Supply chain, capability, and capacity study of high-demand items in the textile industrial base

(a) In general The Secretary of Defense shall contract with a federally funded research and development center to conduct a detailed assessment of the textile industrial base providing uniform items to the military services. The review shall include— (1) a description of coordination between industry and the military services to understand shortfalls in the textile industrial base over the last five years; (2) a description of the ability of the military services to provide annual or long-term data for increased stability in long-term contracting for textile manufacturing; (3) any requested domestic non-availability determinations made to the Defense Logistics Agency or the services and the rationale for the absence of available domestic options; (4) a review of Defense Logistics Agency contracting processes, including the ability to provide industry with long-term demand, Berry amendment compliance, and responsiveness to the needs of the military services; (5) an assessment of the supply chains of all Berry-compliant textiles and footwear options, including current challenges, potential for surge capacity, any investments in capital expenditures in the last 10 years, data on sales over the last 10 years, quality assurance procedures, testing, and qualification procedures; (6) a review of the military services specifications for textiles and footwear, including where specifications are the limiting factor to higher quality items or if changes in specification can improve manufacturing timelines; (7) a review of any allied or Trade Agreement Act-compliant partnerships that could be expanded to improve supply chain resilience; (8) an assessment of the efficacy of the investments made under the automated textile manufacturing program under the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, including any improvements or best practices that could be implemented; (9) an assessment of the importance of having multiple supply lines in the textile industrial base and the consequences of single points of failure; and (10) any other matters determined to be relevant to the review. (b) Deadlines (1) Final assessment Not later than September 30, 2028, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives the final review required under subsection (a). (2) Briefing Not later than May 1, 2027, the Secretary of Defense shall provide to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a briefing with an initial review of the scope of the assessment required under subsection (a). (c) Authority to use relevant supply chain technologies The federally funded research and development center conducting the review under subsection (a) may utilize any relevant supply chain technologies for in-depth review of the textile industrial base.