To prioritize the finalization of design requirements for new Ready Reserve Force vessels, and for other purposes.

Faster Ready Reserve ship design

This bill would require the Secretary of the Navy and the Maritime Administrator to prioritize finishing design requirements for new Ready Reserve Force vessels. It would require a briefing to the congressional defense committees within 180 days after enactment. The briefing would report on four items: the status of the roll-on/roll-off vessel design from the FY2023 NDAA; a plan and timeline for a vessel construction manager program, including procurement strategy, selection process, and shipyard criteria; the funding profile, phased by fiscal year, needed to build the authorized 10 new ships; and how the newbuild program and the used-vessel procurement program will be run together to maintain Ready Reserve Force readiness. The bill would also define "congressional defense committees" and "Ready Reserve Force" by reference to existing law.