Production of award files

(a) Production of files Not later than March 1, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives the following information on all decorations awarded under the authorities of sections 7271, 7272, 7279, 8291, 8292, 8295, 9271, 9272, and 9279 of title 10, United States Code, between the January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2026: (1) Unredacted copies of all supporting documentation, material matters, and information considered by boards of review, the chain of command, and any party employed by the Department of Defense, including the Secretary of Defense, who evaluated the merits of, offered a recommendation about, or approved the decorations. (2) Unredacted copies of all recommendations made by boards of review, the chain of command, and any party employed by the Department of Defense, including the Secretary of Defense, pertaining to the awarding of the decorations. (3) For those decorations approved by the Secretary of Defense or the Secretaries of the military departments, a written justification of the basis for awarding such decoration. (4) A description of the legal authority under which each of the decorations was awarded. (b) Briefing Not later than March 1, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing on each of the decorations awarded in (a) and whether any legal discrepancies or errors exist in the awarding of such decorations, along with a legislative proposal to correct any errors so identified. (c) Prohibition on use of funds Of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2027 for operation and maintenance, defense wide, and available for the Office of the Secretary of Defense for travel expenses, not more than 90 percent may be obligated or expended until the Secretary of Defense has submitted all documentation for each award specified under subsection (a) to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives.