((a)) ** .—** The Secretary of Defense, after consultation with the Secretary of State, may accept cash contributions from any country or regional organization designated for purposes of this section by the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of State, for the purposes specified in subsection (c).

((b)) ** .—** Contributions accepted under subsection (a) which are not related to security assistance may be accepted, managed, and expended in dollars or in the currency of the host nation (or, in the case of a contribution from another country or a regional organization, in the currency in which the contribution was provided). Any such contribution shall be placed in an account established for such purpose and shall remain available until expended for the purposes specified in subsection (c). The Secretary of Defense shall establish a separate account for such purpose for each country or regional organization from which such contributions are accepted under subsection (a).

((c)) ** .—** Contributions accepted under subsection (a) shall be available only for the payment of the following costs:

((1)) Compensation for local national employees of the Department of Defense in the host nation or another country.

((2)) Military construction projects of the Department of Defense in the host nation or another country.

((3)) Supplies and services of the Department of Defense in the host nation or another country.

((4)) Other logistical and operational support for the armed forces in a deployed or rotational status in a country that is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

((d)) ** .—** Contributions placed in an account established under subsection (b) may be used—

((1)) by the Secretary of Defense to carry out a military construction project that is consistent with the purposes for which the contributions were made and is not otherwise authorized by law; or

((2)) by the Secretary of a military department, with the approval of the Secretary of Defense, to carry out such a project.

((e)) ** .—**

((1)) When a decision is made to carry out a military construction project under subsection (d), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report containing—

((A)) an explanation of the need for the project;

((B)) the then current estimate of the cost of the project; and

((C)) a justification for carrying out the project under that subsection.

((2)) The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of a military department may not commence a military construction project under subsection (d) until the end of the 14-day period beginning on the date on which the Secretary of Defense submits the report under paragraph (1) regarding the project in an electronic medium pursuant to .

((3))

((A)) A military construction project under subsection (d) may be carried out without regard to the requirement in paragraph (1) and the limitation in paragraph (2) if the project is necessary to support the armed forces in the country or region in which the project is carried out by reason of a declaration of war, or a declaration by the President of a national emergency pursuant to the National Emergencies Act ( et seq.), that is in force at the time of the commencement of the project.

((B)) When a decision is made to carry out a military construction project under subparagraph (A), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees—

((i)) a notice of the decision; and

((ii)) a statement of the current estimated cost of the project, including the cost of any real property transaction in connection with the project.

((f))

((1)) ** .—** Not later than January 15 each year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the burden sharing contributions received under this section from designated countries.

((2)) ** .—** Each report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following for the preceding fiscal year:

((A)) A list of all designated countries from which burden sharing contributions were received.

((B)) An explanation of the purpose for which each such burden sharing contribution was provided.

((C)) A description of any written agreement entered into with a designated country under this section, including the date on which the agreement was signed.

((D)) For each designated country—

((i)) the amount provided by the designated country; and

((ii)) the amount of any remaining unobligated balance.

((E)) The amount of such burden sharing contributions expended, by eligible category, including compensation for—

((i)) local national employees;

((ii)) military construction projects;

((iii)) supplies and services of the Department of Defense; and

((iv)) other logistical and operational support for the armed forces in a deployed or rotational status in a country that is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

((F)) Any other matter the Secretary of Defense considers relevant.

((3)) ** .—** In this subsection, the term “appropriate committees of Congress” means—

((A)) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and

((B)) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

((g)) ** .—** In this section, the term “other logistical and operational support for the armed forces”—

((1)) means the reasonable and proper costs of the armed forces for fuel, transportation, force protection (including cyber protection), training ammunition, utilities, and medical and maintenance services, including services required to maintain infrastructure, pre-positioned stocks, and equipment in good working order; and

((2)) does not include pay, allowances, and other normal benefits to which members of the United States armed forces are entitled.