Using funds available to the Department of Defense for the acquisition of an end item, the head of an agency making the acquisition may acquire a higher quantity of the end item than the quantity specified for the end item in a law providing for the funding of that acquisition if that head of an agency makes each of the following findings:

(1) The agency has an established requirement for the end item that is expected to remain substantially unchanged throughout the period of the acquisition.

(2) It is possible to acquire the higher quantity of the end item without additional funding because of production efficiencies or other cost reductions.

(3) The amount of the funds used for the acquisition of the higher quantity of the end item will not exceed the amount provided under that law for the acquisition of the end item.

(4) The amount so provided is sufficient to ensure that each unit of the end item acquired within the higher quantity is fully funded as a complete end item.

The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section. The regulations shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(1) The level of approval within the Department of Defense that is required for a decision to acquire a higher quantity of an end item under subsection (a).

(2) Authority (subject to subsection (a)) to acquire up to 10 percent more than the quantity of an end item approved in a justification and approval of the use of procedures other than competitive procedures for the acquisition of the end item under section 2304 of this title.

The head of an agency is not required to notify Congress in advance regarding a decision under the authority of this section to acquire a higher quantity of an end item than is specified in a law described in subsection (a), but, except as provided in paragraph (2), shall notify the congressional defense committees of the decision not later than 30 days after the date of the decision.

(1) The head of an agency is not required to notify Congress in advance regarding a decision under the authority of this section to acquire a higher quantity of an end item than is specified in a law described in subsection (a), but, except as provided in paragraph (2), shall notify the congressional defense committees of the decision not later than 30 days after the date of the decision.

(2) A notification is not required under paragraph (1) if the end item being acquired in a higher quantity is an end item under a tactical missile program or a munitions program.

A provision of law may not be construed as prohibiting the acquisition of a higher quantity of an end item under this section unless that provision of law—

(1) specifically refers to this section; and

(2) specifically states that the acquisition of the higher quantity of the end item is prohibited notwithstanding the authority provided in this section.

In this section:

(1) For the purposes of this section, a quantity of an end item shall be considered specified in a law if the quantity is specified either in a provision of that law or in any related representation that is set forth separately in a table, chart, or explanatory text included in a joint explanatory statement or governing committee report accompanying the law.

In this section:

(A) The term “end item” means a production product assembled, completed, and ready for issue or deployment.

(B) The term “head of an agency” means the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Army, the Secretary of the Navy, and the Secretary of the Air Force.

(Added Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title VIII, § 801(a)(1), Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2600; amended Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title X, § 1043(b)(11), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1611; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VIII, § 852, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2296.)