands that judge 
advocates and other legal professionals advise the commanders 
on many of these subjects, the committee is interested in the 
full extent and substance of the legal training that commanders 
receive on the legal authorities with which they have been 
entrusted.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of 
the United States to submit a report to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives not 
later than September 1, 2019, on the following questions:
    (1) What legal training do officers receive throughout 
their careers? Who is responsible for this training, and who 
certifies satisfactory completion?
    (2) What legal and ethics training do commanders receive 
prior to taking command? At what level of command are officers 
required to attend this training? What issues are covered 
during this training, and is the training tailored to the type 
of command the officer is assigned to?
    (3) To what extent and what type of training do commanders 
receive regarding the following topics: military justice; 
contract and fiscal law; administrative law; and international 
and operational law?
    (4) To what extent are the military services complying with 
their legal training requirements for new commanders?
    (5) What resources are available to commanders to assist 
them in carrying out their legal responsibilities?
    (6) What procedures are in place to receive feedback on the 
quality and relevance of the legal training provided to 
commanders? Is that feedback incorporated into periodic 
curriculum reviews?

      Report on Processes for Federal Recognition of Promotion of 
                  Commissioned National Guard Officers

    The committee is concerned that delays in federal 
recognition of National Guard promotions may be increasing and 
that these lengthy delays result in National Guard officers 
being deployed and doing the work of the rank to which they are 
being promoted while receiving the pay of their current rank. 
The committee notes that such delays deprive National Guard 
members of the pay to which they are entitled, reduce their 
time in rank, and may pose retention problems by giving 
National Guard members an incentive to leave military service.
    Therefore the committee directs the Secretary of the Army 
and the Secretary of the Air Force to each undertake a 
comprehensive review of the policies and procedures of the 
Department of the Army and the Department Air Force, as 
applicable, for the Federal recognition of promotions of 
commissioned officers of the Army National Guard and the Air 
National Guard, as the case may be, and to report the results 
of this review to the congressional defense committees by 
December 1, 2018. The report shall:
    (1) describe the average time between receipt by the 
military department concerned of scrolls (as defined in 
Department of Defense Instruction 1310.02) indicating the 
promotion of commissioned officers in the National Guard and 
their publication during the five-year period ending on the 
date of the House passage of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2019;
    (2) describe and assess various approaches for streamlining 
the process by which the military department concerned approves 
Federal recognition scrolls, including through--
          (A) additional automation;
          (B) reduction in required steps; or
          (C) delegation of authority to conduct required 
        reviews; and
    (3) make recommendations for legislative or administration 
action to implement an approach under paragraph (2) if the 
Secretary concerned considers such approach feasible, 
advisable, and appropriate.

           U.S. Air Force Pilot Staff Requirements Validation

    The committee remains concerned that the Air Force is 
having difficulty addressing a persistent pilot shortage. 
Pilots are vital to the readiness of the Air Force and these 
shortages may hamper its ability to carry out the 2018 National 
Defense Strategy, especially as it relates to retention and 
recruitment within the fighter pilot community. The committee 
notes that the Air Force provided written testimony to the 
committee on March 21, 2018, stating that the Air Force has a 
shortage of 1,812 pilots across all mission areas, with the 
most acute shortage being fighter pilots. The Air Force admits 
it is taking risk by under-filling its required pilot and rated 
staff officer billets. However, the committee is concerned 
about the current requirement for pilots in staff billets and 
the fact that the requirements for pilot skills in these 
positions have not been validated, nor the requirements 
reviewed, in many years. An assessment of this sort could 
result in a change in the overall number of required pilots on 
the staff.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to evaluate and validate every pilot or rated officer 
required staff billet across the Air Force and joint community 
enterprise, and to address the recommendations of the 
Comptroller General ``Report on Military Personnel: DOD Needs 
to Reevaluate Fighter Pilot Workforce Requirements,'' (GAO-18-
113), and to provide a report to the Committee on Armed 
Services of the House of Representatives not later than 
December 7, 2018, on the methodology and the results of the 
evaluation and validation as well as the implementation of the 
recommendations of the GAO Report.

U.S. Special Operations Command Preservation of the Force and Families 
                        Program Contract Support

    The committee recognizes that U.S. special operations 
forces (SOF) and their families are under unique and continued 
stresses, including psychological, social, spiritual, and human 
performance strains. The committee commends the success of the 
Preservation of the Force and Family (POTFF) program. It has 
helped to alleviate the magnitude of these stresses and break 
the stigma of seeking necessary help. It has also decreased 
rehabilitation time following physical injuries.
    The committee understands U.S. Special Operations Command 
(SOCOM) and component commands have engaged in dialogue with 
the military services on scaling portions of the program to the 
broader force. The committee supports this dialogue and 
encourages the transition by SOCOM of resources and management 
for aspects of POTFF that are scaled to the military services, 
as well as a continual assessment of what remain as SOF-
specific needs.
    However, with POTFF's contract due to expire this fiscal 
year, the committee is concerned by the request for proposal 
submitted by SOCOM. It once again indicates a domineering focus 
on human performance, to the detriment of a distinct emphasis 
on mental, emotional, and behavioral health. The committee 
notes that of the $88.0 million for POTFF in the budget request 
for fiscal year 2019, only $13.0 million was to support the 
Psychological Performance Program to promote, maintain, and 
restore the psychological and behavioral health of SOF.
    With these concerns in mind, the committee directs the 
Commander of Special Operations Command, in coordination with 
the Secretary of Defense, to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by September 14, 2018, on the 
future of POTFF. The briefing shall include:
    (1) how the command plans to balance the emphasis put on 
the four pillars of the program;
    (2) an analysis of mental and behavioral health program 
gaps, to include an in-depth look into POTFF's suicide-
prevention programming; and
    (3) how SOCOM will work with services to identify 
successful elements that can be transitioned to assist 
conventional forces and families.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


                Subtitle A--Regular Component Management


   Section 501--Expansion of Authority to Award Constructive Service 
 Credit for Advanced Education, Experience, or Training, upon Original 
                 Appointment as a Commissioned Officer

    This section would amend sections 533 and 12207 of title 
10, United States Code, to permit the Secretaries of the 
military departments additional discretion to determine the 
grade of certain individuals receiving an original appointment 
as a regular or reserve commissioned officer.

           Section 502--Surface Warfare Officers Career Paths

    This section would amend chapter 602 of title 10, United 
States Code, by adding a new section that would require the 
Secretary of the Navy to establish two career paths for surface 
warfare officers. The Secretary would be required to establish 
one career path in ship engineering systems and another in ship 
operations and combat systems, not later than January 1, 2021.

  Section 503--Authority of Selection Boards To Recommend Officers of 
      Particular Merit Be Placed at the Top of the Promotion List

    This section would amend sections 616, 618, and 624 of 
title 10, United States Code, to allow officer promotion boards 
to recommend officers of particular merit be placed at the top 
of the promotion list, and to allow the Secretary of the 
military department concerned to re-order the promotion list 
accordingly.

      Section 504--Deferred Deployment for Members Who Give Birth

    This section would standardize new mother deployment 
deferral policy across the military services, to include the 
Coast Guard.

  Section 505--Codification of Lowered Grade for Retired Officers or 
           Persons Who Committed Misconduct in a Lower Grade

    This section would amend section 1370 of title 10, United 
States Code, to clarify that the Secretary concerned has the 
authority to find that an officer who committed misconduct in a 
lower grade has not served satisfactorily in any grade equal to 
or higher than that lower grade.

  Section 506--Retention of Military Technicians Who Lose Dual Status 
                      under Certain Circumstances

    This section would amend section 10216 of title 10, United 
States Code, to prevent dual-status military technicians who 
reach their time-in-service end date from losing their jobs due 
to separation from military service.

                Subtitle B--Reserve Component Management


  Section 511--Placement of National Guard Military Technicians (Dual 
                   Status) in the Competitive Service

    This section would amend section 10508 of title 10, United 
States Code, to designate dual-status military technician 
positions that were converted to title 5 civilian employees in 
the fiscal year 2017 and 2018 National Defense Authorization 
Acts as competitive, not excepted, service positions.

       Section 512--Authorized Strength and Distribution in Grade

    This section would amend section 12011(a) and section 
12012(a) of title 10, United States Code, to increase the total 
number of available control grade positions, which includes O-
4, O-5, O-6, E-8, and E-9, authorized for the Air National 
Guard.

          Section 513--National Guard Promotion Accountability

    This section would amend section 14308(f) of title 10, 
United States Code, to allow a National Guard officer's date of 
rank to be backdated, after Federal recognition is granted, and 
would require the Secretaries concerned to report to the 
Congress when a promotion scroll exceeds 200 days between date 
received and its date of publication.

Section 514--Extension of Authority for Pilot Program on Use of Retired 
  Senior Enlisted Members of the Army National Guard as Army National 
                            Guard Recruiters

    This section would extend the authority of the pilot 
program on use of retired senior enlisted members of the Army 
National Guard as Army National Guard recruiters until 2021.

  Subtitle C--General Service Authorities and Correction of Military 
                                Records


        Section 521--Enlistments Vital to the National Interest

    This section would modify section 504(b) of title 10, 
United States Code, to establish additional requirements for 
enlistments vital to the national interest.

                   Section 522--Statement of Benefits

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
provide Active Duty and Reserve service members an 
authoritative assessment of their earned GI Bill benefits prior 
to separation, retirement, or release from Active Duty or 
demobilization.

 Section 523--Modification to Forms of Support That May Be Accepted in 
    Support of the Mission of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

    This section would modify the forms of support that may be 
accepted by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to 
include public-private partnerships and the acceptance of gifts 
that facilitate the accounting of missing persons within the 
purview of the DPAA mission.

          Section 524--Correction of Military Records Website

    This section would amend section 1552(a)(5) of title 10, 
United States Code, to require the Secretary concerned to 
publish summaries, indexed by subject matter, of all decisions 
published on the board for correction of military records 
website of each military department.

  Section 525--Modification of DD Form 214 to Include Email Addresses

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
modify the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty 
(DD Form 214) to include a specific block explicitly identified 
as the location in which a member of the Armed Forces may 
provide one or more email addresses by which the member may be 
contacted.

 Section 526--Public Availability of Reports Related to Senior Leader 
                               Misconduct

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretaries of the military departments to publish, on a public 
website, redacted reports of substantiated investigations of 
misconduct in which the subject of the investigation was an 
officer in the grade of O-7 and above, including officers who 
have been selected for promotion to O-7, or a civilian member 
of the Senior Executive Service.

 Section 527--Appointment and Training of Personnel to Staff the Board 
             of Corrections for Military and Naval Records

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the service secretaries and the joint chiefs, 
to provide for the appointment and training of qualified 
personnel to join the staff of the Boards of Correction for 
Military and Naval Records, and would authorize $3.0 million to 
carry out the training, to be taken from the Military Personnel 
Appropriations line.

                      Subtitle D--Military Justice


  Section 531--Minimum Confinement Period Required for Conviction of 
 Certain Sex-Related Offenses Committed by Members of the Armed Forces

    This section would amend section 856(b)(1) of title 10, 
United States Code (article 56(b)(1) of the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice), to require a minimum confinement period of 2 
years for individuals convicted of certain sex-related 
offenses.

 Section 532--Punitive Article in the Uniform Code of Military Justice 
                          on Domestic Violence

    This section would amend subchapter X of chapter 47 of 
title 10, United States Code (the Uniform Code of Military 
Justice), to add a new section 928a regarding domestic 
violence.

Section 533--Defense Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution, 
           and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces

    This section would amend section 546 of the Carl Levin and 
Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291) to require the 
Department of Defense to provide information to the Defense 
Advisory Committee on Investigation, Prosecution, and Defense 
of Sexual Assault in the Armed Forces that the panel (by 
majority vote) deems necessary to carry out its duties.

  Section 534--Modification of Military Rules of Evidence To Exclude 
   Admissibility of General Military Character Toward Probability of 
    Innocence in Any Offense Not Strictly Related to Performance of 
                            Military Duties

    This section would amend Rule 404(a) of the Military Rules 
of Evidence contained in the Manual for Courts-Martial to 
provide that the general military character of an accused is 
not admissible for the purpose of showing the probability of 
innocence of the accused unless the offense the individual is 
charged with is strictly and solely related to the performance 
of military duties.

                 Section 535--Improved Crime Reporting

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
establish a consolidated tracking process that provides the 
Department of Defense increased visibility on the military 
departments' required crime report submissions to the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation.

  Section 536--Oversight of Registered Sex Offender Management Program

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
designate a single official or entity within the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense to serve as the official or entity with 
principal responsibility for providing oversight of the 
registered sex offender management program of the Department.

                    Subtitle E--Other Legal Matters


 Section 541--Security Clearance Reinvestigation of Certain Personnel 
                      Who Commit Certain Offenses

    This section would amend section 1564 of title 10, United 
States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a 
security clearance background reinvestigation under expedited 
procedures for flag officers and Senior Executive Service 
personnel employed by the Department of Defense convicted of 
sexual assault, sexual harassment, fraud against the United 
States, or other serious crimes.

Section 542--Consideration of Application for Transfer for a Student of 
  a Military Service Academy Who Is the Victim of a Sexual Assault or 
                            Related Offense

    This section would require the Secretary concerned to 
expedite the consideration and approval of an application for 
an inter-academy transfer submitted by a cadet of a military 
academy who has been the victim of sexual assault.

Section 543--Standardization of Policies Related to Expedited Transfer 
                       in Cases of Sexual Assault

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
standardize the expedited transfer procedures for service 
members who are the victim of sexual assault, regardless of 
whether their cases are handled by the Sexual Assault 
Prevention and Response Program or the Family Advocacy Program, 
and would require the Secretary to establish a transfer policy 
for service members whose dependent is the victim of sexual 
assault perpetrated by an unrelated service member.

   Section 544--Development of Oversight Plan for Implementation of 
    Department of Defense Harassment Prevention and Response Policy

    This section would require the Department of Defense to 
develop an oversight plan and provide a report to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives for implementation of the Department of Defense 
Harassment Prevention and Response policy.

 Section 545--Development of Resource Guides Regarding Sexual Assault 
                   for the Military Service Academies

    This section would require each Superintendent of a 
military service academy to develop and maintain a resource 
guide on sexual assault, and distribute the guide to all cadets 
and midshipmen at the academies.

             Section 546--Report on Victims in MCIO Reports

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, 
through the Defense Advisory Committee on Investigations, 
Prosecutions, and Defense of Sexual Assault in the Armed 
Forces, to provide a report every 2 years on the frequency with 
which victims of sexual offenses identified in military 
criminal investigative organization cases are accused of or 
punished for misconduct considered collateral to the 
investigation of sexual assault.

   Subtitle F--Member Education, Training, Resilience, and Transition


           Section 551--Permanent Career Intermission Program

    This section would amend chapter 40 of title 10, United 
States Code, by adding section 710 and removing all references 
to the program as a pilot program, making the Career 
Intermission Program a permanent authority.

       Section 552--Improvements to Transition Assistance Program

    This section would amend section 1142 of title 10, United 
States Code, to establish counseling pathways, require 
transmission of the Joint Service transcript, and allow 
transitioning service members to select a portion of the 
content covered during the transition assistance period of 
instruction.

Section 553--Employment and Compensation of Civilian Faculty Members at 
                the Joint Special Operations University

    This section would amend section 1595(c) of title 10, 
United States Code, to add the Joint Special Operations 
University to the list of covered institutions with authority 
to hire civilian faculty under title 10.

Section 554--Program To Assist Members of the Armed Forces in Obtaining 
                        Professional Credentials

    This section would amend section 2015 of title 10, United 
States Code, to further assist members of the Armed Forces in 
obtaining professional credentials.

Section 555--Extension of Pilot Program To Assist Members in Obtaining 
                        Post-Service Employment

    This section would amend section 555 of the Carl Levin and 
Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291) to extend the 
authority for the pilot program under this section to September 
30, 2023.

Section 556--Direct Employment Pilot Program for Members of the Reserve 
                        Components and Veterans

    This section would allow the Secretary of Defense to carry 
out a pilot program that provides enhanced job placement and 
employment assistance for members of the National Guard and 
Reserve.

 Section 557--Extended Duration of Availability of Military OneSource 
Program Services for Members of the Armed Forces Upon Their Separation 
                             or Retirement

    This section would extend the duration of availability of 
Military OneSource program services for members of the military 
departments and their immediate family members from 180 days 
following their separation or retirement to at least 1 year 
after their separation or retirement.

   Section 558--Comptroller General Briefing and Report on Permanent 
                     Employment Assistance Centers

    This section would require the Comptroller General of the 
United States to provide a briefing to the Armed Services 
Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives, with a 
report to follow, on employment assistance required under law 
and related information regarding civilian employment 
certification.

    Section 559--Activities To Increase Awareness of Apprenticeship 
                                Programs

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
include, as part of service members' transition counseling, 
information on apprenticeship programs and the use of veterans' 
benefits to pay for these programs.

Subtitle G--Defense Dependents' Education and Military Family Readiness 
                                Matters


 Section 561--Enhancement and Clarification of Family Support Services 
       for Family Members of Members of Special Operations Forces

    This section would amend section 1788a of title 10, United 
States Code, to provide greater flexibility to support the 
family requirements to tactical units by increasing funds 
available for Major Force Program 11 from $5.0 million to $10.0 
million. This section would also define the term ``family 
support services''' to provide clarity and authorize proper 
expenditures of appropriated funds.

Section 562--Additional Matters for Assessment and Report on Childcare 
                 Services of the Department of Defense

    This section would add additional issues for assessment 
related to military family childcare under section 575 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public 
Law 115-91).

 Section 563--Continued Assistance to Schools With Significant Numbers 
                     of Military Dependent Students

    This section would authorize $40.0 million for the purpose 
of providing assistance to local educational agencies with 
military dependent students and $10.0 million for local 
educational agencies eligible to receive a payment for children 
with severe disabilities.

   Section 564--Department of Defense Education Activity Misconduct 
                                Database

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
establish a comprehensive policy and database regarding 
juvenile misconduct occurring in Department of Defense 
Education Activity schools.

Section 565--Report on Assessment of Frequency of Permanent Changes of 
  Station of Members of the Armed Forces on Employment Among Military 
                                Spouses

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a report on the impact that frequent permanent changes 
of station of service members have on military spouses.

                   Subtitle H--Decorations and Awards


   Section 571--Limitations on Authority To Revoke Certain Military 
           Decorations Awarded to Members of the Armed Forces

    This section would amend title 10, United States Code, to 
add a new section that restricts the President and service 
secretaries from revoking a military decoration after the 
actual award of the military decoration to the service member 
except under limited circumstances.

Section 572--Authorization for Award of Expeditionary Medal to Certain 
                  Marines for Actions on June 8, 1995

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
award the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal to a member or 
former member of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit for the 
mission to rescue Captain Scott O'Grady.

          Subtitle I--Miscellaneous Reports and Other Matters


   Section 581--Public Availability of Top-Line Numbers of Deployed 
                      Members of the Armed Forces

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
publicly make available the top-line numbers of members of the 
Armed Forces deployed for each country.
    The Secretary would be able to waive the requirement in the 
case of a sensitive military operation if he determines the 
public disclosure of such numbers could reasonably be expected 
to provide an operational military advantage to an adversary, 
or the members of the Armed Forces are deployed for less than 
30 days.

   Section 582--Criteria for Interment at Arlington National Cemetery

    This section would require the Secretary of the Army to 
establish revised interment criteria for Arlington National 
Cemetery that preserve Arlington National Cemetery as an active 
burial ground well into the future.

         Section 583--Report on General and Flag Officer Costs

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a report to the congressional defense committees on the 
costs of supporting general and flag officers.

     Section 584--Report on Outside Employment of Senior Personnel

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
report on senior leader outside employment requests and 
activities.

Section 585--Limitation on Use of Funds Pending Submittal of Report on 
                 Army Marketing and Advertising Program

    This section would limit the use of funds to not more than 
60 percent of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by this 
Act for the Army Marketing and Research Group for fiscal year 
2019, used for advertising and marketing activities to be 
obligated or expended until the Secretary of the Army submits a 
report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives on recommendations of the Army 
Audit Agency's audit of the Army's Marketing and Advertising 
Program concerning contract oversight and return on investment.

          TITLE VI--COMPENSATION AND OTHER PERSONNEL BENEFITS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


         Availability of Alcohol at Military Commissary Stores

    The Committee notes the recent announcement made by the 
Department of Defense on the availability of beer and wine at 
military commissary stores in order to provide a similar 
shopping experience to commercial grocery stores.
    In light of these measures, the Committee directs the 
Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the feasibility of 
expanding commissary alcohol sales to include the sale of 
distilled spirits. The study shall include a comparison of 
state and local laws that could impact the expansion of the 
sale of distilled spirits. The study shall also include an 
estimate on revenue and sales that could result from such an 
expansion. The Secretary shall provide a briefing to the 
Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives on 
the detailed findings of the study no later than September 28, 
2018.

         Examination of Flexible/Noncontinuous Maternity Leave

    The Committee commends the Department for granting up to 84 
days for service members following child birth. Although 
current maternity and parental leave policies are a strong step 
in the right direction, more can be done to tailor leave to 
families' unique situations. Continuing its work from 2015 and 
2016, Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services 
(DACOWITS) examined issues and concerns surrounding pregnancy, 
the postpartum period, and parenthood. There is evidence to 
suggest that Service members' ability to maintain work-life 
balance is one of the military's top retention challenges, with 
service members expressing concern that a military career is 
incompatible with having a family. In its most recent report, 
DACOWITS recommends the Secretary of Defense consider allowing 
the Military Services to permit flexible (noncontinuous) use of 
maternity and parental leave if requested by the military 
parent(s). Allowing flexible (noncontinuous) use of maternity 
and parental leave is a strategy mentioned by DACOWITS and 
modeled by leading companies in the private sector. This is one 
potential way to support a servicemember after a child joins 
the member's family. Noncontinuous leave, when requested, could 
help servicemembers better balance their unique family needs 
during critical junctures of their lives and, in turn, help 
support retention efforts. Therefore, not later than December 
1, 2018 the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a report assessing the feasibility of permitting 
flexible (noncontinuous) use of maternity leave.

                Imminent Danger Pay Adjudication Process

    The committee acknowledges that servicemembers continue to 
serve in locations at daily risk of harm from hostile fire, 
explosions, or other hostile actions, and are thus entitled to 
Imminent Danger Pay. The committee understands that, regarding 
the locations and time periods for Imminent Danger Pay 
eligibility, the final adjudicating authority for the 
Department of Defense is the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Personnel and Readiness, who assesses requests submitted by 
geographic Combatant Commanders. The committee has received 
recent testimony that this request, adjudication, and approval 
process can span many months, during which servicemembers in 
harm's way are not receiving Imminent Danger Pay. So that 
Congress may improve its oversight of the timeliness of 
Imminent Danger Pay review and approval, the committee directs 
the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to 
submit a report to the Committee on Armed Services of the House 
of Representatives, not later than August 31, 2018, listing, 
for the period 2008-2018:
    (1) each request for Imminent Danger Pay made by a 
geographic Combatant Commander, including details on the 
underlying justification for Imminent Danger Pay;
    (2) the date of submission for each request;
    (3) the adjudication status and/or ultimate determination 
for each request; and,
    (4) date of ultimate determination, where applicable.

Small Business Purchasing Contracts for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for 
                the Defense Commissary Agency (``DeCA'')

    The Committee commends DeCA for its efforts to achieve cost 
savings and provide patrons with an improved shopping 
experience. DeCA strives to maintain a good record of including 
small businesses in its acquisition practices including the 
acquisition of fresh fruits and vegetables through utilizing 
small businesses. These small businesses are best positioned to 
provide quality and fresh produce because of their proximity to 
commissaries and have traditionally provided these products at 
competitive prices. As the transformation proceeds the 
Committee encourages DeCA to continue to utilize small 
businesses for the acquisition of quality fresh fruits and 
vegetables. Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of 
Defense to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by December 1, 2018 on the efforts to continue to 
utilize small businesses for fresh fruits and vegetables.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


                     Subtitle A--Pay and Allowances


     Section 601--Prompt Review of Request for Imminent Danger Pay

    This section would amend section 310 of title 37, United 
States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense to issue a 
determination, within 90 days, when a geographic combatant 
commander submits a request to add a location to the Imminent 
Danger Pay eligibility list.

 Section 602--Application of Basic Allowance for Housing to Members of 
              the Uniformed Services in the Virgin Islands

    This section would amend section 403 of title 37, United 
States Code, to apply Basic Allowance for Housing to service 
members in the Virgin Islands.

      Section 603--Mandatory Increase in Insurance Coverage Under 
  Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance for Members Deployed to Combat 
                         Theaters of Operation

    This section would amend section 1967(a)(3) of title 38, 
United States Code, to mandate, in the case of a member who 
elects to not be insured under a Servicemembers' Group Life 
Insurance plan at the full $400,000 available, the member's 
insurance will automatically increase to $400,000 if they are 
deployed to a combat zone.

         Section 604--Military Housing Privatization Initiative

    This section would assure that the Basic Allowance for 
Housing reduction directed by section 403 of title 10, United 
States Code, would not take effect in fiscal year 2019, 
ensuring that the Military Housing Privatization Initiative 
(MHPI) housing recapitalization efforts are not reduced. The 
committee remains concerned about the reduction in BAH and its 
effect on the recapitalization of these housing units. The 
committee believes that military families must be provided with 
on-base housing that is safe and periodically modernized. 
Additionally, this section would require the Secretary of 
Defense to present a plan to the Committees on Armed Services 
of the Senate and the House of Representatives by December 1, 
2018, to provide for a permanent financial solution to the long 
term MHPI recapitalization problem.

                Section 605--Per Diem Allowance Policies

    This section would halt implementation of the 2014 
Department of Defense per diem policy, direct the Secretary of 
Defense to issue a report on options to reduce travel costs, 
and require notification of any subsequent changes to the per 
diem policies following the report.

             Subtitle B--Bonuses and Special Incentive Pays


 Section 611--One-Year Extension of Certain Expiring Bonus and Special 
                            Pay Authorities

    This section would extend, through December 31, 2019, 
income replacement payments for Reserve Component members 
experiencing extended and frequent mobilization for Active Duty 
service; would extend two critical recruitment and retention 
incentive programs for Reserve Component health care 
professionals; would extend accession and retention incentives 
for nuclear-qualified officers; and would extend the 
consolidated special and incentive pay authorities added to 
subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 37, United States Code, by 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 
(Public Law 110-181). Additionally, this section would extend 
the authority of the Secretary of Defense to prescribe a 
temporary increase in the rates of basic allowance for housing 
otherwise prescribed for a military housing area or a portion 
of a military housing area if the military housing area or 
portion thereof is located in an area covered by a declaration 
by the President that a major disaster exists.

                       Subtitle C--Other Matters


Section 621--Expansions of Installation Benefits to Surviving Spouses, 
               Dependent Children, and Other Next of Kin

    This section would amend section 1126 of title 10, United 
States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense to provide 
lifetime installation access to Gold Star spouses and their 
dependent children for the purposes of attending memorial 
services, visiting gravesites, and accessing survivor services 
to which they are already entitled. Additionally, this section 
would provide the Secretary discretion to provide similar 
access to other surviving family members and require access 
reciprocity between the military services, and would extend 
access to base commissaries, exchanges, and other recreation 
facilities for all remarried surviving military spouses for as 
long as they have surviving dependent children under their 
guardianship.

 Section 622--Transportation on Military Aircraft on a Space-Available 
    Basis for Disabled Veterans With a Service-Connected, Permanent 
                       Disability Rated as Total

    This section would amend section 2641b of title 10, United 
States Code, to authorize space-available travel for disabled 
veterans with a service-connected, permanent disability rated 
as total.

   Section 623--Extension of Parking Expenses Allowance to Civilian 
                   Employees at Recruiting Facilities

    This section would amend section 481i of title 37, United 
States Code, to allow the Secretary of Defense to reimburse 
military and civilian employees of the Department of Defense 
for parking expenses at recruiting facilities.

   Section 624--Advisory Boards Regarding Military Commissaries and 
                               Exchanges

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
direct installation commanders to establish an advisory board 
to advise commanders regarding the interests of patrons and 
beneficiaries of military commissaries and exchanges.

Section 625--Study and Report on Development of a Single Defense Resale 
                                 System

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
conduct a study to determine the feasibility of consolidating 
the military resale entities into a single defense resale 
system and would prohibit the use of funds in fiscal year 2019 
for any action on consolidation by the Secretary of Defense.

                   TITLE VII--HEALTH CARE PROVISIONS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                Advanced Pain Management Fellows Program

    The committee is aware of the importance of pain management 
health care providers across the Military Health System. More 
specifically, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) 
are qualified pain practitioners who work in various practice 
settings to treat patients suffering from a wide range of acute 
and chronic pain conditions. CRNA chronic pain management 
practitioners are able to minimize the use of opioids to 
address chronic pain through the use of a multimodal approach 
that includes pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain 
mitigation strategies. Furthermore, the holistic approach that 
CRNA pain management practitioners employ when treating their 
chronic pain patients may reduce the reliance on opioids as a 
primary pain management modality, thus aiding in the reduction 
of potential adverse drug events related to opioids. The 
committee believes advanced pain management fellowship programs 
for CRNAs may enhance comprehensive pain management. The 
committee encourages the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretaries of the military departments to consider advanced 
pain management fellowship programs for CRNAs as part of their 
respective long-term health education and training programs.

                           Athletic Trainers

    The Committee understands that athletic trainers provide 
invaluable services to many people and organizations. However, 
the Committee notes that athletic trainers are not included on 
the TRICARE authorized provider list. Therefore the committee 
directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services by 1 February 2019, that 
examines the potential uses of civilian athletic trainers 
within the TRICARE program, the reimbursement structure for 
athletic trainers for Medicare or other commensurate federal 
health programs, and an assessment of credentialing 
organizations that may help facilitate a standardized 
accreditation process for athletic trainers.

                 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)

    The Committee commends the Department of Defense for 
focusing a significant amount of research on studying military 
relevant injuries related to traumatic brain injury (TBI). The 
Committee acknowledges the importance of this research but 
would also like to better understand the potential link between 
TBI and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a 
neurodegenerative disorder that involves the progressive 
accumulation of the protein tau in nerve cells within certain 
regions of the brain. As the tau protein accumulates, it 
disturbs function and appears to lead to symptoms seen in 
affected patients with multiple head trauma. In 2013, a senior 
Department of Defense official stated, ``we are learning 
through the process of discovery the effects of repetitive mild 
traumatic brain injury and also how to prevent this issue of 
chronic traumatic encephalopathy''. Research on CTE has made 
significant advancements, but there are still gaps in research 
between TBI and CTE and understanding the status and progress 
of CTE efforts within the military is of critical importance. 
Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with Secretaries of the military departments, to 
provide a report on CTE research in the military to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
and the Senate not later than 1 April 2019. This report shall 
include an assessment of the gaps between CTE and TBI research, 
current funding levels, ongoing research studies, CTE related 
initiatives to track and monitor service-members, and ongoing 
research efforts with the National Institutes of Health, 
executive agencies and civilian academic and research 
organizations.

              Comprehensive Women's Health for Active Duty

    The committee recognizes that as the population of women in 
the military increases and more women seek additional 
opportunities in direct combat units and throughout the joint 
force, it is critical that women's health is addressed 
comprehensively to optimize health and readiness. The committee 
notes the efforts of Navy Medicine with the establishment of 
the Women's Health Clinical Community and the piloting of a 
comprehensive clinic at Naval Medical Center, San Diego, to 
address the complex needs of the Active Duty female population. 
Guided by feedback from clinical and non-clinical stakeholders 
and evidence-based research, the comprehensive women's health 
clinic addresses women's health in a patient-centered manner 
integrating perinatal, women's health, mental health, and force 
readiness. As the Military Health System transitions military 
treatment facilities from the services to the Defense Health 
Agency, the committee encourages the inclusion of similar 
health clinics where appropriate to improve the readiness of 
women in the force.

  Department of Defense Action Plan for Countering Infectious Diseases

    The committee acknowledges the important work across the 
Department of Defense in the areas of preventive medicine and 
infectious disease. The 2014 Ebola outbreak demonstrated the 
need for a prompt and efficient response to a highly infectious 
disease outbreak. It also demonstrated that in the future, the 
U.S. military may be expected to assume a primary role in 
responding to such crises. The likelihood of a future regional 
and global infectious disease crisis is high, and the lessons 
learned from the 2014 Ebola crisis are directly applicable to 
the next potential infectious disease outbreak. It is therefore 
critical that the Department of Defense consider lessons 
learned from previous outbreaks. In addition, the Department 
must take action to promote force health protection from 
emerging infectious diseases while preparing to support 
missions in areas of increased risk or military operations 
supporting international response within a future public health 
emergency.
    The committee therefore directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness 
and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services, to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than June 1, 2019, on the development of an action plan 
focused on efforts to counter emerging infectious disease 
threats. This briefing should identify capability gaps; actions 
taken to improve point-of-care diagnostics linked to disease 
surveillance and information-sharing networks; examine 
infectious disease emergency response teams; capabilities for 
medical evacuation of patients with high consequence 
infections; gaps in infection prevention and control standards; 
and research efforts focused on medical countermeasures.

                      Diabetes Prevention Program

    The committee notes there are an estimated 30 million 
Americans with diabetes but only approximately 50,000 military 
members or their family members have the disease. However, the 
committee understands that the number of military beneficiaries 
with diabetes increases to more than 200,000 for retirees and 
their family members who are under the age of 65 and doubles to 
over 400,000 for those beneficiaries in the TRICARE for Life, 
Medicare-eligible population. If not treated, those with 
diabetes face higher risks of heart disease, kidney failure, 
limb amputations, and blindness. The committee is aware that 
Medicare expanded its diabetes prevention pilot program to 
provide coverage for all eligible at-risk beneficiaries with 
prediabetes who are aged 65 years or older, which has led to 
substantial health care savings as well as reducing the risk of 
patients developing type 2 diabetes. Given the detrimental 
health impact of diabetes as well as the increased costs 
incurred for direct treatment and comorbid medical 
complications of this disease, prevention programs addressing 
the vulnerability of at-risk TRICARE beneficiaries should be 
closely examined.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives not later than March 1, 2019, that 
examines the feasibility of using a similar program for TRICARE 
beneficiaries to prevent diabetes, improve health, and reduce 
health care costs.

         Direct Report Language on National Guard Mental Health

    The Committee remains concerned about the high rate of 
suicides in the reserve component and specifically, within the 
Army National Guard. The Committee is aware of numerous efforts 
by the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to increase access 
and resources for Guardsmen to receive behavioral health 
treatment and support. The Committee also supports the 
establishment of a more integrated and holistic approach to 
resilience and fitness across the National Guard to better 
assess and improve the operational readiness of Guardsmen by 
carrying out pilot programs as required. Therefore, the 
Committee directs the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to 
provide a report to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than 1 March 2019, on the effectiveness of National Guard 
Bureau behavioral health programs like resiliency, suicide 
prevention, and other mental health outreach efforts.

                   Exceptional Family Member Program

    The committee notes the purpose of the Exceptional Family 
Member Program (EFMP) is to provide comprehensive and 
coordinated community support, housing, educational, medical, 
and personnel services worldwide to military families with 
children with special needs. The committee is concerned that 
with over 100,000 families participating in the EFMP and 
inconsistent application of the Department of Defense policy 
across the services, there are families who are inadvertently 
disadvantaged by not having an individualized service plan. The 
committee is also concerned that the Department of Defense and 
military services lack the common performance measures and 
outcome metrics to assess assignment coordination and family 
support.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to develop a plan consisting of common performance metrics for 
assignment coordination and family support, including best 
practices for performance measurement; a systematic process for 
evaluating the results of monitoring activities conducted by 
each of the military services program; and a review to 
determine the feasibility of creating interstate compacts as a 
requirement for schools supporting EFMP students.
    The committee further directs the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives not later than March 1, 2019, on this 
plan.

                          GAO Audit of TRICARE

    The committee notes that during the 2018 transition of 
TRICARE managed care support contractors, many issues related 
to network adequacy arose, which affected beneficiary access to 
care, specifically access to mental health services. There is 
evidence that mental health providers from the East and West 
regions received new contracts that include a proposed 30% 
discount off Civilian Health and Medical Program of the 
Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) rates. With the limited options 
and resources that TRICARE beneficiaries currently have, these 
discounts will further jeopardize the mental health of military 
members, veterans, and their families who rely on TRICARE for 
their basic needs.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of 
the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a 
study of the Defense Health Agency's (DHA) oversight of the 
transition of TRICARE managed care support contractors for its 
TRICARE regions. The Comptroller General shall provide a report 
to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives by September 30, 2019 detailing the extent to 
which (i) DHA provided guidance and oversight to the outgoing 
and incoming managed care support contractors; (ii) there were 
any issues with health care delivery, and if so, the effect, if 
at all, DHA's guidance and oversight during the transition 
period had on these issues as well as DHA's resolutions for 
remediating any managed care support contractors' deficiencies; 
and (iii) DHA has reviewed any lessons learned from prior 
transitions and incorporated them into the current transition.

          Global Health Engagement Organization Consolidation

    The committee recognizes the Department of Defense's 
efforts to develop global health engagement (GHE) capabilities 
that have become an integral part of combatant command security 
cooperation initiatives. These activities are used to improve 
military health professional readiness and interoperability by 
providing important training opportunities and experiences in 
operational settings with partner nations. However, the 
committee is concerned that there is duplication of effort with 
the Defense Institute for Medical Operations. The Defense 
Institute for Medical Operations supports overseas train-the-
trainer programs on topics such as disaster management, force 
health protection, health surveillance, and other areas of 
health practice.
    As part of the Uniformed Services University of Health 
Science (USUHS) mission to support military readiness, the 
Center for Global Health Engagement was established by the 
Department of Defense to provide an enterprise-wide hub for GHE 
to support the combatant commands with leadership and 
scholarship; strategic and operational support to the joint 
force; training and professional development; management of 
GHE-related research; and assessment, monitoring, and 
evaluation activities. The committee believes USUHS provides a 
vital nexus of education and training for the Military Health 
System and may serve as an important support platform that 
provides economies of scale related to training, education, 
campus locations, and infrastructure support.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than April 1, 2019, on the feasibility of 
consolidating and integrating the capabilities of the Center 
for Global Health Engagement and the Defense Institute of 
Medical Operations into one organization.

              Improving Delivery of Mental Health Services

    The committee acknowledges the efforts of the Department of 
Defense and the military services to diagnose and treat 
military members suffering from mental health disorders. The 
committee commends the Department for systems it has in place 
to ensure service members receive standard of care for 
disorders where clinical evidence has informed best practices 
for treatment. However, there is room for improvement: the MHS 
lacks an enterprise wide system to accurately and consistently 
track care, cost, and implementation of evidence based quality 
medical and behavioral health therapeutic services for mental 
health disorders. The committee directs the Secretary of 
Defense to provide a briefing to the Committee on Armed 
Services of the House of Representatives not later than 
December 1, 2018 on the following: (1) feasibility study for 
creating a formalized methodology for tracking, measuring, and 
reporting across the MHS to ensure delivery of cost effective, 
evidence based quality treatments; (2) data and analysis to 
assist the committee in determining whether there are 
challenges to implementing evidence based mental health 
treatments for military personnel; (3) recommendations for 
addressing the current translation of innovative biomarker and 
neuroimaging diagnostics and research findings into practice; 
(4) any other matters the Secretary of Defense believes are 
relevant to this issue.

   Improving Health Care Choices for Severely Injured Service Members

    The committee seeks to better serve severely disabled 
veterans who are entitled to hospital insurance benefits under 
part A of title XVIII of the Social Security Act. The committee 
directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Human Health Services and the Commissioner of 
Social Security, to report on the total number of individuals 
who are retired from the Armed Services under chapter 61 of 
title 10, United States Code; entitled to hospital insurance 
benefits under part A of title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
pursuant to receiving benefits for 24 months as described in 
subparagraph (A) or (C) of section 226(b)(2) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 426(b)(2)); and because of such entitlement, are no 
longer enrolled in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select (as those 
terms are defined in section 1072 of title 10, United States 
Code) under chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code. The 
committee further directs the Secretary to submit the results 
of the report to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
December 1, 2018.

              Joint Advanced Orthopedic Surgical Training

    The committee is aware of the importance of limiting 
musculoskeletal injuries (MSKI), which on average result in 
21,000 shoulder and knee arthroscopies affecting service 
members per year. The committee also recognizes that military 
orthopedic surgeons may be challenged to participate in 
civilian training partnerships to maintain or learn specialized 
techniques needed to care for military beneficiaries due to 
operational missions. These training challenges may have a 
significant impact on both the readiness of military personnel 
and the costs associated with MSKI for the Department of 
Defense. The committee encourages the Secretary of Defense and 
the Secretaries of the military departments to consider joint 
advanced orthopedic surgical training partnerships as an 
integral component of their respective long-term health 
education and training programs.

            Mental Health Care in the Military Health System

    The committee commends the Department of Defense and 
military services' significant efforts over the past decade to 
aggressively improve treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI), 
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic traumatic 
encephalopathy (CTE), and other mental health issues. The 
committee also recognizes the importance of research and 
innovation being made in the treatment of brain disease and the 
need to improve collaboration between the Department of 
Defense, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, and medical research translation offices at 
major universities. As the Military Health System transitions 
the operations of the military treatment facilities (MTF) from 
the military services to the Defense Health Agency, the 
committee notes this area of research and treatment needs 
aggressive oversight.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Secretaries of the military 
departments, to submit a report to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives not 
later than April 1, 2019, on the plan for the Military Health 
System to provide mental health care services as part of the 
transition of the MTFs. This report shall include an assessment 
of how mental health care providers will be arranged within the 
command structure of the Defense Health Agency, how mental 
health care policy and processes will be managed within the 
Defense Health Agency to deliver mental health care services to 
members of the Armed Forces and covered beneficiaries; the 
ability of each service Surgeon General to maintain the 
readiness of the military health workforce to deliver mental 
health care services operationally in support of deployed 
forces. In addition, this report shall include a plan to 
accelerate innovation and delivery of treatments for TBI, CTE 
and PTSD to members of the Armed Forces and covered 
beneficiaries through improved coordination of behavioral 
health research and development efforts across the federal 
government, academic institutions, and industry; inclusion of 
evidence-based suicide prevention programs; promotion of 
acquisition strategies that utilize other transaction 
authorities to accelerate development and delivery of promising 
breakthrough therapies for TBI, CTE and PTSD; facilitation of 
public-private investment partnerships to pursue psychiatric 
and brain disease treatments; and plans to expeditiously field 
Food and Drug Administration--cleared pharmaceuticals and 
medical devices that provide clinicians with therapeutics and 
tools for rapid, accurate assessments of traumatic brain injury 
and PTSD.

    Military Entrance Processing Command Physical Examination Model

    The committee acknowledges the critical mission U.S. 
Military Entrance Processing Command (MEPCOM) performs 
throughout the United States. An important component of the 
MEPCOM mission is ensuring prospective service members are 
provided a physical examination as part of the military 
accession process. However, the committee is concerned that 
MEPCOM is unable to ensure these physical examinations are 
provided in a timely manner. The committee directs the 
Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services not later than January 15, 2019, 
that evaluates the commercially distributed physical 
examination model being used by the Department of Defense 
Medical Examination Board and explores the feasibility of the 
MEPCOM contracting for physical examination services.

                     Military Nurse Work Experience

    The committee is aware that military nurses provide 
critical support across the Military Health System. However, 
national nursing shortages and vigorous salary and bonus 
competition for journey-level nurses has impacted the ability 
of the military to attract more experienced nurses to civil 
service. The inability to compete for nurses, coupled with 
restrictive Federal guidelines that dictate the hiring of new 
graduate nurses at considerably lower salaries than civilian 
counterparts, has in some instances created significant 
compensation disparity between military treatment facilities 
and hospitals in the local community. Additionally, a recent 
change to the Office of Personnel Management policy may limit 
applicant pools and adversely impact the ability of military 
treatment facilities to foster growth and development of 
current employees who have completed additional education and 
obtained further licensure. The committee encourages the 
Secretary of Defense to work with the Office of Personnel 
Management to consider new qualification and classification 
standards for military nurses.

                  Military Nutrition and Diet Planning

    The committee understands that a significant number of 
Active Duty military can currently be considered obese. This 
likely leads to additional health care costs and loss of 
military readiness, with too many Active Duty soldiers, 
sailors, marines, and airmen unable to deploy due to illness or 
injury. To ensure that our military is ready to fight today and 
in the future, on February 14, 2018, the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Personnel and Readiness issued policy guidance to 
the military services that states: ``Service members who have 
been non-deployable for more than 12 consecutive months, for 
any reason, will be processed for administrative separation . . 
. .'' With this renewed emphasis on military personnel policies 
necessary to provide a more ready and lethal force, the 
committee is concerned that the Department of Defense lacks a 
cohesive, science-based approach to diet and nutrition that 
supports that goal. It is incumbent upon the Department to 
ensure our service members are trained and resourced in ways 
that will allow them to perform duties necessary to remain in a 
full-duty and deployable status. Healthy food options are a key 
component of this effort.
    The committee is aware that the Department has funded 
research on optimal nutritional approaches that promote 
performance and reduce illness, injury, and other health 
problems in order to ensure that deployable personnel are 
prepared for worldwide assignments.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
January 15, 2019, detailing this research and its conclusions. 
The briefing should include, among other aspects, an overview 
of studies that focused on the usage of low carbohydrate diets, 
which show promising outcomes for physiological and performance 
factors key to warfighter readiness and effectiveness. 
Additionally, the briefing should discuss the use of standard 
dietary guidelines as defined by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines 
for Americans, as well as any other available comparisons. The 
briefing should also include systemic factors that inhibit the 
delivery of food options other than those defined by the U.S. 
Dietary Guidelines for Americans to service members at 
Department of Defense dining facilities and other venues. 
Finally, this briefing should include the plan for a 
Department-wide approach to diet and nutrition that 
incorporates performance-based outcomes in support of 
warfighter readiness.

    Mitigating Work Place Violence in Military Treatment Facilities

    The committee notes that the Department of Defense 
incorporated many of the recommendations into policy to address 
workplace violence following the 2009 Ft. Hood shooting review. 
The committee is concerned that there are still gaps in the 
implementation of the policies with respect to establishing 
Threat Assessment Teams in Military Treatment Facilities. This 
is evident by the 2016 incident at Ft. Leavenworth hospital 
when an employee set his supervisor on fire. Therefore, the 
committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the House Armed Service Committee no later than 1 
March 2019 on the establishment of the Threat Assessment Teams 
at Military Treatment Facilities and the training provided to 
the members of the team.

                       Orthotics for New Recruits

    Custom orthotics are offered to servicemembers in some 
circumstances with a referral from their primary care provider, 
however it is the understanding of the committee that there is 
currently not a uniform method for providing orthotics to 
servicemembers across the joint force. With over 70% of 
muscular-skeletal injuries affecting the lower extremities, 
higher priority must be placed on injury prevention, which will 
likely reduce the cost of treatment and increase force 
readiness. The committee therefore directs the Secretaries of 
each service to seek advice from the orthopedic and podiatric 
consultants residing within each branch of the Armed Forces 
regarding the benefits of prescribing and dispensing custom 
orthotics to each new recruit upon entering the military, and 
follow up with a briefing to Congress no later than April 1, 
2019.

                  Periodic Health Assessment Analysis

    The committee notes the continued progress in reforming the 
Department of Defense Periodic Health Assessment (PHA). The 
Department implemented the new electronic PHA in February 2018. 
The new PHA is designed to accomplish multiple requirements and 
provide standardized health assessment data that can be 
analyzed and compared across all military services, as well as 
to national standards. The PHA includes a comprehensive health 
risk assessment using evidence-based diagnostic tools validated 
and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention and clinical specialty leaders. This is a systematic 
collection and analysis of health-related information for use 
by service members, health care providers, and health care 
teams to identify and support beneficial health behaviors and 
mutually work to direct changes in potentially harmful health 
behaviors. The committee encourages the Secretary of Defense 
and the Secretaries of the military departments to continue to 
reform the PHA and use predictive analytics to examine 
population health factors and trend analysis to better 
understand comprehensive health risk assessment and improve the 
readiness of the force.

                   Podiatric Surgeons in the Military

    The committee is concerned that surgically advanced 
military podiatrists are not presented with the same 
administrative opportunities as surgeons and doctors of other 
medical disciplines, and have historically had few 
opportunities for positions of leadership across the military 
medical enterprise. Podiatric surgery, as a medical discipline 
in the Armed Forces, has evolved over the last several decades, 
including an additional 3-year surgical residency requirement 
for all military podiatric surgeons. Podiatrists have 
increasingly deployed to combat zones overseas, serving in a 
variety of ways to meet the surgical needs of our warfighters. 
Moreover, podiatric surgeons remain in the Medical Service 
Corps in the Army and Navy, and the Biomedical Science Corps in 
the Air Force. This alignment does not administratively suit 
the profession, and podiatric surgeons may serve more 
effectively when aligned with surgeons of other medical 
disciplines. Lastly, while Army Reserve surgeons receive a 90-
day rotation exemption limiting their tour of duty in combat, 
Reserve podiatric surgeons are not eligible for this exemption. 
This creates challenges to recruiting the best podiatrists for 
military service, and is especially difficult for podiatrists 
serving in the Reserve component who are faced with the 
possibility of a long deployment with potentially adverse 
effects on their civilian practice. The committee therefore 
directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the 
Secretaries of the military departments, to submit a report to 
the House Committee on Armed Services not later than April 1, 
2019, on improvements that can be made to podiatry as a medical 
discipline within the Armed Services; how podiatry is aligned 
within each military branch; and what efforts are being made to 
provide additional clinical, command, training, and leadership 
opportunities to podiatrists across the joint force.

                        Podiatry in the Military

    The committee is concerned that surgically advanced 
military podiatrists are not presented with the same 
advancement opportunities as surgeons and doctors of other 
medical disciplines, and have historically had few 
opportunities for positions of command across the military 
medical enterprise. Podiatry, as a medical discipline in the 
Armed Forces, has evolved over the last several decades, 
including an additional 3-year surgical residency requirement 
for all military podiatrists. Podiatrists have increasingly 
deployed to combat zones overseas, serving in a variety of ways 
to meet the surgical needs of our warfighters. Moreover, 
podiatrists remain in the Medical Service Corps in the Army and 
Navy, and the Biomedical Science Corps in the Air Force. This 
alignment often limits advancement and leadership opportunities 
in the civilian sector, and may put them at a disadvantage when 
compared to officers in the Medical Corps. Lastly, while 
surgeons of other disciplines receive a 90-day rotation 
exemption limiting their tour of duty in combat, podiatrists 
are not eligible for this exemption. This creates challenges to 
recruiting the best podiatrists for military service, and is 
especially difficult for podiatrists serving in the Reserve 
component who are faced with the possibility of a long 
deployment with potentially adverse effects on their civilian 
practice.
    The committee therefore directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Secretaries of the military 
departments, to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed 
Services not later than April 1, 2019, on improvements that can 
be made to podiatry as a medical discipline within the Armed 
Services; how podiatry is aligned within each military branch; 
and what efforts are being made to provide additional clinical, 
command, training, and advancement opportunities to podiatrists 
across the joint force.

Study on CT Angiography and Fractional Flow Reserve Computed Tomography 
                     in the Military Health System

    The Committee is aware of the significant health and cost 
savings advantages of new technology for non-invasive diagnosis 
of cardiac artery disease through cardiac CT angiography (CTA) 
and fractional flow reserve computed tomography (FFRct). This 
FDA approved diagnostic device coupled with use of CTA as an 
initial testing strategy is recognized as part of a preferred 
pathway of care by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the 
American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, 
and the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. The 
committee directs the Director of the Defense Health Agency to 
provide a report to the House Committee on Armed Services no 
later than March 1, 2019, that reviews and assesses the 
clinical efficacy of this technology and how it may be 
incorporated throughout the Military Health System.

 Support for Global Health Security Agenda and Briefing on Joint Staff 
                            Recommendations

    The Committee is supportive of the Department of Defense 
contributions to biosecurity and the Global Health Security 
Agenda (GHSA). The DoD possesses unique capabilities that 
contribute to interagency efforts to prevent, detect, and 
respond to outbreaks of infectious disease worldwide, as 
demonstrated by the response to Ebola in West Africa.
    As the Ebola response required in excess of $600 million in 
DoD funding, the Committee is supportive of ensuring that the 
DoD learns lessons that can be applied to future pandemic 
prevention and response efforts. Therefore, the committee 
directs the Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than October 31, 2018 on implementation of 
recommendations made by the Joint Staff in its 2016 analysis of 
Operation United Assistance. The briefing shall include, but 
not be limited to, the status of implementation of the 
following recommendations:
    (A) Participate in or facilitate interagency meetings to 
synchronize the GHSA plans and activities. Support GHSA 
initiatives in partner countries.
    (B) Conduct a capability based assessment to identify gaps 
in DoD's ability to respond to infectious disease outbreaks, 
both domestically and internationally.
    (C) Sustain, and expand if possible public health-related 
capacity building for the full range of infectious diseases 
with partner countries as conditions allow.
    (D) Work with CDC and other stakeholders to develop a 
strategic plan for a global laboratory network and improved 
information sharing.
    (E) Identify and leverage opportunities to expand sampling 
programs to enhance OCONUS disease surveillance and gain an 
improved understanding of disease prevalence in different 
geographic areas.
    (F) Support the continued development of USG strategic 
plans that increase the public health and bio-surveillance 
capacities of partner nations.

      Therapeutic Service Dog Training Program for Service Members

    The committee is aware that service dog training therapy 
can provide important therapeutic benefits to service members 
recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain 
injury, and other post-deployment mental health conditions. The 
committee notes the important role played by non-governmental 
organizations that have established robust programs in the 
training and handling of therapeutic service dogs, and further 
notes that the right mix of personnel with the appropriate 
backgrounds and certifications facilitates positive therapeutic 
experiences. The committee believes these programs, whenever 
possible, should use data and research to continue to improve 
their effectiveness in assisting service members. The committee 
encourages the Secretary of Defense to continue administering a 
therapeutic service dog-training program that delivers 
effective and positive therapeutic and emotional benefits to 
service members recovering from post-traumatic stress disorder 
and other post-deployment mental health conditions.

           TRICARE Managed Care Support Contractor Reporting

    The committee notes the TRICARE benefit underwent 
considerable reform beginning January 1, 2018. The Department 
of Defense consolidated the TRICARE regions from three to two 
as part of the updated TRICARE management contract, and 
Congress directed that the TRICARE benefit be consolidated into 
two plans: a Healthcare Maintenance Plan and a Preferred 
Provider Plan. Both reforms took effect on January 1, 2018. The 
committee is aware of challenges for beneficiaries regarding 
timely appointments, referrals, provider network development, 
and other administrative processing functions. The committee is 
concerned these challenges may be impacting beneficiary access 
to health care services. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives not later than 
March 1, 2019, on managed care support contractor compliance 
with performance metrics and standards relating to 
appointments, referral processing, network development (to 
include the requirement to cover 85 percent of the 
beneficiaries with standard select coverage in Prime Service 
Areas with special emphasis on remote locations), and other 
administrative processing functions.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS

           Subtitle A--Tricare and Other Health Care Benefits


     Section 701--TRICARE Medicare Advantage Demonstration Program

    This section would authorize the Department of Defense to 
develop a Medicare Advantage demonstration program for TRICARE-
eligible beneficiaries.

Section 702--Pilot Program on Treatment of Members of the Armed Forces 
  for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Related to Military Sexual Trauma

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
assess the feasibility of a pilot program that uses intensive 
outpatient programs to treat members of the Armed Forces 
suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from 
military sexual trauma.

       Section 703--Pilot Program on Cryopreservation and Storage

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
establish a pilot program for not more than 1,000 Active Duty 
service members that provides the opportunity to cryopreserve 
and store their gametes prior to deployment to a combat zone.

                 Subtitle B--Health Care Administration


 Section 711--Transition of Administration by Defense Health Agency of 
                 Military Medical Treatment Facilities

    This section would amend section 1073 of title 10, United 
States Code, by requiring the Department of Defense to 
transition the administration of military treatment facilities 
from the respective Secretary of the military departments to 
the Director of the Defense Health Agency not later than 
September 30, 2020. This section would also prohibit the 
Secretary of Defense from closing or limiting services in any 
military medical treatment facility until a transition 
certification process is completed.

     Section 712--Sharing Information with State Prescription Drug 
                          Monitoring Programs

    This section would amend section 1074g of title 10, United 
States Code, by requiring the Department of Defense to 
establish a prescription drug monitoring program and share 
information with State prescription drug monitoring programs.

Section 713--Improvement to Notification to Congress of Hospitalization 
             of Combat-Wounded Members of the Armed Forces

    This section would amend section 1074l(a) of title 10, 
United States Code, by including notification to Congress of 
hospitalization of combat-wounded members of the Armed Forces 
to every military medical treatment facility.

        Section 714--Improvements to Trauma Center Partnerships

    This section would amend section 708 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328), by authorizing the use of civilian trauma centers in the 
training of military health professionals in trauma-related 
specialties.

               Section 715--Wounded Warrior Policy Review

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
update and review policy and procedures related to wounded 
warrior care and include a report on the review not later than 
1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

     Section 716--Joint Force Medical Capabilities Development and 
                            Standardization

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
develop a process to establish joint medical capabilities that 
meet operational planning requirements and provide a report on 
this process to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate 
and the House of Representatives not later than March 1, 2019.

                 Subtitle C--Reports and Other Matters


    Section 721--Establishment of Triservice Dental Research Program

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
establish the Triservice Dental Research Program at the 
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

Section 722--Increasing the Number of Appointed Directors of the Henry 
     M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine

    This section would increase the number of appointed 
directors of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the 
Advancement of Military Medicine.

  Section 723--Extension of Authority for Joint Department of Defense-
   Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration Fund

    This section would authorize the extension of the Joint 
Department of Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical 
Facility Demonstration Fund established by section 1704 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public 
Law 111-84) and most recently amended by section 719 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public 
Law 115-91).

 Section 724--Inclusion of Gambling Disorder in Health Assessments and 
         Related Research Efforts of the Department of Defense

    This section would require the Department of Defense to 
include questions concerning gambling disorders in annual 
periodic health assessments and the Health-Related Behaviors 
Survey of Active Duty Military Personnel.

  Section 725--Medical Simulation Technology and Live Tissue Training 
                    within the Department of Defense

    This section would require the Department of Defense to use 
medical simulation technology before the use of live tissue 
training to train medical professionals and combat medics 
except for when the use of live tissue training is determined 
necessary by the medical chain of command. This section would 
also require a briefing on the use and benefit of medical 
simulation technology and live tissue training within the 
Department of Defense.

   Section 726--Limitation on Changes to Federal Emergency Services 
                 Certification Levels of the Air Force

    This section limits any changes to Federal Emergency 
Services certification levels in the Air Force.

              Section 727--Strategic Medical Research Plan

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Secretaries of the military departments, 
to submit to the congressional defense committees a 
comprehensive strategic medical research plan that is inclusive 
of the Congressional Directed Medical Research Plan and the 
Defense Health Program.

       Section 728--Independent Evaluation of Mental Health Care

    This section would require an independent assessment of 
mental health care services in the Military Health System by an 
independent federally funded research and development center.

   Section 729--Study on Reimbursement Rates for Mental Health Care 
 Providers under TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select in the East and West 
                     Regions of the TRICARE Program

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
conduct a study assessing the impacts of using established 
reimbursement rates to reimburse covered mental health care 
providers on the availability of such providers.

  TITLE VIII--ACQUISITION POLICY, ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT, AND RELATED 
                                MATTERS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                  Assessment of Acquisition Workforce

    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide 
the House Armed Services Committees no later than December 1, 
2018 a report to assess the current effectiveness of Defense 
Acquisition University's mission to adequately train the 
Department of Defenses' acquisition workforce and other 
personnel involved in the acquisition process. This report 
shall include an assessment of Defense Acquisition University's 
ability to adequately train students to write acquisition 
requirements (including scope of work) so that requirements are 
developed in such a way as to meet the needs of the Department, 
as well as its ability to adequately train students on the 
appropriate use of transactions other than contracts, 
cooperative agreements, and grants, also known as other 
transaction authority, and additional items at the Secretary's 
discretion.

             Briefing on Athletic Footwear for New Recruits

    The committee notes the health and safety of newly 
recruited servicemembers is of utmost importance. The committee 
notes athletic footwear furnished to new recruits upon entering 
the military should be consistently issued in a manner that 
accounts for each recruit's individual physiological 
requirement in order to prevent lower extremity musculoskeletal 
injuries. The committee directs the Department of Defense to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services, 
not later than November 1, 2018, on the Department's effort to 
examine, measure, and fit new recruits with athletic shoes in 
an effort to reduce and prevent injury. The briefing will 
present the information separately by individual service as 
well as in aggregate.

   Comptroller General Report on the Issuance of Regulations in the 
           Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement

    The committee notes that despite recent legislative reform 
to the acquisition system there has been a significant delay 
between statutory enactment and issuance of regulations in the 
Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). For 
example, a final rule on procurement of commercial items 
(issued in January 2018) amended the DFARS based upon 
requirements from as long ago as the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112-239). As 
a result, the acquisition and contracting communities within 
and outside the Federal Government are unable to take full 
advantage of recent reforms and improvements to acquisition and 
contracting procedures. The committee is concerned that the 
momentum generated by congressional acquisition reform 
initiatives has been lost as a result of delayed, and 
potentially incomplete, revision of regulations, and seeks to 
identify and remedy the causes of such delays. According to the 
Department of Defense's operating guidance for the DFARS, the 
standard timeline for issuance of a final rule is one year, 
including multiple layers of review within and outside the 
Department as well as time for public comment. The committee 
seeks recommendations on how to reduce that timeline and ensure 
that previously enacted statutory provisions are not 
disregarded in regulation. The committee also encourages 
exploration of other ways to quickly implement enacted reforms 
such as through interim policy memoranda or other guidance, 
without the need for formal regulatory action.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of 
the United States to submit a report to the congressional 
defense committees by March 1, 2019, on the issuance of 
regulations in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 
Supplement as required under statutory provisions enacted in 
past National Defense Authorization Acts. The report should 
describe the existing revision process and assess the status of 
statutory provisions enacted since fiscal year 2010. The report 
should assess the factors delaying revision to the DFARS and 
provide recommendations for any changes that might accelerate 
such revisions. The committee intends for the Comptroller 
General to focus on acquisition policy-related statutory 
provisions enacted in past National Defense Authorization Acts.
    The committee further directs the Comptroller General to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
December 1, 2018, on preliminary findings.

         Contract Incentives for Superior Supplier Performance

    The committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition and Sustainment to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services not later than December 1, 2018, on 
the Department of Defense's Superior Supplier Incentive 
Program. This program is designed to recognize and reward 
contractors who demonstrate superior performance by focusing on 
cost, schedule, performance, quality, and responsiveness. The 
briefing should include discussion of the feasibility of 
providing contract incentives, such as more favorable contract 
terms and conditions, which had been considered in relation to 
the Department of the Navy's Superior Supplier Incentive 
Program that preceded the Department of Defense's program.

                       Core Logistics Capability

    The committee notes that section 2464 of title 10, United 
States Code, requires the Department of Defense to maintain a 
core logistics capability that is Government-owned and 
Government-operated (including Government personnel and 
Government-owned and Government-operated equipment and 
facilities) to ensure a ready and controlled source of 
technical competence and resources necessary to ensure 
effective and timely response to a mobilization, national 
defense contingency situations, and other emergency 
requirements. The committee further notes that recent National 
Defense Authorization Acts have made important changes to 
commercial item statutes, and that elsewhere in this Act the 
committee recommends further changes to the statutes governing 
commercial items. In all cases, the committee expects the 
Department to implement any statutory changes in a manner 
consistent with the mandate in section 2464 of title 10, United 
States Code, to maintain core logistics capabilities.
    The committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition and Sustainment to provide a report to the House 
Committee on Armed Services, not later than February 1, 2019, 
on the Department's implementation of changes to commercial 
item statutes enacted in National Defense Authorization Acts 
for fiscal years 2016 through 2019, and how such changes may 
affect core logistics capability in the future.

                   Data Rights Impact to Sustainment

    The committee is concerned about access to appropriate data 
rights with regard to long-term sustainment of weapon systems, 
especially for weapon systems transitioning to organic depot 
sustainment.
    The committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Acquisition and Sustainment to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by September 30, 2018, on the 
process and status of obtaining appropriate data rights for 
long-term sustainment of weapon systems transitioning to 
organic depots.

             Domestic Samarium Cobalt Magnet Manufacturing

    The committee is aware of the Department of Defense's 
continued need for a reliable rare earth magnet manufacturing 
industrial base to provide key components in many weapon 
systems. The committee is concerned that a recent memorandum of 
understanding (MOU) with Japan may result in the outsourcing of 
all remaining rare earth magnet manufacturing capability in the 
United States to foreign manufacturers. There is currently one 
U.S.-owned and -operated rare earth magnet manufacturing 
facility in the United States, which produces samarium cobalt 
magnets. The committee urges the Secretary of Defense to take 
the appropriate steps to ensure that the United States is not 
completely without a commercial-scale rare earth magnet 
manufacturing facility.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by September 
30, 2018, on the risks to the current domestic rare earth 
supply chain, including domestic samarium cobalt magnet makers, 
as a result of the MOU with Japan. The briefing should also 
describe the Department's strategy for preserving the long-term 
viability of the U.S. rare earth magnet industrial base.

                   Ensuring Availability of Beryllium

    The committee notes that beryllium is the only material 
designated by the Department of Defense's Strategic Materials 
Protection Board as a critical material. The committee notes 
there is a complete, vertically integrated supply chain in the 
United States for beryllium metal and other beryllium products 
that are used in major defense systems including the F-35 Joint 
Strike Fighter and nuclear weapon systems. This supply chain 
has historically been supported by the Department of Defense 
through the Defense Production Act and other authorities as 
required in order to maintain access to this critical, 
strategic material.
    The committee is interested in the Department's efforts to 
help the U.S. defense industrial base sustain a secure, viable, 
and affordable domestic supply of beryllium.
    The committee therefore directs the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than September 30, 2018, on the Department's efforts to 
maintain the availability of beryllium for defense needs. The 
briefing should address the following:
    (1) what steps the Department is taking to ensure a stable 
and affordable domestic supply chain for beryllium;
    (2) whether the Department intends to provide any guidance 
regarding individual programs using beryllium feedstock from 
the Russian Federation and metal production from the Republic 
of Kazakhstan;
    (3) the Department's coordination with the National Nuclear 
Security Administration to maintain the availability of 
beryllium for nuclear modernization requirements;
    (4) the Department's efforts to work with the Occupational 
Safety and Health Administration to ensure that regulatory 
burdens do not jeopardize the domestic beryllium supply chain; 
and
    (5) the potential opportunities for the Department's 
guidance to its component agencies and military services to 
ensure a whole-of-Department approach to beryllium supply.

  Final Activities of and Archiving of Records for Advisory Panel on 
           Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition Regulations

    The committee notes that the Advisory Panel on Streamlining 
and Codifying Acquisition Regulations has continued to provide 
analysis to the relevant congressional committees and the 
Department of Defense to support statutory and regulatory 
implementation of recommendations contained in volume 1 of its 
final report. The committee expects the Advisory Panel to 
provide additional recommendations to Congress and the 
Executive Branch in volumes 2 and 3 of the final report. The 
Advisory Panel, pursuant to section 883 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91), 
which amended section 809 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92), will remain in 
existence for 180 days following delivery of volume 3 of the 
final report in January 2019. During this final 6-month period, 
the Advisory Panel should continue to provide any necessary 
analysis and clarification of recommendations contained in the 
final report to Congress and the Executive Branch to support 
and facilitate statutory and regulatory implementation of such 
recommendations.
    The committee expects that the Department of Defense's 
acquisition reform efforts will not cease upon the termination 
of the Advisory Panel on Streamlining and Codifying Acquisition 
Regulations. In addition, the Department of Defense's 
implementation of recent legislative reforms as well as the 
Advisory Panel's recommendations on regulations will require 
continued research and analysis by the Department. The 
committee notes that section 809 of Public Law 114-92 
established the National Defense University as one of the 
sponsors of the Advisory Panel.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense that upon 
termination of the Advisory Panel, the Advisory Panel's records 
shall be maintained by the Eisenhower School at the National 
Defense University by no later than August 1, 2019.

  Installation of Command, Control, Communication and Computer Systems

    The committee remains concerned that the Navy is using 
lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) contracting 
procedures inappropriately, particularly when acquiring complex 
systems, including command and control systems or services for 
the installation of command and control systems on ships. The 
committee notes that the Navy faces a significant backlog of 
maintenance and repair on ships and this backlog includes 
upgrades of command and control systems. The capacity of the 
Navy to reduce the backlog of needed repairs remains of concern 
to the committee. Consequently, the committee directs the 
Secretary of the Navy to provide a briefing to the House Armed 
Services Committee not later than March 1, 2019, on the Navy's 
acquisition plan for command and control systems and the 
installation of these systems aboard Navy vessels. The briefing 
shall include an overview on how the Navy plans to reduce the 
backlog of needed command and control system upgrades, as well 
as the physical installation of these systems on Navy vessels. 
The briefing shall include the Navy's plan for acquiring 
adequate contracting capacity for the performance of the 
required work, the plan to incentivize contractors to perform 
the work quickly, and the total amount of work programmed for 
the next five years by class of ship.

                     Mandatory Arbitration Briefing

    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not later 
than March 1, 2019, on steps the Department has taken to ensure 
compliance with the provisions of Subpart 222.74 of the Defense 
Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement concerning 
restrictions on the use of mandatory arbitration agreements. 
The briefing shall include steps taken to ensure that the 
Department does not fund contracts in excess of $1 million with 
contractors that require as a condition of employment that 
employees enter an agreement to resolve certain claims and 
torts through arbitration. The briefing shall also include 
steps taken to ensure that contractors have certified that 
covered subcontractors, as defined in the clause at 252.222-
7006 of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, 
have been required to agree not to enter into such agreements. 
The briefing shall also include the extent to which the 
Secretary of Defense has waived the requirements of this 
subpart. The briefing shall also include potential ways for 
Department of Defense to determine the prevalence of mandatory 
arbitration by Department of Defense contractors compared to 
contractors that do not do business with Department of Defense.

              Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program

    The committee supports and recognizes the importance of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership program. The committee understands that 
the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program provides 
assistance to small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies 
to reduce costs, increase productivity, improve management, 
enhance supply chains, and adapt to new market and supply chain 
opportunities. In addition, the committee believes that 
additional resourcing and support for the program would likely 
provide these services to a larger number of manufacturers 
involved in Department of Defense programs.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to provide a briefing 
to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than March 
1, 2019, on the Department of Defense plans for future 
cooperation with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
program, including collaborative efforts between the Department 
and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. The 
briefing should also include a review of potential 
opportunities for expanding Department support for the 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership program in an effort to 
provide assistance to manufacturing elements of the defense 
industrial base.

                       National Defense Stockpile

    The committee notes the importance of the National Defense 
Stockpile and of the preservation of strategic and critical 
materials for national defense. The committee is concerned 
about the current risks and long-term sustainability of the 
National Defense Stockpile. According to the Department of 
Defense, there are significant unsatisfied stockpile 
requirements, and, under the current program-financing model, 
the Transaction Fund will be unsustainable by 2024.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by September 
30, 2018, on the National Defense Stockpile. The briefing 
should address the following:
    (1) the Department's plan to address the current 
unmitigated risks;
    (2) how the Department will make the Transaction Fund 
sustainable;
    (3) an overview of the Department's stockpile management to 
include acquisition of materials, storage, security, and 
maintenance;
    (4) the Department's ability to upgrade, refine, and 
process the material for storage, disposition, or use; and
    (5) any vulnerabilities to the National Defense Stockpile 
supply chain and the Department's risk mitigation efforts.

                    Navy Build-to-Print Cost Savings

    The committee supports expanding competition in Navy 
acquisition, including appropriate use of ``build-to-print'' 
competitions where the Navy holds sufficient rights to the 
design of military equipment components to compete the 
production of them with multiple sources. The committee is 
aware of Navy efforts to use such competitions to dramatically 
reduce the time and cost of contracting for selected items. The 
committee encourages the Navy to expand these efforts if they 
can be pursued in a way that works collaboratively with 
industry on obtaining the necessary technical data rights and 
intellectual property through early negotiations.

             One Hundred Percent Employee-Owned Contractors

    The committee is interested in understanding the merits of 
100 percent employee-owned contractors and the potential 
benefits they bring to strengthening the defense industrial 
base. The committee seeks to further understand the benefits 
and cost implications of awarding contracts to employee-owned 
contractors for the Department of Defense; the retention rates 
of employee-owned contractors; and any other benefits of this 
type of contractor.
    The committee will work with the Comptroller General of the 
United States to further study these types of contractors.

                 Report on REE-Bearing Waste Recycling

    The committee continues to be concerned with our dependence 
on foreign sources for materials critical to our national 
defense. To help mitigate this supply chain risk, the FY 2017 
National Defense Authorization Act strongly encouraged the 
Department to recycle discarded items, such as spent 
fluorescent lamps, in order to extract, reclaim and reuse 
critical materials and rare earth elements contained in such 
waste. This section also provided the Department broad 
authority to recover, acquire, recycle and manage the disposal 
and recyclable strategic and critical materials containing REE 
from other federal agencies.
    The committee is aware of recent advances in domestic 
recycling technology, providing clean and efficient means for 
reclaiming rare earth elements from a variety of domestic waste 
streams. At current recycling levels of fluorescent lamps 
alone, recoverable quantities of target rare earth elements 
such as Yttrium, deemed by the Department to be critical to the 
national defense, can wholly offset the total amount of 
imported Yttrium originating in China on an annual basis, and 
sold at or below current market price.
    Where feasible, such waste streams should not be destroyed 
or landfilled, but managed in accordance with our national 
defense needs. The committee therefore directs the Secretary of 
Defense to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by February 1, 2019, on the Department's past and 
planned future use of new authorities granted to them to both 
recycle the Department's applicable REE-bearing waste, and 
recover and exploit the REE-bearing waste of other federal 
agencies.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS

     Subtitle A--Streamlining of Defense Acquisition Statutes and 
                              Regulations


        Section 800--Effective Dates; Coordination of Amendments

    This section would set the effective dates for the 
establishment of a new part V of subtitle A of title 10, United 
States Code, and the redesignation of the chapter and section 
numbers for title 10 subtitles B, C, and D in order to create 
numerical space for a new part V at the end of subtitle A. This 
restructuring would also enable additional growth and potential 
future reorganization of title 10 statutes in other subject 
areas outside of the acquisition code.
    The committee expects that this restructuring effort would 
be sustained. The second phase of reorganization would be 
enacted by follow-on legislation that would direct the more 
detailed chapter by chapter transfer into the final revised, 
rationalized structure of title 10 not later than February 1, 
2020.

Part I--Consolidation of Defense Acquisition Statutes in New Part V of 
               Subtitle A of Title 10, United States Code


          Section 801--Framework for New Part V of Subtitle A

    This section would establish the initial step in the first 
phase of a comprehensive reorganization and optimization of 
acquisition-related statutes in title 10, United States Code. 
The committee recognizes that the structure for acquisition-
related statutes in title 10 has become unwieldy and 
inadequate.
    This section would create a new part V at the end of 
subtitle A of title 10, thus logically organizing all 
acquisition-related statutes in one part in the Code. The 
committee expects that the actual shift of statutory language 
for the new part V would be established in a subsequent second 
phase of legislation, but not later than February 1, 2020.
    The committee notes that reorganizing defense acquisition 
statutes into a restructured, rationalized form would reflect 
more clearly the underlying organization of these statutes and 
provide a structure that is more intuitive and easier to 
navigate, as well as facilitate future growth within the Code's 
structure. In addition, the proposed reorganization would 
provide an opportunity to restore parallelism between the 
acquisition-related provisions of title 10 and the 
corresponding provisions of title 41, United States Code, that 
are applicable to procurement by non-defense agencies, which 
would benefit the entirety of the Federal contracting 
community.
    The committee expects that this restructuring effort will 
be sustained, and the second phase of reorganization will be 
enacted by follow-on legislation that will direct the more 
detailed chapter by chapter transfer into the final revised, 
rationalized structure of title 10 (to include the new part V 
of subtitle A) not later than February 1, 2020.

Part II--Redesignation of Sections and Chapters of Subtitles B, C, and 
             D To Provide Room for New Part V of Subtitle A


 Section 806--Redesignation of Sections and Chapters of Subtitle D of 
                Title 10, United States Code--Air Force

    This section would redesignate the chapter and section 
numbers for subtitle D of title 10, United States Code, in 
order to create numerical space for a new part V at the end of 
subtitle A. This restructuring would also enable additional 
growth and potential future reorganization of title 10 statutes 
in other subject areas outside of the acquisition code.
    The committee expects that this restructuring effort would 
be sustained. The second phase of reorganization would be 
enacted by follow-on legislation that would direct a more 
detailed chapter by chapter transfer into a final revised, 
rationalized structure of title 10 not later than February 1, 
2020.

 Section 807--Redesignation of Sections and Chapters of Subtitle C of 
          Title 10, United States Code--Navy and Marine Corps

    This section would redesignate the chapter and section 
numbers for subtitle C of title 10, United States Code, in 
order to create numerical space for a new part V at the end of 
subtitle A. This restructuring would also enable additional 
growth and potential future reorganization of title 10 statutes 
in other subject areas outside of the acquisition code.
    The committee expects that this restructuring effort would 
be sustained. The second phase of reorganization would be 
enacted by follow-on legislation that would direct a more 
detailed chapter by chapter transfer into a final revised, 
rationalized structure of title 10 not later than February 1, 
2020.

 Section 808--Redesignation of Sections and Chapters of Subtitle B of 
                   Title 10, United States Code--Army

    This section would redesignate the chapter and section 
numbers for subtitle B of title 10, United States Code, in 
order to create numerical space for a new part V at the end of 
subtitle A. This restructuring would also enable additional 
growth and potential future reorganization of title 10 statutes 
in other subject areas outside of the acquisition code.
    The committee expects that this restructuring effort would 
be sustained. The second phase of reorganization would be 
enacted by follow-on legislation that would direct a more 
detailed chapter by chapter transfer into a final revised, 
rationalized structure of title 10 not later than February 1, 
2020.

  Section 809--Cross References to Redesignated Sections and Chapters

    This section would establish the cross-references guidance 
for new redesignated sections and chapters of title 10, United 
States Code.
    The committee expects that this restructuring effort would 
be sustained. The second phase of reorganization would be 
enacted by follow-on legislation that would direct a more 
detailed chapter by chapter transfer into a final revised, 
rationalized structure of title 10 not later than February 1, 
2020.

   Part III--Repeals of Certain Provisions of Defense Acquisition Law


  Section 811--Amendment to and Repeal of Statutory Requirements for 
       Certain Positions or Offices in the Department of Defense

    This section would amend or repeal a number of statutory 
requirements for certain Department of Defense positions or 
offices established or required by law, and would establish a 
sunset for one statutory designation.
    The committee notes that these repeals do not constitute an 
assessment of the offices' or positions' respective missions or 
roles in the acquisition process, but rather are an effort to 
remove needlessly prescriptive and obsolete requirements from 
the United States Code. Codifying the existence and structure 
of certain offices may unnecessarily restrict the Secretary of 
Defense's ability to modify the Department's organizational 
structure to improve efficiency and effectiveness in a way that 
is consistent with the reforms to the organization of the 
Office of the Secretary of Defense as required by section 901 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114-328). Repeal of these statutory requirements 
would not directly abolish the affected positions, but would 
allow the Secretary to restructure those positions should such 
action be warranted. Removing statutory mandates would enhance 
the Secretary's authority and ability to craft an agile 
acquisition organization.

        Section 812--Repeal of Certain Defense Acquisition Laws

    This section would repeal a number of outdated provisions 
of law related to defense acquisition, including sections of 
title 10, United States Code, and provisions that appear in the 
United States Code as legislative ``note'' sections under 
various provisions of title 10. These out-of-date provisions 
either required the Department of Defense to issue regulations, 
have now expired by their own terms, or are otherwise obsolete.
    The committee notes that, with respect to repeal of a 
statutory requirement for issuance of a regulation, it is not 
expressing a view on the merits of the policies covered by the 
regulation. Rather, in repealing the statutory requirement for 
a regulation, this section would allow the Secretary of Defense 
to revise the regulation as circumstances warrant. Repealing 
the statutory requirement would allow the Secretary to revise 
or rescind the regulation, but would not prescribe it. The 
decision to retain, or not retain, the regulation would remain 
with the Secretary.

    Section 813--Repeal of Certain Department of Defense Reporting 
                              Requirements

    This section would repeal certain Department of Defense 
recurring reporting requirements. The committee notes that 
excessive reporting requirements can impose costs on the 
Department of Defense that outweigh the intended benefits of 
each individual report, and can potentially impede the 
Department's ability to effectively direct resources to core 
objectives. In the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328), Congress initially 
directed a large group of recurring reporting requirements to 
sunset on December 31, 2021. This section continues to advance 
this streamlining effort.

Subtitle B--Amendments to General Contracting Authorities, Procedures, 
                            and Limitations


         Section 821--Contract Goal for the AbilityOne Program

    This section would amend section 2323a of title 10, United 
States Code, to create a contract goal for the AbilityOne 
program of 1.5 percent. This section would also require the 
Secretary of Defense to submit an annual report to the U.S. 
AbilityOne Commission on progress made toward achieving said 
contract goal.
    The committee intends to establish greater transparency for 
this program's execution.

     Section 822--Increased Micro-Purchase Threshold Applicable to 
                   Department of Defense Procurements

    This section would amend section 2338 of title 10, United 
States Code, by raising the micro-purchase threshold for the 
Department of Defense from $5,000 to $10,000.

        Section 823--Preference for Offerors Employing Veterans

    This section would amend chapter 137 of title 10, United 
States Code, by adding a new section that would authorize the 
head of an agency, in awarding a contract for the procurement 
of goods and services for the Department of Defense, to 
establish a preference for offerors that employ veterans on a 
full-time basis, with criteria for use of such preference 
determined by the Secretary of Defense. Prior to establishing 
such preference, the Secretary of Defense would be required to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services on 
the process for assessing and verifying offeror compliance with 
regulations relating to equal opportunity for veteran's 
requirements, and an implementation plan that includes 
penalties for an offeror that willfully and intentionally 
misrepresents the veteran status of employees.
    The committee notes the importance of ensuring and 
expanding economic opportunity for veterans, and the role of 
the Department in this endeavor. The committee further notes 
that the Department uses existing programs that maximize 
contracting opportunities for veteran-owned businesses and 
believes procurement policy should also encourage the 
employment of veterans through development of a preference that 
rewards the employment of veterans by companies. The committee 
also notes the importance of establishing effective compliance 
mechanisms as part of any such preference to ensure that the 
service of veterans is not abused as a result of willful 
misrepresentation of their status by offerors.

Section 824--Revision of Requirement to Submit Information on Services 
                         Contracts to Congress

    This section would amend section 2329(b) of title 10, 
United States Code, to change from October 1, 2022, to October 
1, 2020, the effective date for the Secretary of Defense's 
submission to Congress of information on services contracts 
that clearly and separately identifies the amount requested for 
each category of services to be procured for each Defense 
Agency, Department of Defense Field Activity, command, or 
military installation. This section would also add the 
requirement that such information should be included in the 
Future Years Defense Program submitted to Congress under 
section 221 of this title.
    The committee notes the Department of Defense's recent 
decision to proceed with an initiative to budget services 
acquisitions over the course of the full Future Years Defense 
Program and to develop an implementation plan that leverages 
existing tools that can be employed to improve planning for 
acquisition of services. The committee notes that the 
Department's approach harmonizes well with the committee's 
reform efforts enacted in the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) concerning 
enterprise data standardization and transparency. The committee 
further notes that the Department's decision obviates the need 
for, and expenditure on, the independent analysis on this 
matter performed by a federally funded research and development 
center or other organization that was included in the 
conference report (H. Rept. 115-404) accompanying the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by December 
1, 2018, on the development of this implementation plan and 
milestones leading to implementation of this initiative not 
later than October 1, 2020.

   Section 825--Data Collection and Inventory for Services Contracts

    This section would amend section 2330a of title 10, United 
States Code, by changing the dollar threshold for data to be 
collected on each purchase of services by a military department 
or Defense Agency from $3.0 million to the simplified 
acquisition threshold. This section would also remove the 
specification of the four service acquisition portfolio groups 
to be included in such data collection. This section would also 
change the activities contained in an annual inventory prepared 
by the Secretary of Defense from those pursuant to staff 
augmentation contracts, to those pursuant to services 
contracts, and replace references to the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics with the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

Section 826--Competition Requirements for Purchases from Federal Prison 
                               Industries

    This section would amend section 2410n of title 10, United 
States Code, by removing ``for which Federal Prison Industries 
does not have a significant market share''.
    This section would create a requirement for conducting 
market research before purchasing a product listed in the 
Federal Prison Industries (FPI) catalog. This section would 
require the Department of Defense to:
    (1) conduct market research to determine if the product is 
comparable to products in the private sector and meets the 
Department's needs (price, quality, or time of delivery) prior 
to purchasing a product from FPI.
    (2) use competitive procedures or purchase under a multiple 
award contract if the product is not comparable and does not 
meet the Department's needs.

Section 827--Requirement for a Fair and Reasonable Price for Technical 
     Data Before Development or Production of Major Weapon Systems

    This section would provide the Department of Defense with 
additional flexibility on negotiations for appropriate 
technical data.

 Section 828--Revisions in Authority Relating to Program Cost Targets 
      and Fielding Targets for Major Defense Acquisition Programs

    This section would amend sections 2448a, 2366a, and 2366b 
of title 10, United States Code, to allow the Secretaries of 
the military departments, or, in instances where an alternate 
milestone decision authority for a program has been designated 
under section 2430(d)(2) of title 10, United States Code, the 
Secretary of Defense, to establish program cost, fielding, and 
performance goals in planning major defense acquisition 
programs. This section would also allow for the delegation of 
these responsibilities beyond the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
    The committee notes that while section 825 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-
92) amended section 2430 of title 10, United States Code, by 
changing the designation of the milestone decision authority 
for major defense acquisition programs to be, with some 
exceptions, the service acquisition executive of the military 
department that is managing the program, this change has not 
been reflected elsewhere in this title. As a result, certain 
statutory responsibilities remain with the Secretary of Defense 
when they should more appropriately be performed by the 
Secretaries of the military departments. This section addresses 
this discrepancy as it pertains to establishing program cost, 
fielding, and performance goals in planning major defense 
acquisition programs, as well as associated reporting to 
Congress that coincides with the granting of Milestone A and 
Milestone B approval.

Section 829--Revision of Timeline for Use of the Rapid Fielding Pathway 
                        for Acquisition Programs

    This section would amend section 804(b)(2) of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-
92) to change part of the objective of an acquisition program 
under the rapid fielding pathway from completing fielding 
within 5 years, to completing low-rate initial production 
within 5 years.
    The committee notes that requiring completion of fielding 
within 5 years may unnecessarily limit the applicability of 
this pathway for incremental upgrade programs.

     Section 830--Clarification of Services Contracting Definitions

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense, not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, to revise the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 
Supplement to clarify the definitions of and relationships 
between terms related to services contracts, including the 
appropriate use of personal and nonpersonal services contracts, 
and the responsibilities of individuals in the acquisition 
workforce with respect to such contracts.
    The committee notes that definitions for terms related to 
contracted services are found in statute, regulation, and 
elsewhere in the Department of Defense's contracted services 
lexicon. The committee expects the Department to clearly 
delineate in one place the definitions of and relationships 
between terms related to contracted services, including 
associated supervisory responsibilities.

          Subtitle C--Provisions Relating to Commercial Items


Section 831--Revision of Definition of Commercial Item for Purposes of 
                      Federal Acquisition Statutes

    This section would clarify the definition of commercial 
items. Specifically, it would clarify commercial items as 
commercial products or commercial services.
    The committee notes the current definition of commercial 
items throughout the United States Code is inconsistent, with 
40 disparate definitions of commercial items. Additionally, 
commercial item definitions do not appropriately take into 
account the differences between products and services. The 
separation of the definition of commercial items into 
commercial products and commercial services would simplify and 
streamline procurement. Consistency in application of 
definitions would assist the acquisition workforce as well as 
businesses seeking to participate in the defense sector.

                 Section 832--Definition of Subcontract

    This section would create a precise definition for 
``subcontract'' in title 41, United States Code, and 
incorporates this revised definition in title 10, United States 
Code.
    The committee notes there are multiple definitions of 
subcontract and establishing a single definition for a 
subcontract would provide clarification, simplicity, and 
consistency for defense procurement actions.

   Section 833--Limitation on Applicability to Department of Defense 
Commercial Contracts of Certain Provisions of Law and Certain Executive 
                         Orders and Regulations

    This section would update section 2375, section 2533a, and 
section 2533b of title 10, United States Code, with the 
clarified definition of commercial products and commercial 
services. This section would also establish a new section 2375a 
to limit applicability of certain Executive orders and 
regulations.
    The committee expects that these revisions would remove 
current obstacles from commercial transactions between the 
Department of Defense and commercial suppliers, and improve 
access to the best commercial goods and services.

Section 834--Modifications to Procurement Through Commercial E-Commerce 
                                Portals

    This section would amend section 846 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91) to allow the Administrator of the General Services 
Administration to develop procedures for procurement through a 
commercial e-commerce portal. The procedures must satisfy the 
requirements for competitive procedures outlined in title 41, 
United States Code. Additionally, this section would require 
these procedures to be submitted to the congressional defense 
committees 30 days prior to implementation.
    This section would also amend titles 10 and 41, United 
States Code, by increasing the micro-purchase threshold for 
procurement through a commercial e-commerce portal from $10,000 
to $25,000.
    The committee notes that Public Law 115-91 authorized the 
Office of Management and Budget to develop a program managed by 
the General Services Administration to procure commercial 
products through e-commerce portals. The committee expects the 
commercial e-commerce portals would simplify and streamline the 
defense acquisition process as well as provide better 
transparency.

                  Subtitle D--Industrial Base Matters


 Section 841--Requirement That Certain Ship Components Be Manufactured 
             in the National Technology and Industrial Base

    This section would amend section 2534 of title 10, United 
States Code, and would require certain auxiliary ship 
components to be procured from a manufacturer in the national 
technology and industrial base.

Section 842--Report on Domestic Sourcing of Specific Components for All 
                             Naval Vessels

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
submit a report to the congressional defense committees by 
March 1, 2019, that provides a market survey and cost 
assessment associated with limiting competition to domestic 
sources for certain naval components.

 Section 843--Removal of National Interest Determination Requirements 
                          for Certain Entities

    This section would streamline the National Industrial 
Security Program by removing the regulatory requirements 
relating to National Interest Determinations (NIDs). It would 
build on section 1712 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91), which required a 
review of whether certain companies ``should be exempted from 
one or more of the foreign ownership, control, or influence 
[FOCI] requirements of the National Industrial Security 
Program.'' This section would address NIDs as a particularly 
urgent problem within that set of FOCI requirements authorized 
for exemption. It would also authorize the Secretary of Defense 
to accelerate implementation of this policy for contracting 
entities that have already demonstrated a longstanding 
commitment to industrial security and have previously been 
approved for access to proscribed information.
    The committee is concerned that, especially with regard to 
entities from allied countries (United States, the United 
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Commonwealth 
of Australia, and Canada) that comprise the national technology 
and industrial base (NTIB), the NID process creates substantial 
burdens without meaningfully enhancing the government's 
national security interests. It also causes the misallocation 
of scarce industrial security oversight resources. Under 
current practice, but not pursuant to any statutory mandate, 
NIDs are required for entities operating under a ``special 
security agreement'' (SSA) to access proscribed categories of 
classified information. The committee is aware that certain 
agencies can take between 6 and 10 months to process NID 
requests, even for SSA-mitigated companies from NTIB countries 
that have a longstanding history of industrial security 
performance in the United States and are critical players in 
our nation's defense industrial base. These delays and 
associated burdens have restricted competition and innovation 
by excluding qualified and responsible U.S.-based companies 
that operate under SSAs.

   Section 844--Pilot Program To Test Machine-Vision Technologies To 
  Determine the Authenticity and Security of Microelectronic Parts in 
                             Weapon Systems

    This section would require the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Research and Engineering, in coordination with the Defense 
Microelectronics Activity, to establish a pilot program to test 
the feasibility and reliability of using machine-vision 
technologies to determine the authenticity and security of 
microelectronics parts in weapon systems.
    The committee supports the Department of Defense's 
comprehensive counterfeit material prevention strategy, which 
is a risk-based approach that includes collaboration with 
industry to reduce counterfeit parts in the supply chain. The 
committee notes that since it first highlighted this issue in 
2012, the Department has made significant improvements and 
standardized the processes for assuring acquisition of 
authentic and conforming material. However, remaining ahead of 
emerging security threats in this area remains a challenge.
    The committee believes that utilization of innovative 
software applications may provide opportunities to cost-
effectively add capabilities and improve operations by 
addressing gaps from third-party providers, including receiving 
and inspection requirements for non-franchised parts.
    Specifically, the committee is aware of new technologies 
based on personalization and anti-counterfeiting software that, 
combined with optical and digital authentication methods, are 
effectively being used to meet high-security inventory demands 
in commercial industry. Such technologies include machine-
vision technologies that have the ability to identify and 
authenticate objects without adding additional hardware to the 
object such as radio frequency identification chips, bar codes, 
quick response codes, or serial numbers. These technologies 
provide identification of counterfeit goods by using 
authentication methods that are strongly resistant to 
replication and tampering; can be applied to a variety of 
substrates such as plastic and metal; can be encoded and/or 
embedded onto substrates; and can be easily authenticated 
optically and digitally using decoder devices and applications 
on mobile devices. The committee understands that such 
technologies may provide data analytics capability as well. As 
a result, the committee believes a pilot program of the 
appropriate scope is the best way for the Department to 
evaluate and understand the potential of this new technology.

                   Subtitle E--Small Business Matters


       Section 851--Department of Defense Small Business Strategy

    This section would require the Department of Defense to 
develop and implement a small business strategy to better 
leverage small businesses as a means to enhance or support 
mission execution. This section specifies that such a strategy 
should include plans to integrate small businesses into a 
holistic view of industry; to realign the Department's small 
business programs with agency mission under a unified 
management structure; and to clarify points of entry into the 
defense market.
    The committee expects that this unified strategy would 
create expanded small business engagement in the defense sector 
by increasing entry points for non-traditional and innovative 
companies.

       Section 852--Prompt Payments of Small Business Contractors

    This section would direct Federal agencies to establish a 
prompt payment goal of 15 days for small business prime 
contractors. It would also extend the accelerated payment 
objective to other-than small prime contractors that 
subcontract with small businesses, and encourage these prime 
contractors to also accelerate payments to their small business 
subcontractors.

      Section 853--Increased Participation in the Small Business 
                    Administration Microloan Program

    This section would amend section 636(m)(3)(C) of title 15, 
United States Code, by increasing the total limit on 
outstanding loans from $5.0 million to $6.0 million.
    This section would also amend section 636(m)(4)(E), which 
establishes the ``25/75 Rule.'' Currently, the 25/75 Rule 
prohibits a microloan intermediary from using more than 25 
percent of the technical assistance grants they receive from 
the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide pre-loan 
assistance to small business borrowers and third-party 
contracts. This section would amend the ratio from 25/75 to 50/
50.
    This section would also require the Administrator of SBA to 
submit a report to the Committee on Small Business of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship of the Senate, not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, on why the program often has 
low participation rates among microlenders. The report shall 
gather a representative sample of eligible entities that 
participate in the program and those that do not, along with 
the reasons why entities do not partake, and offer 
recommendations on modifications that would increase 
participation.
    Finally, this section would require the Comptroller General 
of the United States to submit a report to the Committee on 
Small Business of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate, 
not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, evaluating SBA oversight of the microloan program and the 
specific processes SBA uses to ensure compliance and track 
performance.

 Section 854--Amendments to Small Business Innovation Research Program 
             and Small Business Technology Transfer Program

    This section would authorize the use of Small Business 
Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer 
program funding for administrative costs and expand phase 
flexibility during fiscal years 2018 through 2022.

           Section 855--Construction Contract Administration

    This section would amend section 644 of title 15, United 
States Code, to require Federal agencies to provide prospective 
construction contractors with information about an agency's 
policies and performance on the administration of change 
orders.

 Section 856--Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Coordinator

    This section would direct the Associate Administrator for 
the Office of Investment and Innovation of the Small Business 
Administration to designate a senior employee as the 
``Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Coordinator.'' 
The Coordinator would be responsible for connecting small 
businesses with financing programs, and advising these 
businesses on how to acquire broadband and new information 
technology.
    This section would also direct a biennial report on 
activities beginning 2 years after the first designation of a 
Coordinator to the Committee on Small Business and 
Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small 
Business of the House of Representatives.

  Section 857--Amendments to the Small Business Investment Act of 1958

    This section would amend the Small Business Investment Act 
of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 682(b)) by increasing the Individual 
Leverage Limit from $150.0 million to $175.0 million and by 
increasing the total amount of capital and surplus that a 
financial institution and Federal savings association can 
invest in a small business investment company from 5 percent to 
15 percent.

 Section 858--Consolidated Budget Justification for the Department of 
 Defense Small Business Innovation Research Program and Small Business 
                      Technology Transfer Program

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
submit to Congress a budget justification for all activities 
conducted under the Small Business Innovation Research Program 
or Small Business Technology Transfer Program during the 
previous fiscal year.

   Section 859--Funding for Procurement Technical Assistance Program

    This section would amend section 2413(b) of title 10, 
United States Code, to provide Procurement Technical Assistance 
Centers (PTACs) the resources necessary to conduct greater 
outreach and provide expanded support to small businesses. 
Division D of this Act would increase the topline budget for 
the Procurement Technical Assistance Program to $50.0 million.
    This section would increase the funding caps for PTACs 
operating on statewide, less than statewide, and eligible 
tribal locations. This section would also adjust the percentage 
of Federal funding for PTACs to 75 percent from 65 percent, and 
would adjust the community contribution to 25 percent from 35 
percent.

Section 860--Exemption of Certain Contracts From the Periodic Inflation 
        Adjustments to the Acquisition-Related Dollar Threshold

    This section would amend subparagraph (B) of section 
1908(b)(2) of title 41, United States Code, to exempt certain 
contracts from the periodic inflation adjustments to the 
acquisition-related dollar threshold.

                       Subtitle F--Other Matters


Section 871--Additional Requirements for Negotiations for Noncommercial 
                           Computer Software

    This section would amend section 2322a of title 10, United 
States Code, and codify existing Defense Federal Acquisition 
Regulations on noncommercial software rights as well as 
mandate, to the maximum extent practicable, that specially 
negotiated licenses be used for weapon systems noncommercial 
software.

 Section 872--Removal of Requirement for Risk and Sensitivity Analysis 
         of Baseline Estimates in Selected Acquisition Reports

    This section would amend section 2432(c)(1)(B) of title 10, 
United States Code, by removing the requirement for risk and 
sensitivity analysis to be included with baseline estimates in 
selected acquisition reports.
    The committee notes that risk and sensitivity analyses help 
in understanding the effects of changing variables on cost 
estimates. However, this language has been interpreted as 
requiring analysis of the sensitivity of the information in 
selected acquisition reports, resulting in unwarranted barriers 
to dissemination.

  Section 873--Prohibition on Acquisition of Sensitive Materials From 
                       Non-Allied Foreign Nations

    This section would amend section 2533b of title 10, United 
States Code, by prohibiting acquisition of certain sensitive 
materials from non-allied foreign nations.

   Section 874--Transfer or Possession of Defense Items for National 
                            Defense Purposes

    This section would amend sections 922 and 925 of title 18, 
United States Code, to allow joint production, integration, and 
calibration of military-grade hardware by licensed contractors, 
transfers of defense items to government customers, and export 
of authorized weapons to foreign governments.

Section 875--Expedited Hiring Authority for Shortage Category Positions 
                      in the Acquisition Workforce

    This section would expand and extend direct-hire authority 
for acquisition professionals, which permits an agency to 
appoint candidates to positions for which there is either a 
severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need. 
Section 1413 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136) authorized agency heads 
to determine, under regulations prescribed by the Office of 
Personnel Management (OPM), that certain Federal acquisition 
positions are shortage category positions in order to use 
direct-hire authorities. This section would extend the 
expiration date on those direct-hire authorities from September 
30, 2017, to September 30, 2021. Additionally, this section 
would add the General Schedule Realty series (GS-1170) to the 
description of acquisition workforce found in section 1703 of 
title 41, United States Code, thereby including GS-1170 
positions under the direct-hire authority extension established 
in this section.
    The committee notes that the government depends on skilled 
acquisition and program personnel to understand complex market 
dynamics, develop clear requirements, negotiate in the best 
interest of the taxpayer, and hold contractors to high 
performance standards. The expediency that direct-hire 
authority allows can be helpful to an agency both in meeting 
critical initiatives that may require particular expertise, 
such as to support information technology modernization, 
cybersecurity efforts, and real property acquisition and 
disposal, as well as supporting the Federal Government as it 
plans and executes on its agency and regulatory reform 
activities.

 Section 876--Extension of Prohibition on Providing Funds to the Enemy

    This section would amend section 841(n) of the Carl Levin 
and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291) to change from 
December 31, 2019, to December 31, 2021, the sunset date for 
the provisions of the prohibition on providing funds to the 
enemy.

 Section 877--Repeal of Certain Determinations Required for Grants of 
   Exceptions to Cost or Pricing Data Certification Requirements and 
                  Waivers of Cost Accounting Standards

    This section would repeal section 817(b)(1) of the Bob 
Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 
(Public Law 107-314) regarding certain determinations required 
for grants of exceptions to cost or pricing data certification 
requirements and waivers of cost accounting standards.
    The committee notes that section 817(b) of Public Law 107-
314 provides that a grant of an exception or waiver is 
appropriate only upon a determination that the property or 
services cannot reasonably be obtained under the contract, 
subcontract, or modification, as the case may be, without the 
grant of the exception or waiver, in addition to two other 
determinations. The committee believes that this requirement 
could unnecessarily limit the granting of exceptions or waivers 
in those instances in which, while cost and pricing data could 
be obtained, it would add little value and delay contract 
negotiations. For example, on a long-running production 
program, determination of a fair and reasonable price may be 
both possible and more efficiently performed without submission 
of certified cost and pricing data, and therefore meet two of 
the three conditions for grant of an exception or waiver. 
However, because the contractor is willing and able to provide 
such data, the condition at section 817(b)(1) would not be met 
and the exception or waiver could not be granted.
    The committee believes that increasing the flexibility with 
which exceptions or waivers can be granted will help streamline 
the acquisition process. The committee expects the Secretary of 
Defense to promptly revise the Defense Federal Acquisition 
Regulation Supplement to reflect this repeal.

Section 878--Reporting on Projects Performed through Transactions Other 
           Than Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, and Grants

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
submit to the congressional defense committees, not later than 
December 31 of each year through 2021, a report on the 
Department of Defense's use of transactions other than 
contracts, cooperative agreements, and grants, known as other 
transaction authority, to perform projects. The report would 
include, for transactions that provide for payments in a total 
amount in excess of $5.0 million, information including the 
entities entering into the transaction, the amount of payment 
provided for, project goals and status, and key dates. The 
report would also address mechanisms established to regulate 
use of this authority, including policies, guidance, and 
reporting requirements.
    The committee remains committed to providing the Department 
of Defense the needed flexibility to acquire advanced 
capabilities through streamlined and expedited processes. The 
committee recognizes that other transaction authority has been 
an effective tool for research and development, particularly 
for execution of science, technology, and prototyping programs. 
It provides needed flexibility in terms of adherence to select 
Federal acquisition regulations. While the benefits of this 
flexibility are clear, the committee believes that it is still 
necessary to exercise effective oversight both to understand 
the ways in which the Department is properly leveraging the use 
of this authority and to prevent its abuse or misuse. The 
committee does not intend for this reporting requirement to 
cause the Department to seek additional approval for use of 
other transaction authority, beyond the congressional 
notification requirement already established in statute. 
Rather, it is designed to facilitate regular and consistent 
updates on use of this authority across the Department in order 
to facilitate proper assessment of effectiveness and success. 
The $5.0 million threshold for reporting is consistent with the 
amount established in statute for inclusion of a clause that 
provides for the Comptroller General of the United States to 
examine the records of any party to an agreement entered into 
using other transaction authority.

Section 879--Standardization of Formatting and Public Accessibility of 
               Department of Defense Reports to Congress

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a briefing not later than March 1, 2019, to the House 
Committee on Armed Services on a plan for implementing, not 
later than March 1, 2020, standardization of the formatting and 
public accessibility of unclassified Department of Defense 
reports required by Congress. The briefing shall address how 
the Department plans to ensure that reports are created in an 
open format that can be retrieved, downloaded, indexed, and 
searched by commonly used web search applications. An open 
format is one that is platform independent, machine readable, 
and made available to the public without restrictions that 
would impede reuse of that information. The briefing shall also 
address how the Department plans to provide a publicly 
accessible online repository of its unclassified reports to 
Congress required by provisions of law, including protocols for 
inclusion of reports which, although unclassified, may not be 
appropriate for public release in their entirety. The briefing 
shall address how the Department plans to include in the 
repository unclassified reports to Congress required by 
provisions of law issued since January 1, 2010.

     Section 880--Defending United States Government Communications

    This section would provide that, not later than January 1, 
2021, no government agency may procure or obtain, nor extend or 
renew a contract to procure or obtain, nor enter into a 
contract with an entity that uses covered telecommunications 
equipment or services with any covered entity. This section 
would define covered telecommunications equipment or services 
as that:
    (1) produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE 
Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of either company);
    (2) telecommunications services provided by an entity using 
such equipment; or
    (3) telecommunications equipment or services produced or 
provided by an entity that the head of an agency believes to be 
owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the 
Government of the People's Republic of China.
    This section would require the head of an agency to submit 
to the specified committees a plan to phase in the prohibition 
in this section, including with respect to the ``white label'' 
problem.
    This section would also permit the head of an agency to 
provide an additional 2-year waiver if he determines it is 
appropriate to allow an entity to terminate its use of covered 
telecommunications equipment and he can demonstrate certain 
other conditions have been met. Additionally, the head of an 
agency would be permitted, subject to the receipt of a written 
assurance concerning any future use of Huawei or ZTE 
Corporation components, to permit an entity to continue to use 
components through the end of their reasonable life-cycle, if 
the component cannot be used to route or direct data traffic or 
provide visibility into any data or packets transmitted or 
manipulated by such components.
    This section would further require the Director of National 
Intelligence (DNI), in coordination with the Director of the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Secretaries of State, 
Homeland Security and Defense, to produce a report on the 
national security risks posed by use of technology produced by 
Huawei and ZTE technology, especially pertaining to evidence of 
malicious software or hardware that enables unauthorized 
network access. The DNI would further be required to develop a 
plan to share such report with U.S. allies, partners, and U.S. 
cleared defense contractors and telecommunications service 
providers. The Director would also be required to ensure an 
unclassified version of the report is available for U.S. allies 
and partners, and well as telecommunications companies, that do 
not have access to classified information.
    In an April 12, 2018, House Committee on Armed Services 
hearing, the Secretary of Defense stated with respect to 
information and communications technology produced by companies 
linked to the People's Republic of China, namely Huawei and 
ZTE, that he does ``not think that's wise'' for the Department 
to allow equipment manufactured and maintained by those 
companies to be a part of its supply chain.
    The committee is also aware that the Federal Communications 
Commission in an April 17, 2018, meeting voted unanimously to 
approve a proposed rule that would deny Universal Service Fund 
support to purchase equipment or services from companies posing 
a national security threat to the integrity of communications 
networks or the communications supply chain. The commission 
specifically cited the risks posed by Huawei and ZTE in the 
notice of proposed rulemaking.

      TITLE IX--DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


 Subtitle A--Organization and Management of the Department of Defense 
                               Generally


Section 901--Authority of Secretary of Defense to Determine Command and 
                         Control Relationships

    This section would amend section 113 of title 10, United 
States Code, to specify that the Secretary of Defense may 
define command and control relationships within the Department 
of Defense as necessary to support the Department's objectives 
and missions.

               Section 902--Civilian Personnel Management

    This section would amend section 129 of title 10, United 
States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense to consider 
the cost of the Department of Defense military and contract 
workforces, along with the cost of the civilian workforce, when 
managing the civilian personnel workforce of the Department.

  Section 903--Performance of Civilian Functions by Military Personnel

    This section would amend section 129a of title 10, United 
States Code, to require that when the Secretaries of the 
military departments determine that the performance of civilian 
functions by military personnel is cost effective, that they 
further consider whether the functions performed are consistent 
with the military occupational specialty for which the military 
personnel have been trained.

 Section 904--Roles of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Under 
                 Secretary of Defense for Intelligence

    This section would amend section 134 of title 10, United 
States Code, with respect to the authorities of the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Policy. It would amend the Under 
Secretary's responsibility for supervising and directing the 
activities of the Department with respect to export controls, 
to focus on policy making within the Department as it pertains 
to export controls.
    This section would add a new authority to those of the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, subject to the Secretary 
of Defense, with respect to the development, implementation, 
and integration across the Department of Defense of the 
National Defense Strategy and other strategic policy guidance 
for the activities of the Department across all geographic 
regions and military functions and domains. It would also 
provide the Under Secretary with the authority, subject to the 
Secretary of Defense, of integrating the activities of the 
Department of Defense within the interagency process with 
respect to the National Security Strategy of the United States.
    The committee notes that the Summary to the 2018 National 
Defense Strategy stated that ``the central challenge to U.S. 
prosperity and security is the reemergence of long-term 
strategic competition by what the National Security Strategy 
classifies as revisionist powers.'' The committee asserts that 
it is essential that a senior civilian official be responsible 
for, subject to the Secretary of Defense, the Department's 
efforts with respect to strategic competition.
    This section would also amend section 137 of title 10, 
United States Code, with respect to the authorities of the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. The Under 
Secretary of Defense for Intelligence would assume the 
authority for supervising and directing the activities of the 
Department of Defense with respect to technology protection in 
the export controls process, other than the policy making 
activities that are the responsibility of the Under Secretary 
of Defense for Policy.
    Numerous senior Department of Defense civilian and military 
officials have testified to the risk to U.S. military 
technological superiority and the committee believes that the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Under Secretary 
of Defense for Intelligence, respectively, have specific roles 
in, and expertise with, protecting sensitive technologies.

              Section 905--Designation of Navy Commanders

    This section would amend section 5013 of title 10, United 
States Code, to require the Secretary of the Navy to designate 
a single commander within the Department of the Navy 
responsible for ensuring Navy forces are available for tasking 
and deployment, including those Navy forces that may be 
operating from a forward deployed location. This section would 
also require the Secretary to designate a single commander for 
all Navy shipyards, including any located overseas.
    The committee notes that the Secretary of the Navy's 
Strategic Readiness Review cited unclear command relationships 
as a contributing factor to the surface force accidents 
suffered by 7th Fleet ships in 2017. The committee encourages 
the Secretary to consider designating the Commander, Fleet 
Forces Command, as the responsible commander for tasking and 
deployment, as that official performs that function now for all 
naval forces excepting the Pacific Fleet.
    The committee notes that the Commander, Naval Sea Systems 
Command, has the overall responsibility within the Department 
of the Navy for scheduling and maintaining Navy vessels in 
public and private shipyards, with the exception of the U.S. 
Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance 
Center. The committee encourages the Secretary to consider 
designating the Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, as the 
single commander of naval shipyards, including the facility 
located in Japan.

  Subtitle B--Comprehensive Pentagon Bureaucracy Reform and Reduction


 Section 911--Authorities and Responsibilities of the Chief Management 
                  Officer of the Department of Defense

    This section would authorize the Chief Management Officer 
(CMO) of the Department of Defense to carry out the elimination 
of agencies and activities (other than those established by 
statute and other than the Department of Defense Education 
Activity), and to maximize efficiency across the Department 
with respect to civilian resource management, logistics, 
services contracting, and real estate management (other than 
with respect to the military departments). Section 132a of 
title 10, United States Code, would be further amended by 
requiring each Defense Agency and Department of Defense Field 
Activity to transmit their budgets to the CMO for review before 
submission to the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). The 
CMO would submit a report concerning all proposed budgets to 
the Secretary of Defense not later than January 31 of the year 
preceding the budgets' fiscal year. The Secretary would submit 
a report by March 31 with a plan of action and proposed 
legislation for each budget the CMO did not certify. No Defense 
Agency or Department of Defense Field Activity funds, with 
respect to civilian resource, logistics, services contracting, 
and real estate management shall be obligated or expended until 
the CMO approves the plan; such process shall be conducted 
without impact to the processes carried out by the Director of 
National Intelligence.
    The Department's Chief Management Officer would reduce or 
eliminate duplicative cross-enterprise functions across all 
Defense Agencies and Field Activities related to civilian 
resource, services contracting, logistics, or real estate 
management. Not later than March 1, 2020, the CMO would submit 
a plan to the congressional defense committees. The CMO would 
certify that the Department has achieved at least 25 percent 
savings of these functions within these Defense Agencies and 
Field Activities by January 1, 2021; the Government 
Accountability Office would verify and validate the CMO's 
certification. This would be a recurring requirement, each 5 
years (beginning January 1, 2021), with the second iteration 
expanding the scope of the review to include the military 
departments.

Section 912--Authorities and Responsibilities of the Inspector General 
                      of the Department of Defense

    This section would require the Department of Defense 
Inspector General (IG) to maximize efficiency among Department 
IGs with respect to any cross-enterprise IG activities. This 
section would require each organization or element IG to submit 
a budget to the Department of Defense IG for review before 
submission to the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller). The 
Department IG would submit a report about the budgets to the 
Secretary not later than January 31 of the year preceding the 
budget's fiscal year. The Secretary would submit a report to 
Congress about budgets the Department IG did not certify by 
March 31 each year, including a plan of action and recommended 
legislation. No IG funds may be obligated or expended until the 
Department IG certifies the IG's budget. The Department IG 
would submit a plan for compliance with the above not later 
than March 1, 2020.
    The committee understands there are almost 30 different 
inspectors general (IGs) in the Department of Defense, 
including: the Department of Defense IG, the four military 
service IGs, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan 
Reconstruction, the nine combatant commands, the Defense Media 
Activity, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, the Defense 
Contract Management Agency, Defense Information Systems Agency, 
Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Security Service, and Defense 
Threat Reduction Agency. The committee believes this 
proliferation of IG offices merits oversight from a lead IG to 
determine if there are opportunities for elimination of waste, 
redundancy, and duplication.

 Section 913--Transition of Certain Defense Agencies and Department of 
                        Defense Field Activities

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the Chief Management Officer (CMO), to submit a plan to 
the congressional defense committees not later than March 1, 
2020, concerning the transfer and migration of all Defense 
Information Systems Agency information technology contracting 
and acquisition services, and senior leader communications 
functions, to other Department elements.
    This section would require the CMO to eliminate the 
Washington Headquarters Service not later than January 1, 2021. 
The CMO would transfer any essential functions to other 
appropriate elements of the Office of the Secretary of Defense 
(OSD) and eliminate the others. The CMO would be required to 
submit a plan to the congressional defense committees to 
accomplish the above by March 1, 2020.
    This section would also require the CMO to review the 
efficiency and effectiveness of each Defense Agency and 
Department of Defense Field Activity and to examine potential 
duplication among the agencies and activities. The CMO would be 
required to submit a report to the congressional defense 
committees on his findings not later than March 1, 2020, 
including any recommendations to eliminate an agency or 
activity or transfer some or all of its functions to another 
Department entity.
    This section would also clarify the Secretary's authority 
to establish or terminate any Defense Agency or Department of 
Defense Field Activity, other than entities that are 
specifically established or terminated by act of Congress.

Section 914--Actions To Increase the Efficiency and Transparency of the 
                        Defense Logistics Agency

    This section would require that the Director of the Defense 
Logistics Agency (DLA) and the Chief Management Officer (CMO) 
jointly implement a comprehensive system not later than January 
1, 2021, that enables customers to view items and materials 
available to customers, the delivery status of items and 
materials in transit, and predictive analytics designed to 
improve the system's efficiency.
    This section would also require the Director of DLA and the 
CMO to jointly reduce charged rates by at least 10 percent, 
eliminate duplication of services, and establish specific goals 
and metrics to ensure the agency is fulfilling its mission by 
January 1, 2021.
    This section would also require the Director of DLA and the 
CMO to jointly submit a plan to accomplish the above to the 
congressional defense committees by March 1, 2020.

 Section 915--Review of Functions of Defense Contract Audit Agency and 
                   Defense Contract Management Agency

    This section would direct the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Under Secretary of 
Defense (Comptroller) to conduct a joint review of the Defense 
Contract Auditing Agency and Defense Contract Management Agency 
to validate their missions and functions and determine if any 
of their functions could be more appropriately performed by the 
other Agency, any other organization within the Department of 
Defense, or commercial providers. This review would also 
validate the continued need for two separate Agencies with 
oversight for defense contracting. The Secretary of Defense 
shall submit, not later than March 1, 2020, a report to the 
congressional defense committees that includes the results of 
this review.

  Section 916--Streamlining of Defense Finance and Accounting Services

    This section would require that, not later than January 1, 
2021, the Chief Management Officer (CMO) and the Under 
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) shall jointly carry out 
activities to make the Defense Finance and Accounting Services 
more efficient and effective.
    This section would further require that, not later than 
March 1, 2020, the CMO and Comptroller shall jointly submit a 
plan for carrying out such activities to the congressional 
defense committees.

 Section 917--Reduction in Number of Chief Information Officers in the 
                        Senior Executive Service

    This section would require that, starting in calendar year 
2021, there may not be more than five ``Chief Information 
Officers''' in the Department of Defense.
    The committee understands that there are at least 60 Senior 
Executive Service grade positions in the Department of Defense 
with the position of ``Chief Information Officer''.
    The committee is concerned that this number of senior 
personnel with this same responsibility injects duplication, 
redundancy, and slows the Department's ability to swiftly react 
to the requirements of the Department in terms of information 
technology and responding to the cyber domain of warfare.

                    Section 918--General Provisions

    This section would provide authority for the Secretary of 
Defense and the Chief Management Officer of the Department of 
Defense to consolidate certain reporting requirements 
established in this Act.
    This section would also define certain terms used in this 
Act and make certain conforming changes in title 10, United 
States Code.

                       Subtitle C--Other Matters


 Section 921--Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Policy and 
                           Oversight Council

    This section would direct the Under Secretary of Research 
and Engineering to establish an Artificial Intelligence and 
Machine Learning Policy and Oversight Council to continuously 
improve research, innovation, policy, joint processes, and 
procedures that facilitate the development, acquisition, 
integration, advancement, and sustainment of artificial 
intelligence and machine learning throughout the Department of 
Defense.

 Section 922--Limitation on Transfer of the Chemical, Biological, and 
               Radiological Defense Division of the Navy

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
provide a report to the congressional defense committees on the 
timeline, costs, risks, and benefits of transferring the 
Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Defense Division, 
Dahlgren, Virginia, to another location. The report would be 
required not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. This section would further prohibit the Secretary 
of the Navy from transferring or preparing to transfer the 
Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Defense Division to 
another location until 45 days after submission of the report.

                      TITLE X--GENERAL PROVISIONS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST

                        Counter-Drug Activities


         Colombian Security and the U.S.-Colombian Partnership

    The peace accords between the Government of Colombia and 
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in August 
2016 was a landmark event that ended over 50 years of armed 
conflict in Colombia. As a result of the agreement, the 
Colombian legislature passed, and the Government of Colombia 
implemented, several portions of the peace accords, which 
included demobilization and reintegration processes for FARC 
members. The committee is encouraged by the progress of the 
Colombian people and its Government in implementing the peace 
accord legislation.
    Colombian leadership has made great strides in bringing 
stability to the country, developing integration pathways for 
the FARC political party, disarming over 11,000 FARC members, 
implementing rural development, establishing rule of law, and 
reintegrating FARC members into society. The committee notes 
that complete implementation of other pieces of the peace 
accords, including land reform and combating FARC dissidents 
who have chosen not to disarm, will likely take decades.
    The committee commends the Government of Colombia for its 
continued leadership in working to end decades of violence and 
instability with the FARC and other armed groups in Colombia. 
The committee is also aware that security issues remain a 
problem in Colombia, including transnational criminal 
organizations seizing territorial control post peace accords, 
FARC dissidents choosing not to disarm and continuing criminal 
behavior, and increasing coca production over the past 2 years.
    Further, the committee commends the Colombian military on 
its professionalization, successes in bringing security to 
Colombia and being the exporters of security to global 
organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 
and regional neighbors including the Republic of Honduras, the 
Republic of Guatemala, and the United Mexican States.
    Over the past 17 years, the U.S. has assisted Colombia in 
the fight for its security and stability. The committee has 
supported these efforts and acknowledges the continuing vital 
importance of the U.S.-Colombian relationship for bringing 
strength and stability to the hemisphere.

              DOD Support to Combating the Opioid Epidemic

    The committee is deeply concerned about the rising numbers 
of opioid-related deaths in the United States. This nationwide 
health epidemic affects millions of people and their families. 
The abuse of opioids, both prescription and illicit opioids, is 
a public health emergency as categorized by the President in 
January 2018. This crisis highlights national security concerns 
including illicit trafficking of opioids, synthetic opioids, to 
include Fentanyl, and precursors for the production of opioids 
by transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and their 
networks which have supply chains that extend into south and 
east Asia. The committee believes that the Department of 
Defense can play a vital role in support of lead U.S. agencies 
to address this crisis.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, 
no later than September 30, 2018, to submit a report to the 
House Committee on Armed Services with an assessment of the 
assistance the Department is providing to lead U.S. government 
agencies to combat the opioid crisis. This report should 
include an assessment of resources available to assist other 
U.S. government partners in their strategy to combat the opioid 
epidemic to include the United States Postal Service, and an 
analysis of potential opportunities for the Department to 
provide assistance in the future.

               United States-Mexico Security Cooperation

    The committee recognizes the importance of the relationship 
between the United States and the United Mexican States. The 
United States continues to face a nationwide epidemic of opioid 
addiction. Mexico continues to face violence, corruption, and 
instability as a result of transnational criminal organizations 
(TCOs) producing opioids and other illicit substances for 
distribution in the United States. The unlawful activity of the 
TCOs creates instability, violence, and insecurity in both the 
United States and Mexico.
    The committee believes these shared security challenges can 
only be countered cooperatively as each nation addresses 
illicit trafficking, violence, and production and distribution 
of illicit narcotics. The strength of the military-to-military 
relationship between the United States and Mexico is vital in 
combating these challenges. The committee encourages efforts to 
continue the development of the strong relationship and 
partnership between the U.S. Armed Forces and the Mexican Armed 
Forces.

                             Other Matters


  Assessment of Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Involuntary 
      Mobilization Plans to Support Special Operations Activities

    During review of the fiscal year 2019 President's budget 
request and related activities in support of Air Force Special 
Operations Command (AFSOC), the committee determined that a 
small number of Air National Guard units and all Air Force 
Reserve Command units that support AFSOC missions and force 
presentation requirements do not possess a current, validated 
involuntary mobilization plan that complies with various 
Department of Defense, Department of the Air Force, and Special 
Operations Command instructions or policies. The committee is 
concerned that without sufficient and validated involuntary 
mobilization plans that detail how the Air National Guard and 
the Air Force Reserve Command intend to support AFSOC as 
operational reserve units, should the need arise for Special 
Operations Command to fully mobilize forces in support of 
global special operations activities, the Air National Guard 
and Air Force Reserve Command may lack the capability and 
capacity to support the mission.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of 
the United States to provide a briefing to the House Committee 
on Armed Services not later than March 1, 2019, that assesses 
involuntary mobilization plans for Air National Guard and Air 
Force Reserve Command units that support Air Force Special 
Operations missions and activities. The Comptroller General 
should assess, at a minimum:
    (1) the existence and recency of an involuntary 
mobilization plan;
    (2) the sufficiency and validity of the plan as compared to 
a unit's Designed Operational Capability statement, authorized 
and assigned manpower levels, authorized and assigned 
equipment, facilities, and support functions necessary to 
execute the plan;
    (3) comparison with existing Department of Defense policy 
and regulations governing mobilization-to-dwell and deployment-
to-dwell goals and objectives;
    (4) any discrepancies, shortfalls, or gaps associated with 
the aforementioned areas of assessment; and
    (5) any additional information the Comptroller General 
would find useful to support the briefing.

        Briefing on Ukrainian Special Operations Forces Training

    The committee recognizes the critical role played by U.S. 
and partner assistance in training, advising, and equipping 
Ukrainian military and security forces over the last several 
years, especially at the International Peacekeeping and 
Security Center in Yavoriv, Ukraine. This training facility has 
facilitated the successful completion of numerous joint, 
combined exercises up to the battalion level and has better 
enabled multi-domain readiness of Ukrainian forces. By 
employing the instrumented training capability at this center, 
United States Army Europe has led the Joint Multinational 
Training Group-Ukraine in greatly enhancing the operational 
capability, performance, and professionalism of Ukrainian 
forces.
    The committee further understands that such joint, combined 
training is scheduled to conclude in 2020 and that the 
Ukrainian General Staff is aware of acute needs, identified in 
October 2016 and restated in December 2017, to modernize the 
International Peacekeeping and Security Center before such 
training ends. These requirements include refurbishing and 
adding multiple integrated laser engagement systems, enhancing 
range and battlefield effects, and developing an urban 
operations training system.
    Finally, the committee understands that since their 
establishment in 2016, Ukrainian special operations forces have 
grown in both numbers and capabilities with a focus on 
unconventional missions such as counterterrorism and drug 
interdiction operations. In addition, Ukrainian land forces 
have grown, requiring additional training to support skills 
development in support of combined exercises with NATO and U.S. 
forces. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of 
Defense to provide the congressional defense committees, not 
later than September 30, 2018, with a briefing on current and 
planned U.S. support to Ukrainian special operations and land 
forces training, including but not limited to: detailed 
assessments of both the training center at Berdychiv, Ukraine 
and a land forces training complex in the Mykolaiv District 
near Odessa, Ukraine; analysis of training requirements; and a 
plan for potential U.S. funding assistance to new or modernized 
training facilities.

            Civil Support Team Information Management System

    The committee is aware that the National Guard Bureau 
Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (CST) currently 
field the CST Information Management System (CIMS). CIMS 
provides a common operation picture and promotes information 
sharing and real-time collaboration. CIMS also supports the CST 
mission of assisting and advising first responders and 
facilitating communications with other Federal resources in an 
emergency.
    The committee encourages the expansion of CIMS to establish 
an enterprise-wide capable tool, commonly referred to as the 
National Guard Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear 
Response Enterprise Information Management System 2018+ (NG 
CIMS 2018+). The committee believes that expansion will 
increase the capabilities of the CIMS to support other National 
Guard Bureau forces, such as the Chemical, Biological, 
Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Explosive Enhanced Response 
Force Package and Homeland Defense Response Force units.
    The committee notes that the timeline the Department of 
Defense previously presented to the committee in their 
September 8, 2015, report ``Civil Support Team Information 
Management System'' has been delayed. The committee, therefore, 
directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services by October 1, 2018, on the 
plan for the development of NG CIMS 2018+, including a 
description of timelines, milestones, fielding, and completion 
dates.

                   Close Combat Lethality Task Force

    The Committee understands that military operations still 
require our units to close with and destroy the enemy. The 
Committee also notes that, despite comprising a tiny fraction 
of total Department of Defense personnel, the ground close 
combat formations primarily tasked to close with and destroy 
the enemy bear a unique burden, reflected in them historically 
accounting for almost 90% of casualties.
    The Committee is aware that the Secretary of Defense 
established the Close Combat Lethality Task Force (CCLTF) on 
February 8, 2018 in order to implement select initiatives 
identified by the 2017 Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation's 
Close Combat Strategic Portfolio Review. The Committee also 
notes that the CCLTF further aims to improve the personnel 
policies, training methods, and equipment to update the 
training of ground close combat formations to reflect available 
technology, human factors science, and talent management best 
practices.
    The Committee notes that, relative to the overall size of 
the Department budget, the cost of supporting modernization to 
equipment and training for ground close combat formations is 
relatively small. The Committee believes that increased 
investments in these units' personnel, equipment, readiness, 
and training offer outsize returns for our military's combat 
capabilities.
    The Committee notes that greater tactical integration of 
existing unmanned aircraft--specifically medium-altitude, long-
endurance aircraft--offers a unique opportunity to address 
deficiencies in close combat units organic sensing, load-
bearing, communications extension, and lethality capabilities.
    In addition, the Committee notes that, since 2001, special 
operations forces (SOF) have taken on an increasing share of 
global missions, driven by the responsiveness of their 
capabilities to combatant commander requirements. The Committee 
believes that the CCLTF's efforts to bring SOF capabilities and 
training methodologies to line close combat formations is an 
important element of the overall CCLTF effort.
    In order to allow the Committee to fully support the 
efforts of the CCLTF, the Committee directs the Secretary of 
Defense to brief the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than December 1, 2018 on the CCLTF's findings, including 
key focus areas for improvements in ground close combat 
equipment, training and readiness; proposals for rationalizing 
personnel management for ground close combat formations; the 
feasibility of establishing a Joint Close Combat Leader Center 
as a center of excellence for small-unit infantry leadership; 
the feasibility of making existing unmanned aircraft organic to 
ground close combat units; and the impact of improving line 
close combat formation capabilities and interoperability with 
SOF, as well as any other topics the Secretary deems 
appropriate.

Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Authority for United States Facilities 
                               and Assets

    The committee notes that the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) provided the 
Department of Defense a modest expansion of existing counter-
unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) authority in section 130i of 
title 10, United States Code, to address additional mission 
areas that the Department determined are critical, high-
priority U.S. facilities and assets essential to the Department 
carrying out its mission. The committee appreciates the 
Department's deliberate and thoughtful implementation of the C-
UAS authority to ensure the safety and security of Department 
assets and facilities, in addition to ensuring the safety of 
operations within the U.S. National Airspace System. The 
committee also notes that the Department, in conjunction with 
the Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, is required 
to provide to relevant congressional committees a semiannual 
briefing on how the current C-UAS is being utilized and 
implemented, and various other items of information pertaining 
to the authority.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than September 1, 2018, the date of the next 
scheduled semiannual C-UAS briefing requirement to Congress. 
The briefing should include a list of capability gaps and 
shortfalls for C-UAS systems or mission areas of the Department 
that are not currently included in the existing C-UAS 
authority, but deemed to be high-priority or critical 
facilities or assets contributing to the success of the 
Department in executing its mission. The briefing should also 
include a list of existing Department research and development, 
or test and evaluation locations within the military services, 
that currently participate and specialize in C-UAS capabilities 
in the areas of detection and tracking, hard-kill defeat 
prediction, or improvised explosive/improvised explosive device 
performance assessment capability. The committee also 
encourages the Secretary of Defense to leverage existing 
deployment, operations, and test and evaluation activities and 
operational capabilities for C-UAS that are occurring at 
various U.S. overseas basing locations in order to determine 
what existing C-UAS technologies and capabilities could 
feasibly and viably be deployed to protect U.S. facility and 
asset locations requiring C-UAS capability.

                Counterterrorism Effectiveness Research

    The committee recognizes that basic research into the 
effectiveness of current counterterrorism policies and strategy 
is critical to informing and shaping future efforts. The 
committee understands that there is currently a wide range of 
social science research in these areas that should be 
leveraged, including better use of and integration with 
existing research by organizations maintaining databases of 
terrorism incidents globally.
    For example, the National Consortium for the Study of 
Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) is a university-
based research and education center. The center is comprised of 
an international network of scholars committed to the 
scientific study of the causes and human consequences of 
terrorism in the United States and around the world. START 
supports the research efforts of leading social scientists at 
more than 50 academic and research institutions across the 
country and the globe.
    The committee is aware the START program supports more than 
14 terrorism and counterterrorism related datasets that are 
used across civilian and defense agencies, including the 
Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, 
in order to directly inform international, Federal, State, and 
local training and educational programs.
    However, the budget request for fiscal year 2019 did not 
include funding for this effort. The committee believes that it 
is within the purview of the Department of Defense, and 
specifically U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) as the 
Coordinating Authority for Countering Violent Extremist 
Organizations, to foster academically rigorous studies of 
terrorism, like the START initiative, to provide a foundational 
understanding for how to assess the effectiveness of specific 
counterterrorism activities and programs, and best practices to 
inform counterterrorism policies. Further, the committee 
believes that as the Coordinating Authority for Countering 
Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD), SOCOM may also derive 
similar benefits for the Department of Defense from research 
pertaining to CWMD strategies, policies, and programs, by 
leveraging and enhancing programs like START.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Commander, U.S. 
Special Operations Command to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by October 30, 2018, on the 
feasibility and advisability of funding programs like START.

Development and Procurement of Combat Equipment and Clothing for Female 
                  Servicemembers in Combat Occupations

    The Committee notes that in June 2015 the Under Secretary 
of Defense for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology provided 
guidance to the services to take immediate steps to ensure that 
combat equipment is properly designed and fitted for female 
servicemembers. In 2016, the Committee recognized that the 
Services had been conducting anthropometric studies on male and 
female servicemembers in order to properly outfit and equip 
their respective servicemembers. However, although more than 
600 women have competed for and joined newly opened ground 
combat units in the Army and Marine Corps, the Committee is 
concerned that properly designed and fitted combat equipment, 
gear, and clothing is not consistently available to women 
warfighters. That concern also encompasses other women from all 
the services who continue to deploy to areas where they too 
need properly fitting combat and organizational gear. The 
Committee believes that female servicemembers in physically 
demanding occupations like infantry and armor are not 
positioned for success and their lethality and safety is 
compromised if they are required to train and perform in 
equipment not designed for their body type. Properly designed 
and fitted equipment for women should be available beginning 
with initial entry training through any and all deployments.
    Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the service chiefs, to submit a report to 
the Committees on Armed Services no later than 180 days after 
the enactment of this Act. The report shall include:
    (1) Information about the status of procuring and issuing 
the following to all females serving in or training for, 
infantry and armor occupations and to those from other units 
and occupations deploying to areas where they will require such 
equipment (from the beginning of training through any 
deployments): (1) personal protective equipment (2) 
organizational clothing and individual equipment (including for 
example tanker apparel, mechanics coveralls, tanker headsets, 
and ruck frames); and (3) the female urinary diverter;
    (2) Information about timing, including the date on which 
such equipment will be available;
    (3) What additional legislative and funding authorities are 
required to expedite procurement;
    (4) The results of any surveys and studies that have 
addressed the availability, serviceability, and effectiveness 
of personal protective equipment, organizational clothing and 
individual equipment, and the female urinary diverter device.

                  Foreign Currency Fluctuation Account

    In the committee reports accompanying the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 through 2017 (H. Rept. 
113-446, H. Rept. 114-102, H. Rept. 114-537), the committee 
encouraged the Department of Defense to take into consideration 
the current balance within the Foreign Currency Fluctuation, 
Defense (FCF,D) account when determining foreign currency rates 
in future budget submissions.
    When the FCF,D account has a balance close to or at the 
statutory cap of $970.0 million, the committee believes the 
budgeted rates should be adjusted to generate losses within the 
account, thereby drawing down the FCF,D account balance. This 
would reduce the operation and maintenance (O&M) budget 
requirement for foreign goods and services, allowing excess 
funds to be allocated to other readiness programs without 
changing the budget topline. However, as the FCF,D account 
realizes a net gain, these gains remain in O&M and are used for 
purposes not originally requested in the annual budget 
submission to Congress. Without visibility of these 
transactions through a reprogramming request, the committee 
cannot determine whether funds remaining in the FCF,D account 
are being used to reduce current readiness shortfalls.
    The committee observes that the Department continues to not 
take the current balance into account when determining foreign 
currency rates. Due to lack of the use of current balances to 
structure foreign currency rates, the committee recommends a 
reduction in the O&M budget for fiscal year 2019 as shown in 
section 4301 of this Act, a reduction in the Military Personnel 
budget for fiscal year 2019 as shown in section 4401 of this 
Act, and a reduction in the Defense Health Program budget for 
fiscal year 2019 as shown in section 4501 of this Act, and 
realigns those funds to support higher priority defense 
requirements throughout the Department.

           Friendly Force Identification in Close Air Support

    The committee is aware that tactical aircraft controllers 
use a multitude of commercial-off-the-shelf infrared (IR) 
strobes for friendly force identification in close combat 
operations, and that U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) 
has validated and approved a Thermal-Identification, Friend or 
Foe (T-IFF) Capability Production Document (CPD) to improve 
existing capability. The committee notes the T-IFF program 
would provide for an ``out of band'' beacon which should align 
with current advanced targeting pods used on tactical aircraft. 
The committee also notes that SOCOM is planning two user 
evaluations in 2018 to assess potential commercial off-the-
shelf solutions that could also potentially meet the 
requirements in the TIFF CPD.
    While the committee is supportive of these efforts and 
encourages their acceleration, it is concerned that current 
infrared marking strobes currently fielded to U.S. ground 
forces, to include U.S. Special Operation Forces, are not 
easily detectable to tactical aircraft performing close air 
support, and could result in fratricide. Additionally, the 
committee is aware of multiple programs in progress across the 
military services to address this requirement. These efforts 
and requirements must be coordinated and communicated across 
the military services and SOCOM to expeditiously provide 
upgraded IR strobes that can be detected by advanced targeting 
pods.
    The committee directs the Commander, U.S. Special 
Operations Command, in coordination with the Chief of Staff of 
the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by December 
14, 2018, on their efforts to synchronize a friendly force 
identification mechanism, such as IR strobes, for use during 
combat close air support operations. The briefing should also 
include efforts to ensure that these mechanisms are detectable 
by advanced targeting pods used on current tactical aircraft.

                Genetic and Medical Information Security

    Recent advancements in information and computational 
capabilities, along with advancements in synthetic biology and 
genomics, have resulted in the convergence of data and life 
sciences. The committee is troubled by the potential risks 
posed by the proliferation of personal biological information, 
including DNA sequences, electronic medical records, medical 
claims processing data, pharmacy records, health information 
exchanges, and activity trackers. The committee recognizes this 
information is essential for the development of precision 
medicine, but is concerned about the potential lack of 
appropriate security control over the data of service members 
due to the growing efforts by adversaries to acquire this 
information. The committee believes acquisition of this 
information by adversaries may lead to the development of new 
biological threats.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by March 1, 2019, on the Department of Defense's effort to 
secure service members' genetic, medical, and lifestyle 
information. The briefing shall include information on the 
location, access control, and security protocols of all 
databases with this information; and offer policy 
recommendations for protecting this information.
    The committee further directs the Director of the Defense 
Intelligence Agency to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by March 1, 2019, on foreign 
intelligence services attempts to collect this information on 
Department of Defense personnel, including:
    (1) attempts by foreign intelligence services to collect 
genetic data, medical records, and any other personal health or 
biological information;
    (2) use of non-traditional intelligence collection 
techniques, to include foreign investment in commercial 
entities that offer genetic data analysis, medical record 
administration, and other health information services; and
    (3) use of this data lost through data breaches, 
unauthorized disclosures, or non-traditional collection 
techniques to enable targeting of U.S. persons.

  MQ-9 Enterprise Supporting Air Combat Command and Air Force Special 
                     Operations Command Activities

    After a detailed review, the committee has determined that 
a system to manage and develop MQ-9 specific remotely piloted 
aircraft (RPA) aircrews does not exist between Air Force 
Special Operations Command (AFSOC), Air Combat Command (ACC), 
and the Air Force Personnel Center. The committee is concerned 
that ACC is the Air Force's primary entity responsible for 
managing, assigning, and transitioning MQ-9 aircrews for AFSOC 
and that AFSOC may not have the visibility it needs into ACC 
``talent management'' processes to sufficiently support AFSOC 
future planning and normalization of operations tempo. 
Moreover, the role of the Air Force Personnel Center's in 
managing and career-shaping MQ-9 aircrews is unclear.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Commander of ACC, in 
coordination with the Commander of AFSOC and the Commander of 
the Air Force Personnel Center, to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services not later than October 19, 
2018, on how MQ-9 aircrews are assigned, managed, and developed 
among ACC and AFSOC. The briefing should also include an update 
regarding the Air Force's MQ-9 Culture and Process Improvement 
Program activities for each command, and each command's 
progress for acquiring the necessary manpower authorizations, 
and actual assigned manpower, to achieve deployment to dwell 
operations tempo to comply with Department of Defense policies.

National Guard Access to Department of Defense Owned Unmanned Aircraft 
                                Systems

    The committee notes that section 1084 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91) required that not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of Public Law 115-91, the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, the 
Commander, U.S. Northern Command, and the Commander, U.S. 
Pacific Command, complete an efficiency and effectiveness 
review of the governance structure, coordination processes, 
documentation, and timing requirements stipulated in Department 
of Defense policy memorandum 15-002, ``Guidance for the 
Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).'' In addition, 
not later than 30 days after the policy review is completed, 
the Secretary of Defense is required to submit the results of 
the review to the congressional defense committees. The 
committee expects that during the policy review, Department of 
Defense officials will implement a processing timeline for 
reviewing National Guard UAS utilization requests that 
appropriately balances reviewing the request for compliance 
with established policy and reviewing the request in a timely 
manner that coincides with the responsiveness, urgency, and 
operational planning factors dictated by the specific mission 
the UAS capability is being requested to support.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than 30 days after the policy review required by 
section 1084 of Public Law 115-91 is completed. The briefing 
should include information related to the processing timeline 
that the Secretary established during the policy review and how 
the timeline will be implemented.

   Preparedness of U.S. Forces To Counter North Korean Chemical and 
                           Biological Weapons

    The committee is aware of reports of the Democratic 
People's Republic of Korea's pursuit of the essential 
laboratories, equipment, and skills for an advanced biological 
weapons program, in addition to reports of existing stockpiles 
of chemical weapons. The 2017 National Security Strategy states 
that North Korea is pursuing chemical and biological weapons, 
which could be delivered by missile. The strategy also states 
that the Department of Defense will ensure U.S. military forces 
can operate effectively in the face of biological weapons 
attacks, and that our troops and critical domestic and overseas 
installations are effectively protected against such threats.
    To assist the committee in conducting its oversight of the 
preparedness of U.S. forces to respond to these threats, the 
committee directs the Comptroller General of the United States 
to review the extent to which Department of Defense military 
units deployed to the Republic of Korea and the Department's 
chemical and biological defense support units on the Korean 
peninsula, in the U.S. Pacific Command area of responsibility, 
and in the United States, are prepared to counter chemical and 
biological weapons, including:
    (1) detection and identification;
    (2) individual and collective protection;
    (3) medical countermeasures;
    (4) decontamination;
    (5) training and exercises; and
    (6) any other matters the Comptroller General deems 
relevant.
    The committee also directs the Comptroller General to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
March 1, 2019, on the preliminary results of the review, and 
submit a subsequent report by a date agreed to at the time of 
the briefing.

             Report on NORTHCOM Response to Hurricane Maria

    In 2017, the United States witnessed Hurricane Maria, which 
had a devastating impact on Puerto Rico and required a Federal 
Government response. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Secretary of Defense, in collaboration with the Secretary of 
Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
Administrator, to submit a report by December 1, 2018 on the 
ongoing U.S. Government recovery effort of Hurricane Maria. The 
report shall include the following elements: (a) statistics on 
ongoing power outages; (b) the number of deaths in each U.S. 
state or territory affected; (c) measures to improve hurricane 
emergency response plans for insular areas and/or territories 
of the United States.

Review of National Guard Capabilities in Support of Incident Awareness 
                   and Assessment Mission Operations

    The committee notes there is inconsistency among National 
Guard and Department of the Air Force officials in expressing 
what type of capabilities and which platforms are required to 
support the Incident Awareness and Assessment (IAA) mission of 
the National Guard. The committee requires clarification 
regarding the National Guard's current and future capability 
and capacity requirements to execute the IAA mission in support 
of Domestic Operations (DOMOPS) when National Guard personnel 
are on duty or mobilized under title 32, United States Code, 
authority, and in support of Defense Support to Civil 
Authorities (DSCA) when National Guard personnel are on duty or 
mobilized under title 10, United States Code, authority. The 
committee believes it is critical for the Department of Defense 
to maintain a sufficient capability, capacity, and 
responsiveness among the Active and Reserve components of the 
Department when supporting missions related to homeland defense 
and responding to natural disasters or declared emergencies.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Chief, National Guard 
Bureau, in coordination with the Commander, U.S. Northern 
Command, the Director, Air National Guard, and the Director, 
Army National Guard, to provide a report to the congressional 
defense committees by October 1, 2018, that provides an 
Incident Awareness and Assessment capability and capacity 
roadmap for the National Guard covering the 2019 to 2023 Future 
Years Defense Program (FYDP). The report should describe, at a 
minimum:
    (1) the validated capability and capacity requirements 
defining the IAA mission in support of U.S. Northern Command, 
State Governors, and other Government agencies;
    (2) the specific platforms and quantities of platforms the 
National Guard will leverage, maintain, or procure to support 
IAA capability and capacity requirements;
    (3) a schedule depicting specific platforms that will be 
procured, maintained, or divested in support of IAA 
capabilities and capacity over the covered time period;
    (4) a schedule depicting specific platforms and associated 
modernization and upgrades that will be accomplished over the 
covered time period;
    (5) the required funding needed and currently programmed in 
the FYDP to support individual platforms within the IAA 
portfolio of capabilities; and
    (6) any capability or capacity gaps or shortfalls that are 
identified over the covered time period.

 Senior Civilian or Military Leaders in Charge of Audit and Financial 
                               Management

    The committee has long maintained that a central factor of 
the department's audit progress has been clear leadership and 
accountability across the department. The committee is 
concerned that there are mid-level departments within the 
services and agencies that lack designated audit and financial 
management accountability of senior leaders by requiring this 
in official position duties. Therefore, the committee directs 
the department to provide a report no later than September 30, 
2018, to the congressional armed services committees on the 
senior civilian or military leadership responsible for audit 
and financial management compliance of each respective 
department.

                               Soo Locks

    The committee understands that the Soo Locks on the St. 
Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, are the only 
waterway connection from Lake Superior to the rest of the Lower 
Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The committee is 
concerned that of the 2 current operational locks, only the Poe 
Lock is large enough to accommodate the 1,000-foot carriers 
necessary to transport a majority of the iron ore used in 
domestic steel production. The committee notes that this lock 
is near the end of its 50-year useful lifespan and that the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reevaluating a past economic 
evaluation report to update the Soo Locks' benefit to cost 
ratio.
    The committee believes that a failure at the Soo Locks 
would have drastic impacts on national security, in that the 
U.S. iron mining-integrated steel production-manufacturing 
supply chain is dependent on the Soo Locks, and there is no 
redundancy. Indeed, such a failure would cripple steel 
production that is used for national defense priorities. 
Therefore, the committee urges the Chief of the Corps of 
Engineers and all involved executive branch agencies to 
expedite necessary reviews, analysis, and approvals in order to 
speed the required upgrades at the Soo Locks.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


                     Subtitle A--Financial Matters


                Section 1001--General Transfer Authority

    This section would allow the Secretary of Defense, with 
certain limitations, to make transfers between amounts 
authorized for fiscal year 2019 in division A of this Act. This 
section would limit the total amount transferred under this 
authority to $5.0 billion. This section would also require 
prompt notification to Congress of each transfer made.

              Section 1002--Expertise in Audit Remediation

    This section would amend section 252(b)(2) of chapter 9A of 
title 10, United States Code, directing the Secretary of 
Defense to report the number of professionals performing 
auditing and audit remediation services who hold certain 
qualifications.

   Section 1003--Authority To Transfer Funds to Director of National 
                        Intelligence for CAPNET

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense, 
consistent with the authority provided in section 1001 of this 
Act, to transfer an amount that does not exceed $2.0 million to 
the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to provide support 
for the operation of the CAPNET network.
    The committee notes its belief that, per established 
procedures, the Department of Defense currently has the 
authority to provide support to the DNI for the operation of 
CAPNET.

Section 1004--Independent Public Accountant Audit of Financial Systems 
                      of the Department of Defense

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
ensure new or altered financial systems meet applicable Federal 
requirements through a review performed by an independent 
public accountant.

                   Subtitle B--Counterdrug Activities


   Section 1011--Department of Defense Support for Combating Opioid 
                         Trafficking and Abuse

    This section would express the sense of Congress regarding 
the nationwide opioid epidemic affecting millions of U.S. 
citizens. The section would also increase, by $20.0 million, 
Department of Defense National Guard counterdrug programs to 
support the Federal Government's efforts to combat the opioid 
crisis.

                Subtitle C--Naval Vessels and Shipyards


 Section 1021--Inclusion of Operation and Sustainment Costs in Annual 
                    Naval Vessel Construction Plans

    This section would incorporate operations and sustainment 
costs into the 30-year shipbuilding plan required by section 
231 of title 10, United States Code.

   Section 1022--Purchase of Vessels Using Funds in National Defense 
                              Sealift Fund

    This section expands section 2218 of title 10, United 
States Code, and authorizes the Secretary of the Navy to 
procure up to 10 foreign-constructed ships if the Secretary 
certifies that the U.S. Navy has initiated an acquisition 
strategy for the construction of 10 new sealift vessels. 
Additionally, this section would limit 25 percent of the U.S. 
Navy Military Sealift Command's fiscal year 2019 expenditures 
until the Secretary of the Navy enters into a contract for the 
procurement of two used National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels, 
and completes the capability development document for the 
common hull multi-mission platform.

Section 1023--Purchase of Vessels Built in Foreign Shipyards With Funds 
                    in National Defense Sealift Fund

    This section would modify section 2218 of title 10, United 
States Code, and require a 30-day notice to the congressional 
defense committees before entering into a contract for a used 
vessel authorized for procurement by section 2218 of title 10, 
United States Code.

 Section 1024--Technical Corrections and Clarifications to Chapter 633 
of Title 10, United States Code, and Other Provisions of Law Regarding 
                             Naval Vessels

    This section updates chapter 633 of title 10, United States 
Code.

        Section 1025--Retention of Navy Hospital Ship Capability

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
retain two Mercy-class hospital ships until the Secretary has 
certified to the congressional defense committees that a 
replacement capability has been fielded.

                      Subtitle D--Counterterrorism


        Section 1031--Definition of Sensitive Military Operation

    This section would modify section 130f of title 10, United 
States Code, regarding notification requirements for sensitive 
military operations.

 Section 1032--Prohibition on Use of Funds for Transfer or Release of 
 Individuals Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, 
                       Cuba, to the United States

    This section would prohibit the use of any amounts 
authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for 
the Department of Defense during the period beginning on the 
date of the enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 
2019, to transfer or release detainees at U.S. Naval Station, 
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to or within the United States, its 
territories, or possessions.

   Section 1033--Prohibition on Use of Funds to Construct or Modify 
  Facilities in the United States to House Detainees Transferred from 
           United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

    This section would prohibit the use of any amounts 
authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for 
the Department of Defense during the period beginning on the 
date of the enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 
2019, to construct or modify any facility in the United States, 
its territories, or possessions to house any detainee 
transferred from U.S. Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for 
the purposes of detention or imprisonment in the custody or 
under the effective control of the Department of Defense.

 Section 1034--Prohibition on Use of Funds for Transfer or Release of 
 Individuals Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, 
                       Cuba, to Certain Countries

    This section would prohibit the use of any amounts 
authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for 
the Department of Defense during the period beginning on the 
date of the enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 
2019, to transfer, release, or assist in the transfer or 
release of any individual detained at U.S. Naval Station, 
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Libya, the Federal Republic of 
Somalia, the Syrian Arab Republic, or the Republic of Yemen.

         Subtitle E--Miscellaneous Authorities and Limitations


   Section 1041--Notification on the Provision of Defense Sensitive 
                                Support

    This section would modify the current Defense Sensitive 
Support congressional notification procedures, to include a 
Secretary of Defense determination that the requesting Federal 
department has reasonably attempted to satisfy the requirement 
using internal resources, and that the Department of Defense is 
the most appropriate Federal agency or department to satisfy 
the request for support. This section would also add a 
congressional notification requirement for Department of 
Defense requests for Reverse Defense Sensitive Support from 
other Federal departments or agencies.

  Section 1042--Coordinating United States Response to Malign Foreign 
                   Influence Operations and Campaigns

    This section would amend section 101 of the National 
Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3021) to explicitly task the 
National Security Council (NSC) to coordinate the full U.S. 
Government response to malign foreign influence operations and 
campaigns, particularly those that are cyber-enabled. This 
section would define ``malign foreign influence operations and 
campaigns,'' and would request the President to task an NSC 
official with combating it, and further requires the President 
to submit a report to the designated congressional committees 
not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment of this 
Act on the whole-of-government strategy for combating malign 
foreign influence operations.

Section 1043--Workforce Issues for Military Realignments in the Pacific

    This section would amend section 1806 of title 48, United 
States Code, to allow the continued employment of temporary 
workers on Guam engaged in the military realignment to Guam or 
to perform service as a health care worker. This section would 
also exempt returning workers from the cap on such workers in 
the event of a single departure and return to Guam.

Section 1044--Mitigation of Operational Risks Posed to Certain Military 
    Aircraft by Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Equipment

    This section would enable the Secretary of Defense to 
mitigate the operational risk posed to certain military 
aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) next-
generation airspace control mandate that takes effect on 
January 1, 2020, by accommodating certain fighter, bomber, and 
other sensitive mission aircraft until the Department of 
Defense and FAA agree on one or more solutions to address 
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out security risks 
or incorporate mitigation for security risks into a memorandum 
of agreement.
    The committee notes that the Department is working to meet 
the FAA mandate for its aircraft and supports its efforts to 
procure equipment and carry out modifications for its 
accommodated fighter, bomber, and special mission aircraft.

Section 1045--Limitation on Availability of Funds for Unmanned Surface 
                                Vehicles

    This section would limit the availability of funds 
authorized to be appropriated by this Act, or otherwise made 
available for fiscal year 2019, until the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering certifies the Strategic 
Capabilities Office Ghost Fleet Overlord Unmanned Surface 
Vehicle program to the congressional defense committees.

Section 1046--Program for Department of Defense Controlled Unclassified 
                  Information in the Hands of Industry

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
establish and implement a foreign ownership, control, or 
influence program for Department of Defense controlled 
unclassified information in the hands of industry.
    The Secretary would be required to act to ensure that prior 
to any company receiving controlled unclassified information or 
classified information, or becoming a cleared defense 
contractor, the company would have to report to the Secretary 
any foreign direction or controlling interest in the company or 
any access to intellectual property relating to classified 
information or controlled unclassified information.
    The Secretary would be required to make a determination on 
the basis of such a company's report whether the company should 
receive such information due to a risk to national security and 
whether such risk can be mitigated.

   Section 1047--Protection of Emerging and Foundational Technologies

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
establish and maintain a list of emerging and foundational 
technologies that are necessary for maintaining the national 
security technical advantage of the United States.
    This section would require the Secretary to use that list 
to inform the activities carried out by the Secretary relating 
to technology protection, including under interagency 
processes.

                    Subtitle F--Studies and Reports


   Section 1051--Additional Matter for Inclusion in Annual Report on 
     Civilian Casualties in Connection With United States Military 
                               Operations

    This section would amend section 1057(b)(2) of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91) to include an annual reporting requirement on civilian 
casualties in connection with U.S. military operations.

 Section 1052--Department of Defense Review and Assessment on Advances 
            in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense, acting 
through the Defense Innovation Board and the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering, to carry out a review and 
assessment of the advances in artificial intelligence, related 
machine learning developments, and associated technologies for 
military applications. This section would also require the 
Secretary of Defense to submit an initial report to the 
congressional defense committees not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, and a comprehensive 
report not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act.

    Section 1053--Report on Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure

    This section would prohibit certain funds authorized to be 
appropriated by this Act from being obligated or expended for 
the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure until the Secretary 
of Defense provides a report to the congressional defense 
committees on the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure.

Section 1054--Report on Proposed Consolidation of Department of Defense 
          Global Messaging and Counter Messaging Capabilities

    This section would limit the availability of funds 
authorized to be appropriated by this Act, or otherwise made 
available for fiscal year 2019, until the Secretary of Defense 
provides a report to the congressional defense committees on 
the Department of Defense Global Messaging and Counter 
Messaging program.

   Section 1055--Comprehensive Review of Professionalism and Ethics 
                 Programs for Special Operations Forces

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments, 
to conduct a comprehensive review of the ethics and 
professionalism programs of the U.S. Special Operations Command 
and the military departments for officers and other military 
personnel serving in special operations forces. This section 
would require the Secretary of Defense to submit the review to 
the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives by March 1, 2019.

 Section 1056--Munitions Assessments and Future-Years Defense Program 
                              Requirements

    This section would require the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition and Sustainment to provide all relevant 
documents related to the Department of Defense's munitions 
requirements process, as well as provide the planned funding 
and munitions requirements required for fiscal year 2020 and 
across the Future Years Defense Program for munitions across 
all military services and the Missile Defense Agency. This 
section would also require the Under Secretary to evaluate and 
identify supply chain risks, including qualified supplier 
shortages or single source supplier vulnerabilities for 
munitions production. The committee notes that munitions are 
defined as a complete device charged with explosives; 
propellants; pyrotechnics; initiating composition; or chemical, 
biological, radiological, or nuclear material for use in 
operations including demolitions, to include conventional 
ammunition.

     Section 1057--Report on Establishment of Army Futures Command

    This section would require the Secretary of the Army to 
provide a report to the congressional defense committees on the 
Army's plan for the establishment of Army Futures Command, to 
include a description of the authorities, mission, and 
organizational structure. This section does not prohibit the 
Secretary of the Army from proceeding forward with any current 
internal organizational changes in accordance with existing 
authorities related to the establishment of the Army Futures 
Command.

   Section 1058--Assessment of Department of Defense Electromagnetic 
                      Spectrum Warfare Enterprise

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 
(CJCS), to develop an implementation plan to conduct joint 
campaign modeling and wargaming for joint electromagnetic 
spectrum operations (JEMSO) of the Department of Defense, and 
to submit that plan in the form of a report by February 18, 
2019, to the congressional defense committees. This section 
would also require the Secretary and CJCS to provide various 
briefing presentations to the House Committee on Armed 
Services, not later than February 25, 2019, on essential topics 
and functions of the Department's JEMSO enterprise.
    The committee is concerned that since the electronic 
warfare (EW) strategy document was released by the Department's 
Electronic Warfare Executive Committee in June 2017, subsequent 
efforts to strengthen, modernize, and create synergy of effort 
across the Department related to the JEMSO enterprise may have 
stagnated within the military services, the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense, and the Office of the Chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff. The committee seeks to gain a greater 
understanding of current JEMSO efforts since release of the EW 
strategy document, and the committee encourages those officials 
overseeing the JEMSO enterprise to reinvigorate efforts towards 
achieving the goals and objectives described in the EW 
strategy.

     Section 1059--Report on Support for Non-Contiguous States and 
           Territories in the Event of Threats and Incidents

    This section would direct the Department of Defense to 
provide a report on its preparedness to provide contiguous 
States with temporary relief and emergency work in the 
aftermath of an emergency incident.

         Section 1060--Report on Low-Boom Flight Demonstration

    This section would require the Administrator of the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration to submit a 
report, not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
of the House of Representatives describing the progress in 
development of the Low-Boom Flight Demonstration.

      Section 1061--Report on Cyber-Enabled Information Operations

    This section would require the President to provide the 
Committees on Armed Services and Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives and the Committees on Armed Services and 
Foreign Relations of the Senate a report not later than 180 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act on the effects 
of cyber-enabled information operations on the national 
security of the United States.

                       Subtitle G--Other Matters


      Section 1071--Technical, Conforming, and Clerical Amendments

    This section would make a number of technical, conforming, 
and clerical amendments of a non-substantive nature to existing 
law.

     Section 1072--Principal Advisor on Countering Weapons of Mass 
                              Destruction

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
designate, from among the personnel of the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense, a Principal Advisor on Countering Weapons 
of Mass Destruction (CWMD). Such individual shall act as the 
Principal Advisor to the Secretary on the activities of the 
Department of Defense relating to countering weapons of mass 
destruction. Further, this section would require a plan for 
realigning, restructuring, or reducing the current CWMD 
oversight framework of the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

             Section 1073--Receipt of Firearm or Ammunition

    This section would require for the purposes of Federal 
firearms laws that the residency of members of the Armed Forces 
and their spouses be determined in the same manner.

          Section 1074--Federal Charter for Spirit of America

    This section would designate Spirit of America, a nonprofit 
organization, as a federally chartered corporation.

        Section 1075--Transfer of Aircraft to Other Departments

    This section would amend section 1098 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113-
66) to relieve the United States Air Force (USAF) from the 
mandate to modify United States Coast Guard (USCG) HC-130H 
aircraft with designated capabilities for use by the United 
States Forest Service (USFS).
    The committee notes that officials from the USFS, USCG, and 
USAF notified the committee, and relevant other House of 
Representatives and Senate committees of jurisdiction, that a 
recently completed USFS cost-benefit analysis demonstrated it 
is more cost-effective, and provides greater firefighting 
capacity and responsiveness, to utilize contract service 
provided capability instead of owning and operating year-round 
a small, organic fleet of modified HC-130H aircraft.

    Section 1076--Reauthorization of National Aviation Heritage Area

    This section would amend title V of division J of the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 (Public Law 108-447) to 
establish Dayton History as the entity responsible for managing 
the National Aviation Heritage Area.

            Section 1077--Recognition of America's Veterans

    This section would honor America's veterans, including 
those who have not yet been appropriately recognized for their 
service to the Nation, by authorizing the Secretary of Defense 
to carry out a parade in their honor. The Secretary would be 
authorized to expend funds authorized to be appropriated under 
this Act for the display of small arms and munitions 
appropriate for customary ceremonial honors and for the 
participation of military units that perform customary 
ceremonial duties.
    The committee believes that, as America approaches the 
100th anniversary of the 1918 Armistice ending World War I, it 
is appropriate to honor a century of military service by the 
men and women who have sacrificed to secure America's freedom. 
The committee further believes that the world they made through 
their sacrifices is increasingly under threat from competitors 
like the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China. 
The committee is concerned that far too many veterans, 
including veterans of the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, 
and Afghanistan, have been denied the public display of 
gratitude their service deserves and therefore the committee 
believes now is the right time to celebrate a century of 
patriotic sacrifice and service.

     Section 1078--National Commission on Military Aviation Safety

    This section would establish a National Commission on 
Military Aviation Safety. The commission would undertake a 
comprehensive study and deliver a report not later than June 1, 
2019, on military aviation mishaps occurring between fiscal 
years 2013-18.

    Section 1079--Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support

    This section would amend sections 669a, 669g, and 669h of 
title 16, United States Code, to expand opportunities for 
construction and sustainment of target practice and 
marksmanship training facilities at public target ranges on 
Federal and non-Federal land.

     Section 1080--Sense of Congress on Adversary Air Capabilities

    This section would express the sense of Congress that each 
Department of Defense facility housing an F-22 aircraft 
squadron should have adversary air capabilities to improve 
training of F-22 aircrews.

   Section 1081--Sense of Congress Regarding Organic Attack Aviator 
                          Training Capability

    This section would express the sense of Congress that the 
Army National Guard should retain rotary wing attack aviation 
units as well as organic training capacity such as the Western 
and Eastern Army Aviation Training Sites.

   Section 1082--Sense of Congress on the Legacy, Contributions, and 
  Sacrifices of American Indian and Alaska Natives in the Armed Forces

    This section would express the sense of Congress on the 
legacy, contributions, and sacrifices of American Indian and 
Alaska Natives in the Armed Forces, and commits to ensuring 
progress for these groups with regard to representation in 
senior leadership positions, improved access to resources, and 
support for families and tribal communities.

                   Section 1083--Amateur Radio Parity

    This section would require the Federal Communications 
Commission to amend section 97.15 of title 47, Code of Federal 
Regulations, to prohibit the application of any private land 
use restriction to amateur radio stations in a manner that 
would preclude communications in an amateur radio service.

Section 1084--Sense of Congress Regarding the International Borders of 
                           the United States

    This section would express the sense of Congress that 
operational control of the international borders of the U.S. is 
critical to national security, the U.S. must devote adequate 
resources to securing the border, and the Department of Defense 
must have adequate resources to support the mission to secure 
the international borders of the U.S. while maintaining combat 
readiness.

 Section 1085--Program To Commemorate 75th Anniversary of World War II

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
conduct a program to commemorate the 75th anniversary of World 
War II; such program would be authorized to include the 
provision of support to other Federal Government agencies, and 
to State and local governments.
    The Secretary would be authorized to spend not more than 
$2.0 million for fiscal year 2019 for the activities of the 
Department of Defense World War II Commemoration Fund.

                  TITLE XI--CIVILIAN PERSONNEL MATTERS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                      Civilian Talent Recruitment

    The committee recognizes that the Department of Defense and 
the military departments encounter difficulty recruiting highly 
specialized civilians in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics (STEM) fields due to pay and other compensation 
limitations imposed by the Office of Personnel Management 
general schedule pay scales.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management 
and Budget, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on 
Armed Services not later than January 31, 2019, on the 
challenges associated with the Department's efforts to hire 
organic civilians in the STEM fields.
    The briefing must include the following elements:
    (1) recommendations on how the Department can use 
professional pay incentives, such as special or incentive pay, 
like those provided to uniformed career fields such as pilots 
or medical professionals;
    (2) impacts any delays in hiring have on the Department and 
the services' medium- and long-term technical capabilities; and
    (3) an assessment of the average time it takes for the 
Department of Defense and the military services to hire STEM 
civilians and recommendations for how this process can be 
improved.

                        Direct Hiring Authority

    The committee notes that section 1106 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328) provides direct-hire authority to the Secretary of Defense 
for post-secondary students and recent graduates. Under this 
authority, the Secretary may recruit and appoint qualified 
recent graduates and current post-secondary students to 
competitive service positions in professional and 
administrative occupations within the Department of Defense. 
These appointments cannot exceed 15 percent of the number of 
hires made into professional and administrative occupations. 
Further, section 1110 of Public Law 114-328 allows for direct-
hire authority for the Department for Financial Management 
Experts not exceeding 10 percent of the number of hires.
    The committee recognizes that additional hiring challenges 
exist throughout the Department and at many installations, and 
notes that additional direct-hiring authority may allow for 
more efficient and effective hiring of talented personnel in 
the fields of cybersecurity, engineering, science, and cost 
analysis positions. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the military 
departments, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on 
Armed Services not later than January 31, 2019, on the 
effectiveness of existing direct-hire authority and 
recommendations for any necessary expansion of or changes to 
the existing authority to improve the Department's ability to 
hire technically skilled personnel in a timely manner.

                Presidential Management Fellows Program

    The committee recognizes that the Presidential Management 
Fellows (PMF) program has been one of the most successful means 
of recruiting the nation's top graduate students into U.S. 
government service. Consistent with the 2018 National Defense 
Strategy, the committee recognizes the PMF program's role in 
recruiting highly-qualified, talented, and innovative graduate 
students in order to create the ``motivated, diverse, and 
highly skilled civilian workforce.'' In the committee's view, 
during the four decades since the program's founding, the 
Department of Defense has benefited greatly from the program. 
Despite this, the centrally managed process for hiring PMFs 
into the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has been 
suspended since 2015. While Department of Defense components 
are permitted to hire PMFs, unfortunately, they are unable to 
replicate the well-rounded experience created by the rotating 
assignments of the OSD program that is so crucial to leadership 
at the highest levels.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to submit a report by January 31, 2019, on the PMF program. The 
report shall include the following elements: (a) a description 
of the PMF program historically and as it currently exists 
within the Department; (b) statistics on federal civilian 
employees who entered the Department from the PMF program since 
its inception, including the overall number, their average 
length of tenure, the component by which they were hired, their 
entering and departing career civilian ranks, and an accounting 
for any notable subsequent leadership positions in the national 
security field; (c) an explanation for why the centrally 
managed process for hiring PMFs into the Office of the 
Secretary of Defense has been suspended and recommendations for 
any changes to policy, authorities, and resources required to 
resume it; (d) an assessment of the benefits and costs of 
resuming the use of and expanding the size of the PMF program 
across the Department; (e) recommendations for any changes to 
policy, authorities, and resources required to improve the 
program and expedite the on-boarding process for PMFs.

               Recruitment and Hiring of Navy Astronomers

    The Committee recognizes the critical missions of the U.S. 
Naval Observatory (USNO) and the Naval Observatory Flagstaff 
Station (NOFS) to the Department. The Committee is aware of 
challenges in recent years to recruitment and timely hiring of 
astronomers at NOFS, which risks key astronomical observation 
shifts going missed. The Committee directs the Secretary of the 
Navy to provide a briefing to the Committee on Armed Services 
of the House no later than December 31, 2018, outlining: the 
hiring process and timeline for astronomy positions at USNO and 
NOFS; identifying reasons for delays in approving positions and 
hiring for such positions; what the Navy is doing to shorten 
timelines; barriers and challenges to recruitment of 
individuals with relevant expertise; identifying impediments to 
hiring such individuals in a timely basis; and identifying 
impediments to recruiting and relocating individuals to NOFS.

              Workplace Flexibility for Federal Civilians

    The committee recognizes efforts taken by the military 
services to increase workplace flexibility to attract and 
retain talented personnel. The committee remains concerned, 
however, that a lack of professional flexibility in the 
civilian work force limits the ability of the Department of 
Defense and the military services to attract and retain highly 
trained mid-level career professionals. Family planning and an 
individual's desire to further their education are two 
frequently cited reasons why professionals seek more flexible 
work schedules.
    The committee notes numerous private sector organizations 
started providing increased work flexibility to their 
employees, providing incentives that lure the skilled workforce 
away from the DoD and the services. Therefore, in order to 
preserve and enhance the DoD's civilian workforce the committee 
directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the 
Secretaries of the military departments, to provide a briefing 
by January 31st, 2019 that identifies current policies that 
allow work-share, job-share, part-time, tele-work, and other 
flexibilities currently offered by the Department for civilian 
employees. The briefing should identify the frequency with 
which these policies are used by each pay-band and career-
field, whether certain career-fields have been exempted from 
certain flexibility programs and the justification for 
exemption, the number of employees who have been denied 
opportunities to do work-share, job-share, part-time work, or 
tele-work, and how many of these employees, as a result, have 
left the federal government.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


 Section 1101--Direct Hire Authority for the Department of Defense for 
                 Certain Competitive Service Positions

    This section would amend chapter 99 of title 5, United 
States Code, by adding a new section that would provide the 
Secretary of Defense authority to expedite hiring of civilian 
personnel into positions involving maintenance, depot 
maintenance, cybersecurity, acquisition, and science, 
technology, and engineering. This authority would expire on 
September 30, 2025.

Section 1102--Modification of Direct Hire Authority for the Department 
      of Defense for Post-Secondary Students and Recent Graduates

    This section would amend chapter 99 of title 5, United 
States Code, by adding a new section that would authorize the 
Secretary of Defense to recruit and hire recent graduates into 
competitive positions in the Department of Defense through 
September 30, 2025. This section would also repeal the more 
limited authority provided by section 1106 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328).

 Section 1103--Extension of Overtime Rate Authority for Department of 
the Navy Employees Performing Work Aboard or Dockside in Support of the 
       Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier Forward Deployed in Japan

    This section would amend section 5542 of title 5, United 
States Code, to extend until September 30, 2021, the authority 
of the Secretary of the Navy to pay overtime rates to civilian 
employees performing temporary duty in Japan in support of the 
forward deployed nuclear aircraft carrier.

 Section 1104--One-Year Extension and Expansion of Authority to Waive 
 Annual Limitation on Premium Pay and Aggregate Limitation on Pay for 
              Federal Civilian Employees Working Overseas

    This section would amend section 1101 of the Duncan Hunter 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public 
Law 110-417) to extend the authority to waive the annual 
limitation on premium pay and aggregate limitation on pay for 
Federal civilian employees working overseas until September 30, 
2019.
    This section would also restrict the waiver limitation to 
the pay periods applicable, rather than the entire calendar 
year.

  Section 1105--Appointment of Retired Members of the Armed Forces to 
            Positions in or Under the Department of Defense

    This section would provide the Secretary of Defense 
temporary authority to appoint retired members of the Armed 
Forces to Federal civilian positions within the Department of 
Defense immediately upon retirement for certain categories of 
positions. This section would provide this authority to the 
Secretary for 5 years.

    Section 1106--Extension of Authority to Conduct Telework Travel 
                         Expenses Test Programs

    This section would amend section 5711 of title 5, United 
States Code, to extend the authority of the Administrator of 
the General Services Administration to conduct a test telework 
program until December 31, 2020.

             Section 1107--Personnel Demonstration Projects

    This section would amend section 4703 of title 5, United 
States Code, to deem that demonstration projects conducted 
under this authority lasting more than 10 years shall not count 
against the limit of 10 such projects ongoing at any time.

    Section 1108--Expanded Flexibility in Selecting Candidates From 
                             Referral Lists

    This section would amend subchapter I of chapter 33 of 
title 5, United States Code, to provide Federal agencies 
flexibility in setting the minimum number of candidates who 
must be considered on a referral list for each vacancy by 
amending sections 3317, 3318, and 3319 of such title.

   Section 1109--Temporary and Term Appointments in the Competitive 
                                Service

    This section would amend subchapter I of chapter 31 of 
title 5, United States Code, by adding a new section that would 
authorize the heads of Federal agencies to hire civilian 
personnel through temporary and term appointments. This section 
would also permit an agency head to make noncompetitive hires 
for up to 18 months to meet a critical need.

             TITLE XII--MATTERS RELATING TO FOREIGN NATIONS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                  Carrier Presence in the Middle East

    The committee recognizes the importance of maintaining an 
aircraft carrier strike group in the U.S. Central Command 
(CENTCOM) area of operations to deter the Islamic Republic of 
Iran, support ongoing missions in the Republic of Iraq, the 
Syrian Arab Republic, and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 
provide assurance to regional partners, and maintain the 
capacity to flexibly respond to a variety of crises across the 
volatile region. The Navy currently struggles to meet combatant 
commander presence requirements in CENTCOM and a recent gap in 
carrier presence there temporarily limited CENTCOM's capacity 
to address these security challenges. In an effort to more 
quickly reach the requirement for 12 aircraft carriers 
identified in the most recent Force Structure Assessment and to 
achieve greater cost savings, the committee authorized an 
acceleration of the next Ford-class aircraft carrier designated 
CVN-81 in fiscal year 2019. The committee also recommends that 
the Navy assess options to extend the service life of USS 
Nimitz (CVN 68) to mitigate potential gaps, which could affect 
CENTCOM's regional force presence.

     Casualty Evacuation in U.S. Africa Command Area of Operations

    Given the vast distances and austere conditions affecting 
mobility on the African continent, the committee recognizes 
that personnel recovery and casualty evacuation are critical 
enablers to U.S. Africa Command's (AFRICOM's) conduct of 
operations. The committee is concerned, however, that current 
funding for contractor-owned, contractor-operated casualty 
evacuation capabilities is currently insufficient to support 
requirements. Therefore, the funding table in division D would 
authorize an additional $15.0 million for contractor-owned, 
contractor-operated casualty evacuation capability in AFRICOM's 
area of operations.

                Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa

    The committee has long been concerned about U.S. Africa 
Command (AFRICOM) Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa's 
(CJTF-HOA) ability to execute assigned missions and taskings, 
as evidenced by section 1241 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (Public Law 111-383), 
which required the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 
the Secretary of State, to monitor and evaluate the impact of 
CJTF-HOA's activities to counter violent extremism in Africa 
and provide a report to Congress.
    The committee continues to be concerned that CJTF-HOA's 
organizational structure, resourcing, command relationships, 
and lack of clearly defined role, responsibility, and authority 
have led to suboptimal performance in executing its assigned 
missions as an operational headquarters and ensuring unified 
action in the region. The committee acknowledges that as the 
only major element of AFRICOM located on the continent, there 
may be value in maintaining and better enabling CJTF-HOA to 
synchronize, facilitate, and oversee its assigned missions. The 
committee notes, however, that options other than a joint task 
force may be more effective in accomplishing these missions.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to evaluate the missions of CJTF-HOA and the operational 
environment to determine whether a joint task force provides 
the most effective headquarters option for command and control 
of operations. Further, the committee directs the Secretary to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services not 
later than October 31, 2018, on the results of the evaluation. 
The briefing shall include:
    (1) an evaluation of the costs and benefits of maintaining 
a permanent U.S. military presence in East Africa, and the 
potential locations for such presence;
    (2) an evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of 
maintaining a combined joint task force structure to fulfill 
assigned missions and taskings;
    (3) the range of headquarters options available for command 
and control of operations in East Africa and the advantages and 
disadvantages of each option;
    (4) recommendations for the most effective headquarters 
structure, command relationships, and assignment of missions to 
improve the command and control of operations and to ensure 
unified action in East Africa; and
    (5) any other matter the Secretary determines to be 
appropriate.

 Coordinating Efforts To Counter the Malign Activities of the People's 
 Republic of China and the Russian Federation Across Combatant Commands

    The committee is concerned about the People's Republic of 
China and the Russian Federation's malign influence and 
activities that extend across all geographical regions and 
supports the Department's efforts to increase coordination 
across combatant commands in countering those activities. The 
committee believes that China and Russia's influence campaigns, 
economic investment and infrastructure, and security presence 
throughout the Indo-Pacific, Central Asia, Africa, Europe, and 
South America, have national security implications for the 
United States and its allies and partners. Therefore, the 
committee encourages all combatant commands to coordinate their 
respective efforts and use all appropriate authorities to 
include security cooperation activities, foreign military 
sales, and other equipment transfers to counter China and 
Russia's activities and to develop the capabilities of United 
States allies and partners. The committee notes that the 
combatant commands should align their efforts in accordance 
with section 1637 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91), as appropriate.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by December 
3, 2018, on the actions the combatant commands are taking to 
increase coordination and counter the activities posed by China 
and Russia.

Department of Defense Inspector General Audit of Foreign Military Sales

    An efficient, thorough, and effective Foreign Military 
Sales (FMS) process is vital to U.S. foreign policy and 
national security, and contributes to the health of the U.S. 
defense industrial base. The committee is aware, however, of 
concerns raised by U.S. military leaders, the defense industry, 
and foreign partners that the FMS process is slow, cumbersome, 
and overly complicated.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Inspector General of 
the Department of Defense to conduct an audit regarding 
Department of Defense implementation of FMS programs and, upon 
completion of the audit, to submit a final report to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
Senate, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives. The committee further directs the Inspector 
General to meet with the House Committee on Armed Services and 
the House Committee on Foreign Affairs not later than June 30, 
2018, to scope the audit fully. Additionally, the committee 
directs the Inspector General to provide an interim briefing to 
the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee 
on Foreign Affairs not later than November 30, 2018, on the 
manner that it intends to conduct such audit.

                         Foreign Military Sales

    A key element of the 2018 National Defense Strategy is to 
``strengthen alliances and attract new partners.'' The 
committee is aware that the Department of Defense is making 
progress instituting the security cooperation reforms contained 
in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114-328). The committee remains concerned, however, 
that the execution of foreign military sales (FMS) is not 
coordinated holistically across the Department to prioritize 
resources and effort in support of U.S. national security 
objectives and the defense industrial base. Consequently, 
acquisition decisions continue to be made in a stovepiped 
manner and without sufficient regard for the role of FMS. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services and 
the House Committee on Foreign Affairs by October 31, 2018, on 
the procedures instituted by the Department to integrate FMS 
and other security cooperation activities into the planning 
process for defense acquisition.
    Additionally, the committee notes that there are separate 
and disparate efforts across the Department that develop, 
negotiate, and implement foreign military sales for missile 
defense capability. This often leads to foreign partners not 
being provided price and availability for all potential systems 
that could meet their requirements, and the best solution to 
benefit both the partner nation and overall Department 
interests. Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary 
of Defense for Policy, in coordination with the Director of the 
Missile Defense Agency, Secretary of the Navy, and Secretary of 
the Army, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by November 30, 2018, on options to improve, 
consolidate, and streamline missile defense foreign military 
sales across the Department.
    Further, the committee believes that production of 
additional foreign military sales variants may help mitigate 
risk to the supplier base and overall production capacity for 
precision guided munitions. Elsewhere in this report the 
committee encourages the Secretary of Defense to ensure that 
the AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles 
production line is kept at or near full capacity whenever 
possible, either by increasing production to fill U.S. military 
requirements or by supplementing production for the U.S. 
military with higher FMS production.

   Improved Coordination of Activities in Africa With International 
                                Partners

    The committee is aware that international partners such as 
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the 
French Republic, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, plus 
multinational organizations such as the European Union and 
African Union, and many others, conduct programs to build 
partner capacity in Africa. The committee is concerned that 
U.S. programs may be duplicative or in conflict with 
international partners' activities, or that gaps in 
capabilities are unaddressed.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, to provide a briefing 
to the House Committee on Armed Services and the House 
Committee on Foreign Affairs by October 31, 2018, on the steps 
being taken to coordinate security cooperation activities in 
Africa with international partners.

                  International Armaments Cooperation

    The committee appreciates that international armaments 
cooperation (IAC) involves cooperative research, development, 
test, and evaluation of defense technologies, systems, or 
equipment; joint production and follow-on support of defense 
articles or equipment; and procurement of foreign technology, 
equipment, systems or logistics support. The committee further 
appreciates that the Office of the Director of International 
Cooperation and the IAC Directorate are charged with performing 
managerial roles with respect to these important functions. 
However, the committee questions whether IAC is sufficiently 
utilized for strategic purposes and questions whether the 
Office of the Director of International Cooperation and the IAC 
Directorate are optimally situated to contribute to long-term 
policy making and strategic oversight regarding Department of 
Defense security cooperation programs.
    Therefore, the committee encourages the Secretary of 
Defense to evaluate the status of IAC within the Department of 
Defense and to consider the merits of realigning the Office of 
the Director of International Cooperation and the IAC 
Directorate from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition and Sustainment to the Office of the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Policy. The committee also directs the 
Secretary of Defense to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by October 31, 2018, on IAC, the 
Office of the Director of International Cooperation, and the 
IAC Directorate. At a minimum, the briefing shall include the 
following:
    (1) a description of the dispositions, missions, roles, and 
responsibilities of all departmental offices with a role in IAC 
(to include the Office of the Director of International 
Cooperation, the IAC Directorate, and the Defense Security 
Cooperation Agency);
    (2) an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of 
the current organizational and operational structures related 
to IAC (to include the placement of the Office of the Director 
of International Cooperation and the IAC Directorate);
    (3) an assessment of the merits of realigning the Office of 
the Director of International Cooperation or the IAC 
Directorate to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Policy; and
    (4) a discussion of the steps that have been, or may be, 
taken by the Department of Defense to improve IAC to achieve 
strategic objectives.

            Multilateral Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula

    The committee supports efforts between United States Forces 
Korea and the United Nations Command Sending States and certain 
countries to augment U.S. forces and forces of the Republic of 
Korea on the Korean peninsula.
    The committee is pleased to see cooperation and 
participation among the United States, South Korea, United 
Nations Command Sending States, and certain countries in 
combined defense exercises. The committee further believes that 
these allies and partners can continue to play a vital role in 
contributing military assets for contingencies and capabilities 
in the naval and maritime domain as well as participating in 
training and exercises.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the component commands, to provide a 
briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives not later than December 1, 2018, on 
recommendations to strengthen coordination with liaison 
components and to broaden such cooperation, including 
information sharing, training and exercise opportunities, and 
integration and planning of multi-national forces into existing 
arrangements between the United States and South Korea.

Naval Mine Countermeasure Capability in the U.S. Central Command's Area 
                             of Operations

    The committee recognizes the importance of the U.S. Navy's 
mine countermeasures (MCM) capability in protecting the free 
flow of commerce through the Suez Canal, the Strait of Hormuz, 
and the Bab al Mandeb Strait.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than September 30, 2018, on the MCM platforms that 
are capable of being readily deployed to U.S. Central Command's 
area of operations. This briefing should describe available MCM 
platforms, the time that would be required to clear relevant 
sea lanes of the mine threats posed by regional state and non-
state actors including the Islamic Republic of Iran, the extent 
to which MCM training and exercises focus on potential mining 
contingencies in Middle Eastern waterways, and, if applicable, 
the extent to which U.S. MCM shortfalls could be covered by 
partner-country capabilities.

           Non-Standard Acquisition in Foreign Military Sales

    The committee is aware that foreign partners are 
increasingly considering U.S.-made capabilities through Foreign 
Military Sales (FMS) that are not currently a Department of 
Defense program of record. For FMS purposes, a non-standard 
article is one that the Department of Defense does not manage, 
either because an applicable end item has been retired or 
because it was never purchased for Department components; a 
non-standard service is one that the Department of Defense does 
not routinely provide for itself or for purchase. Likewise, the 
Department's building partner capacity (BPC) programs include 
acquisition of non-standard articles and services under defense 
security cooperation train and equip authorities. Consequently, 
there is an increasing need for the Department of Defense to 
provide adequate program-level support so that these systems 
can be sold to international partners and supported over the 
life-cycle of the program.
    The committee is also aware that the military departments 
have, on a case-by-case basis, established program offices to 
support the foreign sale of certain non-standard articles. The 
committee is concerned, however, that these ad hoc efforts do 
not provide the support necessary to manage foreign partners' 
acquisition of non-standard articles and services across the 
Department of Defense in a holistic manner.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to conduct a review of the acquisition of non-standard articles 
and services for FMS and BPC programs, and to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services and the House 
Committee on Foreign Affairs by October 31, 2018, on the 
results of the review. The briefing shall include the following 
with respect to foreign partners' acquisition of non-standard 
articles and services through FMS or BPC programs:
    (1) a description of current processes and procedures;
    (2) an overview of previous programs, and an assessment of 
future opportunities for such programs;
    (3) the various options the Department of Defense could use 
to address this issue, including the advantages and 
disadvantages of each and funding requirements;
    (4) statutory, regulatory, policy, or funding constraints 
related to the options in (3); and
    (5) any other matter the Secretary considers appropriate.

                       Report on New START Treaty

    The committee notes that the New START Treaty entered into 
force in 2011 and is set to expire in 2021 but may be extended 
for a period of an additional five years. U.S. Strategic 
Command Commander General Hyten stated in March 2017 before the 
House Armed Services Committee that ``I've stated for the 
record in the past, and I'll state again, that I'm a big 
supporter of the New START Agreement.'' In addition, the 
committee notes that Air Force deputy chief of staff for 
strategic deterrence General Weinstein also stated in March 
2017 that ``The reason you do a treaty is not to cut forces but 
to maintain strategic stability among world powers. And the New 
START Treaty allowed us to maintain [that stability]. I think 
there is a huge value with what the New START Treaty has 
provided . . . So I think the New START Treaty has been good, 
been good for us.''
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, to 
provide a report to the congressional defense committees no 
later than November 15, 2018, on whether, and if so, the 
reasons that, the New START Treaty, and the extension of the 
treaty as of the date of the report, is in the national 
security interests of the United States.

 Report on U.S. Casualty Estimates for Armed Conflict With North Korea

    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
report to the House Committee on Armed Services, not later than 
September 30, 2018, and again 180 days thereafter, on the U.S. 
casualty estimates for likely scenarios of an armed conflict 
with North Korea. The reports should be unclassified, but each 
may contain a classified annex.

                  Security and Stability in Venezuela

    The committee is concerned about the degradation of 
democratic institutions, security and stability, and human 
rights violations in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 
during the authoritarian rule of President Nicol s Maduro. 
President Maduro's leadership tenure has produced economic, 
political, and security instability in Venezuela.
    The severe humanitarian crisis unfolding in Venezuela 
includes inflation exceeding 1,100 percent, massive shortages 
in food and medical supplies, and a near complete collapse of 
social services. The committee notes this crisis is directly 
impacting the Republic of Colombia with an estimated 500,000 
Venezuelans seeking refuge there.
    The committee recognizes that hundreds of thousands more 
vulnerable members of the Venezuelan population could 
potentially migrate to Colombia and other neighboring countries 
to seek safety and opportunity. This migration could have 
impacts on stability throughout South America.
    Therefore, the committee urges the Department of Defense, 
in close conjunction with other U.S. agencies, to monitor the 
economic, security, and political situation in Venezuela 
closely and to continue working with the government of Colombia 
and other regional partners to assist the Venezuelan refugee 
population and resolve the crisis.

                        Support to Syrian Women

    The committee notes the efforts of nongovernmental 
organizations that have successfully increased the inclusion of 
Syrian women in local and provincial governance. The committee 
further notes that women have been instrumental to humanitarian 
aid efforts at the local level in Syria, and have helped keep 
schools, hospitals, and basic services running in their 
communities. Women serve on local councils, advise local police 
departments, and are being trained to hold forums and town 
halls in their communities.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense in 
coordination with the Secretary of State to provide the House 
Armed Services Committees no later than December 1, 2018 a 
briefing on any efforts to support appropriately vetted Syrian 
opposition forces as defined in section 1209 of the Carl Levin 
and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291; 128 Stat. 3541) 
in their efforts to increase the inclusion of women in security 
and governance processes. Additionally, the briefing shall 
include any plans to initiate or expand such efforts in the 
future.

  Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Support to the Afghan National Defense and 
                            Security Forces

    The committee notes that the Department of Defense works 
closely with the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces 
(ANDSF) to provide protected mobility as well as a wide-range 
of other capabilities based on military requirements, including 
ANDSF priorities as well as the ANDSF's capability to maintain 
and sustain such equipment. The committee understands the 
Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan (CSTC-A) 
conducted a tactical wheeled vehicle (TWV) optimization study 
in 2016 in support of the ANDSF with a focus on creating a 
sustainable, affordable, and effective fleet that would 
increase combat capability and force protection for occupants. 
It is unclear to the committee whether this study considered 
providing excess defense article mine resistant ambush 
protected (MRAP) vehicles to the ANDSF. The committee notes 
there are several thousand MRAP vehicles categorized as Excess 
Defense Articles (EDA) in the Department's inventory that could 
potentially be used to address protected mobility requirements 
for the ANDSF. The committee is aware the ANDSF are using MRAP 
vehicles and notes these vehicles provide for increased 
survivability and offensive power in combat operations. 
Further, the committee is aware of a recent letter of request 
by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for 738 MRAP vehicles.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Policy, in consultation with the Director, Defense 
Security Cooperation Agency, to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services by October 30, 2018, on the cost, 
operational survivability, and sustainability of EDA MRAP 
vehicles for the ANDSF, the status of the most recent letter of 
request for 738 MRAP vehicles for the ANDSF, and whether MRAP 
vehicles were considered as part of the most recent TWV 
optimization study conducted by CSTC-A. The briefing should 
also take into account cost, blast protection level, 
catastrophic losses to date of vehicles and numbers of Afghan 
soldiers killed in vehicles damaged by improvised explosive 
devices.

           Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP)

    The committee recognizes the threat posed by terrorist 
groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Boko 
Haram, and ISIS West Africa, and that such threat poses risks 
to the stabilization of countries in West Africa and the Sahel.
    The committee emphasizes that countering terrorism 
throughout Western Africa and the Sahel requires enhancing 
regional border security, tracking illicit financial flows, 
building law enforcement capacity, and strengthening the rule 
of law. In order to promote stable and strong institutions 
throughout Western Africa and the Sahel, a whole of government 
approach is called for, leveraging State Department-led 
diplomatic efforts, military-to-military relationships 
developed and led by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), and 
development projects carried out by the U.S. Agency for 
International Development (USAID).
    The Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) 
developed in 2005 by the Department of Defense (AFRICOM), 
Department of State, and USAID was created to support national 
and regional institutions in the region working with regional 
governments and European partners bordering the Mediterranean.
    The committee encourages the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism 
Partnership to continue with regular interagency coordination 
and engagement with regional partners and allies.
    The Committee directs the Office of the Secretary of 
Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to 
provide a briefing to the House Committees on Armed Services 
and Foreign Affairs by March 1, 2019 on the Trans-Saharan 
Counterterrorism Partnership including any activities or 
partner engagement related to military, counter-terrorism, and 
law-enforcement capacity-building, as well as public diplomacy 
and information operations.

             U.S. Military Education and Training Locations

    The committee recognizes the importance of U.S. military 
leadership in advancing the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization's mission to guarantee freedom and security in the 
alliance and around the world. As the 75th anniversary of D-Day 
and the allied invasion of Normandy, France, approaches, the 
committee notes the significance of this event in history. As 
such, the committee believes the Cotentin Peninsula could serve 
as a potential location for Department of Defense activities to 
grow global partnerships and alliances.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to submit a report to the House Committee on Armed Services and 
the Senate Committee on Armed Services not later than December 
1, 2018, on the feasibility (including cost and availability of 
any suitable locations for potential activities) of activities 
to grow global partnerships and alliances on the Cotentin 
Peninsula prior to the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion 
in June 2019.

  Western Hemisphere Region Report on Strategy To Increase Engagement 
                              With Region

    It is the sense of Congress that the security, stability, 
and prosperity of the Western Hemisphere region are vital to 
the national interests of the United States. The United States 
has a military capability in the Western Hemisphere region that 
builds goodwill and is able to project power, build partner 
capacity, deter acts of aggression, and respond, if necessary, 
to natural disasters, regional threats or to threats to the 
national security of the United States by the activities of 
actors, such as Iran, China, Russia, North Korea, transnational 
criminal organizations, or terrorist organizations in the 
region. The Committee believes continuing efforts by the 
Department of Defense to increase investments in the Western 
Hemisphere are necessary to build and maintain a robust United 
States commitment to the region.
    Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Secretary of State, to submit a report 
to the congressional defense committees, the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate, and the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives by April 1, 2019, that 
contains a strategy on effective U.S. defense engagement with 
the Western Hemisphere region, a plan to implement that 
strategy, and any additional funding requirements to implement 
such strategy. The strategy shall address each of the 
following:
    (1) The security challenges, including threats, emanating 
from the Western Hemisphere region, including from natural 
disasters, and any capability gaps in United States defense 
posture to the region;
    (2) The security threats to the United States or to its 
interests in the Western Hemisphere region from the engagement 
of Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea in the region, with a 
specific focus on Iran's engagement in the Tri-Border region of 
South America, Bolivia, and Venezuela and Russian engagement in 
Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela;
    (3) The counterintelligence threats to the United States 
from Cuba and the role of Cuba in supporting the Venezuelan 
government;
    (4) The threats to the United States from transregional and 
transnational threat networks, including in drug trafficking, 
illegal mining, deforestation, human trafficking, and other 
illicit activities;
    (5) The threats to the United States from the links of the 
Venezuelan government with drug trafficking and transnational 
criminal organizations and corrupt government actors in the 
region;
    (6) Department of Defense plans, force posture, 
capabilities, and resources to address any gaps in 
intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, or counter-
intelligence capabilities in the region; and
    (7) The allies, partners, and other countries in the region 
that the Defense Department has prioritized for increased 
cooperation and a description of the areas of proposed 
increased cooperation.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


                  Subtitle A--Assistance and Training


  Section 1201--Report on the Use of Security Cooperation Authorities

    This section would express the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of Defense should use appropriate security 
cooperation authorities to counter the malign influence 
campaigns that are directed at allies and partners and that 
pose a significant threat to the United States. This section 
would also require the Secretary of Defense to include a report 
on funding for this purpose with the consolidated budget 
materials for security cooperation required by section 381 of 
title 10, United States Code, in fiscal year 2020 through 
fiscal year 2025.
    The committee recognizes that Department of Defense 
programs aimed at building partner capacity, such as those 
authorized under section 333(a) of title 10, United States 
Code, have largely focused on building counterterrorism 
capabilities in allies and partners. However, with the security 
cooperation reforms contained in the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328) and 
the evolving security environment, the committee urges the 
Department to develop capabilities with key allies and partners 
that will enable them to counter and mitigate the impact of 
malign influence campaigns by competitors or adversaries.

Section 1202--Clarification of Authority To Waive Certain Expenses for 
        Activities of the Regional Centers for Security Studies

    This section would amend section 342 of title 10, United 
States Code, to clarify that travel, transportation, and 
subsistence expenses are included among the costs of activities 
of the Regional Centers eligible for waiver of reimbursement.

    Section 1203--NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
provide funds for fiscal year 2019 for the purposes of 
supporting the NATO Strategic Communications Center of 
Excellence, and would direct the Secretary of Defense to assign 
executive agent responsibilities to an appropriate organization 
within the Department of Defense.

   Section 1204--NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
provide funds for fiscal year 2019 for the purposes of 
supporting the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of 
Excellence, and would direct the Secretary of Defense to assign 
executive agent responsibilities to an appropriate organization 
within the Department of Defense.

   Section 1205--Participation in and Support of the Inter-American 
                            Defense College

    This section would make permanent the authority for U.S. 
participation in and support of the Inter-American Defense 
College and would transfer such authority to chapter 16 of 
title 10, United States Code. This section would further 
require that Department of Defense participation in, and host 
nation support of, the Inter-American Defense College shall be 
in accordance with a memorandum of understanding between the 
Department and the Inter-American Defense Board, with Secretary 
of State concurrence, and that such memorandum of understanding 
shall provide details of any cost-sharing or funding 
arrangements, a curriculum, and a plan for academic program 
development.

Section 1206--Increase in Cost Limitation for Small Scale Construction 
                    Related to Security Cooperation

    This section would increase the limitation on small scale 
construction related to security cooperation from $0.75 million 
to $2.0 million.

        Section 1207--Report on Security Cooperation With Haiti

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, with 
the concurrence of the Secretary of State, to submit a report 
on cooperation between the Department of Defense and the 
Government of the Republic of Haiti.

  Section 1208--Review and Report on Processes and Procedures Used to 
         Carry Out Section 362 of Title 10, United States Code

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, with 
the concurrence of the Secretary of State, to conduct a review 
of the processes and procedures used to carry out section 362 
of title 10, United States Code, and submit a report to the 
appropriate congressional committees on such review. This 
section would also make conforming amendments to section 362 
and to section 1206 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' 
McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 
(Public Law 113-291).

        Subtitle B--Matters Relating to Afghanistan and Pakistan


 Section 1211--Extension of Authority To Transfer Defense Articles and 
    Provide Defense Services to the Military and Security Forces of 
                              Afghanistan

    This section would extend the authority to transfer defense 
articles being drawn down in the Islamic Republic of 
Afghanistan and the authority to provide defense services 
regarding such transfers to the military and security forces of 
Afghanistan.

   Section 1212--Extension of Authority for Reimbursement of Certain 
   Coalition Nations for Support Provided to United States Military 
                               Operations

    This section would extend through December 31, 2019, the 
authority to make Coalition Support Fund (CSF) payments under 
section 1233 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181).
    This section would also maintain the limitations enacted in 
section 1233 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91), which provided that of 
the funds authorized for CSF, not more than $700.0 million may 
be provided to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and of that 
amount, not more than $350.0 million may be provided until the 
Secretary of Defense certified that Pakistan is taking 
demonstrable steps against the Haqqani Network.
    The committee notes that elsewhere in this Act, it has 
fully authorized the President's budget request of $900.0 
million for fiscal year 2019 for CSF payments.

   Section 1213--Extension and Modification of Commanders' Emergency 
                            Response Program

    This section would extend the Commanders' Emergency 
Response Program through 2020 and would modify the eligibility 
to include Somalia, Yemen, and Libya.

             Section 1214--Report on Assistance to Pakistan

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a report to the congressional defense committees not 
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act 
describing the manner in which the Department provides 
assistance to the Government of Pakistan.

         Subtitle C--Matters Relating to Syria, Iraq, and Iran


   Section 1221--Extension and Modification of Authority To Provide 
       Assistance to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

    This section would extend the authority to provide 
assistance to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. This 
section would also authorize a funding level of $850.0 million 
for such support in Iraq.
    The committee notes that some U.S.-provided equipment has 
inadvertently fallen into the hands of groups that operate 
outside of the control of the central Government of the 
Republic of Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government. The 
committee urges the Department of Defense to evaluate its 
current safeguards to ensure that equipment is properly stored 
and maintained.

   Section 1222--Extension of Authority To Provide Assistance to the 
                        Vetted Syrian Opposition

    This section would extend and modify section 1209 of the 
Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291) by 
extending the ``Syria train and equip'' program and the 
reprogramming requirement through December 31, 2019.
    Further, this section would require the President to submit 
to the congressional defense committees a plan at least 30 days 
prior to an initial reprogramming request in fiscal year 2019. 
The plan would describe the efforts the United States will take 
to train and build an appropriately vetted force; the nature of 
the force; the current effectiveness of the force; the 
conditions to be met for a determination that the Islamic State 
in Iraq and Syria has been adequately neutralized; the roles 
and contributions of partner countries; the concept of 
operations, timelines and types of training, equipment, 
stipends, sustainment, supplies to be provided by the United 
States (including measures for accountability); and a 
description of force posture.

   Section 1223--Extension and Modification of Authority To Support 
Operations and Activities of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq

    This section would extend the authority for the Office of 
Security Cooperation in Iraq (OSC-I) through December 31, 2019. 
The committee recognizes that OSC-I will manage U.S. security 
cooperation with the Republic of Iraq over the long term and 
expects the Department of Defense to ensure, to the extent 
practicable, that the Government of Iraq is able to sustain and 
maintain U.S.-provided equipment throughout the lifespan of 
such equipment.

  Section 1224--Sense of Congress on Ballistic Missile Cooperation to 
                              Counter Iran

    This section would express the sense of Congress that the 
Gulf Cooperation Council member countries should take 
meaningful steps to build an interoperable ballistic missile 
defense architecture with emphasis on information sharing, 
including early warning and tracking data, to defend against 
the Islamic Republic of Iran missile threat.

   Section 1225--Strategy To Counter Destabilizing Activities of Iran

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense, with 
concurrence of the Secretary of State, to develop and implement 
a strategy with foreign partners to counter the destabilizing 
activities of Iran. Under such a strategy, partners and allies 
would commit to collaborating with the United States on a 
variety of efforts, including but not limited to investing in 
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms, mine 
countermeasures resources, integrated air and missile defense, 
and cybersecurity; engaging in combined planning, defense 
education, and institution building; and sharing information.
    Further, this section would require the Secretary of 
Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit 
a report to the congressional defense committees and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, on the 
strategy and the actions taken by partners and allies.

 Section 1226--Report on Compliance of Iran Under the Chemical Weapons 
                               Convention

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report to 
the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee 
on Foreign Affairs by February 1, 2019, assessing the extent to 
which Iran is complying with its obligations under the Chemical 
Weapons Convention.

   Section 1227--Report on Potential Release of Chemical Weapons or 
Chemical Weapons Precursors From Barzeh Research and Development Center 
and Him Shinshar Chemical Weapons Storage and Bunker Facilities in Homs 
                           Province of Syria

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a report to the congressional defense committees within 
30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act on the 
analysis for potential release of chemical weapons or chemical 
weapon precursors, conducted prior to U.S. and partner forces 
strikes on the Barzeh Research and Development Center and the 
Him Shinshar chemical weapons storage and bunker facilities in 
Homs province of Syria in April 2018.

   Section 1228--Report on Cooperation Between Iran and the Russian 
                               Federation

    This provision would require a report each year for the 
next 5 years on military and security cooperation between the 
Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, 
particularly in respect to Syria. The report would further 
cover Russian and Iranian intelligence-sharing, joint naval 
exercises, joint cooperation on Iran's space and nuclear 
programs, Russian cooperation with Hezbollah, and the potential 
that Iran will adopt Russia's hybrid warfare model.

         Subtitle D--Matters Relating to the Russian Federation


    Section 1231--Prohibition on Availability of Funds Relating to 
           Sovereignty of the Russian Federation over Crimea

    This section would extend by 1 year the prohibition imposed 
by section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92), as amended by section 
1232 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2018 (Public Law 115-91). This section would prohibit the use 
of fiscal year 2019 funds to implement any activity that 
recognizes the sovereignty of the Russian Federation over 
Crimea. This section would also allow the Secretary of Defense, 
in concurrence with the Secretary of State, to waive the 
prohibition if the Secretary determines that doing so would be 
in the national security interest of the United States and 
submits a notification to the Committees on Armed Services of 
the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate, and the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives.

     Section 1232--Limitation on Availability of Funds Relating to 
                Implementation of the Open Skies Treaty

    The committee is aware that the Department of State's 2018 
arms control compliance report, also known as the ``Report on 
Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, 
Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments'', 
submitted pursuant to section 2593a of title 22, United States 
Code, continues to find the Russian Federation in violation of 
numerous provisions of the Treaty on Open Skies. Consistent 
with prior National Defense Authorization Acts, the committee 
believes legislation is appropriate and required to oversee the 
implementation of this treaty.
    This section would prohibit the use of funding authorized 
in this Act for fiscal year 2019 for the purposes of upgrading 
or modernizing certain Treaty on Open Skies systems until such 
time as the President (or the Secretary of State) is able to 
certify that the President has imposed treaty violations 
responses and legal countermeasures.
    This section would also limit the use of funding authorized 
in this Act or any other Act for fiscal year 2019 for the 
approval or adoption of any implementing decision in the Open 
Skies Consultative Commission concerning approval of a request 
by states parties to certify infra-red or synthetic aperture 
radar sensors under the treaty. Such funding would be 
restricted until:
    (1) the Secretary of Defense, jointly with the relevant 
U.S. Government officials, submits a certification that an 
implementing decision would not be harmful or detrimental to 
the national security of the United States, as well as a report 
on certain matters has been submitted to the appropriate 
congressional committees; and
    (2) the President has certified, not later than 90 days 
prior to a decision taking effect, that Russia is in complete 
compliance with the treaty, is allowing observation flights 
over certain specified regions, and it has agreed to certain 
conditions (including the extradition of Russian citizens 
involved in undertaking unlawful activities against the United 
States incident to the 2016 Presidential election, it has 
withdrawn from Crimea and ceased support to Russian proxies in 
Eastern Ukraine, and has ceased all military and financial 
support for any state that uses or has used against its 
civilian population any agent or substance banned by the 
Chemical Weapons Convention).
    The President would be permitted to waive the limitation 
subject to certain conditions.
    The section would also permit the Secretary to cease 
operation of treaty aircraft for safety of flight.

   Section 1233--Comprehensive Response to the Russian Federation's 
                   Material Breach of the INF Treaty

    This section would state a series of findings concerning 
Russian Federation violations of the INF Treaty. This section 
would also state that it is the policy of the United States 
that Russia has defeated the object and purpose of the treaty, 
is in material breach of the treaty, and as a result the U.S. 
is legally entitled to suspend the operation of the treaty in 
whole or in part for so long as the Russian Federation 
continues to be in material breach of the treaty.
    This section would additionally withhold 25 percent of the 
funding authorized to be appropriated by this Act for 
Department support to the Executive Office of the President, 
other than funding required for senior leader communications, 
until the President certifies that each requirement of section 
1290 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2017 (Public Law 114-328) has been met; that the President has 
notified the appropriate congressional committees of the 
imposition of sanctions pursuant to section 1290 of that Act; 
and, that the President has submitted the report required by 
section 1244(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91).
    The committee notes that because the requirements of 
section 1244(b)(2) of Public Law 115-91 have not been satisfied 
as of this report, the restriction on $50.0 million in fiscal 
year 2018 authorized funding for the Special Mission Area of 
the Defense Information Systems Agency remains in place.
    The committee is aware that the State Department's 2018 
arms control compliance report, also known as the Report on 
Adherence to and Compliance With Arms Control, 
Nonproliferation, and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments, 
submitted pursuant to section 2593a of title 22, United States 
Code, continues to find Russia in violation of the Treaty on 
the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range 
Missiles (INF Treaty), specifically the obligations not to 
possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched missile with 
a range capability of 500 kilometers to 5,500 kilometers. Each 
National Defense Authorization Act since fiscal year 2014 has 
included measures to pressure Russia to return to compliance 
with the treaty and to ensure Russia cannot obtain a military 
advantage by its violations of the treaty. The committee 
believes time is running out for Russia to take actions that 
will allow for the preservation of the treaty.

Section 1234--Modification and Extension of Ukraine Security Assistance 
                               Initiative

    This section would extend by 2 years section 1250 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public 
Law 114-92), most recently amended by section 1234 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public 
Law 115-91), to authorize the Secretary of Defense to provide 
security assistance and intelligence support to the Government 
of Ukraine. This section would also authorize $250.0 million to 
carry out this authority in fiscal year 2019.
    The committee recognizes the essential role played by U.S. 
and partner assistance in training, advising, and equipping 
Ukrainian military and security forces, including the 
invaluable contributions of the National Guard through the 
State Partnership Program, and urges the Defense Department to 
fully resource those efforts. As part of these efforts, the 
committee recognizes the contributions of training activities 
conducted at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center 
in Yavoriv, Ukraine, and similar locations.
    The committee commends the administration for providing 
defensive lethal assistance through Foreign Military Financing 
in the past year to the Government of Ukraine to support its 
efforts to protect and defend its territorial integrity. The 
committee urges the Department to continue to use the Ukraine 
Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) for assistance to the 
Government of Ukraine and encourages the Department to consider 
USAI as a source of funds for future defensive lethal 
assistance.

Section 1235--Statement of Policy on United States Military Investment 
                               in Europe

    This section would state that it is the policy of the 
United States to sustain credible deterrence against aggression 
by the Government of the Russian Federation.
    The committee notes section 1273 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) 
required the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the 
congressional defense committees detailing a Future Years 
Defense Program plan for resourcing and planning for the 
European Deterrence Initiative. Section 1273 also prohibited 
any further action with respect to sites identified for 
divestiture, but not yet divested, as part of the European 
Infrastructure Consolidation (EIC) initiative until the report 
was submitted to the congressional defense committees.
    As the section 1273 report has not been submitted in 
compliance with the statutory requirement, the committee 
believes the limitation of the divestiture of sites under the 
EIC is still in place.

 Section 1236--Imposition of Sanctions With Respect to Certain Persons 
Providing Sophisticated Goods, Services, or Technologies for Use in the 
 Production of Major Defense Equipment or Advanced Conventional Weapons

    This section would require the President to submit a report 
to the specified congressional committees within 120 days after 
the date of enactment of the Act; the report would list such 
persons as are described in section 1290 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328).
    This section would also require the President to submit a 
report to the specified congressional committees within 120 
days after the date of enactment of the Act; the report would 
provide information related to the supply chains for Russian 
arms sales programs.
    The section would require the imposition of sanctions with 
respect to persons providing specified support to Russian 
industry, with a focus on targeting Russia's defense industry 
supply chain, involved with developing or producing major 
defense equipment or advanced conventional weapons. The 
sanctions available to the President would include, denial of 
sales or defense articles and services; licenses for export of 
an item on the United States Munitions List; or, exports 
controlled for national security under the Export 
Administration Regulations. It would also contain an enhanced 
sanction for governments of state-sponsors of terrorism that 
obtain such equipment from Russia. The President would be 
authorized to waive the imposition of sanctions with respect to 
the new sanctions provided in this section in certain specified 
circumstances.
    This section would also amend section 231 of the Countering 
America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (Public Law 115-
44), by providing an authority to suspend the imposition of 
sanctions under that Act for 180-day periods in the event a 
person demonstrates that they are directly supporting U.S. 
national security objectives and have taken specified steps, 
including terminating defense relationships with Russia, or 
reducing reliance upon the Russian defense or intelligence 
sectors.
    Finally, all provisions or amendments made by this section 
would expire in 5 years.

 Section 1237--Extension of Limitation on Military Cooperation Between 
              the United States and the Russian Federation

    This section would extend for 1-year section 1232(a) of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public 
Law 114-328), as most recently amended by section 1231 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public 
Law 115-91). This section would limit the use of fiscal year 
2019 funds for bilateral military-to-military cooperation 
between the Government of the United States and the Russian 
Federation until the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with 
the Secretary of State, provides a certification to appropriate 
congressional committees relating to certain actions by Russia. 
This section would also allow the Secretary of Defense to waive 
the limitation under certain conditions.

 Section 1238--Sense of Congress Regarding Russia's Violations of the 
                      Chemical Weapons Convention

    This section would express the sense of Congress that the 
Russian Federation is in violation of the Chemical Weapons 
Convention.

 Section 1239--United States Actions Regarding Material Breach of INF 
                    Treaty by the Russian Federation

    This section would provide that, unless the President 
certifies to the specified congressional committees that the 
Russian Federation has returned to full and verifiable 
compliance with the INF Treaty within 1 year of the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the prohibitions set forth in Article VI 
of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty would no longer 
be binding upon the United States as a matter of U.S. law.

    Section 1240--Limitation on Availability of Funds To Extend the 
                 Implementation of the New START Treaty

    This section would limit the expenditure of funds for the 
Department of Defense to extend the implementation of the New 
START Treaty unless and until the President certifies that the 
President has raised the issue of certain new Russian nuclear 
weapons systems under Article V of the New START Treaty and 
that the Russian Federation has responded in writing to the 
United States as to whether they will agree to declare such 
nuclear weapons systems pursuant to the Treaty. The President 
would be required to notify the specified congressional 
committees on whether the Russian position threatens the 
viability of the New START Treaty or requires political, 
economic, or military response by the United States.

        Subtitle E--Matters Relating to the Indo-Pacific Region


      Section 1251--Support for Indo-Pacific Stability Initiative

    This section would express the sense of Congress in support 
of the Indo-Pacific Stability Initiative to increase and 
enhance U.S. force posture; improve military and defense 
infrastructure, basing, and logistics; and increase bilateral 
and multilateral training and exercises with allies and partner 
nations.
    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a requirement and resource plan to the congressional 
defense committees by March 1, 2019, that includes an analysis 
of the challenges faced by the United States to meet the 
objectives and activities outlined in the Indo-Pacific 
Stability Initiative and the resource requirements needed 
through fiscal year 2024 to address such challenges. This 
section also would require the Secretary to submit budget 
materials in support of the budget of the President for fiscal 
year 2020.

             Section 1252--United States Strategy on China

    This section would require the President to issue a 
strategy on the United States' whole-of-government approach to 
safeguard U.S. interests against Chinese industrial 
acquisitions, political influence, and regional and global 
military capabilities and presence that have defense and 
security implications for the United States and its allies and 
partners. The strategy and recommendations for implementation 
would be required to be submitted to the appropriate 
congressional committees as a written report not later than 
March 1, 2019.

          Section 1253--Strengthening Taiwan's Force Readiness

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to 
conduct a comprehensive assessment, in consultation with 
appropriate counterparts of Taiwan, on ways to enhance and 
reform Taiwan's military forces, particularly Taiwan's reserve 
forces. The assessment would also require the development of 
recommendations to strengthen bilateral cooperation and improve 
Taiwan's self-defense capabilities. The Secretary of Defense, 
in consultation with the Secretary of State, would be required 
to submit a report on the assessment and a list of 
recommendations and planned actions to the appropriate 
congressional committees not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.

 Section 1254--Modification, Redesignation, and Extension of Southeast 
                   Asia Maritime Security Initiative

    This section would modify the Southeast Asia Maritime 
Security Initiative by amending the name to the Indo-Pacific 
Maritime Security Initiative. It would include India as a 
covered country and allow for the inclusion of additional 
countries in the Indo-Pacific region if the Secretary of 
Defense, in concurrence with the Secretary of State, determines 
and certifies to the appropriate committees of Congress that it 
is important for increasing maritime security and maritime 
domain awareness. This section would also extend the authority 
by 3 years from September 30, 2020, to September 30, 2023.

Section 1255--Missile Defense Exercises in the Indo-Pacific Region With 
               United States Regional Allies and Partners

    This section would express the sense of Congress that the 
United States should continue to develop and deploy robust 
missile defense in the Indo-Pacific region. This section would 
also express that the United States should increase 
coordination, conduct bilateral and multilateral missile 
defense exercises, and increase the capacity and integration of 
missile defense systems with allies and partners to move toward 
a more interoperable and integrated missile defense 
architecture.
    This section would also state that the Secretary of Defense 
may conduct missile defense exercises in the Indo-Pacific 
region with U.S. regional allies and partners to improve 
interoperability.
    Finally, this section would require the Secretary of 
Defense to provide a briefing to the congressional defense 
committees, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, 
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives on the matters contained in subsection (c) not 
later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.

          Section 1256--Quadrilateral Cooperation and Exercise

    This section would express the sense of Congress on 
supporting quadrilateral cooperation among the United States, 
Japan, the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Republic of 
India, and others as appropriate.
    This section would also state that the Secretary of Defense 
may conduct a quadrilateral naval military exercise and it 
would require the Secretary to provide a briefing to the 
congressional defense committees, the Committee on Foreign 
Relations of the Senate, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
of the House of Representatives on matters contained in this 
section not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.

        Section 1257--Name of United States Indo-Pacific Command

    This section would change the name of ``United States 
Pacific Command'' to ``United States Indo-Pacific Command'' 
beginning in January 1, 2020. This section also would make 
several conforming amendments pursuant to the name change.
    The committee notes that changing the name from ``United 
States Pacific Command'' to ``United States Indo-Pacific 
Command'' may involve some necessary administrative 
expenditures. The committee believes the Department of Defense 
should be prudent and minimize such costs to the extent 
practicable.

   Section 1258--Requirement for Critical Languages and Expertise in 
                      Chinese, Korean, and Russian

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a plan to address shortfalls in Chinese, Korean, and 
Russian language and expertise across the Department of 
Defense. Specifically, the plan shall provide a near-term and 
long-term plan for how the Department is building competency in 
these critical areas and the Secretary of Defense shall submit 
that plan to the congressional defense committees not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

 Section 1259--Modification of Report Required Under Enhancing Defense 
                  and Security Cooperation With India

    This section would amend subsection (a)(2) of section 1292 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
(114-328) by adding an additional reporting requirement. The 
new reporting requirement would include a description of the 
progress on enabling agreements between the United States and 
the Republic of India, any limitations that hinder or slow 
progress, measures to improve interoperability, and actions 
India is taking, or the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary 
of State believe India should take, to advance the relationship 
with the United States.

  Section 1260--Statement of Policy on Naval Vessel Transfers to Japan

    This section would express that it shall be the policy of 
the United States to support maritime defense cooperation with 
Japan.

   Section 1261--Report and Public Notification on China's Military, 
        Maritime, and Air Activities in the Indo-Pacific Region

    This section would state the sense of Congress that greater 
transparency of the People's Republic of China provocative 
military, maritime, and air activities in the Indo-Pacific 
region would aid in raising awareness of these activities, 
enable regional security partners to more effectively protect 
their sovereignty and defend their rights under international 
law, and maintain stability within the region to enable 
constructive relations with China.
    This section would also require Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Director of National Intelligence and the 
Secretary of State, to submit a report to the appropriate 
congressional committees on a quarterly basis describing 
China's activities in the Indo-Pacific region, and disseminate 
the report to regional allies and partners and provide public 
notification, as appropriate. The dissemination and 
availability of the report and public notification shall be 
made in a manner consistent with national security and the 
protection of classified national security information.

          Section 1262--Senior Defense Engagement With Taiwan

    This section would express the sense of Congress that, 
pursuant to the Taiwan Travel Act, a service secretary or 
member of the joint chiefs should visit Taiwan for a senior-
level defense engagement. This section would require a briefing 
to the congressional defense committees, the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate, and the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs of the House of Representatives on any plans of the 
Department to carry out senior-level defense engagement.

Section 1263--Limitation on Use of Funds To Reduce the Total Number of 
  Members of the Armed Forces on Active Duty Who Are Deployed to the 
                           Republic of Korea

    This section would limit the use of funds authorized to be 
appropriated by this Act to reduce the number of members of the 
Armed Forces serving on Active Duty in the Republic of Korea 
below 22,000 unless the Secretary of Defense first provides 
certification to the congressional defense committees that such 
a reduction is in the national security interest of the United 
States and will not significantly undermine the security of the 
United States allies in the region.

   Section 1264--Enhancing Missile Defense Cooperation With Partners

    This section would state the sense of Congress that the 
Secretary of Defense should seek to increase missile defense 
coordination and cooperation with U.S. partners.
    This section would amend section 1292 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328) as amended by section 1258 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) by 
including missile defense cooperation as a priority of 
Department of Defense defense cooperation efforts with the 
Republic of India.

                       Subtitle F--Other Matters


 Section 1271--Report on Status of the United States Relationship With 
                         the Republic of Turkey

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report on 
the U.S.-Turkish relationship to the congressional defense 
committees, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives, not later than 60 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
    This section would also prohibit any action to execute 
delivery of a foreign military sale for major defense equipment 
under section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
2761) to the Republic of Turkey until the required report is 
delivered to the specified congressional committees.

 Section 1272--Sense of Congress on Unity of Gulf Cooperation Council 
                            Member Countries

    This section would describe the sense of Congress that the 
member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are 
important security cooperation partners of the United States, 
that GCC unity and cohesion is critical to facing the growing 
threats from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and that the timely 
normalization of diplomatic, security, and economic 
relationships is in the best interest of the United States.

 Section 1273--Report on United States Government Police Training and 
                     Equipping Programs for Mexico

    This section would require the President to submit a report 
to the congressional defense committees, the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, the Committee 
on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, and the 
Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives by 
July 1, 2019, on U.S. police training and equipping programs 
with the United States of Mexico.

Section 1274--Authority To Increase Engagement and Military-to-Military 
               Cooperation With Western Balkans Countries

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
increase engagement and military-to-military cooperation 
utilizing authorized programs and activities under chapter 16 
of title 10, United States Code, for the Western Balkans region 
including the Republic of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 
Republic of Kosovo, and the Republic of Macedonia.
    The committee is concerned about long-term stability and 
security in the Western Balkans region. Ethnic tensions, 
economic challenges, and malign outside influences are 
contributing to the instability of the region. The committee 
remains concerned about the upcoming elections in Bosnia and 
Herzegovina. Since the signing of the Dayton Accords in 1995, 
Bosnia and Herzegovina has maintained growth in developing 
democratic institutions and elections. The committee encourages 
the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina to promptly and 
effectively address their constitutional challenges and hold 
fair and free elections in October 2018.
    The committee remains deeply concerned over the Russian 
Federation's intensifying efforts to assert its influence in 
the Western Balkans. The committee condemns Russia's 
involvement in the attempted coup against the Government of the 
newest member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 
Montenegro, in October 2016. The committee is also concerned 
about Russian information operations in the Balkans including 
propaganda and efforts to highlight lingering ethnic tensions.
    The committee is encouraged by the strong partnerships that 
continue to develop in the Western Balkans with the United 
States. These partnerships are vital to increase security, 
stability, and prosperity in the region. The committee also 
encourages European partners and allies to strengthen 
relationships in the region as well. The committee is hopeful 
about, and supportive of, the continued work of many in the 
region toward goals of integrating into the Euro-Atlantic 
community, including NATO and the European Union (EU). The 
continued forward progress by these nations toward accession 
into NATO and the EU provides a stable framework from which to 
achieve greater stability and security throughout Central 
Europe. The committee notes that the Department of Defense 
should continue to increase military-to-military cooperation 
and engagements in the region.

   Section 1275--Technical Corrections Relating to Defense Security 
                  Cooperation Statutory Reorganization

    This section would make technical corrections relating to 
defense security cooperation statutory reorganization.

 Section 1276--United States-Israel Countering Unmanned Aerial Systems 
                              Cooperation

    This section would modify section 1279 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-
92) to authorize establishment of a cooperative research and 
development program with the State of Israel to develop 
capabilities for countering unmanned aerial systems through 
modification of the existing memorandum of agreement between 
the United States and Israel for anti-tunneling defense 
capabilities or through a new memorandum of agreement.

Section 1277--Three-Year Extension of Authorization of Non-Conventional 
                     Assisted Recovery Capabilities

    This section would modify section 943(g) of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110-
417), as most recently amended by section 1051(n) of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public 
Law 115-91), authorization of non-conventional assisted 
recovery capabilities, by striking ``2021'' and inserting 
``2024''.

 Section 1278--Revision of Statutory References to Former NATO Support 
               Organizations and Related NATO Agreements

    This section would amend section 2350d of title 10, United 
States Code, to update the statutory reference to reflect a 
reorganization of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 
with respect to the elimination of the NATO Support 
Organization and the establishment of the NATO Support and 
Procurement Organization. This section would also amend section 
2350d to reflect that NATO supply and logistics support 
activities may extend to NATO operations outside of Europe.

  Section 1279--Sense of the Congress Concerning Military-to-Military 
                               Dialogues

    This section would state the sense of Congress regarding 
the parameters that lead to successful military-to-military 
dialogues.

        Section 1280--Modifications to Global Engagement Center

    This section would modify section 1287 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328). Nothing in this section would alter the requirements of 
section 8119 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 
(Public Law 115-141) or any successor provision in an 
Appropriation Act.

   Section 1281--Report on Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreements

    This section would amend section 2342 of title 10, United 
States Code, with a requirement to report on cross-servicing 
agreements with NATO Allies and other countries. Reporting 
would include the country, date, text, dollar amount, and an 
assessment as to whether or not it falls within U.S. national 
security interests.

 Section 1282--Prohibition on Provision of Weapons and Other Forms of 
                    Support to Certain Organizations

    This section would prohibit funds authorized to be 
appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available to the 
Department of Defense for fiscal year 2019 from being used to 
provide weapons or any other form of support to certain 
organizations.

  Section 1283--Certification and Authority To Terminate Funding for 
         Academic Research Relating to Foreign Talent Programs

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a plan to implement a certification requirement to 
ensure certain applicants for certain Department of Defense 
research funding provide the Secretary information concerning 
whether they have participated, or are currently participating, 
in foreign talent or expert recruitment programs of certain 
countries.
    The Secretary would be required to implement such 
certification program not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. The Secretary would have the 
authority to terminate the award of Department funds if an 
applicant or recipient of such funds is unable to provide the 
required certification.

         Section 1284--Sense of Congress on Support for Georgia

    This section would express the sense of Congress regarding 
the United States support for Georgia's sovereignty and 
territorial integrity as well as support for continued 
cooperation between the United States and Georgia.

  Section 1285--Sense of Congress on Support for Estonia, Latvia, and 
                               Lithuania

    This section would express the sense of Congress on U.S. 
support for the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia, 
and the Republic of Lithuania, including support for their 
sovereignty, concern over aggressive military actions of the 
Russian Federation against these nations, and encouragement for 
further defense cooperation between the United States and these 
nations.

        Section 1286--Report on United States Strategy in Yemen

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a report to the congressional defense committees not 
later than February 1, 2019, describing the strategy of the 
United States Armed Forces with respect to Yemen including a 
description of the U.S. Armed Forces activity in Yemen, costs 
associated with such activity, key objectives of such activity, 
indicators of effectiveness, how current efforts align with 
such objectives, the estimated annual resources required 
through fiscal year 2022 to achieve such objectives, the 
applicable legal authorities, and any other matters the 
Secretary deems relevant.

                   Section 1287--Report on Hizballah

    This section would require the President to submit to the 
Senate Committee on Armed Services, the House Committee on 
Armed Services, the congressional intelligence committees, the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report 
on Hizballah no later than 90 days after the enactment of this 
act. The report would include accounting of Hizballah's known 
rocket arsenal, an evaluation of the impact of the United 
Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), an evaluation of 
Hizballah's capabilities, a description of routes used by 
Hizballah to procure weapons illegally, an estimate of entities 
that support Hizballah's network, an assessment of Hizballah's 
involvement in regional conflicts, and an assessment of 
Hizballah's fundraising in territories where UNIFIL operates.

                TITLE XIII--COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


           Future of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program

    The committee notes the successful history of the Nunn-
Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, including the 
pivotal role it played in securing former Soviet Union nuclear 
material and delivery platforms, the destruction of Russian and 
Syrian chemical weapons, and the securing of sensitive 
biological laboratories around the world. In response to an 
evolving threat landscape, Congress has provided modifications 
to the original program to address current requirements for 
threat reduction and the proliferation of weapons of mass 
destruction (WMD) by state and non-state actors around the 
globe.
    The committee is aware that additional opportunities may 
exist for enhanced cooperation with allies and partners to 
address emerging proliferation concerns and WMD threats, such 
as those on the Korean Peninsula. The committee notes, however, 
that interagency coordination, expeditious project approval, 
prioritization, measuring program effectiveness, and policy 
gaps continue to pose challenges to effective and efficient 
utilization of CTR by the Department of Defense, despite 
efforts for improvement.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a report to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
December 1, 2018, on how to strengthen the CTR program so that 
it may be better leveraged for emerging threat reduction and 
proliferation concerns in an efficient and expeditious manner.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


                   Section 1301--Funding Allocations

    This section would allocate specific funding amounts for 
each program under the Department of Defense Cooperative Threat 
Reduction (CTR) Program from within the overall $335.2 million 
that the committee would authorize for the CTR Program. The 
allocation under this section reflects the amount of the budget 
request for fiscal year 2019.

   Section 1302--Specification of Cooperative Threat Reduction Funds

    This section would specify that funds authorized to be 
appropriated to the Department of Defense for the Cooperative 
Threat Reduction Program, established under the Department of 
Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction Act (50 U.S.C. 3711), 
would be available for obligation in fiscal years 2019, 2020, 
and 2021.

                    TITLE XIV--OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


                     Subtitle A--Military Programs


                  Section 1401--Working Capital Funds

    This section would authorize appropriations for Defense 
Working Capital Funds at the levels identified in section 4501 
of division D of this Act.

    Section 1402--Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Defense

    This section would authorize appropriations for Chemical 
Agents and Munitions Destruction, Defense at the levels 
identified in section 4501 of division D of this Act.

 Section 1403--Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense-
                                  Wide

    This section would authorize appropriations for Drug 
Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense-wide at the 
levels identified in section 4501 of division D of this Act.

                Section 1404--Defense Inspector General

    This section would authorize appropriations for the Office 
of the Inspector General at the levels identified in section 
4501 of division D of this Act.

                  Section 1405--Defense Health Program

    This section would authorize appropriations for the Defense 
Health Program at the levels identified in section 4501 of 
division D of this Act.

              Section 1406--National Defense Sealift Fund

    This section would authorize appropriations for the 
National Defense Sealift Fund at the levels identified in 
section 4501 of division D of this Act.

                       Subtitle B--Other Matters


 Section 1411--Authority for Transfer of Funds to Joint Department of 
 Defense-Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration 
     Fund for Captain James A. Lovell Health Care Center, Illinois

    This section would authorize the transfer of funds from the 
Department of Defense to the Joint Department of Defense-
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Facility Demonstration 
Fund established by section 1704 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84).

    Section 1412--Authorization of Appropriations for Armed Forces 
                            Retirement Home

    This section authorizes appropriations for fiscal year 2019 
from the Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund for the 
operation of the Armed Forces Retirement Home.

       Section 1413--Quarterly Briefing on Progress of Chemical 
                        Demilitarization Program

    This section would modify section 1521 of title 50, United 
States Code, to require the Secretary of Defense to provide 
quarterly briefings to the congressional defense committees on 
the progress of the chemical demilitarization program, 
including contractor cost and schedule performance, destruction 
progress, and any other relevant information until stockpile 
destruction is complete. This section would also eliminate the 
semiannual written reports required in the section referenced 
above.

   TITLE XV--AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR OVERSEAS 
                         CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


         Cargo Inspections To Counter Vehicle Borne IED Threats

    The Committee is encouraged that the Department of the Army 
is testing and planning to deploy new passive cargo inspection 
technologies to address a joint urgent operational need to 
counter Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) 
threats. This disruptive technology, which utilizes naturally 
occurring cosmic ray muons and electrons, identifies shielded 
and unshielded nuclear and radioactive materials; detects 
smuggled contraband, including weapons, bombmaking materials, 
and illicit goods; and is proven safe for humans, animals, and 
food products. The Committee encourages the Army to continue 
with the current testing program and supports efforts to deploy 
the system at a major US military facility. Further, the 
Committee requests a briefing 60 days after the enactment of 
this bill on the potential future deployments of these next 
generation inspection technologies inside and outside the 
continental United States. The briefing, which may be provided 
in a classified setting, shall include an assessment of current 
cargo inspection protocols and requirement gaps that may exist.

         National Guard and Reserve Component Equipment Account

    The budget request for Overseas Contingency Operations 
(OCO) contained no funding for a National Guard and Reserve 
Component equipment account. Elsewhere as reflected in division 
D of this Act, the committee notes that the base budget request 
contained $3.4 billion for procurement of National Guard and 
Reserve Component equipment and $219.9 million in the OCO 
request for Army National Guard and Army Reserve other 
procurement programs.
    The committee remains concerned about the availability of 
equipment needed to sustain and modernize the National Guard 
and Reserve Components as an operational reserve and for their 
domestic support missions. The committee notes that National 
Guard and Reserve Components are often reliant upon overused 
and outdated equipment, creating a widening capability gap with 
the Active Component, and have been unable to maintain pace 
with rapid technological change. The committee believes 
additional funds are required to address identified equipment 
shortfalls and improve compatibility with Active Components. 
The committee expects these funds to be used for the purposes 
of, but not limited to, the procurement of rotorcraft; avionic 
and radar upgrades for legacy strike fighter aircraft to 
include Navy Reserve F-18 strike fighters; wheeled and tracked 
combat vehicles; tactical wheeled vehicles; ammunition; small 
arms; tactical radios (to include single channel ground and 
airborne radio systems); UH-72A Lakota survivability upgrades; 
UH-60 disaster response equipment, such as rescue hoists, water 
buckets, and radios; non-system training devices; vehicle 
convoy operations trainers; unstabilized gunnery trainers and 
virtual convoy operations trainers; sense and avoid system 
upgrades for unmanned air systems; and explosive ordnance 
disposal man-portable robots & lightweight X-ray systems and 
other unfunded procurement items for the National Guard and 
Reserve Components.
    The committee recommends additional funding for a National 
Guard and Reserve Component equipment account within the 
Overseas Contingency Operations budget request. The committee 
also recommends $3.4 billion, the full amount of the base 
budget request, for National Guard and Reserve Component 
equipment and also recommends $219.9 million in the OCO request 
for Army National Guard and Army Reserve.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


              Subtitle A--Authorization of Appropriations


   Section 1501--Purpose of Certain Authorizations of Appropriations

    This section would establish the purpose of this title and 
make authorization of appropriations available upon enactment 
of this Act for the Department of Defense, in addition to 
amounts otherwise authorized in this Act, to provide for 
additional authorization of funds due to overseas contingency 
operations and other additional funding requirements.

                       Section 1502--Procurement

    This section would authorize additional appropriations for 
procurement at the levels identified in section 4102 of 
division D of this Act.

       Section 1503--Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation

    This section would authorize additional appropriations for 
research, development, test, and evaluation at the levels 
identified in section 4202 of division D of this Act.

                Section 1504--Operation and Maintenance

    This section would authorize additional appropriations for 
operation and maintenance programs at the levels identified in 
section 4302 of division D of this Act.

                    Section 1505--Military Personnel

    This section would authorize additional appropriations for 
military personnel at the levels identified in section 4402 of 
division D of this Act.

                  Section 1506--Working Capital Funds

    This section would authorize additional appropriations for 
Defense Working Capital Funds at the levels identified in 
section 4502 of division D of this Act.

 Section 1507--Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense-
                                  Wide

    This section would authorize additional appropriations for 
Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Defense-Wide, at 
the levels identified in section 4502 of division D of this 
Act.

                Section 1508--Defense Inspector General

    This section would authorize additional appropriations for 
the Office of the Inspector General at the levels identified in 
section 4502 of division D of this Act.

                  Section 1509--Defense Health Program

    This section would authorize additional appropriations for 
the Defense Health Program at the levels identified in section 
4502 of division D of this Act.

                     Subtitle B--Financial Matters


          Section 1511--Treatment as Additional Authorizations

    This section would state that amounts authorized to be 
appropriated by this title are in addition to amounts otherwise 
authorized to be appropriated by this Act.

                Section 1512--Special Transfer Authority

    This section would authorize the transfer of up to $4.5 
billion of additional war-related funding authorizations in 
this title among the accounts in this title.

          Subtitle C--Limitations, Reports, and Other Matters


             Section 1521--Afghanistan Security Forces Fund

    This section would extend the Afghanistan Security Forces 
Fund through December 31, 2019. This section would also set a 
goal of using $18.0 million to support, to the extent 
practicable, the efforts of the Government of the Islamic 
Republic of Afghanistan to promote the recruitment, training, 
and integration of Afghan women into the Afghan National 
Defense and Security Forces and as security personnel for 
future elections.
    This section would also require an assessment of the 
Government of Afghanistan's ability to manage, employ, and 
sustain equipment divested under the Afghan Security Forces 
Fund; if the results of said assessment are unfavorable, the 
Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of 
State, would be authorized to withhold assistance under the 
Afghanistan Security Forces Fund.

           Section 1522--Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Fund

    This section would amend subsections (b) and (c) of section 
1514 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2007 (Public Law 109-364) to extend the use and 
transfer authority for the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Fund 
through fiscal year 2019. This section would also extend the 
authority for interdiction of improvised explosive device 
precursor chemicals to December 31, 2019.
    This section would also direct the Secretary of Defense to 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives by March 1, 2019, a plan to 
transition funding for the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Fund 
from Overseas Contingency Operations to the base budget.

     TITLE XVI--STRATEGIC PROGRAMS, CYBER, AND INTELLIGENCE MATTERS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                            Space Activities


        Briefing on Deployed Satellite Communications Terminals

    The committee notes that currently deployed satellite 
communications terminals may not meet the performance, the 
agility, timeliness, and weight requirements needed to provide 
secure satellite communications to naval and expeditionary 
forces. The committee directs the Secretary of the Navy to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
November 1, 2018, on the current validated requirements for the 
terminals and a plan, including applicability, operational 
capability and cost, for quickly fielding commercially 
available, secure, lightweight, satellite communications 
terminals, equipped with rapidly deployable antennas, in 
support of warfighter operations.

       Briefing on Supply Chain for In-Space Propulsion Thrusters

    The committee is aware that the Department of Defense and 
its suppliers rely on U.S., allied, and non-allied 
manufacturers for procurement of in-space propulsion thrusters. 
These thrusters are used on critical military satellites and 
the Committee is concerned that the presence of Russian origin 
thrusters on these satellites may constitute a security risk, 
particularly as the Department of Defense shifts towards the 
use of commercial off the shelf satellites.
    Therefore, the Committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing on the supply chain for in-space 
propulsion thrusters, whether the presence of allied or non-
allied thrusters increases risk, and if so how, options to 
mitigate any identified risks, and the cost implications of 
relying solely on U.S. sources to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by January 31, 2019.

                      Commercial Satellite Imagery

    The committee continues to support the National Geospatial-
Intelligence Agency's (NGA) continued acquisition of commercial 
satellite imagery in support of global geospatial-intelligence 
needs. The committee is also aware that NGA, working with the 
National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), is developing a joint 
transition plan to transfer commercial imagery pixel 
acquisition from NGA to NRO in fiscal year 2019, and expects 
continued focus and leveraging of these commercial capabilities 
to add to U.S. imagery capacity and capabilities.
    As this transition occurs, the committee believes it is 
essential to maintain continuity of operation, quality of 
service, cost-effective services, and capability for the 
warfighter and other user communities.
    Acquisition of commercial imagery should contract with 
several providers to leverage U.S. industry providers of 
global, high-resolution, and cost-effective services, with high 
revisit rates, and reliable performance including those that 
have demonstrated proven capability and those that are rapidly 
emerging within industry. Commercial synthetic aperture radar 
imagery can also provide day, night, and all-weather imagery in 
highly cloud covered regions.
    The committee directs the NGA Director and the NRO Director 
to jointly provide a briefing to the congressional defense 
committees and the congressional intelligence committees by 
August 1, 2018, on agency plans for the transition from NGA to 
NRO, and planned funding beyond fiscal year 2019, and on an 
open and fair competitive acquisition process to leverage 
industry capabilities, including but not limited to plans 
following the EnhancedView contract.

          Commercial Space Situational Awareness Capabilities

    The committee continues to be concerned with the direction 
of the multiple programs seeking to address space situational 
awareness (SSA) requirements, including Joint Space Operations 
Center Mission System, the Enterprise Space Battle Management 
Command and Control System, and the SSA Operations at the 
National Space Defense Center. The committee expects the Air 
Force to operationalize existing best of breed commercial 
capabilities to meet warfighter requirements.
    The committee supports the efforts being undertaken by the 
Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Rapid 
Capabilities Office to develop common data standards and 
process commercial data to augment Department of Defense 
capabilities. The development of common data standards will be 
important to ensuring the broader multi-domain command and 
control efforts that are being undertaken within the Air Force.

           Criteria for Launch Service Agreement Down-Select

    The committee notes that the Secretary of the Air Force 
plans to make an initial down-select decision to three 
potential Expendable Evolved Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch 
providers for assured access to space in the summer of 2018, 
and plans to make a final award for launch service procurement 
contracts by the end of fiscal year 2019. The committee is 
aware that full-scale flight tests of new space launch vehicles 
may not occur until after this award is made.
    The committee therefore directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services not later than October 1, 2018, on the criteria and 
sufficiency of test data that the Air Force will use to make 
the final launch service agreement awards by the end of fiscal 
year 2019, potentially ahead of fully integrated flight tests. 
The briefing should also include criteria and incentives that 
the Air Force will use to ensure that the contractors selected 
maintain schedule and fidelity in line with their contract 
bids.

                        GPS Backup Demonstration

    The committee continues to support the demonstration of 
backup and complementary positioning, navigation, and timing 
capabilities of the Global Positioning System (GPS) as required 
by section 1606 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91). The committee encourages 
the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Transportation, and 
Secretary of Homeland Security to continue to work together to 
jointly develop and implement a plan for carrying out this 
backup GPS capability demonstration in 2019 and 2020. Further, 
the committee expects the Secretaries to submit the final 
report next year as required by Public Law 115-91. The 
committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the congressional defense committees by December 1, 
2018, on the progress being made on this demonstration.

            Launch Support and Infrastructure Modernization

    The committee is aware that the Air Force's launch support 
and modernization program required by section 1609 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public 
Law 115-91) covers the Eastern and Western Ranges, but does not 
include U.S. spaceports. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives not later than September 14, 2018, on the 
potential benefits of including in this program U.S. spaceports 
and ranges that actively support national security missions, 
including benefits such as increasing resilience and rapid 
launch capability, and the estimated costs of including them.

             Launch Vehicle Upper Stage Mission Enhancement

    The committee is interested in the cost-effective 
development of advanced launch vehicle upper stages to be used 
for defense of our space assets. Advanced upper stages could 
increase the operational flexibility and on-orbit reusability 
of the holistic launch system while also allowing for greater 
delivery of mass to orbit.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
briefing to the congressional defense committees by December 3, 
2018, on the benefits, risks, costs, and operational 
opportunities for next generation upper stage technology. The 
briefing should examine as appropriate on-orbit reusability, 
cryogenic refueling, multiple engine restarts, and power 
generation to support secondary payloads that can support space 
resiliency.

        Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Satellites

    The committee supports the Department of Defense's efforts 
to improve the affordability, resiliency, and agility of 
Overhead Persistent Infrared Satellite systems that can be 
rapidly fielded as the battlespace changes. As adversaries 
challenge this capability, the Department must respond with 
technology upgrades in a rapid fashion to counter the threat by 
pursuing affordable systems with lifetimes under 7 years; 
disaggregated strategic missile warning, missile defense 
tracking, and battlespace awareness missions; smaller bus 
sizes; resilient mission architectures that can survive a loss 
of system nodes/satellites and still provide primary mission 
capability through complementary mission capabilities and both 
on-orbit and ground spares with the ability to rapidly 
reconstitute.
    The committee believes these efforts should be supported 
with robust prototyping to demonstrate the now disaggregated 
missions of strategic missile warning and battlespace awareness 
for increased resiliency: operational demonstrations to drive 
down operational interface risks and technical demonstrations 
to drive down technical risks so that technology insertion into 
our operational systems can be done in a low-risk fashion. 
Prototypes should have residual operational capability that can 
contribute immediately to the resilience of the mission.

    Plan for Use of Allied Launch Services in Case of Emergency Need

    The committee notes that a plan for the use of allied 
launch vehicles was mandated by section 1604 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328). This plan was to provide assured access to space should 
the Department of Defense be unable to meet that requirement 
for a limited period using only U.S. launch vehicles.
    In 2017, the Air Force provided to Congress a report that 
analyzed the initial potential of using an allied nation's 
launch vehicle and services for U.S. national security space 
launches. The committee commends the Air Force for providing 
this analysis. The committee notes the report identified a 
number of activities that have not been implemented, 
specifically regarding the pursuit of non-recurring design 
validation or certification of the allied launch system for 
specific payloads or reference missions, early integration 
studies of specific payloads, an environmental impact statement 
plus one year of standard mission integration and space-flight-
worthiness assessment, and the pursuit of a pathfinder mission. 
The committee further notes that additional capabilities may be 
needed to use allied launch capability in the event of an 
emergency and inability of U.S. launch providers to provide 
assured access to space.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a 
report to the House Committee on Armed Services by December 3, 
2018, on an operational backup plan for assured access into 
space using allied launch vehicles. This plan shall include:
    (1) an assessment of U.S. satellites that would be 
appropriate to be launched on an allied launch vehicle;
    (2) relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing the 
launch of national security satellites;
    (3) whether any legislative, regulatory, or policy actions 
or changes would be necessary to allow for the launch of a 
national security satellite on an allied launch vehicle; and
    (4) the certification requirements for using allied launch 
vehicles pursuant to the plan and the estimated cost, schedule, 
and measures that would be necessary to certify allied launch 
vehicles.
    When creating this backup plan, the committee expects the 
Secretary to leverage findings identified by the previous Air 
Force report.

                Portable Satellite Data Receiver Status

    The committee notes that the United States Air Force 
Research Laboratory's Small Business Initiative Research has 
provided funding for the development of a unique satellite 
communications receive suite for reliable, portable connection 
by the warfighter to the Global Broadcast System (GBS). The 
committee is aware that the Department of Defense joint program 
office now includes these portable receive suites as an 
approved solution for receive technology with military 
satellite communications on the existing GBS network. The 
committee encourages the Department of Defense and the Air 
Force to ensure that these suites are made available to the 
warfighter.
    The committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
November 1, 2018, on a plan, including applicability and cost, 
for rapidly fielding commercially available, secure, satellite, 
Suitcase Portable Receive Suites and Rucksack Portable Receive 
Suites in support of deployed warfighter operations.

               Rapid Satellite Capability Reconstitution

    The committee recognizes the value that rapid 
reconstitution may contribute to increasing resilience in the 
space domain. The committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering to submit a report to the 
House Committee on Armed Services by January 15, 2019, on the 
needs and capabilities of the Department of Defense to rapidly 
reconstitute disaggregated Earth-orbiting satellite 
constellations. The report should include options for 
developing an approach for commercially acquiring, where cost 
effective, resilient and rapid launch services to support 
reconstitution, including but not limited to the feasibility of 
launching satellites within one week of need.

                        Satellite Communications

    The committee is aware that the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141) added two more Wideband Global 
Satellite Communications System (WGS) satellites. The committee 
also notes the increasing demand for satellite communications 
(SATCOM) capacity and the potential for increased contribution 
from commercial SATCOM providers. In addition, recognizing the 
growing capacity and resilience requirements, the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328) required that the pilot program required under section 
1605 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2015 (Public Law 113-291) provide order-of-magnitude 
improvements in SATCOM capability.
    The committee is aware of proven commercial SATCOM 
technology, including high capacity satellite communications 
technology, that delivers improvements in capacity and 
performance capabilities and supports operations in contested 
environments in a cost-effective manner. The committee supports 
the Department of Defense's request for multiyear procurement 
authority for these services.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to submit a report to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives by December 1, 2018, including:
    (1) the costs associated with the procurement, operations, 
and sustainment of the additional WGS satellites, including 
life-cycle costs, and costs related to operations and 
maintenance, and launch;
    (2) an update on the status of the Air Force commercial 
SATCOM pilot and pathfinder programs, including an update on 
fulfilling the order-of-magnitude requirement, an explanation 
of the steps the Department is taking to expedite the 
integration of commercially available high capacity satellite 
communications to meet the growing capacity demand and counter 
accelerating adversary communications denial capabilities, and 
whether the Air Force plans to use its existing authorities to 
solicit and award annual services contracts; and
    (3) a comprehensive plan to modernize terminals and 
networking capability needed to access and adopt new multi-
domain commercial communications technologies, multi-mode 
terminals and network.

               Space Flag Exercise and Responsive Launch

    The committee is encouraged that the budget request 
proposed creating a dedicated Air Force Space Procurement 
funding line to acquire affordable, flexible launch services to 
deliver spacelift capability for small payloads to low Earth 
orbit through geostationary transfer orbit. The committee 
supports the proposed Rocket System Launch Program procurement 
and encourages sustained investment to further operationalize 
integration of new small launch services into the space 
enterprise.
    The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 
(Public Law 115-91) also states that the Secretary of Defense 
should establish ``an annual capstone training event'' for 
space professionals to refine doctrine, operations, and 
training. This ``Space Flag'' exercise improves training to 
operate in the event of loss of space capabilities and to deter 
conflict in space. The U.S. Air Force concluded its second 
annual Space Flag exercise in August 2017 in Colorado Springs, 
Colorado.
    Demonstrating overt resolve and ability to rapidly 
replenish diminished capabilities could contribute to 
increasing resilience in space as it relates to operations, 
tactics, and procedures for protecting and defending U.S. 
assets. In addition, integrating responsive launch capabilities 
into the annual Space Flag event could be an important step in 
evolving space mission operations, and to test, train, and 
operationalize these capabilities.
    Accordingly, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the congressional defense 
committees by December 1, 2018, on the value, plans, 
requirements, and benefits of aligning the small launch 
activities of the Rocket System Launch Program with the annual 
Space Flag training exercise.

  Use of Commercial Items in Follow-On Wideband Communications System

    The committee supports efforts to conduct an analysis of 
alternatives for a follow-on wideband communications system to 
the Wideband Global Satellite Communications System as required 
by section 1611 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92). The committee encourages 
the Department of Defense's efforts to maximize the use of 
commercial satellite communications capabilities as required by 
section 2377 of title 10, United States Code.
    Section 2377 of title 10, United States Code, requires that 
Federal agencies maximize the use of commercial items in 
determining requirements and soliciting for procurements. To 
prevent critical satellite communications capability gaps and 
to field a follow-on wideband communications system by 2021, 
the Department must ensure that its market research is fully 
investigating the ability of a commercial offeror to meet the 
requirements of the Air Force's procurement needs on a 
commercial basis, in part or in full.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by June 30, 2018, on the Department's efforts to comply with 
section 2377 of title 10, United States Code, and on its 
analysis of alternatives for a follow-on wideband 
communications system.

                        Missile Defense Programs


                 Airborne Tracking and Targeting System

    The Committee notes that the Missile Defense Agency has 
been working on technologies to develop and test ballistic 
missile tracking and surveillance using MQ-9 Reaper unmanned 
aerial vehicles under an experimental program. The Committee 
directs the Missile Defense Agency, in coordination with 
Commander, Pacific Command and Commander, Central Command, to 
provide a brief to the House Armed Services Committee by 
December 31, 2018 on the addition of an operational fleet of 
advanced sensors deployed on MQ-9 Reaper systems to the 
ballistic missile defense system, to include integration and 
test efforts, operational value for regional and homeland 
defense, basing options, Warfighter concepts of operation, and 
total research, development, test and evaluation and operations 
and sustainment costs associated with deployment to the Pacific 
command and Central command areas of responsibility.

                    Cruise Missile Threat to Hawaii

    The committee notes the cruise missile threat to the United 
States, including Hawaii, and notes that the ballistic missile 
defense review, which has been delayed, may address this issue. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in 
consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, to 
provide to the Armed Services Committee of the House of 
Representatives a briefing no later than 45 days after the 
Ballistic Missile Defense Review is submitted to Congress, on 
the cruise missile defense threat to the United States, 
including Hawaii, including in the event of a conflict with 
Russia or China, the role of nuclear deterrence plays in the 
layered defense of the United States, and an assessment of the 
required architecture, development and deployment timeline, 
estimated costs and any relevant policy implications related to 
a potential cruise missile defense system to protect the United 
States, including specifically Hawaii.

           Cybersecurity of Ballistic Missile Defense System

    This committee notes the 2017 report from the Director, 
Operational Test and Evaluation, of the Department of Defense, 
on the cybersecurity testing gaps that exist for the Ballistic 
Missile Defense System (BMDS). The committee further notes that 
a plan is needed from the Missile Defense Agency and Director, 
Operational Test and Evaluation to conduct vulnerability 
assessments, cooperative vulnerability and penetration 
assessments, and adversarial assessments on all BMDS mission 
elements. Therefore, the committee directs the Director of the 
Missile Defense Agency, in coordination with the Director, 
Operational Test and Evaluation, to provide a briefing to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives by December 31, 2018, on the BMDS cybersecurity 
testing road map. The briefing must include a comprehensive 
plan to improve the cybersecurity posture of the mission 
elements of the BMDS, including addressing the requirement to 
further enhance such posture through the integration and 
dissemination of left- and right-of-launch data, and what 
process the Director of the Missile Defense Agency will use to 
incorporate lessons learned from the cybersecurity assessments.

                           Hypersonic Defense

    The committee directs the Director of the Missile Defense 
Agency to provide a briefing to the congressional defense 
committees by December 31, 2018, on the hypersonic defense 
analysis of alternatives and the integrated plan, including 
estimated costs to deliver hypersonic defense capabilities in a 
manner that is global, cost effective, persistent, and provides 
resilient tracking, in accordance with section 1687 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public 
Law 114-328). This briefing shall include an assessment on the 
required architecture, deployment timeline, and estimated costs 
for defense against hypersonic threats as demonstrated and/or 
pursued by Russia and China.

                    Maintenance of Patriot Batteries

    The committee notes that an ongoing review by the 
Comptroller General of the United States of the Army's 
maintenance of the Patriot missile defense system has found 
that although the Army believes that the current pace of 
recapitalizing Patriot equipment incurs long-term risks to 
sustaining the system, the Army has concluded that it cannot 
increase the recapitalization pace without affecting current 
operational demands or without shifting resources from its 
integrated air and missile defense modernization priorities. In 
addition, the ongoing review by the Comptroller General has 
found that the return of reset equipment to Patriot units 
generally has not met the Army's timeliness goal and that 
delays in returning reset equipment can affect unit training. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army to 
provide a briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives not later than December 1, 2018, on a 
plan to conduct a comparative analysis of factors affecting 
Patriot reset timeliness and appropriate corrective actions to 
improve timeliness.

            Options To Supplement Missile Defense of Hawaii

    The committee notes that Hawaii is currently defended 
against missile threats from North Korea by the deployed 
ground-based interceptors located at Fort Greely, Alaska, and 
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Mindful of potential 
costs and untested capability of Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) 
interceptors against long-range missile threats, the committee 
directs the Secretary of the Navy, in consultation with the 
Director of the Missile Defense Agency, to provide a briefing 
to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives, not later than September 15, 2018, on the 
potential to supplement this defense by assigning a permanent 
Aegis ship patrol to increase a layered ballistic missile 
defense of Hawaii, with the assumption that SM-3 missiles might 
be effective against long-range threats. The briefing should 
address the technical capability, feasibility, benefits, risks, 
cost, and trade-offs of this option for the purpose of 
defending Hawaii.
    In addition, mindful of the high demand for Terminal High 
Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) batteries and the untested 
capability of the THAAD weapon system against long-range 
threats, the committee also directs the Director of the Missile 
Defense Agency, in coordination with the Secretary of the Army, 
to provide a briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives, not later than September 15, 2018, on 
the feasibility of stationing a permanent THAAD battery in 
Hawaii, and the technical capability, costs, benefits, and 
risks of testing a THAAD interceptor against an 
intercontinental ballistic missile.

                     Patriot Interceptor Inventory

    The committee recognizes, given the reality of ever-
increasing capabilities and quantities of ballistic missiles 
and air-breathing threats (such as cruise missiles and unmanned 
aerial vehicles), the importance of maintaining a full 
complement of interceptors for the Patriot system. Section 1678 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 
(Public Law 115-91) directed the Army to submit a plan to 
maintain an inventory of interceptors necessary to retain the 
capability provided by Patriot interceptors. The committee 
notes that the report has not yet been received and will be 
delayed until July 2018.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Army, 
in coordination with the Chief of Staff of the Army, to submit 
an amended report to the congressional defense committees by 
July 31, 2018, that addresses the value of maintaining use of 
Guidance Enhanced Missile (GEM-T) capabilities alongside 
Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and PAC-3 Missile Segment 
Enhanced (MSE) to provide Patriot with a full complement of 
capability and capacity against current and evolving threats, 
including air-breathing and all other types of ballistic 
missiles. The report should also include the Army's intent to 
recertify the aging GEM-T inventory and cite a desired date to 
commence this activity so as to minimize any negative 
consequences to Patriot munitions capacity.

       Protection of Ballistic Missile Defense System Components

    The committee notes an increase to land-based ballistic 
missile defense system (BMDS) components with the development 
and delivery of the Long Range Discriminating Radar, Homeland 
Defense Radar-Hawaii, Pacific Radar, and completion of the 
Aegis Ashore site in Poland. These new sites are in addition to 
already deployed terrestrial weapon system sites and radars. 
Responsibility for protection of these sites against threats 
such as cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and 
electronic warfare falls under the combatant commander for 
which they are located.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, and 
appropriate regional combatant commands, to provide a briefing 
to the congressional defense committees by November 30, 2018, 
detailing the current protections of deployed BMDS assets from 
cruise missile, unmanned aerial vehicle, and electronic warfare 
threats. The briefing should also include the requirements for 
protection of the future assets that are in the program of 
record, as well as any plans to increase protection of current 
and future assets, including costs and any mitigating measures 
in the event that a system is degraded or unavailable.

               Standard Missile-3 Testing and Reliability

    The committee is aware of the role and importance of the 
Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptors in providing missile 
defense capability to the warfighter. The committee notes that 
failures of the SM-3 IB and SM-3 IIA revealed issues that may 
have been avoided with additional system engineering focus, and 
these recent challenges could have impacts on reliability 
assessments of these interceptors by the Director, Operational 
Test and Evaluation.
    The committee also notes that section 1680 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91) included a requirement to test the SM-3 IIA capability 
against a longer range threat. The committee directs the 
Director of the Missile Defense Agency to provide a briefing to 
the Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate, not later than August 1, 2018, 
on how the recent SM-3 IIA test failure affects the planned 
test of this missile against an intercontinental ballistic 
missile-range target. This briefing should include implications 
such as changes to timeline of planned tests, requirements for 
additional tests, and changes in funding requirements.
    The committee also directs the Director of the Missile 
Defense Agency, in coordination with the Director of the Office 
of Test and Evaluation, to provide a briefing to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives, not later than December 15, 2018, detailing 
how the Missile Defense Agency will ensure the contractor's 
systems engineering and ground testing procedures are adequate 
to support production of SM-3 IB and SM-3 IIA interceptors. The 
briefing should describe how ground test data from production 
interceptors supports SM-3 reliability estimates from the 
Missile Defense Agency and the Office of Test and Evaluation.

   Warfighter Procedures for Responding to and Releasing Information 
             Regarding an Inbound Ballistic Missile Threat

    The committee notes that on January 13, 2018, the Hawaii 
Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) issued a false incoming 
ballistic missile alert that caused widespread panic and 
confusion in the State of Hawaii. The U.S. Pacific Command 
(PACOM) notified HI-EMA that no launch had occurred within 
minutes of the false alert being issued. Nevertheless, it took 
HI-EMA 38 minutes to retract the alert.
    The committee notes the importance of clear and accurate 
communications and cooperation between PACOM and relevant 
federal and state entities responsible for communicating and 
alerting the public of an incoming threat. Therefore, the 
committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination 
with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to provide a 
briefing to the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives on ballistic missile alert procedure, 
warfighter coordination, plans, and timelines in the event of a 
legitimate incoming ballistic missile attack to the Homeland, 
including coordination, plans and timelines for releasing 
critical defense information to other Federal agencies, and 
state entities as appropriate, responsible for informing the 
general public. The briefing shall also include the DoD's role 
and process, if any, in retracting a false, misinformed, or 
unauthorized alert issued by a federal or state agency 
regarding an inbound ballistic missile threat.

                             Nuclear Forces


    Air Force Global Strike Command and Nuclear Deterrence Institute

    The committee continues to oversee Air Force Global Strike 
Command (AFGSC) as it leads and coordinates efforts across the 
Air Force for both nuclear deterrence operations and the 
National Leadership Command Capabilities/Nuclear Command, 
Control, and Communications system. The committee believes 
strong and sustained attention on these missions will be 
required as the Air Force carries out its portions of the 
nuclear modernization program.
    The committee understands that the AFGSC's strategy to 
enhance science, technology, innovation, and collaboration 
related to its missions has successfully leveraged partnerships 
with local governments, academia, industry, and non-profits. 
This strategy also includes an intent to establish an institute 
dedicated to AFGSC's missions, further leverage these 
partnerships, and provide AFGSC an analytical foundation and 
direct access to expertise across its mission set. To better 
understand how the Air Force intends to proceed with this 
initiative, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by November 30, 2018, on implementation of the AFGSC's 
strategy to enhance science, technology, innovation, and 
collaboration. The briefing should include:
    (1) the Secretary's decision regarding if, and if so, when 
and how, to establish the institute recommended by the 
strategy;
    (2) whether and how the institute could uniquely contribute 
to the nuclear deterrence operations mission of the Air Force 
without duplication of other capabilities and resources; and
    (3) the benefits and costs associated with the institute.

                       B83-1 Nuclear Gravity Bomb

    The committee notes that the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review 
(NPR) proposes to retain the B83-1 nuclear gravity bomb in the 
U.S. nuclear stockpile, whereas it had previously been slated 
for retirement in the early 2020s. The NPR stated, ``the B83-1 
and B61-11 gravity bombs can hold at risk a variety of 
protected targets. As a result, both will be retained in the 
stockpile, at least until there is sufficient confidence in the 
B61-12 gravity bomb that will be available in 2020.'' The NPR 
elaborated, saying it proposes ``sustaining the B83-1 past its 
currently planned retirement date until a suitable replacement 
is identified.''
    The committee also notes that in 2012, the National Nuclear 
Security Administration (NNSA) estimated that retaining the B83 
gravity bomb would potentially require it to undergo an 
alteration in the 2020s and a life extension program in the 
2030s, both of which would cost billions of dollars. 
Additionally, the NNSA may have planned to use certain 
materials from the B83 for currently planned life extension 
programs.
    The committee believes further explanation for the decision 
to retain the B83 is warranted, particularly because such 
decision may require the B83 to undergo significant life 
extension activities and could impact other planned warhead 
modernization programs. The committee also expects a fuller 
understanding of the military requirements associated with the 
B83-1 and its retention.
    The committee therefore directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Commander of U.S. Strategic Command 
and the Administrator for Nuclear Security, to submit a report 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House 
of Representatives by November 15, 2018, on the plan and 
rationale for, and implications of, retaining the B83-1. The 
report should address specific military requirements associated 
with the decision to now retain the B83-1, impacts on current 
or planned warhead programs including re-use of any materials, 
and potential risks, benefits, plans and costs associated with 
continued surveillance and potential life extension activities 
for the B83-1. The committee directs the report to be provided 
in unclassified form, with a classified annex as necessary.

    Comptroller General Review of Plans To Swap B61 Bombs in Europe

    The committee notes that the Department of Energy and the 
Department of Defense are carrying out a life extension program 
to maintain the safety, security, reliability, and credibility 
of B61 nuclear gravity bombs, and expect a first production 
unit of the updated B61-12 weapon to be available in late 2019. 
To swap legacy B61 bombs currently deployed in Europe in 
support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for 
modern B61-12 bombs, the Air Force will conduct movements of 
nuclear weapons to and from Europe using certified military 
cargo aircraft. Initial planning for these movements is 
underway and the committee understands that such planning 
requires dialogue and close coordination with host nation 
governments.
    To enable improved oversight of this planning, the 
committee directs the Comptroller General of the United States 
to submit a report to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives by March 1, 2019, 
containing a review and assessment of the Department of Defense 
plans to swap B61 nuclear gravity bombs in Europe, including 
the following:
    (1) readiness of the military forces responsible for 
conducting and supporting the weapon movements;
    (2) coordination between the United States and allied host 
nations regarding the movements;
    (3) any potential actions that may be considered or planned 
to enhance surety and survivability; and
    (4) the Department of Defense's identification and 
mitigation of any risks to these plans.

         Nuclear Survivability and Hostile Environments Testing

    To be a credible and effective deterrent, U.S. nuclear 
weapons are designed to operate in the most extreme hostile 
environments. The committee has no doubt that current U.S. 
nuclear forces and weapons meet these exacting requirements. 
However, as it has expressed in the past, the committee 
believes that the Department of Defense and the National 
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) must be mindful of how 
the threat environment and so-called ``stockpile-to-target 
sequence'' may evolve as adversaries continue to advance their 
defensive capabilities. In particular, the committee believes 
the United States must ensure it has the capability to 
experimentally test materials, components, subsystems, and full 
systems in realistic environments that combine multiple extreme 
threats.
    To better understand Department of Defense and NNSA efforts 
in this regard, the committee directs the Chairman of the 
Nuclear Weapons Council, in coordination with the Administrator 
for Nuclear Security, to provide a briefing to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of 
Representatives by November 30, 2018, on nuclear weapon 
survivability requirements and related test capabilities. Such 
briefing should include:
    (1) current requirements related to survivability and the 
stockpile-to-target sequence;
    (2) the evolving threat environment and potential changes 
to such requirements over the next 20 years;
    (3) capabilities to test materials, components, subsystems, 
and systems in realistic, combined environments;
    (4) any risks or gaps in such experimental capabilities and 
any plans to address or mitigate such risks or gaps; and
    (5) any changes in concepts of operation that may be 
applicable.

                Perimeter Security at NATO Nuclear Bases

    The committee appreciates the importance of the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) deterrence and defense 
mission, and the role that U.S. forward-deployed nuclear 
weapons play in the NATO Alliance. The committee notes its 
continuing interest in ensuring robust and consistent security 
for these weapons and that NATO, the United States, and 
individual host nations have engaged in a series of security 
enhancement and modernization projects in recent years. The 
committee applauds these steps and supports ongoing efforts to 
standardize requirements and security measures across NATO's 
nuclear bases but also recognizes that each base and host 
nation presents different challenges for implementation and 
standardization of upgrades. The committee believes that 
continued enhancements and progress towards standardization is 
an important endeavor, and that an area particularly ripe for 
further action is perimeter security.
    The committee therefore directs the Secretary of Defense, 
in coordination with the Secretary of the Air Force, to provide 
a briefing to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of 
Representatives and the Senate by December 1, 2018, assessing 
and comparing perimeter security at all NATO nuclear bases. 
Such briefing should also contain the following:
    (1) a comparison of perimeter security at NATO nuclear 
bases versus each other and versus nuclear bases in the United 
States;
    (2) details on requirements and standards for perimeter 
security at NATO nuclear bases and nuclear bases in the United 
States; and
    (3) a plan for actions that the United States could propose 
and undertake to standardize and enhance perimeter security at 
NATO nuclear bases, including through bilateral engagements 
with host nations and multilateral engagement through NATO.

                   Plutonium Pit Production and Reuse

     In 2008, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of 
Energy stated in a joint report, ``at present the United States 
does not have the ability to produce new nuclear weapons,'' 
particularly the ability to produce plutonium pits. In 2010, 
the Secretaries signed a Memorandum of Agreement that said the 
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would ``plan 
and program to ramp up to a minimum of 50-80 pits/year.'' In 
2014, the Secretary of Defense said in a letter to the 
congressional defense committees that ``the Department of 
Defense (DOD) has revalidated its requirement for 50-80 pits 
per year based on the demands of stockpile modernization, the 
commitments to a modern physical infrastructure, and the 
ability to hedge against technical or geopolitical risk.''
    Section 3112 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' 
McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 
(Public Law 113-291), put this requirement, and associated 
timeframes for production, into statute and included a Sense of 
Congress that ``the requirement to create a modern, responsive 
nuclear infrastructure that includes the capability and 
capacity to produce, at minimum, 50 to 80 pits per year, is a 
national security priority.''
    The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) also discusses the 
need for a plutonium pit production capacity, saying ``the 
United States does not have a sustained plutonium pit 
manufacturing capability needed to avoid stockpile age-out, 
support life extension programs (LEP), and prepare for future 
uncertainty . . . To avoid age-related risks, DOD requires NNSA 
to produce at least 80 plutonium pits per year by 2030, and to 
sustain the capacity for future LEPs and follow-on programs.''
    The committee continues to believe a pit production 
capability is a national security priority, but seeks 
clarification on whether and why the 2018 NPR has modified the 
pit production requirement. Therefore, the committee directs 
the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of 
Energy and the Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, to submit a 
report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives by November 30, 2018, on the 
annual pit production requirement, including any associated 
timelines. Such report should include a detailed rationale and 
justification for any changes to the requirement, the drivers 
behind the requirement, and associated costs. Such report 
should also include a detailed assessment of the potential to 
reuse plutonium pits that are currently in the inventory of the 
United States.

                 Tonopah Test Range Land Use Agreement

     The committee understands that the Air Force and the 
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) are currently 
negotiating an extension to a land use agreement at the Tonopah 
Test Range (TTR) which enables NNSA's Sandia National 
Laboratories to utilize a portion of TTR for drop testing of 
inert nuclear gravity bombs. Sandia Labs has been operating at 
TTR since 1956, when it originally used 580 square miles of the 
range, and since the most recent update to the agreement in 
2002 has been using 280 square miles. The current land use 
agreement expires in 2019 and is likely to make further 
reductions to make additional land available to the Air Force. 
The committee supports efforts to provide additional land for 
the Air Force mission at TTR and nearby ranges, which are 
operating over capacity, but is mindful that Sandia and NNSA 
must be able to carry out their testing mission. The committee 
encourages and looks forward to a cooperative, mutually 
beneficial update to this agreement that enables both partners 
to carry out their important missions.

                         Cyber-Related Matters


   Addressing Readiness Deficiencies Through the Hacking for Defense 
                      Innovation Education Program

     The committee notes that the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) 
authorized the Secretary of Defense to support national 
security innovation and entrepreneurial education, including 
but not limited to, Hacking for Defense.
    The committee notes that expansion of Hacking for Defense 
innovation and entrepreneurial education at U.S. and North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) universities may optimize 
and enhance the Department's innovation efforts outlined in the 
2018 National Defense Strategy. Developing a culture of rapid 
and meaningful innovation, and deploying advanced warfighter 
solutions, may remedy existing readiness deficiencies. The 
committee also notes that Hacking for Defense innovation 
education programs may benefit overall Department of Defense 
professional education such as at the National Defense 
University, the Defense Acquisition University, the Naval 
Postgraduate School, and other professional education programs.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to provide a briefing 
to the House Committee on Armed Services not later than 
September 28, 2018 on how the Department may expand Hacking for 
Defense to support the Department's innovation and 
entrepreneurial education efforts, including a description of 
how the Hacking for Defense program is currently being employed 
within the Department of Defense and how it may be further 
leveraged to provide advanced warfighter solutions, address 
readiness deficiencies, and reinvigorate, modernize, and 
enhance the Department's innovation education with U.S. and 
NATO universities and professional education programs.

    Comptroller General Review of Current Military Cyber Operations

    The committee notes that in the last several years, the 
Department of Defense has employed cyber capabilities to 
achieve objectives in or through cyberspace. Unlike military 
operations that occur in the air and land domains, cyberspace 
operations and the effects of those operations are not always 
visible to Congress and the American people. The committee 
believes that as the Department continues to conduct cyberspace 
operations, it will be critical that operations are fully 
aligned with the appropriate authorities, policies and 
doctrine, rules of engagement, plans, oversight mechanisms, and 
lessons learned processes. It will also be important that the 
Department manages the number of organizations that are 
conducting these operations, to ensure there are clearly 
defined roles and responsibilities, and that there are 
deconfliction mechanisms in place.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of 
the United States to assess the Department of Defense's current 
military cyberspace operations. The assessment should identify:
     (1) the types of cyberspace operations the Department has 
undertaken, activities undertaken to prepare for cyberspace 
operations, and the organizations conducting these operations;
     (2) authorities, policies, doctrine, and rules of 
engagement for these operations;
     (3) internal oversight and congressional reporting 
mechanisms;
     (4) efforts to develop and synchronize cyberspace 
operations within combatant commanders' plans; and
     (5) processes used to deconflict cyberspace operations or 
mitigate the impact of cyberspace operations on other military 
operations.
    The committee directs the Comptroller General to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by March 1, 
2019, on preliminary findings, and submit a final report to the 
congressional defense committees at a date agreed to at the 
time of the briefing.

     Comptroller General Review of Information Operations Strategy

     The committee notes that information operations are a 
means for the United States to promote economic and political 
freedom, as well as countering all forms of extremism and 
adversarial influence. In June 2016, in response to a 
congressional requirement, the Department of Defense issued an 
information operations strategy to align departmental actions 
and ensure effective integration of Department of Defense 
efforts. These efforts contribute to the mission that the 
Department of State's Global Engagement Center was directed to 
lead, organize, and synchronize.
    Section 1637 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) directed the Department of 
Defense to establish processes and procedures to integrate 
strategic information operations and cyber-enabled information 
operations across the relevant elements of the Department of 
Defense, including those responsible for military deception, 
public affairs, electronic warfare, and cyber operations. This 
section also directed the Department of Defense to coordinate 
regional information strategies and interagency coordination 
plans of the combatant commands with the appropriate Department 
of State officials and the Global Engagement Center, and to 
develop an implementation plan to support the Department of 
Defense Strategy for Operations in the Information Environment. 
However, the committee remains concerned about the lack of 
progress in developing the strategy, tools, and coordination 
mechanisms to counter adversarial influence.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of 
the United States to assess the Department's information 
operations strategy and implementation efforts. The assessment 
shall:
    (1) identify the Department of Defense's implementation of 
the 2016 strategy, integration of cyber and intelligence 
capabilities, and other activities, for information operations;
    (2) identify roles, responsibilities, and coordination of 
activities within the Department of Defense, and between the 
Department and interagency partners;
    (3) identify previous and planned investments by the 
Department to support and implement information operations; and
    (4) any other matters the Comptroller General determines 
relevant.
    The committee directs the Comptroller General to provide a 
briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by March 1, 
2019, on preliminary findings, with a report to follow at a 
time agreed to at the time of the briefing.

                       Cyber Scholarship Program

    The budget request contained $7.9 million in PE 33140D8Z, 
for the defense-wide Information Security Systems Program.
    Section 1649 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) amended chapter 112 of 
title 10, United States Code, to establish the Department of 
Defense Cyber Scholarship Program. The committee believes the 
Cyber Scholarship program may alleviate the challenges the 
Department of Defense is experiencing in recruiting and 
retaining cybersecurity personnel. Additionally, the committee 
believes that providing additional opportunities under the 
program will be beneficial in addressing Department 
requirements for a qualified cyber workforce, especially if the 
Department focuses on educating the public and relevant 
academic institutions about this program. The committee also 
believes that Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs at 
universities that offer degrees in cyber studies and related 
fields provide an opportunity to leverage and expand 
partnerships to assist in closing the gap of trained cyber 
warriors in the military.
    Therefore, the committee recommends $17.9 million, an 
increase of $10.0 million, in PE 33140D8Z.
    Further, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
February 1, 2019, on the implementation and utilization of the 
Cyber Scholarship Program, to include efforts to educate the 
public and focus on institutions with high-quality computer 
science, engineering, and cybersecurity programs, including 
historically black colleges and universities, and minority-
serving institutions. The briefing should also include 
implementation and utilization of efforts to leverage ROTC at 
institutions with cyber studies as a way to expand the pool of 
talented technical applicants.

   Information Security Continuous Monitoring and Comply-To-Connect 
                             Implementation

    While the Committee understands that pursuant to the 
requirements established in Section 1653 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328), the Department of Defense included language relating to a 
Department-wide automated information security continuous 
monitoring capability and a comply-to-connect policy in its 
Fiscal Year 2019 budget request, the Committee is concerned 
that this language failed to adequately explain the 
Department's implementation strategy and the resources it will 
require. The Committee therefore directs the Director of Cost 
Assessment and Program Evaluation to provide the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives, no later than 
December 1, 2018, a briefing specifically outlining the 
resources and any recommendations that will be required to 
fully address the requirements contained within Section 1653 of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.

                Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure

    On September 13, 2017, the Deputy Secretary of Defense 
signed a memorandum establishing the Cloud Executive Steering 
Group to accelerate the adoption of enterprise-wide cloud 
architecture and services, known as the Joint Enterprise 
Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI.
    A report provided to Congress by the Department of Defense 
on October 19, 2017, in response to the committee report (H. 
Rept. 114-577) accompanying the Department of Defense 
Appropriations Act, 2017, outlined several challenges impacting 
the Department's ability to expand commercial cloud service 
usage. These included accurately projecting costs for security 
and complex migrations, lack of consistent security 
requirements, and an inability to identify tangible cost-
savings. Although the report outlined efforts to address these 
challenges, additional information has not been provided to the 
committee on progress to that end. The report also outlined 
several ongoing cloud computing activities.
    The committee has long championed modernization of 
information technology to facilitate efficiencies and cost-
savings, enhance performance, and provide our warfighters with 
cutting-edge capabilities on and off the battlefield. The 
committee is encouraged by the Department's renewed commitment 
to accelerate the adoption of cloud computing architecture and 
services.
    However, the committee is concerned with the lack of 
information supporting the planned acquisition of JEDI from a 
single commercial provider. This includes lack of detail 
regarding security requirements and associated costs, 
anticipated cost-savings, migration costs, and how the 
Department intends to maintain the ability to leverage the 
latest cloud computing capabilities and preserve the ability to 
transition workloads and data to other providers.
    Additionally, the committee has not been provided with 
details on customer capability requirements or how JEDI impacts 
current cloud computing services and other activities, such as 
those identified in the October 2017 report. The committee 
expects the Department to provide sufficient information 
necessary for the conduct of oversight responsibilities.

                    Mitigation of Autonomous Systems

    The Committee notes the Department's increased reliance on 
autonomous systems and their associated datalinks and sensors. 
While the Committee supports increased investments in these 
systems, the rapid research, development, and deployment of 
autonomous equipment presents unique challenges to cyber 
vulnerability. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary 
of Defense to provide a briefing by December 1, 2018 outlining 
the specific steps the Department is taking to protect 
autonomous systems from cyberattack, including mitigations 
resulting from the cyber vulnerability evaluations of major 
weapon systems that were conducted as directed by Section 1647 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 
(Public Law 114-92). The briefing should address layered cyber 
defense of associated datalinks, sensors, and onboard systems, 
technologies used to secure the communication architecture and 
RF links, and any other approaches used to improve the cyber 
security in these systems.

                           Network Protection

    The committee is aware that open, highly scalable network 
protection platforms that allow for integration of both 
government and commercial off-the-shelf capabilities, may allow 
for the Department of Defense to keep pace with evolving 
threats. The committee believes expeditious detection and 
mitigation is critical, especially as the Department makes 
greater use of commercial cloud computing and other commercial 
capabilities.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
not later than February 5, 2019, on the status and evolution of 
automated cyber defense capabilities, to include those that 
automatically detect and mitigate malware and other threats. 
The briefing should include a description of efforts to acquire 
an open, scalable platform that can integrate commercial and 
government off-the-shelf technologies, and an evaluation of the 
potential effectiveness of a capability that can be deployed 
within and across network boundaries and endpoints.

              Operational Cyber Testing of Weapons Systems

    The committee is aware of the challenges of performing 
operational cyber testing of weapon systems to understand the 
potential impacts of a cyber attack to the system's 
performance. The committee continues to believe in the 
importance of evaluating the cyber vulnerabilities of major 
Department of Defense weapons systems, as authorized in the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public 
Law 114-92). The committee recognizes that for some systems 
there are gaps in the capability of the operational test and 
evaluation infrastructure that prevent it from adequately 
completing tests and measuring the impacts on a weapon system 
of a realistic cyber threat. The committee is also aware of 
efforts within the Department to further develop the 
capabilities to provide the necessary test, modeling, and 
simulation capabilities to build a robust infrastructure to be 
able to perform comprehensive cybersecurity weapon systems 
testing. The committee encourages the Department to utilize 
collaboration between academia and the different test ranges 
and facilities to build a robust infrastructure to execute 
tactical cyber attack scenarios against weapon systems in an 
operationally realistic environment.

 Plan to Enhance Coordination With Universities and Industry on Cyber 
                               Education

    The committee notes that universities and private industry 
will continue to be critical partners in the education and 
training of our future cyber force. Traditional academic 
approaches to cyber training and cyber certifications such as 
Security + and CISSP are based on preventing vulnerabilities, 
attacks, and gaps that have been identified in the past. The 
committee is concerned that the relevance of the training 
content of academic institutions could be immaterial depending 
on when the courseware was updated. Bridging the gap in cyber 
training between curriculum that has been built on legacy data 
versus training built on current real world cyberattacks is a 
meaningful area of cyber training research, curriculum 
development, and instruction delivery that must be addressed. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to 
present to the defense committees a plan on how the Department 
of Defense can leverage and partner with universities and 
industry on cyber education and training that addresses this 
gap by November 1, 2018. This plan shall include: current 
partnerships and ability to expand and leverage those 
partnerships; existing curriculum and recommended changes 
needed to ensure relevance to future threats; joint development 
of curriculum, courseware and research projects; availability 
and joint use of university facilities; and recommended changes 
to legislation to improve cyber education and training 
partnerships.

              Securing Personally Identifiable Information

    The committee recognizes that the Department of Defense 
takes extensive measures to protect the personally identifiable 
information (PII) of its Servicemembers and civilian employees 
but that more remains to be done, especially with advances in 
technological communications and evolving threats. For 
instance, the use of smartphone devices invites new security 
threats that could potentially exploit the integrity of PII. 
Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense to 
provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by 
October 31, 2018 detailing information security technologies 
that the Department employs to protect the official 
unclassified email and official unclassified mobile 
communications of its employees.

                      Threat Cyberspace Operations

    The committee notes the increasingly contested nature of 
the cyber domain and the growing reliance of the Department of 
Defense and the military services on information technology 
systems. The committee continues to believe in the importance 
of performing robust cyber security assessments to determine 
the potential vulnerabilities of a system to a cyber-attack. 
The committee is aware that these assessments are based on 
realistic adversarial threats, including intelligence-based 
cyber tactics, techniques, and procedures that are 
representative of the continually emerging adversary 
capabilities. The Army Threat Cyberspace Operations program 
maintains a threat intelligence-based test capability that is 
important in meeting these mission needs. Therefore, the 
committee urges the Department of the Army to ensure that this 
program is adequately funded in future years to maintain cyber 
threat capabilities in an environment where the threat is 
rapidly evolving.

                          Intelligence Matters


            Foundational Intelligence Analysis Modernization

    The committee believes the Department of Defense must 
ensure that the defense intelligence enterprise has modern 
tools that can quickly integrate new technologies to assist 
analysts providing intelligence to support operations and 
acquisition activities. The committee is aware of the 
Department's efforts to modernize intelligence capabilities; 
however, the committee is concerned by a lack of urgency in 
modernizing the defense intelligence enterprise's capabilities 
to provide foundational intelligence to the combatant commands 
and the military services. Therefore, the committee directs the 
Joint Staff Director for Intelligence, in coordination with the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and the Director of 
the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), to develop a plan by 
October 1, 2018, to modernize systems used to provide 
foundational intelligence. Further, the committee directs the 
Joint Staff Director for Intelligence, in coordination with the 
DIA Director, to provide a briefing to the House Committee on 
Armed Services by November 1, 2018, on such plan to modernize 
foundational intelligence systems. If a determination is made 
that a new system is required, the committee expects the 
Battlespace Awareness Functional Capabilities Board to validate 
the requirements for any new system, and that the acquisition 
plan will follow best practices for the rapid acquisition and 
improvement of technology dependent systems.

         Insider Threat Detection and User Activity Monitoring

    The committee is aware that in June 2015, the Government 
Accountability Office recommended that the Department of 
Defense issue risk-assessment guidance and evaluate the ability 
of its insider threat programs to address capability gaps (GAO-
15-544). The committee is also aware of the Department's 
efforts to rapidly detect and remedy cyber vulnerabilities 
through programs such as the Air Force's Automated Remediation 
and Asset Discovery Program. The committee believes that 
continuous network monitoring and greater network visibility 
can significantly improve security of the Department's 
classified information and systems. Therefore, the committee 
encourages the Department to perform cost and technical 
analyses of available commercial off-the-shelf and government 
off-the-shelf solutions for user activity monitoring and for 
rapid detection and remediation of cyber attacks, for the 
purposes of obtaining best value and performance to decrease 
risks.
    Further, the committee directs the Chief Management Officer 
to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services 
by November 1, 2018, on the outcomes of its cost and technical 
analyses required by this report, and the Department's efforts 
to implement enterprise-wide programs and policies for insider 
threat detection, user activity monitoring, and cyber attack 
detection and remediation.

                  Insider Threat Risk Model Validation

    The committee supports the Department of Defense continued 
efforts to improve vetting and screening of its workforce for 
potential threats. The committee commends the efforts to 
develop risk-rating tools and to migrate department programs to 
a risk in person model in order to prioritize risk so that the 
Department can efficiently allocate resources against the 
riskiest populations inside the workforce. The committee 
encourages the Department to continue to evolve and mature 
insider threat and continuous vetting risk models and rating 
tools, especially those efforts to use artificial intelligence 
and machine learning to help identify potential sources of 
human investigative biases in current tools and algorithms. The 
committee believes artificial intelligence and machine learning 
have tremendous potential to assist in the identification of 
potential issues in time for commanders and other leaders to 
mitigate potential issues before they escalate into security 
vulnerabilities.

                  Intelligence Combat Support Agencies

    The committee commends the work of the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Intelligence to answer a request in the 
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (division N 
of Public Law 115-31) to review the roles and missions of the 
Defense Intelligence Agency. The committee agrees with the 
Under Secretary's finding identifying a gap in Department of 
Defense coordination of the functions of the Combat Support 
Agencies (CSA) that also are members of the intelligence 
community. The directors of these agencies report to both the 
Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, 
but these agencies lack a framework to balance the resourcing 
and mission conflicts this bifurcated chain of command can 
occasionally cause. Therefore, not later than October 1, 2018, 
the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation 
with the Director of National Intelligence, to develop policies 
that outline the process to balance the missions under the 
Combat Support Agency role with the missions and functions 
assigned by the intelligence community. These policies must 
address a process for assigning and integrating any new 
missions assigned by the Department of Defense or the 
intelligence community. The committee further directs the 
Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of 
National Intelligence, to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Select Committee 
on Intelligence of the House of Representatives not later than 
October 15, 2018, on the plan to develop these policies.

                Intelligence Support to Cyber Operations

    The committee is concerned about the Defense Intelligence 
Enterprise's ability to provide the cyber community with all-
source intelligence support, consistent with the support 
provided to operations in other domains. Therefore, the 
committee directs the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Intelligence, in coordination with the Defense Intelligence 
Agency and the military services, to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services and the House Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence by December 1, 2018, on 
intelligence support to cyber operations. The briefing should 
include efforts to standardize a common military intelligence 
lexicon and doctrine for intelligence preparation of the 
battlefield for cyber operations, efforts to develop all-source 
intelligence analysts with the capability to support cyber 
operations, and efforts to fully resource intelligence analysis 
support elements at U.S. Cyber Command and the service cyber 
components.

     Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Careers in Defense 
                              Intelligence

    The committee is concerned about the Defense Intelligence 
Agency's (DIA) ability to attract and maintain adequate 
science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) 
professionals. Specifically, the committee is concerned about 
career progression in the science and technology intelligence 
(S&TI) field at the Service Intelligence Centers and the 
Missile and Space Intelligence Center. Therefore, the committee 
directs the Director of DIA to provide a briefing to the House 
Committee on Armed Services not later than December 1, 2018, on 
a plan to develop a STEM career program that attracts and 
maintains the defense intelligence cadre of S&TI analysts to 
meet tomorrow's threats.

            Security and Intelligence Role in Export Control

    The committee is concerned about the coordination of 
security and technology protection issues involved in the 
export control process managed for the Department of Defense by 
the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. The committee 
understands export controls support the Department's broad 
policy objectives to build relationships with partner nations, 
but the committee believes the risks of technology transfer 
deserve close scrutiny by the intelligence and security 
communities. Therefore, the committee directs the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Policy, in coordination with the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, to provide a briefing to 
the House Committee on Armed Services not later than October 1, 
2018, on security support to export control.

        Security Clearance Background Investigation Reciprocity

    The committee remains interested in improving the 
efficiency, effectiveness and timeliness of background 
investigations for security clearances. The committee believes 
that the federal government must do more to address conditions 
that have caused the investigation backlog, including 
reciprocity issues across agencies and departments. The 
committee notes that the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism 
Prevention Act (IRTPA) (Public Law 108-458) mandated that 
investigations initiated by an authorized investigative agency 
shall be transferable to any other authorized investigative 
agency, but a December 2017 Government Accountability Office 
report found full implementation of investigative 
transferability has yet to occur. The committee strongly 
believes that ample time has passed since the passage of IRTPA 
for full implementation of investigative reciprocity between 
agencies, and the failure to implement transferability 
requirements is unacceptable. Not later than October 1, 2018, 
the committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination 
with the Director of National Intelligence and the Director of 
the Office of Personnel Management to brief the committee on 
efforts to ensure seamless transition of investigations between 
authorized investigative agencies, as required by law.
    The committee has received numerous briefings on the 
Department's plan to reassume the background investigation 
mission for Department of Defense personnel from the National 
Background Investigations Bureau, and is encouraged by the 
efforts to move towards continuous evaluation and continuous 
vetting as a replacement for periodic reinvestigations to 
reduce the investigative backlog. The committee notes the lead 
role the Department is taking for continuous monitoring and 
continuous vetting across the federal government. The committee 
believes any solution to improve the efficiency, effectiveness 
and timeliness of background investigations must be applied 
across the federal government uniformly. Therefore, not later 
than November 1, 2018, the committee directs the Secretary of 
Defense, in coordination with the Director of National 
Intelligence and the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management to brief the committee on efforts to ensure 
reciprocity is a consideration for implementation of continuous 
evaluation and continuous vetting across the federal 
government.

  Strengthening Oversight of the Military Intelligence Program Budget

    The committee is aware of a recent draft Government 
Accountability Office report on the Military Intelligence 
Program (MIP) that identifies a lack of clear and definitive 
guidance about which programs, projects, and activities should 
be assigned to the MIP. As a result, there may be intelligence 
and intelligence-related capabilities resourced outside of the 
MIP. Conversely, the committee believes there are MIP resources 
allocated to programs, projects, and activities that do not 
primarily support the Secretary of Defense's intelligence, 
counterintelligence, and related intelligence responsibilities 
and requirements. Thus, the Department of Defense's ability to 
make informed decisions to balance appropriate resources 
against programs, projects, or activities is limited.
    The committee believes the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Intelligence (USDI) should take measures to more clearly define 
guidance about which programs, projects, or activities should 
be assigned to the MIP using the Joint Publication's definition 
of intelligence. Therefore, the committee directs USDI to 
review all of the Department's intelligence, 
counterintelligence, and related intelligence programs, 
projects, and activities supporting the Secretary's 
responsibilities and requirements. The review shall also 
include programs, projects, and activities potentially funded 
outside of the MIP. In conducting the review, the committee 
expects USDI to note that the committee believes resources for 
sensors integral to the function of weapon systems, sensors and 
systems developed for space and missile defense, and resources 
for activities and programs associated with Operational 
Preparation of the Environment and Nonconventional Assisted 
Recovery are in support of operational requirements, and should 
be excluded from designation to the MIP.
    Further, the committee directs USDI to provide a briefing 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House 
of Representatives by March 1, 2019, on the results of the 
review, including how the review will result in clear guidance 
on designation of programs, projects, and activities to the 
MIP.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


                      Subtitle A--Space Activities


   Section 1601--Improvements to Acquisition System, Personnel, and 
                      Organization of Space Forces

    This section would direct the Deputy Secretary of Defense 
to develop a plan to establish a separate alternative 
acquisition system for defense space acquisitions, including 
with respect to space vehicles, ground segments, and terminals. 
The Deputy Secretary would be required to submit a report to 
the congressional defense committees by December 31, 2019, on 
such plan.
    This section would also task the Secretary of the Air Force 
to develop and implement a plan to increase the number and 
improve the quality of the civilian and military space cadre 
within the Air Force. The Secretary would also be required to 
submit a report to the congressional defense committees by 
March 1, 2019, on such plan.
    This section would also require the Secretary of the Air 
Force to establish a new numbered Air Force responsible for 
space warfighting operations. The Secretary would be required 
to submit a plan for doing so to the congressional defense 
committees by December 31, 2019.
    Lastly, this section would amend chapter 6 of title 10, 
United States Code, by adding a new section that would 
establish a subordinate unified command for space under U.S. 
Strategic Command that would be responsible for joint space 
warfighting operations.

       Section 1602--Rapid, Responsive, and Reliable Space Launch

    This section would amend section 2273b of title 10, United 
States Code, regarding assured access to space to include 
consideration of rapid, responsive, and reliable space launches 
for national security space programs. It would also require the 
Secretary of Defense to provide for consideration of both 
reusable and expendable launch vehicles with respect to any 
solicitations occurring on or after March 1, 2019. Lastly, it 
would require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a risk and 
cost impact analysis with respect to reusable launch vehicles 
for national security payloads. The Secretary would be required 
to submit such analysis to the congressional defense committees 
within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

  Section 1603--Provision of Space Situational Awareness Services and 
                              Information

    This section would amend section 2274 of title 10, United 
States Code, by terminating the authority of the Department of 
Defense to provide space situational awareness (SSA) data to 
commercial and foreign entities on January 1, 2024. This 
section would further require the Secretary of Defense to enter 
into a contract with a federally funded research and 
development center to assess which department or departments 
should assume the authorities of section 2274 of title 10. This 
section would also direct the Secretary of Defense to develop a 
plan to ensure that one or more departments may provide space 
situational awareness services to non-United States Government 
entities. Lastly, this section would direct the Secretary to 
submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees, as 
defined by this section, on such plan.

 Section 1604--Budget Assessments for National Security Space Programs

    This section would amend section 239b of title 10, United 
States Code, by extending the required budget assessments for 
national security space programs to fiscal year 2021 and by 
requiring the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the 
budget for space programs to the congressional defense 
committees within 30 days after the date on which the President 
submits the budget request to Congress.

   Section 1605--Enhancement of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing 
                                Capacity

    This section would require the Secretary of the Air Force 
to ensure that military Global Positioning System user 
equipment terminals have the capability to receive Galileo and 
QZSS signals, starting with increment 2, including with 
appropriate mitigation efforts. This section would also require 
the terminals to have the capability to receive non-allied 
positioning, navigation, and timing signals if the Secretary of 
Defense, in consultation with the Commander, U.S. Strategic 
Command, determines that the benefits outweigh the risks or the 
risks can be appropriately mitigated. This section would also 
require engagement with relevant U.S. allies.

  Section 1606--Use of Small- and Medium-Size Buses for Strategic and 
                      Tactical Satellite Payloads

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
conduct a study on the risks, benefits, and cost savings with 
respect to using small- and medium-size buses for strategic and 
tactical satellite payloads for protected satellite 
communications programs and next-generation overhead persistent 
infrared systems. This section would further require the 
Secretary to provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives, not 
later than 180 after the date of the enactment of this Act, on 
such study.
    This section would also require the Director of Cost 
Assessment and Program Evaluation to certify that future 
analysis of alternatives include materiel solutions for using 
small- and medium-size buses. Lastly, this section would 
require the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Air Force, 
and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to provide a 
briefing to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives, not later than 240 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, on alternative space-based 
architectures using small-, medium-, and large-size buses.

    Section 1607--Designation of Component of Department of Defense 
   Responsible for Coordination of Modernization Efforts Relating to 
                Military-Code Capable GPS Receiver Cards

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
designate a component of the Office of the Secretary of Defense 
to be responsible for coordinating common solutions for the 
Military-code modernization efforts among the military 
departments, Defense Agencies, and other appropriate elements 
of the Department of Defense by not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act.

    Section 1608--Designation of Component of Department of Defense 
       Responsible for Coordination of Hosted Payload Information

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Secretary of the Air Force, and other 
Secretaries of the military departments and the heads of 
Defense Agencies the Secretary determines appropriate, to 
designate a component of the Department of Defense or a 
military department to be responsible for coordinating 
information, processes, and lessons learned relating to using 
commercially hosted payloads across the military departments, 
Defense Agencies, and other appropriate elements of the 
Department of Defense not later than 30 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act.

   Section 1609--Limitation on Availability of Funds for Joint Space 
                    Operations Center Mission System

    This section would limit obligation or expenditure of funds 
for the Joint Space Operations Center Mission System and 
Enterprise Space Battle Management Command and Control program 
until the Deputy Secretary of Defense provides to the 
congressional defense committees a certification that the 
Secretary of the Air Force has entered into a contract to 
operationalize existing, proven, best-in-breed commercial space 
situational awareness processing software to address warfighter 
requirements and fill gaps in current space situational 
awareness capabilities.

  Section 1610--Evaluation and Enhanced Security of Supply Chain for 
  Protected Satellite Communications Programs and Overhead Persistent 
                            Infrared Systems

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
develop a plan for and conduct evaluations of the supply chain 
vulnerabilities for protected satellite communications and 
next-generation overhead persistent infrared systems. 
Additionally, it would require the Secretary to develop risk 
mitigation strategies for the identified vulnerabilities. This 
section would require the Secretary to establish requirements 
to carry out the supply chain vulnerability evaluation and 
submit such requirements to the congressional defense 
committees not later than 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. Lastly, this section would require the 
Secretary to provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and House of Representatives not later 
than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act on 
the plan developed for carrying out such an evaluation.

       Section 1611--Report on Protected Satellite Communications

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a report to the congressional defense committees by 
December 31, 2018, on how specific protected satellite 
communications programs meet the requirements for resilience, 
mission assurance, and nuclear command, control, and 
communication missions of the Department of Defense.

           Section 1612--Plan on Space Warfighting Readiness

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
develop a plan that identifies joint mission-essential tasks 
for space as a warfighting domain. This section would further 
require the Secretary to provide a briefing to the Committees 
on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the 
Senate, within 60 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, on any authorities associated with such plan that the 
Secretary determines require legislative action.

       Section 1613--Study on Space-Based Radio Frequency Mapping

    This section would direct the Secretary of Defense and the 
Director of National Intelligence to jointly conduct a study on 
the capabilities of the private sector with respect to radio 
frequency mapping and services for space-based electromagnetic 
collections. This section would also require the Secretary, in 
coordination with the Director, to provide a report on the 
study to the congressional defense committees and congressional 
intelligence committees, not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.

  Section 1614--Plan To Provide Persistent Weather Imagery for United 
                         States Central Command

    This section would require the Secretary of the Air Force 
to develop a plan to provide the U.S. Central Command with 
persistent weather imagery after 2025. The Secretary would be 
required to submit such plan to the congressional defense 
committees by March 1, 2019.

  Subtitle B--Defense Intelligence and Intelligence-Related Activities


   Section 1621--Role of Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence

    This section would amend section 137 of title 10, United 
States Code, to clarify the responsibilities of the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Intelligence.

          Section 1622--Security Clearance for Dual Nationals

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
apply additional security reviews to dual citizens seeking 
positions that require access to highly classified information. 
The committee expects that any additional security reviews will 
not further exacerbate background investigation backlogs.

   Section 1623--Department of Defense Counterintelligence Polygraph 
                                Program

    This section would amend section 1564a of title 10, United 
States Code, by authorizing the Secretary of Defense to add 
dual citizens to Department of Defense counterintelligence 
polygraph program, for the purposes of assessing risk.

     Section 1624--Defense Intelligence Business Management Systems

    This section would require the Chief Management Officer of 
the Department of Defense, in coordination with the Under 
Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Intelligence, to provide a report to the 
congressional defense committees and the congressional 
intelligence committees, not later than March 1, 2019, 
outlining a plan to standardize the planning, programming, 
budgeting, and execution process for the Military Intelligence 
Program (MIP) across the Department of Defense. This section 
would also direct the implementation of the plan not later than 
October 1, 2020. This section would prohibit the use of program 
elements that contain both MIP and non-MIP resources. The 
committee is concerned with the Department's ability to provide 
sufficient oversight of the Military Intelligence Program 
budget.

  Section 1625--Modification to Annual Briefing on the Intelligence, 
Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Requirements of the Combatant Commands

    This section would require the Department of Defense to 
incorporate into the existing report required by section 1626 
of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-
291) data related to the number of requests for intelligence, 
surveillance, and reconnaissance capability and capacity 
submitted to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) 
by the combatant commanders, the number of requests formally 
validated by the CJCS, the quantity of validated requests 
tasked to the military services to fulfill, and the amount of 
validated requests actually fulfilled by the military services.

 Section 1626--Prohibition on the Availability of Funds for Department 
 of Defense Assuming Background Investigation Mission for the Federal 
                               Government

    This section would prohibit the Department of Defense from 
assuming the background investigation mission for the entire 
Federal Government before December 31, 2019.

                 Subtitle C--Cyberspace-Related Matters


       Section 1631--Amendments to Pilot Program Regarding Cyber 
    Vulnerabilities of Department of Defense Critical Infrastructure

    This section would modify subsection (b) of section 1650 of 
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
(Public Law 114-328) to incorporate the Defense Digital Service 
(DDS) into pilot program authorities for identifying new, 
innovative methodologies or engineering approaches to evaluate 
cyber vulnerabilities of Department of Defense critical 
infrastructure. The committee notes the success of the Defense 
Digital Service's ``Hack the Pentagon'' program, and encourages 
the Department to use this or similar DDS activities to more 
rapidly and effectively improve the cybersecurity of government 
owned and operated facilities.

 Section 1632--Budget Display for Cyber Vulnerability Evaluations and 
  Mitigation Activities for Major Weapon Systems of the Department of 
                                Defense

    This section would require that the justification materials 
submitted to Congress by the Secretary of Defense in support of 
the President's annual budget request for the Department of 
Defense include a consolidated display for cyber vulnerability 
evaluations and mitigation activities for each major weapon 
system beginning in fiscal year 2021. The display for each 
major weapon system shall include the status of, funding 
required, and a description of planned activities to continue 
or complete the cyber vulnerability evaluations in accordance 
with section 1647 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92), and necessary mitigation 
activities for the Future Years Defense Program.

Section 1633--Transfer of Responsibility for the Department of Defense 
           Information Network to United States Cyber Command

    This section would mandate that the Secretary of Defense 
transfer of all roles, missions, and responsibilities of the 
Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense 
Information Networks from the Defense Information Support 
Agency to Commander, United States Cyber Command, by September 
30, 2019. It would additionally require the Secretary of 
Defense to certify in writing to the congressional defense 
committees that such transfer shall not result in mission 
degradation.

  Section 1634--Pilot Program Authority To Enhance Cybersecurity and 
                 Resiliency of Critical Infrastructure

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to 
provide technical personnel to the Department of Homeland 
Security to enhance cooperation, collaboration, and unity of 
government efforts in support of the protection of critical 
infrastructure from cyber incidents and significant cyber 
incidents.

Section 1635--Pilot Program on Regional Cyber Security Training Center 
                      for the Army National Guard

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Army to 
carry out a pilot program to establish a National Guard cyber 
security training center for members of the Army National 
Guard.

  Section 1636--Procedures and Reporting Requirement on Cybersecurity 
        Breaches and Loss of Personally Identifiable Information

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
promptly notify the congressional defense committees in the 
event of a significant loss of personally identifiable 
information of civilian or uniformed members of the Armed 
Forces in classified or unclassified formats.

     Section 1637--Cyber Institutes at the Senior Military Colleges

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
establish a Cyber Institute at each of the senior military 
colleges.

Section 1638--Study and Report on Reserve Component Cyber Civil Support 
                                 Teams

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a study on the 
feasibility and advisability of establishing cyber civil 
support teams comprised of Reserve Component members, primarily 
operating under the command and control of the Governor of each 
State, to prepare for and respond to cyber incidents, cyber 
emergencies, and cyber attacks. The Secretaries concerned shall 
provide a report to the congressional defense committees, the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
of the Senate not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act on the results of the study, to include 
their final determination on the feasibility of, advisability 
and necessity of establishing Reserve Component cyber civil 
support teams for each State, and if so, proposed legislation.

                       Subtitle D--Nuclear Forces


 Section 1641--Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering 
                    and the Nuclear Weapons Council

    This section would amend section 179 of title 10, United 
States Code, to include the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Research and Engineering as a member of the Nuclear Weapons 
Council and make a technical correction to the title of the 
Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment.

         Section 1642--Long-Range Standoff Weapon Requirements

    This section would amend section 217 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113-
66) to enable the Secretary of the Air Force to retire the 
conventionally armed AGM-86 cruise missile and require the 
Secretary to ensure that a conventionally armed follow-on air-
launched cruise missile, the long-range standoff weapon, 
achieves initial operating capability for conventional missions 
not later than 4 years after it achieves initial operating 
capability for nuclear missions.

Section 1643--Acceleration of Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Program 
                 and Long-Range Standoff Weapon Program

    This section would require the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition and Sustainment, in consultation with the 
Secretary of the Air Force, to develop and implement plans to 
accelerate the development, procurement, and fielding of the 
Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program and the Long-
Range Standoff cruise missile program. For GBSD, the plan would 
be required to recapitalize the full intercontinental ballistic 
missile system, without phasing or splitting the program. For 
both programs, the plans would be required to assess the 
benefits, risks, feasibility, costs, and cost savings of 
various options for accelerating the programs. The Under 
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Air Force, 
would be required to submit the plans to the congressional 
defense committees within 120 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. The Commander of U.S. Strategic Command 
would be required, within 160 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, to provide a briefing to the 
congressional defense committees on the views of the Commander 
regarding the plans.

       Section 1644--Procurement Authority for Certain Parts of 
                Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Fuzes

    This section would authorize $9.8 million of the funds made 
available by this Act for Missile Procurement, Air Force, for 
the procurement of certain commercially available parts of 
intercontinental ballistic missile fuzes, notwithstanding 
section 1502(a) of title 31, United States Code, under 
contracts entered into under section 1645(a) of the Carl Levin 
and Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291).

    Section 1645--Prohibition on Reduction of the Intercontinental 
                Ballistic Missiles of the United States

    This section would prohibit the Department of Defense from 
obligating or expending fiscal year 2019 funds to reduce the 
responsiveness, alert level, or quantity of deployed U.S. 
intercontinental ballistic missiles to less than 400. This 
section would provide an exception to this prohibition for 
activities related to maintenance and sustainment and 
activities to ensure safety, security, or reliability.

  Section 1646--Extension of Prohibition on Availability of Funds for 
       Mobile Variant of Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent Missile

    This section would amend section 1664 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-
328) to extend, to fiscal year 2020, a prohibition on the 
availability of funds to retain the option for, or develop, a 
mobile variant of the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent missile.

Section 1647--Independent Study on Nuclear Weapons Launch-Under-Attack 
                                 Option

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense, within 
30 days of enactment of this Act, to seek to enter into a 
contract with a federally funded research and development 
center (FFRDC) to conduct a study on the potential benefits and 
risks of reducing the role of the launch-under-attack option in 
U.S. nuclear weapons planning. The Secretary would not be 
allowed to award such contract to an FFRDC for which the Air 
Force is the primary sponsor. This section would require the 
FFRDC to submit the report to the Secretary not later than 270 
days after enactment of this Act, and would require the 
Secretary to submit the report to the congressional defense 
committees not later than 30 days after receiving it.

 Section 1648--Extension of Annual Report on the Plan for the Nuclear 
 Weapons Stockpile, Nuclear Weapons Complex, Nuclear Weapons Delivery 
        Systems, and Nuclear Weapons Command and Control System

    This section would amend section 1043 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-
81) to extend the expiration of a reporting requirement related 
to nuclear weapons from 2019 to 2022.

Section 1649--Sense of Congress on Nuclear Posture of the United States

    This section would express a sense of Congress regarding 
the nuclear posture of the United States.

 Section 1650--Sense of Congress on Extended Nuclear Deterrence in the 
                          Indo-Pacific Region

    This section would express the sense of Congress concerning 
the nuclear weapons program of the Democratic People's Republic 
of Korea and U.S. extended deterrence commitments to Indo-
Pacific region allies and partners.

                  Subtitle E--Missile Defense Programs


Section 1661--Development of Persistent Space-Based Sensor Architecture

    This section would direct the Director of the Missile 
Defense Agency (MDA), in coordination with the Director of 
National Intelligence, the Commander of Air Force Space 
Command, and the Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, to 
complete a plan and initiate development in fiscal year 2019 
for a space-based missile defense sensor architecture. This 
section would limit obligation or expenditure of funds to 
initiate the space-based missile defense layer program until 
the plan is submitted to Congress. This section would also 
amend section 1683 of the National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) to require the 
Director of the MDA to submit a report to the congressional 
defense committees and congressional intelligence committees by 
January 31, 2019, on options to use other transactional 
authorities to accelerate development of this architecture.

          Section 1662--Boost Phase Ballistic Missile Defense

    This section would require the Director, Missile Defense 
Agency (MDA) to begin a program in fiscal year 2019 to develop 
boost phase intercept capabilities that are either air-launched 
or ship-based, cost effective, and that include a kinetic 
interceptor. This section would require an independent 
feasibility study to be conducted for delivering an initial or 
demonstrated boost phase capability by calendar year 2021 using 
unmanned aerial vehicles and kinetic interceptors.
    This section would also provide support for directed energy 
efforts that would contribute to intercontinental ballistic 
missile boost phase intercept applications, and would direct 
MDA to continue developing this capability in fiscal year 2019 
and leverage directed energy work by the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Research and Engineering. This section would 
require the Director of MDA to provide a briefing to the 
Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
and the Senate, and to any other congressional defense 
committee upon request, not later than February 28, 2019, on 
the criteria and parameters used to measure progress of such 
program.

Section 1663--Improvements to Research and Development and Acquisition 
                  Processes of Missile Defense Agency

    This section would require the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Research and Engineering to transfer all research and 
development efforts and programs that have not yet reached 
milestone B to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) if they are 
planned to be incorporated into the ballistic missile defense 
system or have explicit application for ballistic missile or 
hypersonic defense. This section would also require the Under 
Secretary to submit a report to the congressional defense 
committees by March 31, 2019, on the programs affected.
    Further, this section would require the Secretary of 
Defense to notify the congressional defense committees before 
any of MDA's unique acquisition authorities are changed, and 
would prohibit changing the missile defense requirements 
generation process managed by U.S. Strategic Command.
    This section would also require that MDA make the quarter 
and fiscal year for execution of planned flight tests 
unclassified. Lastly, this section would require the Deputy 
Secretary of Defense to update membership of the Missile 
Defense Executive Board, and would require that the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment be a 
standing member of the board and a co-chairman with respect to 
all decisions regarding acquisition and production milestone 
approvals, including other transaction authority contracts or 
transactions in excess of $500.0 million.

      Section 1664--Layered Defense of the United States Homeland

    This section would express the sense of Congress in support 
of the Department of Defense's efforts to provide layered 
defense of the homeland, and would require the Director of the 
Missile Defense Agency, in coordination with the Under 
Secretary of Defense for Policy, Commander of U.S. Northern 
Command, and Commander of U.S. Pacific Command, to provide a 
briefing to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives by January 31, 2019, on options to 
increase layered protection of the U.S. homeland, to include 
the continental United States, Hawaii, and Alaska, from both 
the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Islamic 
Republic of Iran.

  Section 1665--Testing of Redesigned Kill Vehicle Prior to Production

    This section would prohibit a lot production decision for 
the Redesigned Kill Vehicle until after a successful flight 
intercept test. This section would also provide a waiver for 
the Secretary of Defense to make such a decision prior to a 
successful flight test, if the specified conditions are met.

 Section 1666--Requirements for Ballistic Missile Defense Capable Ships

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
include ballistic missile defense ship requirements in all 
future force structure assessments.

 Section 1667--Multiyear Procurement Authority for Standard Missile-3 
                           Block IB Missiles

    This section would authorize the Department of Defense to 
enter a multiyear procurement for Standard Missile-3 Block IB 
missiles.

 Section 1668--Limitation on Availability of Funds for Army Lower Tier 
                     Air and Missile Defense Sensor

    This section would limit obligation or expenditure of funds 
for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor until the 
Secretary of the Army provides a report detailing the rationale 
for any delay should the acquisition strategy delivered in 
September 2018 push initial operating capability past 2023. 
This section would also require the Secretary of the Army to 
ensure performance specifications of the sensor specify certain 
requirements.

             Section 1669--Missile Defense Radar in Hawaii

    This section would express the sense of Congress on 
maintaining or accelerating the schedule for the homeland 
missile defense in Hawaii. This section would further require 
alignment of the In-Flight Interceptor Communications System 
Data Terminal (IDT) with homeland defense radar in Hawaii by 
requiring the Director of the Missile Defense Agency to provide 
a certification that the contract for the homeland defense 
radar in Hawaii is on schedule to award the contract by not 
later than December 31, 2018, and that the radar and the IDT 
will reach initial operating capability not later than fiscal 
year 2023. Should the contract not be awarded by December 31, 
2018, this section would direct the Director of the Missile 
Defense Agency to provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate every 
other week until the date of award. This section would also 
require the Director of the Missile Defense Agency to provide 
semiannual briefings to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
House of Representatives and the Senate on progress of the IDT 
and homeland missile defense radar in Hawaii, including updates 
on the environmental impact study process and acquisition of 
the radar and terminal.

  Section 1670--Reports on Unfunded Priorities of the Missile Defense 
                                 Agency

    This section would require the Director of the Missile 
Defense Agency to submit a report to the Secretary of Defense, 
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the 
congressional defense committees on the unfunded priorities of 
the Missile Defense Agency for fiscal years 2020 and 2021, 
within 10 days of the submission of the budget request to 
Congress for those fiscal years.

           Section 1671--Report on Ballistic Missile Defense

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a report on ballistic missile defense to the 
congressional defense committees not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act.

     Section 1672--Sense of Congress on Missile and Rocket Defense 
            Cooperation Between the United States and Israel

    This section would express the sense of Congress in support 
of the administration's 10-year memorandum of understanding 
starting in fiscal year 2019 between the United States and the 
State of Israel on missile defense cooperation.

                       Subtitle F--Other Matters


   Section 1681--Extension of Commission To Assess the Threat to the 
  United States From Electromagnetic Pulse Attacks and Similar Events

    This section would amend section 1691 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91) to extend several deadlines associated with the Commission 
to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic 
Pulse Attacks and Similar Events.

 Section 1682--Procurement of Ammonium Perchlorate and Other Chemicals 
                     for Use in Solid Rocket Motors

    This section would require the Secretary of the Army and 
the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and 
Industrial Base Policy to jointly conduct a business case 
analysis of the Federal Government using a government-owned, 
contractor-operated model to ensure a robust domestic supply of 
specialty chemicals, including ammonium perchlorate, for use in 
solid rocket motors. The Secretary and Deputy Assistant 
Secretary would be required to submit this business case 
analysis to the congressional defense committees by March 1, 
2019.
    This section would also require the Secretary of Defense to 
use, to the extent practicable, full and open competition in 
awarding a contract for the sale of ammonium perchlorate from 
retired solid rocket motors. The Secretary would be required to 
notify the congressional defense committees 30 days after the 
date of any such award that does not use full and open 
competition.

Section 1683--Conventional Prompt Global Strike Hypersonic Capabilities

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit to the congressional defense committees by November 30, 
2018, a validated requirement for ground-, sea-, or air-
launched (or a combination thereof) conventional prompt global 
strike (CPGS) hypersonic capabilities.
    This section would further require the Under Secretary of 
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment to submit a report to 
the congressional defense committees by November 30, 2018, on 
the plan to deliver a CPGS capability in accordance with 
section 1693 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91). The report would also 
include options with cost estimates for accelerating delivery 
for such system, policy decisions needed to employ the 
capabilities, and details with respect to the assessed level of 
ambiguity and misinterpretation of risks, and how those risks 
would be addressed.

 Section 1684--Report Regarding Industrial Base for Large Solid Rocket 
                                 Motors

    This section would require the Under Secretary of Defense 
for Acquisition and Sustainment, in consultation with the 
Secretaries of the military departments that the Under 
Secretary determines appropriate, to submit a report to the 
appropriate congressional committees by April 15, 2019, on 
whether, and if so, how, the Federal Government will sustain 
more than one supplier for large solid rocket motors. The 
report would be required to include an assessment of several 
matters, including risks, costs, and options for sustaining 
more than one supplier by leveraging various programs of the 
Department of Defense and the broader Federal Government. 
Finally, this section would require the Under Secretary to 
provide a briefing to the appropriate congressional committees 
by November 30, 2018, on the industrial base for large solid 
rocket motors.
    As it has expressed in the past, the committee continues to 
support the GBSD program and efforts to recapitalize the 
nuclear triad. The committee continues to expect the Air Force 
and the Department of Defense to be mindful of the impacts GBSD 
and other large upcoming or ongoing programs have on the 
industrial base for large solid rocket motors in the near, 
medium, and longer terms. Due to the large volume of rocket 
motors that will be procured for GBSD, this program may have a 
particularly large impact on the health and vitality of this 
key element of the U.S. industrial base. The committee does not 
expect or encourage the GBSD program alone to be responsible 
for sustaining this industrial base, but does expect the 
Department of Defense to carefully consider its impacts, 
assessing risks, benefits, and costs.

 Section 1685--National Intelligence Estimate With Respect to Russian 
            and Chinese Interference in Democratic Countries

    This section would direct the Director of National 
Intelligence to produce a National Intelligence Estimate on 
Russian and Chinese interference in democratic countries around 
the world.

            DIVISION B--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATIONS

                                PURPOSE

    Division B provides military construction, family housing, 
and related authorities in support of the military departments 
during fiscal year 2019. As recommended by the committee, 
division B would authorize appropriations in the amount of 
$10,332,478,000 for construction in support of the Active 
Forces, Reserve Components, defense agencies, and the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization security infrastructure fund for 
fiscal year 2019.

           MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND FAMILY HOUSING OVERVIEW

    The Department of Defense requested $8,612,447,000 for 
military construction, $267,538,000 for Base Realignment and 
Closure activities, and $1,582,632,000 for family housing for 
fiscal year 2019. The committee recommends authorization of 
appropriations of $8,498,136,000 for military construction, 
$322,868,000 for Base Realignment and Closure activities, and 
$1,582,632,000 for family housing in fiscal year 2019. In 
addition, the committee recommends the inclusion of $71,158,000 
in undistributed savings from prior years. The Department of 
Defense also requested $921,420,000 for Overseas Contingency 
Operations military construction for fiscal year 2019. The 
committee recommends authorization of appropriations of 
$921,420,000 for Overseas Contingency Operations military 
construction within title XXIX.

                       Section 2001--Short Title

    This section would cite division B of this Act as the 
``Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2019''.

 Section 2002--Expiration of Authorizations and Amounts Required To Be 
                            Specified by Law

    This section would ensure that the authorizations provided 
in titles XXI through XXVII and title XXIX of this Act shall 
expire on October 1, 2023, or the date of the enactment of an 
Act authorizing funds for military construction for fiscal year 
2024, whichever is later.

                      Section 2003--Effective Date

    This section would provide that titles XXI through XXVII 
and title XXIX of this Act would take effect on October 1, 
2018, or the date of the enactment of this Act, whichever is 
later.

                 TITLE XXI--ARMY MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

                                SUMMARY

    The budget request contained $1,011,768,000 for Army 
military construction and $707,169,000 for family housing for 
fiscal year 2019. The committee recommends authorization of 
appropriations of $1,095,868,000 for military construction and 
$707,169,000 for family housing for the Army in fiscal year 
2019.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                   Explanation of Funding Adjustments

    The committee recommends the inclusion of funding for 
several projects requested by the Department of the Army but 
not contained in the budget request for military construction 
and family housing. These increases include:
    (1) $18.0 million for a Microgrid and Power Plant at Fort 
Campbell, Kentucky;
    (2) $16.5 million for Cantonment Area Roads at Fort Meade, 
Maryland; and (3) $9.6 million for a Supply Support Activity at 
Fort Hood, Texas.
    The committee also recommends the inclusion of $50.0 
million for the Secretary of the Army, with prior notification 
to Congress, to carry out projects intended to enhance force 
protection and safety. The committee recommends the Secretary 
use this authority to alleviate deficiencies in access control 
points, air traffic control towers, fire stations, and anti-
terrorism and force protection.
    Finally, the committee recommends a reduction of funding 
for a project contained in the budget request submitted by the 
Department of the Army for military construction and family 
housing. This reduction is:
    (1) $10.0 million for Command and Control Facility, 
Increment 4 at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. While the committee 
supports the requirement for this incrementally funded project, 
the committee notes this is the second consecutive year the 
Army has reported cost increases associated with this project. 
The committee believes the Department did not provide 
sufficient justification for the most recent cost increase 
associated with this project. Therefore, the committee 
recommends $95.0 million, a reduction of $10.0 million, for 
this project.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


    Section 2101--Authorized Army Construction and Land Acquisition 
                                Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Army 
construction projects for fiscal year 2019. The authorized 
amounts are listed on an installation-by-installation basis. 
The State list contained in this Act is intended to be the 
binding list of the specific projects authorized at each 
location.

                      Section 2102--Family Housing

    This section would authorize new construction and planning 
and design of family housing units for the Army for fiscal year 
2019.

          Section 2103--Authorization of Appropriations, Army

    This section would authorize appropriations for Army 
military construction at the levels identified in section 4601 
of division D of this Act.

 Section 2104--Extension of Authorizations of Certain Fiscal Year 2015 
                                Projects

    This section would extend the authorization of a certain 
project originally authorized by section 2101 of the Military 
Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (division B 
of Public Law 113-291) until October 1, 2019, or the date of 
the enactment of an act authorizing funds for military 
construction for fiscal year 2020, whichever is later.

                 TITLE XXII--NAVY MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

                                SUMMARY

    The budget request contained $2,543,189,000 for Navy and 
Marine Corps military construction and $419,117,000 for family 
housing for fiscal year 2019. The committee recommends 
authorization of appropriations of $2,538,898,000 for military 
construction and $419,117,000 for family housing for the Navy 
and Marine Corps in fiscal year 2019.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                   Explanation of Funding Adjustments

    The committee recommends the inclusion of funding for 
several projects requested by the Department of the Navy but 
not contained in the budget request for military construction 
and family housing. These increases include:
    (1) $78.8 million for an Aircraft Paint Complex at Naval 
Base Coronado, California;
    (2) $75.6 million for X-Ray Wharf Improvements (Berth 2) at 
Naval Base Guam, Guam;
    (3) $51.3 million for 2nd Radio Battalion Complex, Phase 2 
at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina;
    (4) $31.9 million for a Welding and Body Repair Shop 
Facility at Marine Corps Base Albany, Georgia;
    (5) $22.3 million for Expeditionary Combat Skills Student 
Berthing at Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport, 
Mississippi;
    (6) $21.8 million for Missile Magazines at Naval Weapons 
Station Seal Beach, California;
    (7) $19.7 million for a Consolidated Fire Station at Naval 
Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba;
    (8) $19.5 million for LCS Mission Module Readiness Center 
at Naval Base San Diego, California;
    (9) $16.6 million for a Supply Warehouse SOI-West at Camp 
Pendleton, California;
    (10) $14.9 million for a Communications Line Ops to Admin 
at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California;
    (11) $14.8 million for Missile Motor Magazines and U&SI at 
Camp Navajo, Arizona
    (12) $13.1 million for Ammunition Supply Point Upgrade, 
Phase 2 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia;
    (13) $10.0 million for Air Traffic Control Tower (North 
Field) at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida; and (14) 
$6.3 million for a Cryogenics Facility Marine Corps Air Station 
Beaufort, South Carolina.
    The committee also recommends the inclusion of $50.0 
million for the Secretary of the Navy, with prior notification 
to Congress, to carry out projects intended to enhance force 
protection and safety. The committee recommends the Secretary 
use this authority to alleviate deficiencies in access control 
points, air traffic control towers, fire stations, and anti-
terrorism and force protection.
    Finally, the committee recommends a reduction of funding 
for several projects contained in the budget request submitted 
by the Department of the Navy for military construction and 
family housing. These reductions include:
    (1) $73.97 million for an Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at 
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The 
committee supports the requirement for this project and 
provides the full project authorization of $133.97 million 
included in the budget request. However, the committee supports 
the authorization of appropriations in an amount equivalent to 
the ability of the Department to execute in the year of the 
authorization for appropriations. For this project, the 
committee believes that the Department of the Navy cannot fully 
expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the 
committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of $60.0 
million, a reduction of $73.97 million, for this project.
    (2) $71.287 million for a Machine Gun Range at Joint Region 
Marianas, Guam. The committee supports the requirement for this 
project and provides the full project authorization of $141.287 
million included in the budget request. However, the committee 
supports the authorization of appropriations in an amount 
equivalent to the ability of the Department to execute in the 
year of the authorization for appropriations. For this project, 
the committee believes that the Department of the Navy cannot 
fully expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the 
committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of $70.0 
million, a reduction of $71.287 million, for this project.
    (3) $59.353 million for Pier 8 Replacement at Naval Base 
San Diego, California. The committee supports the requirement 
for this project and provides the full project authorization of 
$108.1 million included in the budget request. However, the 
committee supports the authorization of appropriations in an 
amount equivalent to the ability of the Department to execute 
in the year of the authorization for appropriations. For this 
project, the committee believes that the Department of the Navy 
cannot fully expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. Therefore, 
the committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of 
$47.747 million, a reduction of $59.353 million, for this 
project.
    (4) $55.6 million for the Master Time Clocks & Operations 
Facility at the Naval Observatory, District of Columbia. The 
committee supports the requirement for this project and 
provides the full project authorization of $115.6 million 
included in the budget request. However, the committee supports 
the authorization of appropriations in an amount equivalent to 
the ability of the Department to execute in the year of the 
authorization for appropriations. For this project, the 
committee believes that the Department of the Navy cannot fully 
expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the 
committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of $60.0 
million, a reduction of $55.6 million, for this project.
    (5) $58.321 million for Dry Dock #1 Superflood Basin at the 
Portsmouth Navy Yard, Maine. The committee supports the 
requirement for this project and provides the full project 
authorization of $109.96 million included in the budget 
request. However, the committee supports the authorization of 
appropriations in an amount equivalent to the ability of the 
Department to execute in the year of the authorization for 
appropriations. For this project, the committee believes that 
the Department of the Navy cannot fully expend the funding in 
fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the committee recommends an 
authorization of appropriation of $51.639 million, a reduction 
of $58.321 million, for this project.
    (6) $51.86 million for Flightline Utility Modernization at 
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. The 
committee supports the requirement for this project and 
provides the full project authorization of $106.86 million 
included in the budget request. However, the committee supports 
the authorization of appropriations in an amount equivalent to 
the ability of the Department to execute in the year of the 
authorization for appropriations. For this project, the 
committee believes that the Department of the Navy cannot fully 
expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the 
committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of $55.0 
million, a reduction of $51.86 million, for this project.
    (7) $50.52 million for a D5 Missile Motor Receipt/Storage 
Facility at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The committee supports 
the requirement for this project and provides the full project 
authorization of $105.52 million included in the budget 
request. However, the committee supports the authorization of 
appropriations in an amount equivalent to the ability of the 
Department to execute in the year of the authorization for 
appropriations. For this project, the committee believes that 
Department of the Navy cannot fully expend the funding in 
fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the committee recommends an 
authorization of appropriation of $55.0 million, a reduction of 
$50.52 million, for this project.
    (8) $21.98 million for a TBS Fire Station at Marine Corps 
Base Quantico, Virginia. The committee notes this project was 
authorized in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) and a subsequent appropriations 
was included for this project in the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141). The committee 
does not believe an additional authorization of appropriations 
for fiscal year 2019 is required for this project and therefore 
recommends a reduction of $21.98 million, for this project.
    (9) $8.0 million for Planning and Design. The committee 
recommends an authorization of appropriation of $177.542 
million, a reduction of $8.0 million, for planning and design 
activities.

                  Aegis Ashore Poland Austere Housing

    The committee notes that the U.S. Navy has made the 
decision to maintain austere housing accommodations for the 
Aegis Ashore site in Redzikowo, Republic of Poland. This 
decision was made despite the committee's concerns about the 
impact that these conditions could have on the quality of life 
for the sailors manning the site.
    Aegis Ashore Poland will provide critical missile defense 
capability to defend our deployed forces, allies, partners, and 
friends from missile defense threats. The site will be manned 
24/7 by sailors on rotating, unaccompanied tours. The Commander 
of Naval Installations Command determined that the Aegis Ashore 
site located in Redzikowo, Poland, warranted ``austere'' 
housing, and the Chief of Naval Operations approved this 
determination. Under this determination, the housing 
accommodation guidelines will place up to 4 persons in each 
berthing room.
    The committee is concerned that the austere housing may 
have a negative impact on quality of life for the sailors 
manning the site as they execute a critical missile defense 
mission. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the 
Navy to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services by November 30, 2018, on options to improve housing 
standards for sailors at the Aegis Ashore Poland site, 
including estimated costs and schedule for completing the 
possible improvements.

    Infrastructure in Support of Submarine Training and Operational 
                              Requirements

    The committee supports the Navy's development of the 
Columbia-class to serve as the Navy's future ballistic missile 
submarine. While the first submarine delivery is projected 
outside of the current Future Years Defense Program, the 
committee believes it is important for infrastructure 
requirements to be properly identified, programmed, and 
synchronized to support the training and operational 
requirements of this new class of submarine. The committee 
notes that the military departments have struggled in the past 
to align military construction and infrastructure investments 
with delivery of new weapon systems. The committee encourages 
the Secretary of the Navy to review the Navy's current 
infrastructure plans to ensure proper alignment with the 
Columbia-class program. Finally, the committee notes the 
importance of continuing to make appropriate investments in the 
infrastructure capabilities and capacity necessary to meet the 
training and certification of crews supporting the current 
fleet of Ohio-class submarines.

                     Public Shipyard Infrastructure

    The committee acknowledges that it has received the report 
related to Naval Shipyard Development Plans required by the 
committee report (H. Rept. 115-200) accompanying the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. The report 
identified a number of infrastructure-related configuration, 
age, condition, and capacity issues that adversely impact 
nuclear submarine and aircraft carrier depot maintenance 
throughput. The Navy's report identifies approximately $21.0 
billion in infrastructure investments through 2040 that will be 
needed in the shipyards, to include $14.0 billion for 
construction to provide the optimal layout of facilities in 
order to increase production capacity, $4.0 billion for 
improvements of the dry docks to provide needed capability and 
capacity for future classes of ships, and $3.0 billion for 
capital equipment. The committee believes the public shipyards 
are key elements that support our national defense. As such, 
the committee encourages the Secretary of the Navy to plan, 
program, and budget appropriate investments in the public 
shipyards to ensure those shipyards have the capabilities and 
capacity necessary to efficiently and effectively support the 
Navy fleet of today as well as the future.

            Red Hill Bulk Underground Fuel Storage Facility

    The committee is aware that the Navy and Defense Logistics 
Agency (DLA) have entered into an enforceable agreement with 
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Hawaii 
Department of Health known as an Administrative Order on 
Consent (AOC). The AOC has opportunities for stakeholder 
involvement at every milestone. The committee notes that the 
EPA and Hawaii Department of Health regulate the Red Hill 
Underground Fuel Storage Facility and must approve work on AOC 
milestones including tank inspection, repair, and maintenance; 
tank upgrade alternatives using Best Available Practicable 
Technology (BAPT); release detection and tank tightness 
testing; corrosion and metal fatigue practices; investigation 
and remediation of releases; groundwater protection and 
evaluation; and a risk and vulnerability assessment. The 
committee encourages the Navy and DLA to continue to work with 
Federal and State regulators to meet all compliance deadlines 
related to the AOC. Furthermore, the committee encourages the 
Navy and DLA to consider increasing community outreach efforts, 
to include holding more public events such as town halls, to 
keep the community and local stakeholders informed on 
milestones and compliance with the AOC.
    Furthermore, the committee continues to recognize the 
strategic value of the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage 
Facility and the support it provides to U.S. Pacific Command 
(PACOM) operations in peacetime and for contingencies. This 
facility is a national strategic asset that supports combatant 
commander theater security requirements, contingency 
operations, and routine movements in the Indo-Asia-Pacific 
region. Moving the fuel to another storage facility in the 
Indo-Asia-Pacific region would have implications for the U.S. 
military force structure in the region. If the facility were 
closed, the ability of the U.S. Armed Forces to support the 
National Defense Strategy would be significantly undermined. 
The committee appreciates the ongoing dialogue with the 
Department of Defense and Department of the Navy on this topic 
while they continue to comply with the requirements of the AOC. 
The committee will continue to provide congressional oversight 
on compliance with the AOC and the planning, programming, 
budgeting, and execution for the BAPT solutions and overall 
recapitalization plan for the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage 
Facility.

                         Tijuana Sewage Runoff

    The committee is aware that discharges of raw sewage into 
the Tijuana River have required Navy in-water military training 
in the vicinity of Coronado, California, to be temporarily 
shifted to another location due to health and safety concerns. 
In addition, sewage spills and debris such as discarded tires 
often clog the river channel causing substantial erosion along 
the perimeter of the Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial 
Beach (NOLFIB). The erosion has threatened the installation's 
perimeter fencing and resulted in the Navy developing a project 
to reinforce the riverbank and relocate portions of Navy 
fencing. The committee is aware that such discharges also cause 
secondary impacts to local Navy operations, such as beach 
closures at Naval Base Coronado in areas that are prime nesting 
grounds for the Western Snowy Plover and the California Least 
Tern. Increased regulatory actions by State and Federal 
environmental protection agencies may be levied if the quality 
and safety of these species' nesting areas are affected, which 
will negatively constrain military activities in these areas.
    The committee is concerned that future spills, discharges, 
and debris from the Tijuana River may have more significant 
impacts on the military installations and operations in the San 
Diego region. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of 
the Navy to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services and other committees of jurisdiction in the House, not 
later than December 1, 2018, detailing whether such spills, 
discharges, and debris have any impact on the national security 
interests of the United States; whether there is a need to 
avoid future spills to prevent impacts to training, 
installations, and operations; and what actions might be taken 
to resolve or mitigate these impacts. As necessary, the 
Secretary is encouraged to coordinate with the Department of 
State, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of 
Homeland Security (to include U.S. Customs and Border Patrol 
and the U.S. Coast Guard), the International Boundary and Water 
Commission, and the Department of the Interior on this briefing 
requirement.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


    Section 2201--Authorized Navy Construction and Land Acquisition 
                                Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Navy 
construction projects for fiscal year 2019. The authorized 
amounts are listed on an installation-by-installation basis. 
The State list contained in this Act is intended to be the 
binding list of the specific projects authorized at each 
location.

                      Section 2202--Family Housing

    This section would authorize new construction and planning 
and design of family housing units for the Department of the 
Navy for fiscal year 2019.

      Section 2203--Improvements to Military Family Housing Units

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to 
make improvements to existing units of family housing for 
fiscal year 2019.

          Section 2204--Authorization of Appropriations, Navy

    This section would authorize appropriations for Navy 
military construction at the levels identified in section 4601 
of division D of this Act.

              TITLE XXIII--AIR FORCE MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

                                SUMMARY

    The budget request contained $1,725,707,000 for Air Force 
military construction and $395,720,000 for family housing for 
fiscal year 2019. The committee recommends authorization of 
appropriations of $1,570,773,000 for military construction and 
$395,720,000 for family housing for the Air Force in fiscal 
year 2019.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                   Explanation of Funding Adjustments

    The committee recommends the inclusion of funding for 
several projects requested by the Department of the Air Force 
but not contained in the budget request for military 
construction and family housing. These increases include:
    (1) $26.0 million for a Dormitory (168 personnel) at Little 
Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas;
    (2) $26.0 million for a Composite Aircraft Antenna 
Calibration facility at Hill Air Force Base, Utah;
    (3) $15.0 million for an AGE Facility at Davis-Monthan Air 
Force Base, Arizona;
    (4) $14.2 million for Anti-Terrorism Perimeter Security/
Entry Control Point at Rome Laboratory, New York;
    (5) $14.0 million for Add-Alter Joint Personnel Recovery 
Agency Command and Control Mission Support Facility at 
Fairchild Air Force Base-White Bluff, Washington;
    (6) $13.0 million for a Child Development Center at Joint 
Base Andrews, Maryland;
    (7) $12.25 million for an Entrance Road and Gate Complex at 
Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana;
    (8) $9.0 million for a Main Gate at Patrick Air Force Base, 
Florida;
    (9) $8.0 million for a Military Working Dog Facility at 
Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; and
    (10) $7.0 million for Wyoming Gate Upgrade for Anti-
Terrorism Compliance at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
    The committee also recommends the inclusion of $50.0 
million for the Secretary of the Air Force, with prior 
notification to Congress, to carry out projects intended to 
enhance force protection and safety. The committee recommends 
the Secretary use this authority to alleviate deficiencies in 
access control points, air traffic control towers, fire 
stations, and anti-terrorism and force protection.
    Finally, the committee recommends reduction of funding for 
several projects contained in the budget request submitted by 
the Department of the Air Force for military construction and 
family housing. These reductions include:
    (1) $185.0 million for the MIT-Lincoln Laboratory (West Lab 
CSL/MIF) at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts. The 
committee supports the requirement for this project and 
provides the full project authorization of $225.0 million 
included in the budget request. However, the committee supports 
the authorization of appropriations in an amount equivalent to 
the ability of the Department to execute in the year of the 
authorization for appropriations. For this project, the 
committee believes that Department of the Air Force cannot 
fully expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the 
committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of $40.0 
million, a reduction of $185.0 million, for this project.
    (2) $55.1 million for the ADAL Intelligence Production 
Complex (NASIC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The 
budget request included $116.1 million to construct the first 
phase of the construction of additional workspace for 
intelligence analysis and production to support the National 
Air and Space Intelligence Center. The committee supports the 
requirement for this project and is aware that a $66.0 million 
second phase is planned in a future program but is needed to 
support the full mission requirement. The committee believes it 
is more appropriate to authorize the full scope of a military 
construction requirement and provide incremental funding as 
opposed to bifurcating a construction project into separate 
phases. Therefore, the committee recommends combining the two 
phases into a single project and provides a total authorization 
of $182.0 million for the ADAL Intelligence Production Complex 
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. However, the 
committee supports the authorization of appropriations in an 
amount equivalent to the ability of the Department to execute 
in the year of the authorization for appropriations. For this 
project, the committee believes that Department of the Air 
Force cannot fully expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. 
Therefore, the committee recommends an authorization of 
appropriation of $61.0 million, a reduction of $55.1 million, 
for this project.
    (3) $40.0 million for a Personnel Deployment Processing 
facility at Al Udeid, Qatar. The committee supports this 
requirement. However, the committee recommends no funds in the 
base budget, a reduction of $40.0 million, for this project in 
order to transfer this project to Title XXIX, Overseas 
Contingency Operations Military Construction.
    (4) $30.884 million for the Presidential Aircraft Recap 
Complex, Increment 2 at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. The 
committee supports the requirement for this project, but notes 
that an additional $24.884 million was provided in the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141), 
which was signed into law after the budget request for fiscal 
year 2019 was submitted. In addition, the committee notes an 
additional $6.0 million was included in the project for site 
preparation work that is no longer required. Therefore, the 
committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of 
$123.116 million, a reduction of $30.884 million, for this 
project.
    (5) $30.4 million for Flightline Support facilities at Al 
Udeid, Qatar. The committee supports this requirement. However, 
the committee recommends no funds in the base budget, a 
reduction of $30.4 million, for this project in order to 
transfer this project to Title XXIX, Overseas Contingency 
Operations Military Construction.
    (6) $8.0 million for Planning and Design. The committee 
recommends an authorization of appropriation of $187.577 
million, a reduction of $8.0 million, for planning and design 
activities.

   Infrastructure Investments in Support of Research and Development 
                               Contracts

    The committee notes that section 2353 of title 10, United 
States Code, provides the secretary of a military department 
the authority to provide for the acquisition or construction of 
facilities and equipment by either the Government or the 
contractor that the secretary concerned determines to be 
necessary for the performance of a contract for research, 
development, or both. However, the committee notes that the Air 
Force Instruction (AFI) approval process currently used to 
approve projects seeking to use this authority may not be 
appropriate for the circumstances at certain research 
facilities. Specifically, the committee notes that the current 
AFI-32 series is used for traditional military construction 
projects, and does not adequately address construction funded 
through contracts for research, development, or both. 
Therefore, the addition of language to AFIs pertinent to 
acquisition and construction of facilities and equipment 
authorized by section 2353 of title 10, United States Code, may 
be more appropriate and necessary for the implementation of 
this authority. The committee believes the Secretary of the Air 
Force should closely examine this issue and issue a revised 
AFI, as appropriate, that better supports the use of section 
2353 of title 10, United States Code.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Air 
Force to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed 
Services not later than September 30, 2018, on the results of a 
review of the authorities that support the acquisition or 
construction of facilities and equipment for research and 
development contracts, the supporting AFIs to carry out such 
projects, and any plans to update the AFI to better utilize the 
existing authorities.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


 Section 2301--Authorized Air Force Construction and Land Acquisition 
                                Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Air Force 
construction projects for fiscal year 2019. The authorized 
amounts are listed on an installation-by-installation basis. 
The State list contained in this Act is intended to be the 
binding list of the specific projects authorized at each 
location.

                      Section 2302--Family Housing

    This section would authorize new construction and planning 
and design of family housing units for the Air Force for fiscal 
year 2019.

      Section 2303--Improvements to Military Family Housing Units

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Air Force 
to make improvements to existing units of family housing for 
fiscal year 2019.

        Section 2304--Authorization of Appropriations, Air Force

    This section would authorize appropriations for Air Force 
military construction at the levels identified in section 4601 
of division D of this Act.

  Section 2305--Modification of Authority To Carry Out Certain Phased 
        Project Authorized in Fiscal Years 2015, 2016, and 2017

    This section would modify the authority provided by section 
2301(b) of the Military Construction Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2015 (division B of Public Law 113-291), the 
authority provided by section 2301(b) of the Military 
Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (division B 
of Public Law 114-92), and the authority provided by section 
2301(b) of the Military Construction Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2017 (division B of Public Law 114-328) to 
authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to modify the location 
of three previously authorized construction phases of the 
project.

  Section 2306--Modification of Authority To Carry Out Certain Fiscal 
                           Year 2017 Project

    This section would modify the authority provided by section 
2301 of the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2017 (division B of Public Law 114-328) and authorize the 
Secretary of the Air Force to make certain modifications to the 
scope and authorized cost of a previously authorized 
construction project.

  Section 2307--Modification of Authority To Carry Out Certain Fiscal 
                           Year 2018 Project

    This section would modify the authority provided by section 
2301 of the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2018 (division B of Public Law 115-91) and authorize the 
Secretary of the Air Force to make certain modifications to the 
scope of a previously authorized construction project.

  Section 2308--Additional Authority To Carry Out Certain Fiscal Year 
                             2019 Projects

    This section would provide the Secretary of the Air Force 
additional authority to carry out certain fiscal year 2019 
projects pursuant to the Defense Laboratory Modernization Pilot 
Program established by section 2803 of the Military 
Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (division B 
of Public Law 114-92).

 Section 2309--Additional Authority To Carry Out Project at Travis Air 
              Force Base, California, in Fiscal Year 2019

    This section would provide specific authorization for a 
construction project at Travis Air Force Base.

           TITLE XXIV--DEFENSE AGENCIES MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

                                SUMMARY

    The budget request contained $2,693,324,000 for defense 
agency military construction and $58,373,000 for family housing 
for fiscal year 2019. The committee recommends authorization of 
appropriations of $2,473,338,000 for military construction and 
$58,373,000 for family housing for defense agencies for fiscal 
year 2019.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                   Explanation of Funding Adjustments

    The committee notes the budget request submitted by the 
Department of Defense for military construction and family 
housing included $150.0 million for the Energy Resilience and 
Conservation Investment Program. The committee supports this 
program and encourages the Department of Defense to continue to 
emphasize projects that will support increased resiliency of 
military installations and mission critical functions. 
Therefore, the committee recommends an authorization of 
appropriation of $165.0 million, an increase of $15.0 million, 
for this program.
    In addition, the committee recommends reduction of funding 
for several projects contained in the budget request submitted 
by the Department of Defense for military construction and 
family housing. These reductions include:
    (1) $130.386 million for Kinnick High School at Yokosuka, 
Japan. The committee supports the requirement for this project 
and provides the full project authorization of $170.386 million 
included in the budget request. However, the committee supports 
the authorization of appropriations in an amount equivalent to 
the ability of the Department to execute in the year of the 
authorization for appropriations. For this project, the 
committee believes that Department of Defense cannot fully 
expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the 
committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of $40.0 
million, a reduction of $130.386 million, for this project.
    (2) $44.0 million for Long Range Discrimination Radar 
System Complex, Phase 2 at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska. The 
committee supports the requirement for this project and 
provides the full project authorization of $174.0 million 
included in the budget request. However, the committee supports 
the authorization of appropriations in an amount equivalent to 
the ability of the Department to execute in the year of the 
authorization for appropriations. For this project, the 
committee believes that Department of the Defense cannot fully 
expend the funding in fiscal year 2019. Therefore, the 
committee recommends an authorization of appropriation of 
$130.0 million, a reduction of $44.0 million, for this project.
    (3) $32.6 million for Next NGA West (N2W) Complex, Phase 1, 
Increment 2 in St. Louis, Missouri. The committee supports the 
requirement for this project, but notes that an additional 
$25.0 million was provided in the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141), which was signed into law after 
the budget request for fiscal year 2019 was submitted. In 
addition, the committee notes that the Office of Management and 
Budget has directed the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 
not to award the project until receiving the full appropriation 
for both increments, resulting in a cost increase of $7.6 
million due to the delay in award. As noted elsewhere in this 
report, the committee believes such a policy is not in the best 
interest of the Department of Defense or the taxpayer. 
Therefore, the committee recommends an authorization of 
appropriation of $181.0 million, a reduction of $32.6 million, 
for this project.
    (4) $10.0 million for an Ambulatory Care Center Addition/
Alteration at RAF Croughton, United Kingdom. The committee 
notes this facility may be early-to-need based on an ongoing 
analysis of alternatives related to a separate military 
construction requirement. Therefore, the committee recommends 
no funds, a reduction of $10.0 million, for this project.
    (5) $10.0 million for Contingency Construction at 
Unspecified Worldwide Locations. The budget request included 
$10.0 million to support contingency construction requirements 
not previously authorized by law. While the committee notes 
this authority was used for a project in fiscal year 2018, 
unobligated balances remain available in the military 
construction account and other authorities exist to construct 
projects that are in keeping with a national security interest. 
As such, the committee recommends no funds, a reduction of 
$10.0 million, for this program.
    (6) $8.0 million for Missile Field #1 Expansion at Fort 
Greely, Alaska. The committee notes that the Continuing 
Appropriations Act, 2018 and Supplemental Appropriations for 
Disaster Relief Requirements Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-56) 
provided $200.0 million for the construction of an additional 
20 silos at Missile Field #4. The committee questions why the 
requirement for the additional expansion of Missile Field #1 
was not included in the previous request. In addition, the 
committee notes that this project could be carried out as a 
minor military construction project and does not require 
specific authorization. Therefore, the committee recommends no 
funds, a reduction of $8.0 million, for this project.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


    Section 2401--Authorized Defense Agencies Construction and Land 
                          Acquisition Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized defense 
agencies' construction projects for fiscal year 2019. The 
authorized amounts are listed on an installation-by-
installation basis. The state list contained in this Act is 
intended to be the binding list of the specific projects 
authorized at each location.

         Section 2402--Authorized Energy Conservation Projects

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
carry out energy resilience and conservation projects.

    Section 2403--Authorization of Appropriations, Defense Agencies

    This section would authorize appropriations for defense 
agencies' military construction at the levels identified in 
section 4601 of division D of this Act.

 Section 2404--Extension of Authorizations of Certain Fiscal Year 2015 
                                Projects

    This section would extend the authorization of certain 
projects originally authorized by section 2401 of the Military 
Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (division B 
of Public Law 113-291) until October 1, 2019, or the date of 
the enactment of an Act authorizing funds for military 
construction for fiscal year 2020, whichever is later.

                   TITLE XXV--INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

                                SUMMARY

    The budget request contained $171,064,000 for the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program (NSIP) 
for fiscal year 2019. The committee recommends authorization of 
appropriations of $171,064,000 for NSIP for fiscal year 2019.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


  Facilities and Infrastructure for U.S. Military Personnel at North 
             Atlantic Treaty Organization Host Nation Bases

    The committee appreciates its ongoing and cooperative 
dialogue with the Department of Defense regarding efforts to 
improve infrastructure and facilities for U.S. military 
personnel stationed at North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
(NATO) host nation bases. As NATO continues to strengthen and 
update its posture in response to increasing threats, the 
committee believes that the United States, NATO, and individual 
host nations must recapitalize facilities and infrastructure 
that support the NATO mission.
    Based on site visits and direct oversight, the committee is 
pleased that the Kingdom of Belgium has taken several 
unilateral steps and applied its own funding to improve the 
security posture at several bases hosting U.S. personnel. 
However, the committee is disappointed that longstanding plans 
to recapitalize certain facilities at Belgian bases have not 
yet been executed. The committee understands that, over a 
decade ago, NATO allocated common funding to construct several 
new, modern facilities in Belgium to replace inadequate, 
decades-old buildings. But, due to bureaucratic delays outside 
of the control of NATO and the U.S. Government, the new 
facilities have not yet been built and U.S. personnel continue 
to work and operate in antiquated, substandard, and potentially 
unsafe facilities. The committee is aware of recent discussions 
between senior officials from the U.S. and Belgium on this 
issue, and is pleased that officials from both nations are 
working together to execute recapitalization plans. The 
committee encourages Belgium, NATO, and the U.S. Government to 
find and execute a near-term solution to this serious problem.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


  Subtitle A--North Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment 
                                Program


    Section 2501--Authorized NATO Construction and Land Acquisition 
                                Projects

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
make contributions to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization 
Security Investment Program in an amount not to exceed the sum 
of the amount specifically authorized in section 2502 of this 
Act and the amount collected from the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization as a result of construction previously financed by 
the United States.

          Section 2502--Authorization of Appropriations, NATO

    This section would authorize appropriations for the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization Security Investment Program at the 
levels identified in section 4601 of division D of this Act.

             Subtitle B--Host Country In-Kind Contributions


      Section 2511--Republic of Korea Funded Construction Projects

    This section would authorize the Secretary of Defense to 
accept 16 military construction projects totaling $518.6 
million pursuant to agreement with the Republic of Korea for 
required in-kind contributions.

            TITLE XXVI--GUARD AND RESERVE FORCES FACILITIES

                                SUMMARY

    The budget request contained $467,395,000 for military 
construction of National Guard and Reserve facilities for 
fiscal year 2019. The committee recommends authorization of 
appropriations of $648,195,000 for military construction for 
fiscal year 2019.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                   Explanation of Funding Adjustments

    The committee recommends the inclusion of funding for 
several projects requested by the Department of the Army and 
Department of the Air Force for their reserve components but 
not contained in the budget request for military construction 
and family housing. These increases include:
    (1) $42.6 million for a Regional ISO Maintenance Hangar at 
Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts;
    (2) $24.0 million for a NORTHCOM--Construct Alter 
Facilities at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, 
Louisiana;
    (3) $24.0 million for an HC-130J Maintenance Hangar at 
Patrick Air Force Base, Florida;
    (4) $23.0 million for an ECS Modified TEMF at Yakima 
Training Center, Washington;
    (5) $13.0 million for Replace Fire Station at Mansfield 
Lahm Airport, Ohio;
    (6) $11.0 million for an Aircraft Vehicle Storage Building 
at Lexington, Oklahoma;
    (7) $9.4 million for an Aerial Port Facility at Grissom Air 
Reserve Base, Indiana;
    (8) $9.0 million for Construct Aircraft Apron at Great 
Falls International Airport, Montana;
    (9) $8.8 million for Relocate Main Gate at Youngstown Air 
Reserve Station, Ohio;
    (10) $8.0 million for Construct Small Arms Range at 
Rickenbacker International Airport, Ohio; and
    (11) $8.0 million for Construct Small Arms Range at Duluth 
International Airport, Minnesota.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


 Subtitle A--Project Authorizations and Authorization of Appropriations


  Section 2601--Authorized Army National Guard Construction and Land 
                          Acquisition Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Army 
National Guard construction projects for fiscal year 2019. The 
authorized amounts are listed on an installation-by-
installation basis. The State list contained in this Act is 
intended to be the binding list of the specific projects 
authorized at each location.

Section 2602--Authorized Army Reserve Construction and Land Acquisition 
                                Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Army 
Reserve construction projects for fiscal year 2019. The 
authorized amounts are listed on an installation-by-
installation basis. The State list contained in this Act is 
intended to be the binding list of the specific projects 
authorized at each location.

    Section 2603--Authorized Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve 
               Construction and Land Acquisition Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Navy 
Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve construction projects for 
fiscal year 2019. The authorized amounts are listed on an 
installation-by-installation basis. The State list contained in 
this Act is intended to be the binding list of the specific 
projects authorized at each location.

   Section 2604--Authorized Air National Guard Construction and Land 
                          Acquisition Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Air 
National Guard construction projects for fiscal year 2019. The 
authorized amounts are listed on an installation-by-
installation basis. The State list contained in this Act is 
intended to be the binding list of the specific projects 
authorized at each location.

   Section 2605--Authorized Air Force Reserve Construction and Land 
                          Acquisition Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Air Force 
Reserve construction projects for fiscal year 2019. The 
authorized amounts are listed on an installation-by-
installation basis. The State list contained in this Act is 
intended to be the binding list of the specific projects 
authorized at each location.

   Section 2606--Authorization of Appropriations, National Guard and 
                                Reserve

    This section would authorize appropriations for the 
National Guard and Reserve military construction at the levels 
identified in section 4601 of division D of this Act.

                       Subtitle B--Other Matters


  Section 2611--Modification of Authority To Carry Out Certain Fiscal 
                           Year 2016 Project

    This section would modify the authority provided by section 
2603 of the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2016 (division B of Public Law 114-92) to authorize the 
Secretary of the Navy to modify the location of a previously 
authorized construction project.

  Section 2612--Modification of Authority To Carry Out Certain Fiscal 
                           Year 2018 Project

    This section would modify the authority provided by section 
2601 of the Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2018 (division B of Public Law 115-91) to authorize the 
Secretary of the Army to make certain modifications to the 
scope of a previously authorized construction project.

  Section 2613--Additional Authority To Carry Out Certain Fiscal Year 
                              2019 Project

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to 
carry out a military construction project and acquire land at 
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for the construction of a reserve 
training center. The Secretary may use available, unobligated 
Navy military construction reserve funds for the project.

          TITLE XXVII--BASE REALIGNMENT AND CLOSURE ACTIVITIES

                                SUMMARY

    The budget request contained $267,538,000 for activities 
related to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) activities. The 
committee recommends authorization of appropriations of 
$322,868,000 for BRAC activities.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                   Explanation of Funding Adjustments

    The committee notes the budget request submitted by the 
Department of Defense for activities related to Base 
Realignment and Closure (BRAC) included $322.868 million for 
the activities related to recommendations from the previous 
BRAC rounds. The committee notes that additional resources may 
allow for the acceleration of certain activities. Therefore, 
the committee recommends additional authorization of 
appropriations of $18.11 million for Base Realignment and 
Closure--Army, $19.11 million for Base Realignment and 
Closure--Navy, and $18.11 million for Base Realignment and 
Closure--Air Force.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


Section 2701--Authorization of Appropriations for Base Realignment and 
 Closure Activities Funded through Department of Defense Base Closure 
                                Account

    This section would authorize appropriations for ongoing 
activities that are required to implement the base realignment 
and closure activities authorized by the Defense Base Closure 
and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 
101-510), at the levels identified in section 4601 of division 
D of this Act.

Section 2702--Additional Authority To Realign or Close Certain Military 
                             Installations

    This section would provide the Secretary of Defense with 
authority to close or realign a military installation if the 
Secretary receives notification from the Governor of a State or 
territory that recommends the realignment or closure of a 
military installation within the Governor's State or territory.

Section 2703--Prohibition on Conducting Additional Base Realignment and 
                          Closure (BRAC) Round

    This section would affirm that nothing in this Act shall be 
construed to authorize an additional Base Realignment and 
Closure round.

         TITLE XXVIII--MILITARY CONSTRUCTION GENERAL PROVISIONS

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


            Allied Pilot Training on Advanced Pilot Trainer

    The committee understands that as the U.S. Air Force 
evaluates proposals for the Advanced Pilot Trainer (T-X) to 
make a final award in 2018, it will also be conducting an 
analysis of each undergraduate pilot training base to determine 
when the T-X will replace the T-38C Talon currently in service 
at those bases. Undergraduate pilot training lays the 
foundation for all pilots that will fly advanced fighter 
aircraft, including pilots from allies and partners who will 
fly American fighter aircraft variants. It is critical that 
pilots from allies and partners also receive opportunities to 
adequately prepare to fly these aircraft. Therefore, the 
committee recommends that the Secretary of the Air Force, when 
evaluating locations for basing the T-X, consider the 
importance of locations that also provide training to allies 
and partners.

         Comptroller General Review of Utilities Privatization

    The committee continues to support the utility 
privatization program and other alternative financing 
arrangements to achieve greater efficiencies, improve 
reliability and resiliency of utility systems, and reduce 
operating costs to the Department of Defense. While the 
Department has leveraged this authority for approximately 20 
years, the committee notes with concern the amount of time it 
can take to complete a utility privatization project, from 
initial feasibility review by the military department to award 
of a contract to a utility provider. The committee is aware of 
instances where the process took more than 5 years from 
analysis to award. After two decades of experience with 
utilities privatization, the committee is concerned that 
procedures have not improved. The Department's protracted 
process for awarding privatization contracts deters potential 
utility providers from considering such a contract.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Comptroller General of 
the United States to review the Department's utility 
privatization program and submit a report to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives 
not later than September 30, 2019, on his findings and 
recommendations. Specifically, the report shall address the 
following for each military service:
    (1) the specific steps of the utility privatization 
process, the average amount of time to complete each step, and 
the contributing factors for the time each step takes;
    (2) the extent to which best practices have been identified 
and are shared between the services and the Defense Logistics 
Agency, and other stakeholders to improve the process; and
    (3) any recommendations to help improve the process as 
determined to be appropriate by the Comptroller General.

                Core Sampling at Joint Base San Antonio

    The Committee notes that Joint Base San Antonio is served 
by a wastewater pipeline, known as W-6 that is subject to a 
Consent Decree with the Environmental Protection Agency 
requiring its replacement. The local utility providing 
wastewater service is the San Antonio Water System, an agency 
of the City of San Antonio, Texas. This pipeline is critical to 
the functional wastewater system of Joint Base San Antonio, the 
City of San Antonio, and Bexar County. The Committee believes 
that the timely replacement of the pipeline is in the best 
interests of both Joint Base San Antonio and the community. The 
proposed route of the replacement pipeline would traverse a 
part of the base that contains capped and closed landfills with 
uncertain contents. The committee understands that the Air 
Force and the City are currently at an impasse on the liability 
for any contamination discovered during site investigations of 
the proposed pipeline route and during construction and 
subsequent maintenance and operation of a new pipeline. Given 
the hazards posed by the condition of the existing pipeline to 
the population on Joint Base San Antonio, and the legal 
requirements for replacing the pipeline under the Consent 
Decree, the Committee encourages the Secretary of the Air Force 
to work with the City of San Antonio toward an amicable and 
rapid resolution.
    To establish an estimate of liability that will allow 
informed decisions, the Committee encourages the Secretary of 
the Air Force to conduct core sampling along the proposed route 
of the new pipe to determine if any regulated or hazardous 
substances are present in the soil along the proposed route and 
the concentrations of any such substances. Furthermore, the 
committee directs the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a 
briefing to the House Armed Services Committee, not later than 
September 30, 2018, on the whether or not the Air Force 
performed such core sampling and the results of the core 
sampling performed. If the Air Force did not perform such core 
sampling, the briefing shall include a detailed explanation for 
the reasons such sampling was not performed. At the time of the 
briefing, the Secretary should also provide an update on the 
status of negotiations with the San Antonio Water System and 
proposed way-ahead for the site investigations and construction 
of the W-6 replacement pipeline.

              Department of Defense Lands Leases in Hawaii

    The Department of Defense has multiple land leases in 
Hawaii that require renegotiation and renewal within the next 
15 years, including the Pohakuloa Training Area, Kahuku 
Training Area, Makua Military Reservation, and Poamoho Training 
Area. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of Defense 
to report to the House Committee on Armed Services on efforts 
to renew Department of Defense leases in Hawaii by July 31, 
2018.

         Incremental Funding of Military Construction Projects

    As noted elsewhere in this report, the committee continues 
to believe in the value and appropriateness of incrementally 
authorizing appropriations for certain military construction 
projects. The committee notes that the Office of Management and 
Budget has directed the Department of Defense to not plan, 
program, or request incremental funded projects. However, the 
committee believes that allowing the Department to seek 
incremental funding for certain projects ensures more stability 
and predictability in the planning process, reduces acquisition 
costs, and enables the Department to execute more work in place 
on other infrastructure requirements in the fiscal year. 
Furthermore, the committee believes that incremental funding of 
large and complex military construction projects ensures 
continuous oversight and opportunities to adjust the 
authorization of appropriation level for projects should issues 
arise or requirements change over the course of construction. 
To date, the committee is not aware of any example where a 
military construction project has been left with inadequate 
funding or has not been executable as a result of an 
incremental funding approach. The committee expects the 
Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget to work with the House Committee on Armed 
Services, and the other appropriate congressional oversight 
committees, to develop a framework that enables the planning, 
programming, budgeting, and execution of incrementally funded 
military construction projects.

                        Naval Academy Dairy Farm

    The committee is aware the Secretary of the Navy is 
currently prohibited by section 6976 of title 10, United States 
Code from disposing of 875 acres of real property containing 
the Naval Academy dairy farm located in Gambrills, Maryland. 
The committee notes that this prohibition has been in place for 
more than twenty years and believes that it should be 
reexamined. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of 
the Navy to provide a report to the House Armed Services 
Committee, not later than September 30, 2018, regarding the 
real property containing the Naval Academy dairy farm. At 
minimum, the report shall address the current use and 
activities taking place on the property, an assessment of the 
continued need for the property to be retained by the Navy, and 
an evaluation of potential future uses for the property, 
including conveyance to a local county or municipality. In 
addition, the report should address how the Navy would continue 
supporting the functions and activities that benefit from the 
proceeds of current leases of the real property.

                    Operational Energy Technologies

    The committee is aware of a variety of technologies that 
may improve operational flexibility, enhance logistics, and 
reduce supply lines for forces operating in deployed 
environments, to include the ability to convert natural gas to 
tactical fuels, improve power generation, distribution, and 
storage in deployed environments, and increase the range and 
capability of tactical vehicles. The committee is supportive of 
these efforts and encourages the Department of Defense to 
transition such natural gas to tactical fuel technologies from 
the research and development stage in support of operational 
requirements. Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of 
Defense to provide a briefing to the House Armed Services 
Committee, not later than March 1, 2019, that outlines steps 
the Department is taking, to include resourcing and timelines 
for maturation of operational energy technologies, to 
transition such technologies to full scale demonstrations and 
commercial production.

                    Privatization of On-Base Lodging

    The committee supports the ongoing efforts of the Secretary 
of Defense to make Department of Defense business operations 
more efficient. As the Secretary of Defense noted in his 
February 2017 Memorandum, this efficiency will free up 
resources to enable ``a larger, more capable and more lethal 
Joint force.'' One of the ways to accomplish this is to find 
savings in areas that may no longer merit individual military 
department approaches, particularly in non-core functions. To 
that end, the committee notes that the Army has privatized its 
on-base lodging operations and understands this effort has 
resulted in upgraded on-base lodging facilities, an improved 
experience for the military traveler, annual savings for the 
Army, and a self-sustaining lodging program. The committee is 
aware that the Department is considering options to consolidate 
and privatize Navy and Air Force on-base lodging.
    Therefore, the committee directs the Secretary of the Navy 
and the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a briefing to the 
House Committee on Armed Services, not later than March 1, 
2019, on how the Navy and Air Force will ensure holistic 
sustainability and affordability of their lodging programs. At 
a minimum, the briefing shall include details on capital 
investment needs to correct facility configuration and capacity 
deficiencies, provision of adequate long-term sustainment of 
facilities, and the implementation of best practices that will 
maximize reductions in government manpower and operational 
costs for Navy and Air Force on-base lodging programs.

Relocation of Defense Non-Tactical Generator and Rail Equipment Center, 
                       Hill Air Force Base, Utah

    The committee is aware of the Department of the Army's 
decision to relocate the Defense Non-Tactical Generator and 
Rail Equipment Center (DGRC) from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to 
Anniston Army Depot, Alabama. The committee is also aware the 
Utah Department of Transportation plans to construct a new 
interchange at the current site of the DGRC and State funding 
is programmed in 2022. The committee understands that the Army, 
Air Force, and State of Utah must undertake a number of actions 
before the DGRC parcel may be transferred and encourages the 
Secretary of the Air Force to begin discussions as soon as 
practicable with the Utah Department of Transportation to 
ensure the orderly transfer of the property by 2022.
    Furthermore, the committee directs the Secretary of the 
Army, in coordination with the Secretary of the Air Force, to 
submit a report to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives not later than January 
31, 2019, on the detailed plan for executing the relocation of 
the DGRC and all actions necessary to ultimately transfer 
property to the Utah Department of Transportation. The report 
shall provide a detailed plan and timeline to relocate this 
mission to Anniston Army Depot and all necessary construction 
or renovation of facilities at Anniston Army Depot. The report 
should also include all actions necessary to enable transfer of 
Air Force property on Hill Air Force Base to the Utah 
Department of Transportation, to include the demolition of 
facilities, the construction or renovation of facilities, 
environmental remediation required, funding programmed to 
facilitate the transfer of the property to the Utah Department 
of Transportation, and any constraints to the execution of the 
transfer of the property by 2022.

                    Wireless Communications on Base

    The committee recognizes that some military installations 
are located in rural areas with limited wireless communications 
coverage. There are also installations that cover such a large 
amount of land that communications infrastructure outside the 
fence line is unable to provide consistent or optimal service 
to portions of the installation. The committee believes that 
wireless communications coverage on military installations not 
only provide valuable support for the quality of life for 
service members and their families, but also can support 
military requirements related to force protection, logistics, 
training, or operations. The committee is aware that the Navy 
is considering using real estate agreements, such as easements 
and enhanced use leases, to allow commercial industry to 
develop communications infrastructure on its installations to 
improve service and connectivity. The committee is aware that 
the Army and Air Force have also expressed a desire to improve 
wireless communications capabilities on military installations 
but may not be taking the same approach as the Navy. Therefore, 
the committee directs the service secretaries to provide a 
briefing to the House Armed Services Committee, not later than 
September 30, 2018, on each of the military departments' 
requirements, plans, and timelines for improving communications 
coverage and capabilities on its installations.

                             Yucca Mountain

    Pursuant to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the Department of 
Energy (DOE) plans to permanently dispose of high-level nuclear 
waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, located on DOE's Nevada 
National Security Site (NNSS), which would require 
transportation of nuclear waste to the repository. The 
committee has been briefed on DOE's proposed route to transport 
the waste to Yucca Mountain, and understands the route is 
located near DOE activities at NNSS and Department of Defense 
(DOD) activities at the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR). 
In 2017, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson stated that, 
``if Yucca Mountain becomes a storage area it needs to operate 
without impacting the ability of the country to defend 
itself,'' and, ``there is no route across the range that would 
not impact testing and training.'' Documents provided to the 
committee by the Air Force indicate that although the proposed 
route is located outside of the boundaries of NTTR, several 
sections of the route would border the range, and this siting 
of the rail line was confirmed in a DOE Record of Decision and 
Environmental Impact Statement.
    The NTTR provides the largest air and ground military 
training space in the contiguous United States, free from 
commercial aircraft interference, and stores 75 percent of 
stateside Air Force live munitions. The NNSS provides DOE and 
other government agencies unique, high-hazard testing 
environments. Both facilities are national assets.
    The committee directs the Secretary of Defense, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Energy, to submit a report 
to the congressional defense committees, not later than January 
15, 2019, describing any impacts that the Yucca Mountain 
Project would have on DOD and DOE activities at NNSS, NTTR, and 
any other defense facilities in proximity to Yucca Mountain or 
the proposed transportation route.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


 Subtitle A--Military Construction Program and Military Family Housing


   Section 2801--Commercial Construction Standards for Facilities on 
                            Leased Property

    This section would amend section 2667 of title 10, United 
States Code, to allow the use of commercial construction 
standards when a private developer is constructing facilities 
on military land for commercial use under an enhanced use lease 
agreement.

    Section 2802--Extension of Temporary, Limited Authority To Use 
 Operation and Maintenance Funds for Construction Projects Outside the 
                             United States

    This section would provide continued authority for the 
Secretary of Defense to use funds appropriated for operation 
and maintenance for military construction to meet temporary 
operational requirements during a time of declared war, 
national emergency, or contingency operation through the end of 
fiscal year 2019.

Section 2803--Small Business Set-Aside for Contracts for Architectural 
            and Engineering Services and Construction Design

    This section would amend section 2855 of title 10, United 
States Code, to increase the threshold for small business set-
asides for architectural and engineering services and 
construction design contracts from $300,000 to $1.0 million.

    Section 2804--Authority To Obtain Architectural and Engineering 
 Services and Construction Design for Defense Laboratory Modernization 
                                Program

    This section would amend section 2803 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-
92) to clarify that the Secretary of the military department 
concerned may use amounts available for research, development, 
testing, and evaluation funding to obtain architectural and 
engineering services to carry out a construction project under 
this authority. This section would also extend the period of 
the Defense Laboratory Modernization Pilot Program until 
October 1, 2023.

       Section 2805--Repeal of Limitation on Certain Guam Project

    This section would amend section 2879 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91) by repealing the requirement that the Secretary of the Navy 
award five military construction projects prior to awarding the 
``Replace Andersen Housing Phase II'' project.

    Section 2806--Enhancing Force Protection and Safety on Military 
                             Installations

    This section would authorize the Secretaries of the 
military departments to carry out military construction 
projects to enhance force protection and safety on military 
installations. This section would require a notification to the 
congressional defense committees prior to obligating or 
expending funds to carry out a project under this authority.

 Section 2807--Limitation on Use of Funds for Acquisition of Furnished 
                Energy for New Medical Center in Germany

    This section would prohibit the Secretary of Defense or 
Secretary of any military department from using funds to enter 
into a contract for the acquisition of energy for the proposed 
Rhine Ordnance Barracks Army Medical Center until the Secretary 
of Defense submits certain certifications regarding the source 
of energy supply and the design of the medical center.

 Section 2808--Treatment of Leases of Non-Excess Property Entered Into 
                  With Insured Depository Institutions

    This section would amend section 2667 of title 10, United 
States Code, to direct the Secretary concerned to accept 
financial services provided by an insured depository 
institution to service members and employees of the Department 
of Defense as sufficient in-kind consideration to cover all 
lease, services, and utilities costs assessed with regard to 
the leased property.

        Subtitle B--Real Property and Facilities Administration


 Section 2811--Optional Participation in Collection of Information on 
Unutilized and Underutilized Military Installation Properties Available 
                        for Homeless Assistance

    This provision would amend section 11411 of title 42, 
United States Code, to provide the Department of Defense 
discretion on the reporting of surplus facilities for possible 
assistance for the homeless. Since most facilities owned by the 
Department require credentialed access, few if any facilities 
have been transferred for adaptive reuse by homeless 
organizations.

  Section 2812--Force Structure Plans and Infrastructure Capabilities 
                Necessary To Support the Force Structure

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
submit a force structure plan for each military service not 
later than February 3, 2021, accompanied by a categorical model 
of installation capabilities required to support force 
structure and an assessment of the adequacy of the Department 
of Defense's existing infrastructure inventory to support force 
structure plans.

Section 2813--Retrofitting Existing Windows in Military Family Housing 
           Units To Be Equipped With Fall Prevention Devices

    This section would amend section 2879 of title 10, United 
States Code, to authorize the Secretaries of the military 
departments to create a grant program from which privatized 
housing entities and military installations may request funds 
to retrofit or install window fall prevention devices in 
privatized and military-owned housing.

  Section 2814--Updating Prohibition on Use of Certain Assessment of 
  Public Schools on Department of Defense Installations to Supersede 
                      Funding of Certain Projects

    This section would freeze a portion of the Public Schools 
on Military Installations List required in the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328) to 
ensure that the original top 38 schools do not lose priority 
due to any reassessment.

                      Subtitle C--Land Conveyances


  Section 2821--Authority for Transfer of Administrative Jurisdiction 
 Over Certain Lands, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine 
     Palms, California, and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona

    This section would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to 
transfer acquired State and privately owned lands to the 
Secretary of the Interior for inclusion as public lands 
withdrawn and reserved by section 2941 of the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113-66). 
This section would also allow the Secretary of the Interior to 
transfer certain parcels of land at Marine Corps Air Station 
Yuma to the Secretary of the Navy.

  Section 2822--Public Inventory of Guam Land Parcels for Transfer to 
                           Government of Guam

    This section would require the Secretary of the Navy to 
establish, maintain, and regularly update an inventory of real 
property located on Guam owned by the U.S. Government and 
administered by the Department of the Navy which the Secretary 
of the Navy expects to transfer to the Government of Guam. Such 
inventory shall be available online and accessible to the 
public and include specific information about each parcel of 
land included in the inventory. This section would also 
establish a formal process for the Governor of Guam to petition 
the Secretary of the Navy to add parcels to the inventory.

  Section 2823--Land Conveyance, Naval Academy Dairy Farm, Gambrills, 
                                Maryland

    This section would authorize conveyance of 40 acres of land 
from the United States Naval Academy Dairy Farm to Anne Arundel 
County, Maryland, contingent on certain conditions and 
considerations.

 Section 2824--Technical Correction of Description of Limestone Hills 
         Training Area Land Withdrawal and Reservation, Montana

    This section would amend section 2931 of the Military 
Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (division B 
of Public Law 113-66) to adjust the acreage of withdrawn public 
land in Broadwater County, Montana.

  Section 2825--Land Conveyance, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Rich 
                              County, Utah

    This section would direct the Secretary of Agriculture to 
transfer ownership of 80 acres of public land to the Utah State 
University Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

                 Subtitle D--Military Land Withdrawals


Section 2831--Indefinite Duration of Certain Military Land Withdrawals 
  and Reservations and Improved Management of Withdrawn and Reserved 
                                 Lands

    This section would amend statutory authority for several 
military land withdrawals to extend the withdrawals 
indefinitely. This section would also amend section 670a of 
title 16, United States Code, to require the Secretary of the 
Interior and the concerned Secretary of a military department 
to continuously review such withdrawals and would establish a 
public comment process regarding the resource management plans 
and military use of such lands.

         Section 2832--Designation of Potential Wilderness Area

    This section would allow the Secretary of the Interior to 
permit a microwave communications site on one acre of land 
within a federally protected wilderness area.

                       Subtitle E--Other Matters


         Section 2841--Defense Community Infrastructure Program

    This section would amend section 2391 of title 10, United 
States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Defense to make 
grants, conclude cooperative agreements, and supplement funds 
available under other Federal programs to assist States and 
local governments in addressing deficiencies in community 
infrastructure projects or facilities which are located outside 
of military installations but which support military 
installations.

 Section 2842--Restrictions on Use of Funds for Development of Public 
       Infrastructure in Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands

    This section would require the Secretary of Defense to 
convene an Economic Adjustment Committee meeting and describe 
assistance necessary to support changes in Department of 
Defense activities in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
Islands in a report to the congressional defense committees. 
This section would also prohibit the Department of Defense from 
carrying out any grant, transfer, cooperative agreement, or 
supplemental funding that will result in the development of 
public infrastructure unless such project is included in the 
Economic Adjustment Committee report and specifically 
authorized by law.

 Section 2843--Study and Report on Coleman Bridge, York River, Virginia

    This section would require the Commander, U.S. 
Transportation Command, to review the feasibility of including 
the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge near Naval Weapons 
Station, Yorktown, Virginia, in the Strategic Highways Network 
and to report his findings to the congressional defense 
committees not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.

  Section 2844--Certifications Required Prior to Transfer of Certain 
                        Veterans Memorial Object

    This section would amend section 2864 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-
91); it would provide language clarifying the certification 
requirement and require a report prior to the return of certain 
veterans memorial objects.

   TITLE XXIX--OVERSEAS CONTINGENCY OPERATIONS MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

                                SUMMARY

    The budget request contained $921,420,000 for Overseas 
Contingency Operations military construction for fiscal year 
2019. The committee recommends authorization of appropriations 
of $921,420,000 for Overseas Contingency Operations military 
construction for fiscal year 2019.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                   Explanation of Funding Adjustments

    The committee recommends reduction of funding for a project 
contained in the Overseas Contingency Operations budget request 
submitted by the Department of Defense for military 
construction. This reduction is:
    (1) $69.0 million for a High Value Detention Facility at 
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Department of Defense did not provide 
the committee sufficient justification for the need to 
construct a new, permanent facility with increased capacity and 
capabilities. In addition, the committee notes that while the 
current facility may not be ideally configured, it is still 
capable of meeting current and foreseeable detention 
requirements. Therefore, the committee recommends no funds, a 
reduction of $69.0 million, for this project.
    As noted earlier in this report, the committee recommended 
a reduction in funding for several projects included in the 
base budget request in order to transfer them to the Overseas 
Contingency Operations title of this Act. Therefore, the 
committee recommends a commensurate increase in the Overseas 
Contingency Operations account to support these projects. 
Specifically, these projects include:
    (1) $40.0 million for a Personnel Deployment Processing 
facility at Al Udeid, Qatar; and
    (2) $30.4 million for Flightline Support facilities at Al 
Udeid, Qatar.

                         LEGISLATIVE PROVISIONS


    Section 2901--Authorized Army Construction and Land Acquisition 
                                Projects

    This section would contain the list of certain authorized 
Army construction projects for fiscal year 2019. These projects 
represent a binding list of the specific projects authorized at 
these locations.

    Section 2902--Authorized Navy Construction and Land Acquisition 
                                Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized Navy 
construction projects for fiscal year 2019. These projects 
represent a binding list of the specific projects authorized at 
these locations.

 Section 2903--Authorized Air Force Construction and Land Acquisition 
                                Projects

    This section would contain the list of certain authorized 
Air Force construction projects for fiscal year 2019. These 
projects represent a binding list of the specific projects 
authorized at these locations.

    Section 2904--Authorized Defense Agencies Construction and Land 
                          Acquisition Projects

    This section would contain the list of authorized defense 
agencies' construction projects for fiscal year 2019. These 
projects represent a binding list of the specific projects 
authorized at these locations.

             Section 2905--Authorization of Appropriations

    This section would authorize appropriations for Overseas 
Contingency Operations military construction at the levels 
identified in section 4602 of division D.

  Section 2906--Restrictions on Use of Funds for Planning and Design 
            Costs of European Deterrence Initiative Projects

    This section would limit the ability of the secretaries 
concerned from using any of the amounts authorized to be 
appropriated for planning and design of military construction 
projects requested under the European Deterrence Initiative 
until the Secretary of Defense submits a list of the military 
construction projects to support the European Deterrence 
Initiative that are anticipated during fiscal year 2019 and at 
least the four succeeding fiscal years. The committee notes its 
support for the European Deterrence Initiative and the military 
construction program that supports it. However, the committee 
believes that it is important for Congress to have a clear 
understanding of the overall military construction plan for 
Europe and the construction projects that will be supported 
with this planning and design funding.

 DIVISION C--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL SECURITY AUTHORIZATIONS AND 
                          OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS

      TITLE XXXI--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAMS

                                OVERVIEW

    The budget request for fiscal year 2019 contained $21.60 
billion for atomic energy defense activities. The committee 
recommends $21.96 billion, an increase of $357.0 million to the 
budget request.

                       ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST


                National Nuclear Security Administration


                                Overview

    The budget request for fiscal year 2019 contained $15.09 
billion for the programs of the National Nuclear Security 
Administration. The committee recommends $15.40 billion, an 
increase of $307.0 million to the budget request.

                           Weapons Activities


Defense Nuclear Security and related construction projects

    The budget request contained $690.6 million for Defense 
Nuclear Security at the National Nuclear Security 
Administration (NNSA). This funding supports day-to-day 
security operations across the nuclear security enterprise, as 
well as sustainment and recapitalization of physical security 
infrastructure and equipment. This does not include certain 
major line item construction projects that would result in 
significant security improvements.
    The committee continues to emphasize the need for sustained 
and focused NNSA and Department of Energy leadership attention 
on physical security efforts within the nuclear security 
enterprise. The security certifications required by section 
2657 of title 50, United States Code, were intended to ensure 
the Administrator for Nuclear Security and the Secretary of 
Energy focus significant personal attention on the issue and 
are accountable for both progress and problems. Further, the 
congressionally mandated Center for Security Technology, 
Analysis, Response, and Testing, the Security Management 
Improvement Plan, and Security Infrastructure Revitalization 
Program have helped provide a solid knowledge base of physical 
security expertise and clear direction for a program that must 
be continuously vigilant and improving. The committee commends 
these steps, but continues to seek further progress on two 
major line item construction projects that will support both 
improved security and accomplishment of NNSA's mission 
deliverables: the West End Protected Area Reduction Project at 
the Y-12 National Security Complex, and the Material Staging 
Facility at the Pantex Plant.
    The committee recommends $701.6 million for Defense Nuclear 
Security, an increase of $11.0 million to the budget request, 
$9.0 million for the West End Protected Area Reduction project, 
and $24.0 million for the Material Staging Facility.

Directed Stockpile Work

    The budget request included $4.67 billion for Directed 
Stockpile Work (DSW), including life extension programs (LEP) 
and major alterations, stockpile systems, stockpile services, 
and strategic materials. The committee continues to believe the 
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) must emphasize 
these programs and capabilities that directly support and 
enable NNSA's deliverables to the Department of Defense.
    The W76-1 LEP will soon complete production and its 
successful delivery to the Navy is a notable achievement. This 
weapon will soon comprise approximately 70 percent of the 
nation's operationally deployed strategic warheads. Production 
engineering on the B61-12 LEP continues, and the committee will 
closely oversee capacity and throughput challenges to ensure it 
stays on track for delivery of a first production unit and 
associated capabilities by December 2019. This weapon will be 
both a tangible and credible extended deterrent for U.S. 
allies, as well as form an important component of the United 
States' own strategic deterrent. The W88 ALT 370, with its 
refresh of components and high explosives, will produce a 
modernized warhead that will ensure its reliability for 
decades. And the W80-4 LEP will produce a warhead for the 
future long-range standoff (LRSO) cruise missile, which 
supports the air leg of the strategic triad. The committee will 
continue to track alignment between the W80-4 LEP and the LRSO 
program itself. Finally, the W76-2 program will produce a 
lower-yield submarine-launched ballistic missile warhead, as 
proposed by the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review. Aligning initial 
production of the W76-2 with the end of production of the W76-1 
will help minimize costs and ensure timely production and 
deployment.
    The committee recommends $4.66 billion for Directed 
Stockpile Work, a decrease of $8.0 million to the budget 
request.

Domestic uranium

    The committee understands that recent market trends, 
foreign competition, and other factors have had significant 
negative impacts on the nation's domestic uranium industry. For 
instance, the domestic uranium mining industry has diminished 
such that in recent years domestic suppliers provide less than 
5 percent of U.S. demand for uranium. Additionally, all 
domestically owned uranium enrichment facilities have been 
closed.
    The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is 
conducting an analysis of alternatives (AOA), due for 
completion in 2020, regarding if and how to reconstitute a 
domestic uranium enrichment capability for national security 
purposes. In its review of NNSA's AOA guidance, the Comptroller 
General of the United States found that NNSA's mission needs 
statement was limited in scope, showed preference toward a 
particular solution, and did not include the potential for 
enrichment facilities that meet multiple mission needs beyond 
just tritium production. The Comptroller General also found 
that NNSA's cost estimates for two potential enrichment 
technologies, which ranged from $3.8 billion to $14.0 billion 
depending on the technology and assumptions, only partially or 
minimally met best practice standards for being comprehensive, 
credible, well-documented, and accurate.
    The committee also notes that policy changes must be 
considered as part of the AOA, including changes that would 
enable the current supply of unobligated fuel to last longer 
and changes that would revise domestic policies or 
international agreements regarding limitations on the use of 
obligated fuel. The committee believes this AOA must be 
comprehensive and data-driven, and expects NNSA to update the 
mission needs statement and AOA guidance to address the 
Government Accountability Office's recommendations.
    While the AOA is underway, the committee believes NNSA must 
be mindful of ensuring U.S. technical expertise for uranium 
does not atrophy and that both mature and less-mature 
technology options continue to be advanced. The committee also 
believes NNSA and the wider Federal Government must be mindful 
of any short- or long-term implications for national security 
if the domestic uranium industry as a whole is moribund.
    To enable its oversight of these issues, the committee 
directs the Administrator for Nuclear Security, in consultation 
with appropriate officials from the Department of Energy and 
other agencies, to provide a briefing to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives 
by November 30, 2018, on the state of the domestic uranium 
industry in general, its impacts on national security, and the 
status of NNSA's ongoing analysis of alternatives related to 
domestic uranium enrichment. Such briefing should include:
    (1) an assessment of commercial market trends, Department 
of Energy excess uranium sales, Federal regulations and 
policies, enrichment capacity, and foreign imports;
    (2) details on how NNSA is sustaining technical expertise 
in domestically owned uranium enrichment technologies while its 
analysis of alternatives is ongoing and no domestically owned 
source of enriched uranium is operational;
    (3) NNSA's plans to revise and clarify the mission needs 
statement, as recommended by the Comptroller General;
    (4) how NNSA intends to consider a comprehensive range of 
options in the AOA, including policy changes such as 
reexamining the mixture of obligated and unobligated fuel used 
in reactors in proportion to tritium production and energy 
production, and revisions regarding limitations on the use of 
obligated fuel;
    (5) how NNSA will ensure that cost estimates of all options 
are consistent with best practices, and how the cost estimates 
are aligned with the updated scope of need.

Fusion technology pathways

    The committee is aware of several different paths that may, 
some day, lead to viable fusion-based energy production and 
believes such a breakthrough would have extraordinary 
implications for energy security, national security, and the 
world in general. The committee is also cognizant that fusion-
based energy production has been a long-sought outcome of the 
high energy density physics community, but has yet to yield 
anticipated results. The committee understands that tokamak 
technology is of particular interest in the scientific 
community for its potential to achieve viability for fusion 
energy production.
    To better understand the state of science and technology 
development in this field, the committee directs the 
Administrator for Nuclear Security, in coordination with the 
directors of appropriate national laboratories and appropriate 
officials of the Department of Energy, to provide a briefing to 
the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives 
by February 1, 2019, on fusion energy technology development. 
Such briefing should review and assess all potential fusion 
technology paths, particularly technologies related to the 
tokamaks and the use of divertor test facilities to better 
understand remaining challenges for dealing with hot plasma 
exhaust. In addition, the briefing should assess fusion 
technology paths, their viability as a potential future power 
source, remaining risks and challenges associated with such 
technologies, any complementary research and development that 
is needed or ongoing, any implications of such research and 
technologies for the programs of the National Nuclear Security 
Administration, and any other matters the Administrator 
determines appropriate to enhance the committee's oversight and 
understanding.

Inertial Confinement Fusion

    The budget request included $418.9 million for the Inertial 
Confinement Fusion (ICF) Ignition and High Yield program at the 
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
    In the absence of nuclear explosive testing, this program 
provides for specialized expertise and unique facilities to 
better understand high energy density science and the operation 
of nuclear weapons. The budget request proposed a significant 
decrease in funding for ICF, including initiation of ``a three-
year ramp-down in NNSA's financial commitment to . . . the 
Omega Laser Facility, resulting in the cessation of the 
financial assistance agreement,'' and reductions in funding for 
both ignition and non-ignition experiments at the National 
Ignition Facility.
    The committee is encouraged by NNSA's proposal to rebalance 
and prioritize funding for programs and capabilities that 
directly support NNSA's deliverables to the Department of 
Defense, recapitalize NNSA's aging infrastructure, and prepare 
for an uncertain future. The committee also notes that the ICF 
program has, so far, failed to achieve fusion ignition, an 
outcome that was long-promised on specific timelines. However, 
the committee also believes that NNSA must carefully consider 
the impacts of its deep proposed reduction to the ICF program, 
particularly on the long-term pipeline of expertise and the 
sustainment of unique capabilities upon which certification of 
the U.S. nuclear stockpile has depended since the cessation of 
nuclear explosive testing.
    To better understand these impacts and deliverables, the 
committee directs the Administrator for Nuclear Security to 
provide a briefing to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives by September 1, 2018, 
on NNSA's plans for the ICF program. Such briefing should 
include the impacts of the proposed budget reductions, any 
risks and risk mitigation options, the sustainability of 
facilities and infrastructure related to the ICF program, plans 
for maintaining a robust pipeline of experts in high energy 
density science and ICF at NNSA, clear criteria and milestones 
for measuring ICF program performance against measurable goals, 
an evaluation of ICF lines of efforts against stated goals, and 
such other matters as the Administrator determines relevant.
    The committee recommends $467.9 million, an increase of 
$49.0 million, for the ICF program.

Infrastructure

    The budget request includes $540.7 million for 
Recapitalization and $365.0 million for Maintenance and Repair 
of Facilities. These programs fund efforts to reduce the large 
backlog of deferred maintenance across the nuclear security 
enterprise and preventative maintenance activities. Combined, 
these programs and the large line item construction projects 
are critical to arresting and reversing the declining state of 
the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) 
infrastructure.
    Section 3111 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) directed the Administrator 
for Nuclear Security to establish the Infrastructure 
Modernization Initiative (IMI) with a goal of reducing the 
backlog of deferred maintenance and repair needs at NNSA by 30 
percent by 2025. The committee believes that achieving this 
goal is critical to accomplishing NNSA's national security 
mission and to the safety and well-being of NNSA's workforce. 
Section 3111 and section 3119 of Public Law 115-91 also 
provided the Administrator new and enhanced statutory 
authorities to accelerate and streamline action on these 
infrastructure problems. The committee agrees with NNSA's view 
that infrastructure risk is becoming safety risk and mission 
risk and will closely monitor NNSA's progress in implementing 
the IMI and leveraging its associated authorities. The 
committee continues to note the importance of adequately 
resourcing preventative and sustaining maintenance to extend 
the life and increase the safety of its facilities. The 
committee encourages the Administrator to work closely with 
Congress as it prepares and executes the long-term NNSA 
infrastructure strategy.
    The committee recommends $611.7 million for 
Recapitalization, an increase of $71.0 million to the budget 
request, and $404.0 million for Maintenance and Repair of 
Facilities, an increase of $39.0 million to the budget request.

Lithium and tritium

    The committee continues to conduct oversight of the 
National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) approach to 
managing and ensuring a sustainable supply of key strategic 
materials, and recognizes NNSA's efforts to bring coherency and 
stability to what were previously scattered and decentralized 
efforts. The committee believes that a clear, long-term plan to 
ensure access to these materials is important for the 
credibility of the nuclear deterrent.
    Although NNSA's plans for all of its strategic materials 
would benefit from further clarification and refinement, the 
committee in particular desires increased detail and clarity on 
NNSA's plans with regard to tritium and lithium. As the Nuclear 
Posture Review (NPR) states, ``U.S. production of tritium . . . 
is now insufficient to meet the forthcoming U.S. nuclear force 
sustainment demands, or to hedge against unforeseen 
developments. Programs are planned, but not yet fully funded, 
to ease these critical production shortfalls.'' And as the NPR 
states with regards to lithium: ``The U.S. is also unable to 
produce or process a number of other critical materials, 
including lithium . . . For instance, the United States largely 
relies on dismantling retired warheads to recover lithium to 
sustain and produce deployable warheads. This may be inadequate 
to support the nuclear force replacement program and any 
supplements to it.''
    The committee therefore directs the Administrator for 
Nuclear Security to provide a briefing to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives 
by November 1, 2018, on NNSA's plans to meet near- and long-
term requirements for tritium and lithium. Such briefing should 
include the requirements, the options and plans to meet such 
requirements, costs associated with these options and plans, 
and the status of any actions underway.

Report on IW-1 and W78 replacement

    The committee notes that the recent Nuclear Posture Review 
(NPR) proposes ``advancing the W78 warhead replacement one year 
to FY19 to support fielding on [the] Ground Based Strategic 
Deterrent (GBSD) by 2030.'' The NPR also discusses ``exploring 
future ballistic missile warhead requirements based on the 
threats and vulnerabilities of potential adversaries, including 
the possibility of common reentry systems between the Air Force 
and Navy,'' but does not directly mention the Interoperable 
Warhead-1 (IW-1) program.
    However, the fiscal year 2019 budget request for the 
National Nuclear Security Administration includes $53.0 million 
for the IW-1 restart of the Phase 6.2 work (Feasibility Study & 
Design Options) on this program. The budget request 
justification materials further say that the IW-1 program 
``will replace the W78 warhead by 2030 and support fielding of 
the U.S. Air Force GBSD missile system planned to replace the 
current Minuteman III ICBM force. Additionally, the program 
will investigate the feasibility of deploying the replacement 
warhead's nuclear explosive package in a US Navy flight body.''
    To clarify and better understand the direction of this 
program, the committee directs the Administrator for Nuclear 
Security, in coordination with the Chairman of the Nuclear 
Weapons Council, to provide a report to the congressional 
defense committees no later than January 15, 2019, on the 
status of the W78 replacement, also referenced as the IW-1 
program. Specifically, the report should include, since 
deferral of the program or due to the NPR, any changes in 
requirements, program plans and schedules, assumptions, and 
options and designs being considered or that are preferred.

Secure transportation asset and Mobile Guardian Transporter

    The budget request includes $278.6 million for the National 
Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Secure Transportation 
Asset. Run by the NNSA Office of Secure Transportation, this 
program provides for the safe and secure transportation of 
nuclear weapons, weapons components, and special nuclear 
materials.
    Within this amount, $51.8 million was requested to continue 
development of the Mobile Guardian Transporter (MGT) program, 
which is developing and procuring new highly-secure trailers to 
replace existing Safeguards Transporter (SGT) trailers that are 
nearing the end of their 20-year service life. The committee 
understands that several SGTs are beginning to show signs of 
significant rusting and structural degradation in key 
locations, that mitigation of this issue is not cost effective, 
and that at least one SGT has been removed from the fleet 
earlier than planned due to this problem.
    The committee is concerned that this issue, or similar 
unexpected issues, if widespread, could undermine NNSA's 
planned risk reduction effort to keep a portion of the SGT 
fleet in operation beyond their 20-year service life while MGT 
is developed. Coupled with NNSA's reduction in its planned 
fiscal year 2019 budget request for MGT, NNSA's ability to meet 
surging transportation requirements in the 2020s could be at 
risk. The committee will oversee the SGT risk reduction effort, 
the MGT development and prototyping effort, and the Secure 
Transportation more broadly to track these important efforts.
    The committee recommends $278.6 million for the Secure 
Transportation Asset, the amount of the budget request.

Streamlined and innovative approaches to non-nuclear construction 
        projects

    Section 3111 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2018 (Public Law 115-91) created the Infrastructure 
Modernization Initiative (IMI) at the National Nuclear Security 
Administration (NNSA) to accelerate and streamline efforts to 
reduce the large backlog of deferred maintenance and repair 
needs across the infrastructure of the nuclear security 
enterprise. As part of IMI, the Secretary of Energy is required 
to provide an enhanced and streamlined process to the 
Administrator for Nuclear Security to construct and demolish 
non-nuclear facilities that cost less than $100.0 million.
    The committee continues to endorse and encourage efforts of 
the Department of Energy (DOE) and NNSA to streamline 
approaches and processes related to constructing these types of 
facilities using commercial standards and best practices, as 
well as efforts to employ innovative approaches. For example, 
new office buildings, light laboratories, fire stations, and 
emergency operations centers currently being planned at sites 
across the nuclear enterprise may be constructed at less cost 
and more quickly if streamlined, commercially-based, or more 
innovative approaches are utilized.
    The committee believes continued focus and action is 
needed. Therefore, the committee directs the Administrator for 
Nuclear Security to provide a briefing to the Committees on 
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives 
by January 15, 2019, on the actions taken by NNSA and DOE to 
implement the IMI, and in particular to carry out a streamlined 
process to construct or demolish non-nuclear facilities costing 
less than $100.0 million. Such briefing should include options 
for further streamlining and accelerating associated processes 
(while retaining applicable safety standards), identification 
of any innovative approaches or pilot programs to accelerate 
construction of such facilities, and such other matters as the 
Administrator determines appropriate.

Weapons Activities and the Future Years Nuclear Security Program

    The budget request contained $11.02 billion for the Weapons 
Activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration 
(NNSA). These programs support NNSA's central mission of 
ensuring and sustaining the safety, security, reliability, and 
credibility of the U.S. nuclear weapon stockpile.
    In previous years, the committee has highlighted the 
comments of senior administration and military officials that 
have expressed concern that NNSA's 5-year, Future Years Nuclear 
Security Program (FYNSP) budget profile was inadequate to meet 
NNSA's programmatic needs. The committee believes NNSA has 
taken noteworthy steps in this regard within its recent budget 
requests and the FYNSP submitted to Congress with the budget 
request for fiscal year 2019. Recent increases have made 
significant strides to address the inadequacy in NNSA funding 
identified by the Secretary of Energy in a December 23, 2015, 
letter to the Director of the White House Office of Management 
and Budget, which said NNSA's 5-year, Future Years Nuclear 
Security Program budget profile, ``does not reflect the funding 
that we estimate is necessary to meet [NNSA] requirements over 
the period . . . we estimate that an additional $5.2 billion 
over FY2018-2021 is needed to establish a viable and 
sustainable program portfolio.''
    Elsewhere in this title, the committee discusses its 
recommendations for increased funding and prioritization for 
several programs within Weapons Activities, including for 
infrastructure, defense nuclear security, and inertial 
confinement fusion.
    The committee recommends $11.22 billion for Weapons 
Activities, an increase of $198.0 million to the budget 
request.

                    Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation


Future nuclear proliferation challenges

    The committee continues to focus on the challenges 
associated with the detection, evaluation, and response to 
emerging nuclear threats, including emerging technologies that 
could lead to technological surprise. Recent advancements in 
materials, manufacturing, computing, and cyber 
interconnectivity indicate that robust efforts are needed to 
identify and develop solutions to ensure the United States can 
continue to reliably detect, define, deter, delay, deny, and 
defeat these threats.
    The committee therefore directs the Administrator for 
Nuclear Security, in coordination with the directors of 
relevant national security laboratories, to provide a briefing 
to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House 
of Representatives by November 15, 2018, on emerging nuclear 
proliferation threats and the state of our capabilities to 
address these threats. Such briefing should include options for 
novel solutions to meet these challenging threats, leverage on-