Pilot program on access of civilian employees to commissary stores

(a) Authority The Secretary of Defense may carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility of, demand for, and financial impact of extending access to commissary stores to civilian employees of the Department of Defense while maintaining the benefit of such access for members and retired members of the Armed Forces and their families. (b) Eligible employees Under the pilot program authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary may provide access to a commissary store selected for participation in the pilot program under subsection (c) to full-time civilian employees of the Department of Defense and nonappropriated fund instrumentality employees (as defined in section 1587(a) of this title) who are assigned to a location within the vicinity of the military installation where the store is located. (c) Selection of stores The Secretary— (1) may select up to 16 commissary stores within the continental United States to participate in the pilot program authorized by subsection (a); and (2) in making selections under paragraph (1), shall ensure representation of diverse geographic regions and types of military installations. (d) Fees The Secretary may impose a fee or surcharge, or use another mechanism— (1) to offset the administrative costs of providing access to commissary stores to employees described in subsection (b); and (2) to ensure that no additional amounts are required to be appropriated to carry out the pilot program authorized by subsection (a). (e) Duration The Secretary may determine the duration of the pilot program authorized by subsection (a), except that the pilot program shall terminate not later than January 1, 2028. (f) Report required Not later than 180 days after the termination under subsection (e) of the pilot program authorized by subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report evaluating— (1) the number and categories of employees described in subsection (b) participating in the pilot program, including participation rates by military installation, grade, and employment type; (2) the total volume of sales and patronage levels generated by those employees and the proportion of total commissary sales represented by the patronage of those employees; (3) the gross and net revenue generated from sales to those employees; (4) the disposition or use of any additional revenues, fees, or surcharges collected under the pilot program; (5) the impact of the pilot program on the overall operating costs of commissary stores, including with respect to labor, supply chain, and inventory management; (6) any observed or projected effects of the pilot program on the requirements of the Defense Commissary Agency for appropriations and the subsidies provided for the operations of commissary stores; (7) the impact of the pilot program on infrastructure, security, parking, and utilities at commissary stores participating in the pilot program; (8) the effect of the pilot program on access to and wait times at commissary stores, and customer satisfaction, for members of the Armed Forces; (9) any operational challenges, staffing adjustments, or system modifications required to carry out the pilot program; (10) any adjustments to procurement or contracting requirements associated with increased patronage resulting from the pilot program; and (11) the overall feasibility, fiscal sustainability, and advisability of permanent or expanded access to commissary stores for civilian employees of the Department of Defense, including recommendations for any legislative or policy changes necessary to support such access.