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Amends section 722 of the Defense Production Act (50 U.S.C. 4567) to (1) revise wording from 'priorities and allocations authorities' to 'authorities provided under this Act'; (2) modify Committee membership language and add an explicit Chairperson role defined as a Senior Executive Service employee of the Department of Commerce selected by the Secretary of Commerce; (3) establish the Chairperson's reporting relationship to the Secretary of Commerce, duties, and information-provision obligations to Committee members; (4) require the Secretary of Commerce to provide staff/resources and submit funding requests for the Committee; (5) require departments/agencies to designate SES coordinators within 90 days; and (6) replace and revise the Committee's report content and related coordination provisions.
Adds a new section (section 724, "Registry of uses of DPA authorities") to Title VII of the Defense Production Act chapter, establishing a secure electronic DPA Registry and requirements for agencies to record and update uses of authorities under the Act.
Strengthens how the federal government runs and oversees the Defense Production Act (DPA) by creating a full-time Chair for the DPA Committee (a Senior Executive Service official in the Department of Commerce), requiring agency SES coordinators, and directing Commerce to provide staff and funding requests. It also requires updated committee duties and a Government Accountability Office review within two years. Requires the Department of Commerce to build and operate a secure electronic DPA Registry that records past and future uses of DPA authorities, requires agencies to keep the registry current (quarterly), protects the registry from cyber threats, and sets layered access for federal users, Congress, and the public while protecting sensitive national-security information.
Amend section 722 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (50 U.S.C. 4567) by changing wording in subsection (a) from "on the effective use of the priorities and allocations authorities under this Act" to "the effective use of the authorities provided under this Act".
In subsection (b)(1) add the Chairperson of the Committee as a listed member (subparagraph (C)).
Establish the Chairperson of the Committee as a senior, full-time employee of the Department of Commerce, classified as a member of the Senior Executive Service, selected by the Secretary of Commerce.
Require the Chairperson to report directly to the Secretary of Commerce on all matters (i) undertaken under this Act; and (ii) relating to and the Committee.
Specify the Chairperson’s primary duty: to lead the Committee and help fulfill the Committee’s responsibilities under section 722.
Primary effects:
Federal agencies: Agencies that have DPA authorities will face new reporting duties, must designate SES coordinators, and will need to enter past and future DPA actions into the registry on a quarterly basis. Agencies will also have to coordinate with Commerce for registry access and cybersecurity requirements.
Department of Commerce: Gains responsibility to host and run the DPA Registry, provide staff support for the new full-time Chair, manage user access, and request necessary funding. Commerce will need technical and personnel capacity to operate and secure the registry.
DPA Committee and SES officials: The Committee gains a centralized, full-time leader with clearer duties and processes, which should improve coordination, prioritization, and interagency communication on industrial-base and supply-chain actions tied to national defense.
Congress and oversight bodies: Will receive better, structured access to records of DPA use and will benefit from a mandated Comptroller General review within two years, improving legislative oversight capability.
Defense industry and contractors: Will likely see increased transparency over DPA-directed actions that affect contracts, production priorities, and industrial mobilization; this could improve predictability but may also reveal sensitive program details only to authorized users.
Trade-offs and operational impacts:
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced May 21, 2025 by James A. Himes · Last progress May 21, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced in House