Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§239 National security space programs: major force program and budget assessment

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART I— - ORGANIZATION AND GENERAL MILITARY POWERS › Chapter CHAPTER 9— - DEFENSE BUDGET MATTERS › § 239

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must set up one unified major force program for national security space under section 222(b). This program will set priorities for Department of Defense and national security space work. Within 30 days after the President sends Congress the budget for each fiscal year 2017 through 2021, the Secretary must give the congressional defense committees a report on the DoD’s national security space budget. The report can be part of the defense budget materials if it is ready on time. It must be unclassified (it may have a classified annex) and must include an overview comparing current and past budgets and showing line‑item funding, an assessment of major changes, priorities, challenges, and risks, and any other matters the Secretary chooses. Definitions: Budget — the President’s budget for that fiscal year. Defense budget materials — the documents the Secretary sends to Congress to support that budget.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §239

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Defense shall establish a unified major force program for national security space programs pursuant to section 222(b) of this title to prioritize national security space activities in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Defense and national security.
(b)(1)Not later than 30 days after the date on which the President submits to Congress the budget for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the budget for national security space programs of the Department of Defense. The Secretary may include the report in the defense budget materials if the Secretary submits such materials to Congress by such date.
(2)Each report on the budget for national security space programs of the Department of Defense under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
(A)An overview of the budget, including—
(i)a comparison between that budget, the previous budget, the most recent and prior future-years defense program submitted to Congress under section 221 of this title, and the amounts appropriated for such programs during the previous fiscal year; and
(ii)the specific identification, as a budgetary line item, for the funding under such programs.
(B)An assessment of the budget, including significant changes, priorities, challenges, and risks.
(C)Any additional matters the Secretary determines appropriate.
(3)Each report under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.
(c)In this section:
(1)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.
(2)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.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 115–232 amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “The Secretary shall include with the defense budget materials for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2020 a report on the budget for national security space programs of the Department of Defense.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Plan To Carry Out Unified Major Force Program Designation Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title XVI, § 1601(b), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1096, provided that: “Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 25, 2015], the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] a plan to carry out the unified major force program designation required by section 239(a) of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1), including any recommendations for legislative action the Secretary determines appropriate.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 239

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73