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

Subtitle C--Provisions Relating to Software and Technology

P. L. 116-

House Conference Report   116-617

(1) in the heading, by striking ``advanced development'' and inserting ``development and demonstration'';

(2) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``provision of advanced component development, prototype,'' and inserting ``development and demonstration''; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(c) Procedures.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish procedures to collect and analyze information on the use and benefits of the authority under this section and related impacts on performance, affordability, and capability delivery.''.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 137 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 2302e and inserting the following new item:

``2302e. Contract authority for development and demonstration of initial
or additional prototype units.''.

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 844) that would enhance an authority previously provided to the Department of Defense to streamline the process for moving technologies from science and technology into production by permitting activities to be performed under the same contract as the technology is matured.

The House bill contained no similar provision.

The House recedes with an amendment that would direct the Secretary of Defense to establish procedures for assessing the use of the authority.

The conferees note that this proposal would help to implement the National Defense Strategy as a reform effort to enable greater performance and affordability, capability delivery at the speed of relevance, and rapid, iterative approaches from development to fielding. The conferees direct the Secretary of Defense to report by March 31, 2021, on the use of the authority under 10 U.S.C. 2302e.

Senate Committee Report 116-236 to Accompanying S. 4049

Contract authority for advanced development of initial or additional prototype units (sec. 844)

The committee recommends a provision that would enhance an authority previously provided to the Department of Defense to streamline the process for moving technologies from science and technology into production by permitting activities to be performed under the same contract as the technology is matured. The committee notes that this proposal would help to implement the National Defense Strategy as a reform effort to enable greater performance and affordability, capability delivery at the speed of relevance, and rapid, iterative approaches from development to fielding.