§ 2228. Office of Corrosion Policy and Oversight

§ 2228. Office of Corrosion Policy and Oversight

(a) Office and Director.—

(1) There is an Office of Corrosion Policy and Oversight within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.

(2) The Office shall be headed by a Director of Corrosion Policy and Oversight, who shall be assigned to such position by the Under Secretary from among civilian employees of the Department of Defense with the qualifications described in paragraph (3). The Director is responsible in the Department of Defense to the Secretary of Defense (after the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment) for the prevention and mitigation of corrosion of the military equipment and infrastructure of the Department of Defense.

(3) In order to qualify to be assigned to the position of Director, an individual shall—

(A) have management expertise in, and professional experience with, corrosion project and policy implementation, including an understanding of the effects of corrosion policies on infrastructure; research, development, test, and evaluation; and maintenance; and

(B) have an understanding of Department of Defense budget formulation and execution, policy formulation, and planning and program requirements.

(4) The Secretary of Defense shall designate the position of Director as a critical acquisition position under section 1731 of this title.

(b) Duties.—

(1) The Director of Corrosion Policy and Oversight (in this section referred to as the “Director”) shall oversee and coordinate efforts throughout the Department of Defense to prevent and mitigate corrosion of the military equipment and infrastructure of the Department. The duties under this paragraph shall include the duties specified in paragraphs (2) through (5).

(2) The Director shall develop and recommend any policy guidance on the prevention and mitigation of corrosion to be issued by the Secretary of Defense.

(3) The Director shall review the programs and funding levels proposed by the Secretary of each military department during the annual internal Department of Defense budget review process as those programs and funding proposals relate to programs and funding for the prevention and mitigation of corrosion and shall submit to the Secretary of Defense recommendations regarding those programs and proposed funding levels.

(4) The Director shall provide oversight and coordination of the efforts within the Department of Defense to prevent or mitigate corrosion during—

(A) the design, acquisition, and maintenance of military equipment; and

(B) the design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure.

(5) The Director shall monitor acquisition practices within the Department of Defense—

(A) to ensure that the use of corrosion prevention technologies and the application of corrosion prevention treatments are fully considered during research and development in the acquisition process; and

(B) to ensure that, to the extent determined appropriate for each acquisition program, such technologies and treatments are incorporated into that program, particularly during the engineering and design phases of the acquisition process.

(6) The Director shall ensure that contractors of the Department of Defense carrying out activities for the prevention and mitigation of corrosion of the military equipment and infrastructure of the Department of Defense employ for such activities a substantial number of individuals who have completed, or who are currently enrolled in, a qualified training program.

(c) Additional Authorities for Director.— The Director is authorized to—

(1) develop, update, and coordinate corrosion training with the Defense Acquisition University;

(2) participate in the process within the Department of Defense for the development of relevant directives and instructions;

(3) interact directly with the corrosion prevention industry, trade associations, other government corrosion prevention agencies, academic research and educational institutions, and scientific organizations engaged in corrosion prevention, including the National Academy of Sciences; and

(4) require that any training or professional development activities for military personnel or civilian employees of the Department of Defense for the prevention and mitigation of corrosion of the military equipment and infrastructure of the Department of Defense are conducted under a qualified training program that trains and certifies individuals in meeting corrosion control standards that are recognized industry-wide.

(d) Long-Term Strategy.—

(1) The Secretary of Defense shall develop and implement a long-term strategy to reduce corrosion and the effects of corrosion on the military equipment and infrastructure of the Department of Defense.

(2) The strategy under paragraph (1) shall include the following:

(A) Expansion of the emphasis on corrosion prevention and mitigation within the Department of Defense to include coverage of infrastructure.

(B) Application uniformly throughout the Department of Defense of requirements and criteria for the testing and certification of new corrosion-prevention technologies for equipment and infrastructure with similar characteristics, similar missions, or similar operating environments.

(C) Implementation of programs, including supporting databases, to ensure that a focused and coordinated approach is taken throughout the Department of Defense to collect, review, validate, and distribute information on proven methods and products that are relevant to the prevention of corrosion of military equipment and infrastructure.

(D) Establishment of a coordinated research and development program for the prevention and mitigation of corrosion for new and existing military equipment and infrastructure that includes a plan to transition new corrosion prevention technologies into operational systems, including through the establishment of memoranda of agreement, joint funding agreements, public-private partnerships, university research and education centers, and other cooperative research agreements.

(3) The strategy shall include, for the matters specified in paragraph (2), the following:

(A) Policy guidance.

(B) Performance measures and milestones.

(C) An assessment of the necessary personnel and funding necessary to accomplish the long-term strategy.

(e) Report.—

(1) For each budget for a fiscal year, beginning with the budget for fiscal year 2009 and ending with the budget for fiscal year 2022, the Secretary of Defense shall submit, with the defense budget materials, a report on the following:

(A) Funding requirements for the long-term strategy developed under subsection (d).

(B) The estimated composite return on investment achieved by implementing the strategy, and documented in the assessments by the Department of Defense of completed corrosion projects and activities.

(C) For the fiscal year covered by the report and the preceding fiscal year, the funds requested in the budget compared to the funding requirements.

(D) If the full amount of funding requirements is not requested in the budget, the reasons for not including the full amount and a description of the impact on readiness, logistics, and safety of not fully funding required corrosion prevention and mitigation activities.

(E) For the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year covered by the report, the amount of funds requested in the budget for each project or activity described in subsection (d) compared to the funding requirements for the project or activity.

(F) For the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year covered by the report, a description of the specific amount of funds used for military corrosion projects, the Technical Corrosion Collaboration program, and other corrosion-related activities.

(2)

(A) Each report under this section shall include, in an annex to the report, a summary of the most recent report required by subparagraph (B).

(B) Not later than December 31 of each year, through December 31, 2020, the corrosion control and prevention executive of a military department shall submit to the Director of Corrosion Policy and Oversight a report containing recommendations pertaining to the corrosion control and prevention program of the military department. Such report shall include recommendations for the funding levels necessary for the executive to carry out the duties of the executive under this section. The report required under this subparagraph shall—

(i) provide a summary of key accomplishments, goals, and objectives of the corrosion control and prevention program of the military department; and

(ii) include the performance measures used to ensure that the corrosion control and prevention program achieved the goals and objectives described in clause (i).

(f) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) The term “corrosion” means the deterioration of a material or its properties due to a reaction of that material with its chemical environment.

(2) The term “military equipment” includes all weapon systems, weapon platforms, vehicles, and munitions of the Department of Defense, and the components of such items.

(3) The term “infrastructure” includes all buildings, structures, airfields, port facilities, surface and subterranean utility systems, heating and cooling systems, fuel tanks, pavements, and bridges.

(4) The term “budget”, with respect to a fiscal year, means the budget for that fiscal year that is submitted to Congress by the President under section 1105(a) of title 31.

(5) The term “defense budget materials”, with respect to a fiscal year, means the materials submitted to Congress by the Secretary of Defense in support of the budget for that fiscal year.

(6) The term “qualified training program” means a training program in corrosion control, mitigation, and prevention that is—

(A) offered or accredited by an organization that sets industry corrosion standards; or

(B) an industrial coatings applicator training program registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (popularly known as the “National Apprenticeship Act”; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.).

(Added Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title X, § 1067(a)(1), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2657; amended Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title III, § 371(a)–(e), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 79–81; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title X, § 1061(b)(1), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4612; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title III, § 331, Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4185; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title III, § 341, Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1699; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title IX, § 954(a), (b), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2376, 2377; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 811(a), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1845; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title VIII, § 861(j)(13), title XVII, § 1731(a)(32), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1520, 1814; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title VIII, § 813, Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1823; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVIII, § 1801(a)(19), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 684.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Act of August 16, 1937, referred to in subsec. (f)(6)(B), is act Aug. 16, 1937, ch. 663, 50 Stat. 664, popularly known as the National Apprenticeship Act, which is classified generally to chapter 4C (§ 50 et seq.) of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 50 of Title 29 and Tables.

Amendments

2023—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 118–31 substituted “instructions;” for “instructions;;”.

2021—Subsec. (b)(6). Pub. L. 117–81, § 813(1), added par. (6).

Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 117–81, § 813(2), added par. (4).

Subsec. (f)(6). Pub. L. 117–81, § 813(3), added par. (6).

2019—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 116–92, § 1731(a)(32), struck out second period at end.

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 116–92, § 861(j)(13), substituted “under section 1731 of this title” for “under section 1733(b)(1)(C) of this title”.

2018—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 115–232, § 811(a)(1), substituted “and Sustainment” for “, Technology, and Logistics”.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “and Sustainment” for “, Technology, and Logistics” and struck out “The Director shall report directly to the Under Secretary” after “infrastructure of the Department of Defense.”

2016—Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 114–328, § 954(a)(1), inserted “and ending with the budget for fiscal year 2022” after “2009” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (e)(1)(B). Pub. L. 114–328, § 954(a)(2), amended subpar. (B) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (B) read as follows: “The return on investment that would be achieved by implementing the strategy, including available validated data on return on investment for completed corrosion projects and activities.”

Subsec. (e)(1)(D). Pub. L. 114–328, § 954(a)(3), amended subpar. (D) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (D) read as follows: “An explanation if the funding requirements are not fully funded in the budget.”

Subsec. (e)(1)(F). Pub. L. 114–328, § 954(a)(4), struck out “pilot” before “program”.

Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 114–328, § 954(b), designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), substituted “a summary of the most recent report required by subparagraph (B).” for “a copy of the annual corrosion report most recently submitted by the corrosion control and prevention executive of each military department under section 903(b)(5) of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110–417; 122 Stat. 4567; 10 U.S.C. 2228 note).”, and added subpar. (B).

2013—Subsec. (e)(1)(B). Pub. L. 112–239, § 341(1)(A), inserted “, including available validated data on return on investment for completed corrosion projects and activities” before period at end.

Subsec. (e)(1)(E). Pub. L. 112–239, § 341(1)(B), substituted “For the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year covered by the report” for “For the fiscal year covered by the report and the preceding fiscal year”.

Subsec. (e)(1)(F). Pub. L. 112–239, § 341(1)(C), added subpar. (F).

Subsec. (e)(2), (3). Pub. L. 112–239, § 341(2), (3), redesignated par. (3) as (2) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “Within 60 days after submission of the budget for a fiscal year, the Comptroller General shall provide to the congressional defense committees—

“(A) an analysis of the budget submission for corrosion control and prevention by the Department of Defense; and

“(B) an analysis of the report required under paragraph (1), including the annex to the report described in paragraph (3).”

2011—Subsec. (e)(1)(C). Pub. L. 111–383, § 331(1)(A), substituted “For the fiscal year covered by the report and the preceding fiscal year, the” for “The”.

Subsec. (e)(1)(E). Pub. L. 111–383, § 331(1)(B), added subpar. (E).

Subsec. (e)(2)(B). Pub. L. 111–383, § 331(2), inserted before period at end “, including the annex to the report described in paragraph (3)”.

Subsec. (e)(3). Pub. L. 111–383, § 331(3), added par. (3).

2008—Pub. L. 110–181, § 371(a)(1), substituted “Office of Corrosion Policy and Oversight” for “Military equipment and infrastructure: prevention and mitigation of corrosion” in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–181, § 371(a)(1), added subsec. (a) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (a). Former text read as follows: “The Secretary of Defense shall designate an officer or employee of the Department of Defense, or a standing board or committee of the Department of Defense, as the senior official or organization responsible in the Department to the Secretary of Defense (after the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics) for the prevention and mitigation of corrosion of the military equipment and infrastructure of the Department.”

Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 110–181, § 371(a)(2)(A), substituted “Director of Corrosion Policy and Oversight (in this section referred to as the ‘Director’)” for “official or organization designated under subsection (a)”.

Subsec. (b)(2) to (5). Pub. L. 110–181, § 371(a)(2)(B), substituted “Director” for “designated official or organization”.