Domestic unmanned aircraft system manufacturing facility grants

(a) Program established The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a competitive grant program to make grants to private entities to support the construction, expansion, or modernization of facilities in the United States for the manufacturing of unmanned aircraft systems and related components. (b) Eligibility A private entity shall be eligible to receive a grant under this section if the entity— (1) manufactures unmanned aircraft systems or unmanned aircraft system components; (2) proposes to construct or substantially expand an unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft system component manufacturing facility located in the United States; and (3) demonstrates that the unmanned aircraft systems or unmanned aircraft system components manufactured at such facility are capable of being readily adapted or repurposed for use by the Department of Defense. (c) Defense repurposability requirement For purposes of subsection (b)(3), an unmanned aircraft system shall be considered readily adaptable for use by the Department of Defense if it— (1) is designed using modular or open-architecture systems; (2) is capable of supporting encrypted communications, secure navigation, or payload integration; and (3) can be modified for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, logistics, or other defense missions without substantial redesign. (d) Use of funds A grant under this section may be used for— (1) site acquisition and preparation; (2) construction and equipment costs; (3) workforce training and development; (4) advanced manufacturing tooling and supply chain localization; and (5) research and development directly related to production readiness. (e) Coordination With Department of Defense The Secretary of Commerce shall consult with the Secretary of Defense to ensure that recipients of grants under this section manufacture unmanned aircraft systems that are compatible with current or anticipated defense operational requirements.