Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73

§4023 Procurement for experimental purposes

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— - General Military Law › Part PART V— - ACQUISITION › Subpart Subpart E— - Research and Engineering › Chapter CHAPTER 301— - RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING GENERALLY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - AGREEMENTS › § 4023

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense and the military department secretaries may buy or change purchases of prototypes and related goods for testing anywhere, by contract or otherwise; Chapter 137 applies if quantities exceed needs for testing, evaluation, safety, or leftover operational capability.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §4023

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments may each buy demonstrations, prototypes, products, supplies, parts, accessories, auxiliary services, and design for products or services that the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary concerned considers necessary for experimental or test purposes in the development of the best supplies that are needed for the national defense.
(b)Purchases under this section may be made or modified inside or outside the United States and by contract or otherwise. Chapter 137 11 See References in Text note below. of this title applies only when such purchases are made in quantities greater than necessary for prototyping, experimentation, technical evaluation, assessment of operational utility, or safety or to provide a residual operational capability.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Chapter 137 of this title, referred to in subsec. (b), was repealed by Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1881(a), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4293, effective Jan. 1, 2022, in conjunction with the transfer and reorganization of acquisition provisions in this title by Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, Jan. 1, 2022, 134 Stat. 4149. For definition of “chapter 137 legacy provisions”, see section 3016 of this title.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 4023, act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 233, related to employment of civilians in service club and library services, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 87–651, title I, § 116(1), Sept. 7, 1962, 76 Stat. 513. Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 4504 and 9504 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 103–160, § 822(c)(2).

Amendments

2025—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 119–60, § 1831(1), substituted “demonstrations, prototypes, products, supplies, parts, accessories, auxiliary services, and design for products or services” for “ordnance, signal, chemical activity, transportation, energy, medical, space-flight, telecommunications, and aeronautical supplies, including parts and accessories, and designs thereof,”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 119–60, § 1831(2), inserted “or modified” after “may be made” and “prototyping,” after “greater than necessary for”. 2021—Pub. L. 116–283, § 1841(b)(1), as amended by Pub. L. 117–81, § 1701(u)(2)(B), renumbered section 2373 of this title as this section. 2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–232 inserted “telecommunications,” after “space-flight,”. 2015—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–92, § 814(a), inserted “transportation, energy, medical, space-flight,” before “and aeronautical supplies”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–92, § 814(b), substituted “only when such purchases are made in quantities greater than necessary for experimentation, technical evaluation, assessment of operational utility, or safety or to provide a residual operational capability” for “only when such purchases are made in quantity”. 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–106 inserted “only” after “applies” in second sentence. 1994—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “chemical activity, and aeronautical supplies,” for “and chemical activity supplies,”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2021 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 117–81 applicable as if included in the enactment of title XVIII of Pub. L. 116–283 as enacted, see section 1701(a)(2) of Pub. L. 117–81, set out in a note preceding section 3001 of this title and note below. Amendment by Pub. L. 116–283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116–283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 4023

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73