§239 National Security Space Programs: Major Force Program and Budget Assessment

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must create one unified major force program for national security space activities to set priorities for Department of Defense and national security needs. For each fiscal year 2017 through 2021, within 30 days after the President sends the budget to Congress, the Secretary must send a report to the congressional defense committees about the DoD’s national security space budget. The report can be included in the Secretary’s normal defense budget materials if those are sent by that same deadline. Each report must give an overview that compares the current budget to the previous budget, the most recent and prior multi-year defense program, and the amounts actually appropriated, and must show the space funding as a separate budget line. The report must assess major changes, priorities, challenges, and risks, and may include anything else the Secretary thinks important. Reports must be unclassified but may include a classified annex. “Budget” means the President’s budget submitted to Congress. “Defense budget materials” means the supporting materials the Secretary sends to Congress.