Feasibility of common certifications for naval aviation and naval sea systems supply chains

(a) Report required Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, in coordination with the Secretary of the Navy, shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the feasibility of establishing common certification standards for suppliers participating in the supply chains of the Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Sea Systems Command. (b) Elements The report required under subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) An assessment of the current certification requirements for suppliers to the Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Sea Systems Command, including an identification of certifications that are duplicative, overlapping, or could be standardized across both commands without compromising quality, safety, or security standards. (2) An assessment of the feasibility of establishing a common certification framework under which a supplier certified to participate in the supply chain of one command would be recognized, without redundant qualification processes, as eligible to participate in the supply chain of the other command. (3) An assessment of the potential effects of such a common certification framework with respect to— (A) increasing competition among suppliers for contracts with the Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Sea Systems Command; (B) expanding access to a greater number of qualified suppliers for each command; (C) reducing administrative and compliance burdens on suppliers, particularly small business concerns (as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) and nontraditional defense contractors (as defined in section 3014 of title 10, United States Code), associated with maintaining separate certifications for each command; (D) improving the sustainability and resilience of the naval supply chain industrial base; and (E) any risks to quality assurance, safety, or national security that may result from certification standardization. (4) Recommendations for any legislative, regulatory, or policy changes necessary to implement a common certification framework, including any changes to existing qualification requirements administered by the Defense Contract Management Agency or other relevant entities. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term Naval Air Systems Command means the systems command of the Department of the Navy responsible for research, development, acquisition, and sustainment of naval aviation systems. (2) The term Naval Sea Systems Command means the systems command of the Department of the Navy responsible for research, development, acquisition, and sustainment of naval sea systems.