2015 US Code
Title 10 - Armed Forces (Sections 101 - 18506)
Subtitle A - General Military Law (Sections 101 - 2926)
Part IV - Service, Supply, and Procurement (Sections 2201 - 2926)
Chapter 147 - Commissaries and Exchanges and Other Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Activities (Sections 2481 - 2495b)
Subchapter I - Defense Commissary and Exchange Systems (Sections 2481 - 2485)
Sec. 2481 - Defense commissary and exchange systems: existence and purpose

(a) Separate Systems.—The Secretary of Defense shall operate, in the manner provided by this chapter and other provisions of law, a world-wide system of commissary stores and a separate world-wide system of exchange stores. The stores of each system may sell, at reduced prices, food and other merchandise to members of the uniformed services on active duty, members of the uniformed services entitled to retired pay, dependents of such members, and persons authorized to use the system under chapter 54 of this title.

(b) Purpose of Systems.—The defense commissary system and the exchange system are intended to enhance the quality of life of members of the uniformed services, retired members, and dependents of such members, and to support military readiness, recruitment, and retention.

(c) Oversight.—(1) The Secretary of Defense shall designate a senior official of the Department of Defense to oversee the operation of both the defense commissary system and the exchange system.

(2) The Secretary of Defense shall establish an executive governing body to provide advice to the senior official designated under paragraph (1) regarding the operation of the defense commissary and exchange systems and to ensure the complementary operation of the systems.

(d) Reduced Prices Defined.—In this section, the term "reduced prices" means prices for food and other merchandise determined using the price setting process specified in section 2484 of this title.

(Added Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title VI, §651(a)(3), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1965.)

A prior section 2481, added Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title VI, §652(a), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1522, related to the existence of defense commissary system and exchange stores system, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title VI, §651(a)(1), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1964.

Another prior section 2481 was renumbered section 2686 of this title.

Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VI, §651, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 854, provided that:

"(a) In General.—Not later than March 1, 2016, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report setting forth a comprehensive plan to achieve by October 1, 2018, budget-neutrality in the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits while meeting the benchmarks set forth in subsection (c). In preparing the report, the Secretary shall consider the report required by section 634 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. 'Buck' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113–291; 128 Stat. 3406) and any other previous reports, studies, and surveys of matters appropriate to the report.

"(b) Report Elements.—The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following:

"(1) A description of any modifications to the commissary and exchange benefit systems the Secretary considers appropriate to obtain budget-neutrality in the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits, including the following:

"(A) The establishment of common business processes, practices, and systems to exploit synergies between the operations of defense commissaries and exchanges and to optimize the operations of the resale system and the benefits provided by the commissaries and exchanges.

"(B) The privatization of the defense commissary system and the military exchange system, in whole or in part.

"(C) Engagement of major commercial grocery retailers or other private sector entities to determine their willingness to provide eligible beneficiaries with discount savings on grocery products and certain household goods.

"(D) The closure of commissaries in locations in close proximity to other commissaries or in locations where commercial alternatives, through major grocery retailers, may be available.

"(2) An analysis of different pricing constructs to improve or enhance the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits.

"(3) A description of the impact of any modifications described pursuant to paragraph (1) on Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) quality-of-life programs.

"(4) Such recommendations for legislative action as the Secretary considers appropriate to achieve by October 1, 2018, budget-neutrality in the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits while meeting the benchmarks set forth in subsection (c).

"(c) Benchmarks.—The report required by subsection (a) shall ensure—

"(1) the maintenance of high levels of customer satisfaction in the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits;

"(2) the provision of high quality products; and

"(3) the sustainment of discount savings to eligible beneficiaries.

"(d) Comptroller General Assessment of Plan.—Not later than 120 days after the submittal of the report required by subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report setting forth an assessment by the Comptroller General of the plan to achieve budget-neutrality in the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits while meeting the benchmarks set forth in subsection (c) as set forth in the report required by subsection (a).

"(e) Pilot Programs.—

"(1) Programs authorized.—After the reports required by subsections (a) and (d) have been submitted as described in such subsections, the Secretary may, notwithstanding any requirement in chapter 147 of title 10, United States Code, conduct one or more pilot programs to evaluate the feasibility and advisability of processes and methods for achieving budget-neutrality in the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits and other applicable benchmarks in accordance with this section. The Secretary may authorize any commissary or exchange, or private sector entity, participating in any such pilot program to establish appropriate prices in response to market conditions and customer demand, provided that the level of savings required by paragraph (3) is maintained.

"(2) Benchmarks.—If the Secretary conducts a pilot program under this subsection, the Secretary shall establish specific, measurable benchmarks for measuring success in the provision of high quality grocery goods and products, discount savings to patrons, and high levels of customer satisfaction while achieving budget-neutrality in the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits under the pilot program.

"(3) Required savings to patrons.—The Secretary shall ensure that the level of savings to commissary and exchange patrons under any pilot program under this subsection is not less than the level of savings to such patrons before the implementation of such pilot program, as follows:

"(A) Before commencing a pilot program the Secretary shall establish a baseline of savings to patrons achieved for each commissary or exchange to participate in such pilot program by comparing prices charged by such commissary or exchange for a representative market basket of goods to prices charged by local competitors for the same market basket of goods.

"(B) After commencement of such pilot program, the Secretary shall ensure that each commissary or exchange, or private sector entity, participating in such pilot program conducts market-basket price comparisons not less than once a month and adjusts pricing as necessary to ensure that pricing achieves savings to patrons under such pilot program that are reasonably consistent with the baseline savings for the commissary or exchange established pursuant to subparagraph (A).

"(4) Duration of authority.—The authority of the Secretary to carry out a pilot program under this subsection shall expire on the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 25, 2015]. However, if a pilot program achieves budget-neutrality in the delivery of commissary and exchange benefits and other applicable benchmarks, as measured using the benchmarks required by paragraph (2), the Secretary may continue the pilot program for an additional period of up to five years.

"(5) Reports.—

"(A) Initial reports.—If the Secretary conducts a pilot program under this subsection, the Secretary shall, not later than 30 days before commencing the pilot program, submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the pilot program, including the following:

"(i) A description of the pilot program.

"(ii) The provisions, if any, of chapter 147 of title 10, United States Code, that will be waived in the conduct of the pilot program.

"(B) Final reports.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the completion of any pilot program under this subsection or the date of the commencement of an extension of a pilot program under paragraph (4), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the pilot program, including the following:

"(i) A description and assessment of the pilot program.

"(ii) Such recommendations for administrative or legislative action as the Secretary considers appropriate in light of the pilot program."