Title 50 — War and National DefenseRelease 119-73not60
§3101 Reports on the Acquisition of Major Systems
Title 50 › Chapter 44— NATIONAL SECURITY › Subchapter III— ACCOUNTABILITY FOR INTELLIGENCE ACTIVITIES › § 3101
Summary
Requires program managers to send regular cost reports about big intelligence systems and makes the Director check and tell Congress when costs rise too much. Program managers must file a report every quarter (within 30 days after the quarter ends). They must also send an immediate report if they think costs jumped by certain amounts during a quarter. The Director must review those reports, decide if costs rose by the set thresholds, and send a detailed report to Congress within 45 days when they do. If costs rise by at least 15 percent, that is a “significant” increase. If costs rise by at least 25 percent, that is a “critical” increase and triggers extra actions and limits on spending until Congress gets the required reports and certifications. The Director had to check and reset cost baselines within 180 days after October 7, 2010, and report to Congress. Defined terms (one line each): cost estimate — an assessed count of all costs and risks when a 2010 adjusted cost is set; critical cost growth threshold — a 25% or larger cost increase; current Baseline Estimate — the approved projected total cost used as the baseline; Director — the Director of National Intelligence; independent cost estimate — the separately defined independent estimate; major contract — one of the six largest non‑fixed‑price contracts over $40,000,000; major system — the big program defined elsewhere; Milestone B — the decision to start major development; program manager — the official in charge of budget, cost, schedule, and performance; significant cost growth threshold — a 15% or larger cost increase; total acquisition cost — total cost for development, buying, and system‑specific construction. Reports may be classified.
Full Legal Text
Title 50, §3101
War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)In this section:
(1)The term “cost estimate”—
(A)means an assessment and quantification of all costs and risks associated with the acquisition of a major system based upon reasonably available information at the time the Director establishes the 2010 adjusted total acquisition cost for such system pursuant to subsection (h) or restructures such system pursuant to section 3102(c) of this title; and
(B)does not mean an “independent cost estimate”.
(2)The term “critical cost growth threshold” means a percentage increase in the total acquisition cost for a major system of at least 25 percent over the total acquisition cost for the major system as shown in the current Baseline Estimate for the major system.
(3)(A)The term “current Baseline Estimate” means the projected total acquisition cost of a major system that is—
(i)approved by the Director, or a designee of the Director, at Milestone B or an equivalent acquisition decision for the development, procurement, and construction of such system;
(ii)approved by the Director at the time such system is restructured pursuant to section 3102(c) of this title; or
(iii)the 2010 adjusted total acquisition cost determined pursuant to subsection (h).
(B)A current Baseline Estimate may be in the form of an independent cost estimate.
(4)Except as otherwise specifically provided, the term “Director” means the Director of National Intelligence.
(5)The term “independent cost estimate” has the meaning given that term in section 3097(e) of this title.
(6)The term “major contract” means each of the 6 largest prime, associate, or Government-furnished equipment contracts under a major system that is in excess of $40,000,000 and that is not a firm, fixed price contract.
(7)The term “major system” has the meaning given that term in section 3097(e) of this title.
(8)The term “Milestone B” means a decision to enter into major system development and demonstration pursuant to guidance prescribed by the Director.
(9)The term “program manager” means—
(A)the head of the element of the intelligence community that is responsible for the budget, cost, schedule, and performance of a major system; or
(B)in the case of a major system within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the deputy who is responsible for the budget, cost, schedule, and performance of the major system.
(10)The term “significant cost growth threshold” means the percentage increase in the total acquisition cost for a major system of at least 15 percent over the total acquisition cost for such system as shown in the current Baseline Estimate for such system.
(11)The term “total acquisition cost” means the amount equal to the total cost for development and procurement of, and system-specific construction for, a major system.
(b)(1)The program manager for a major system shall, on a quarterly basis, submit to the Director a major system cost report as described in paragraph (2).
(2)A major system cost report shall include the following information (as of the last day of the quarter for which the report is made):
(A)The total acquisition cost for the major system.
(B)Any cost variance or schedule variance in a major contract for the major system since the contract was entered into.
(C)Any changes from a major system schedule milestones or performances that are known, expected, or anticipated by the program manager.
(D)Any significant changes in the total acquisition cost for development and procurement of any software component of the major system, schedule milestones for such software component of the major system, or expected performance of such software component of the major system that are known, expected, or anticipated by the program manager.
(3)Each major system cost report required by paragraph (1) shall be submitted not more than 30 days after the end of the reporting quarter.
(c)If the program manager of a major system for which a report has previously been submitted under subsection (b) determines at any time during a quarter that there is reasonable cause to believe that the total acquisition cost for the major system has increased by a percentage equal to or greater than the significant cost growth threshold or critical cost growth threshold and if a report indicating an increase of such percentage or more has not previously been submitted to the Director, then the program manager shall immediately submit to the Director a major system cost report containing the information, determined as of the date of the report, required under subsection (b).
(d)(1)Whenever a major system cost report is submitted to the Director, the Director shall determine whether the current acquisition cost for the major system has increased by a percentage equal to or greater than the significant cost growth threshold or the critical cost growth threshold.
(2)If the Director determines that the current total acquisition cost has increased by a percentage equal to or greater than the significant cost growth threshold or critical cost growth threshold, the Director shall submit to Congress a Major System Congressional Report pursuant to subsection (e).
(e)(1)Whenever the Director determines under subsection (d) that the total acquisition cost of a major system has increased by a percentage equal to or greater than the significant cost growth threshold for the major system, a Major System Congressional Report shall be submitted to Congress not later than 45 days after the date on which the Director receives the major system cost report for such major system.
(2)If the total acquisition cost of a major system (as determined by the Director under subsection (d)) increases by a percentage equal to or greater than the critical cost growth threshold for the program or subprogram, the Director shall take actions consistent with the requirements of section 3102 of this title.
(f)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), each Major System Congressional Report shall include the following:
(A)The name of the major system.
(B)The date of the preparation of the report.
(C)The program phase of the major system as of the date of the preparation of the report.
(D)The estimate of the total acquisition cost for the major system expressed in constant base-year dollars and in current dollars.
(E)The current Baseline Estimate for the major system in constant base-year dollars and in current dollars.
(F)A statement of the reasons for any increase in total acquisition cost for the major system.
(G)The completion status of the major system—
(i)expressed as the percentage that the number of years for which funds have been appropriated for the major system is of the number of years for which it is planned that funds will be appropriated for the major system; and
(ii)expressed as the percentage that the amount of funds that have been appropriated for the major system is of the total amount of funds which it is planned will be appropriated for the major system.
(H)The fiscal year in which the major system was first authorized and in which funds for such system were first appropriated by Congress.
(I)The current change and the total change, in dollars and expressed as a percentage, in the total acquisition cost for the major system, stated both in constant base-year dollars and in current dollars.
(J)The quantity of end items to be acquired under the major system and the current change and total change, if any, in that quantity.
(K)The identities of the officers responsible for management and cost control of the major system.
(L)The action taken and proposed to be taken to control future cost growth of the major system.
(M)Any changes made in the performance or schedule milestones of the major system and the extent to which such changes have contributed to the increase in total acquisition cost for the major system.
(N)The following contract performance assessment information with respect to each major contract under the major system:
(i)The name of the contractor.
(ii)The phase that the contract is in at the time of the preparation of the report.
(iii)The percentage of work under the contract that has been completed.
(iv)Any current change and the total change, in dollars and expressed as a percentage, in the contract cost.
(v)The percentage by which the contract is currently ahead of or behind schedule.
(vi)A narrative providing a summary explanation of the most significant occurrences, including cost and schedule variances under major contracts of the major system, contributing to the changes identified and a discussion of the effect these occurrences will have on the future costs and schedule of the major system.
(O)In any case in which one or more problems with a software component of the major system significantly contributed to the increase in costs of the major system, the action taken and proposed to be taken to solve such problems.
(2)A Major System Congressional Report prepared for a major system for which the increase in the total acquisition cost is due to termination or cancellation of the entire major system shall include only—
(A)the information described in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (1); and
(B)the total percentage change in total acquisition cost for such system.
(g)If a determination of an increase by a percentage equal to or greater than the significant cost growth threshold is made by the Director under subsection (d) and a Major System Congressional Report containing the information described in subsection (f) is not submitted to Congress under subsection (e)(1), or if a determination of an increase by a percentage equal to or greater than the critical cost growth threshold is made by the Director under subsection (d) and the Major System Congressional Report containing the information described in subsection (f) and section 3102(b)(3) of this title and the certification required by section 3102(b)(2) of this title are not submitted to Congress under subsection (e)(2), funds appropriated for construction, research, development, test, evaluation, and procurement may not be obligated for a major contract under the major system. The prohibition on the obligation of funds for a major system shall cease to apply at the end of the 45-day period that begins on the date—
(1)on which Congress receives the Major System Congressional Report under subsection (e)(1) with respect to that major system, in the case of a determination of an increase by a percentage equal to or greater than the significant cost growth threshold (as determined in subsection (d)); or
(2)on which Congress receives both the Major System Congressional Report under subsection (e)(2) and the certification of the Director under section 3102(b)(2) of this title with respect to that major system, in the case of an increase by a percentage equal to or greater than the critical cost growth threshold (as determined under subsection (d)).
(h)(1)Not later than 180 days after October 7, 2010, the Director—
(A)shall, for each major system, determine if the total acquisition cost of such major system increased by a percentage equal to or greater than the significant cost growth threshold or the critical cost growth threshold prior to such date;
(B)shall establish for each major system for which the total acquisition cost has increased by a percentage equal to or greater than the significant cost growth threshold or the critical cost growth threshold prior to such date a revised current Baseline Estimate based upon an updated cost estimate;
(C)may, for a major system not described in subparagraph (B), establish a revised current Baseline Estimate based upon an updated cost estimate; and
(D)shall submit to Congress a report describing—
(i)each determination made under subparagraph (A);
(ii)each revised current Baseline Estimate established for a major system under subparagraph (B); and
(iii)each revised current Baseline Estimate established for a major system under subparagraph (C), including the percentage increase of the total acquisition cost of such major system that occurred prior to October 7, 2010.
(2)The revised current Baseline Estimate established for a major system under subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) shall be the 2010 adjusted total acquisition cost for the major system and may include the estimated cost of conducting any vulnerability assessments for such major system required under section 3099 of this title.
(i)Any determination of a percentage increase under this section shall be stated in terms of constant base year dollars.
(j)Any report required to be submitted under this section may be submitted in a classified form.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Section was formerly classified to section 415a–7 of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Applicability Date of Quarterly Reports Pub. L. 111–259, title III, § 323(a)(2), Oct. 7, 2010, 124 Stat. 2678, provided that: “The first report required to be submitted under subsection (b) of section 506E of the National security [Security] Act of 1947 [50 U.S.C. 3101(b)], as added by paragraph (1) of this subsection, shall be submitted with respect to the first fiscal quarter that begins on a date that is not less than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 7, 2010].” Major Defense Acquisition Programs Pub. L. 111–259, title III, § 323(b), Oct. 7, 2010, 124 Stat. 2678, provided that: “Nothing in this section [enacting this section and provisions set out as a note under this section], section 324 [enacting section 3102 of this title], or an amendment made by this section or section 324, shall be construed to exempt an acquisition program of the Department of Defense from the requirements of [former] chapter 144 of title 10, United States Code [see chapters 321, 324, and 325, subchapter I of chapter 322, and section 3042, 4232, 4273, 4293, 4321, 4323, and 4328 of title 10][,] or Department of Defense Directive 5000, to the extent that such requirements are otherwise applicable.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
50 U.S.C. § 3101
Title 50 — War and National Defense
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60