Sec. 127. Assessment and certification relating to OC–135 aircraft
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/bill/116/hr/6395/rh/section-127A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Except as provided in subsection (b), none of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available for fiscal year 2021 for the Air Force may be obligated or expended to retire, divest, realign, or place in storage or on backup aircraft inventory status, or prepare to retire, divest, realign, or place in storage or backup inventory status, any OC–135 aircraft until a period of 90 days has elapsed following the date on which the Secretary of the Air Force submits to the congressional defense committees— the report required under subsection (c); and the certification required under subsection (d). The limitation in subsection
(a)shall not apply to— individual OC–135 aircraft that the Secretary of the Air Force determines, on a case-by-case basis, to be no longer mission capable because of mishaps or other damage; or funds obligated or expended— for the preparation of the report required under subsection (c); or for the Air Force to assess options to repurpose the OC–135 aircraft to support other mission requirements. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Air Force shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes the following: Identification of any unclassified aerial imagery requirements that the Air Force or Air National Guard can meet using the OC–135 aircraft, a version of the aircraft that is expected to replace the OC–135, or similar aerial imagery collection and processing capabilities. An assessment of the extent to which it is more appropriate for the Air Force or the Air National Guard to fulfill such requirements. A comparison of the costs and effectiveness of alternative means of meeting unclassified aerial imagery requirements. An assessment of the utility and cost differential of performing international treaty monitoring missions such as Olive Harvest with the OC–135 aircraft, a version of the aircraft that is expected to replace the OC–135, or similar aerial imagery collection and processing capabilities. Together with the report required under subsection (c), the Secretary of the Air Force shall certify to the congressional defense committees— whether there are unclassified aerial imagery requirements that the Air Force can meet with the OC–135 aircraft or a version of the aircraft that is expected to replace the OC–135; and whether the Secretary has identified methods of meeting such requirements that are more effective and more efficient than meeting such requirements through the use of the OC–135 aircraft or a version of the aircraft that is expected to replace the OC–135. In this section, the term unclassified aerial imagery requirements means requirements for the Air Force to provide responsive unclassified aerial imagery support to military forces, domestic civil authorities, other departments and agencies of the Federal Government, and foreign partners of the United States, including any requirements to provide unclassified aerial imagery in support of overseas contingency operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, defense support to domestic civil authorities, and international treaty monitoring missions.