Pilot program on use of subscription-based funding model at Major Range and Test Facility Base

(a) In general Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering shall, acting through the Director of the Test Resource Management Center, commence carrying out a pilot program to determine the feasibility, effectiveness, and operational impacts of implementing a subscription-based funding model for test and evaluation facilities. (b) Requirements The pilot program required by subsection (a) shall— (1) be conducted during the two-year period beginning on the date of the commencement of the pilot program; (2) include not fewer than two cyber-physical test and training ranges designated by the Director of the Test Resource Management Center; (3) include at least one cyber-physical test and training range operated by, or under the authority of, the National Guard of a State; (4) provide for participation by military departments, defense agencies, combat support agencies, federally funded research and development centers, and such other Department of Defense entities as the Director considers appropriate; and (5) evaluate the applicability of subscription-based funding to cyber, cyber-physical, electronic warfare, modeling and simulation, and integrated test environments associated with the participating ranges. (c) Subscription-based funding model For purposes of the pilot program required by subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall establish a funding structure under which participating organizations pay recurring subscription fees in exchange for access to specified range capabilities, infrastructure, services, test environments, cybersecurity resources, data management capabilities, and related support functions, in lieu of or in combination with traditional reimbursable or direct-user funding mechanisms. The Under Secretary shall ensure that any subscription fees are commensurate with the services provided. (d) Elements In carrying out the pilot program required by subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall— (1) establish subscription tiers or other recurring funding arrangements designed to support baseline operational, sustainment, modernization, and cybersecurity costs of participating ranges; (2) assess the extent to which a subscription-based model improves funding predictability, resource utilization, infrastructure availability, and mission readiness; (3) evaluate impacts on range scheduling, access, interoperability, and support for developmental testing, operational testing, training, experimentation, and rapid prototyping activities; (4) identify authority constraints or other challenges associated with broader implementation of such a model; (5) measure effects on cost recovery, user demand, and long-term sustainment of cyber-physical range capabilities; and (6) develop recommendations regarding whether and how a subscription-based funding model could be expanded to additional test and evaluation facilities. (e) Selection of participating ranges In selecting ranges for participation in the pilot program required by subsection (a), the Under Secretary shall prioritize cyber-physical ranges that— (1) support joint testing, training, or experimentation activities; (2) integrate operational technology, cyber, communications, electronic warfare, or weapon-system testing capabilities; and (3) can provide representative data regarding the scalability of subscription-based funding approaches across test and evaluation facilities. (f) Report Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report describing the following: (1) The actions taken under subsection (a). (2) The status of implementation of integration required by such subsection. (3) Any exceptions to full integration under subsection (b)(2). (4) The reasons for the exceptions described in paragraph (3). (g) Briefing Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Under Secretary submits the report required by subsection (f), the Under Secretary shall provide the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives a briefing on the matters covered by the report.