§2451. Defense supply management

(a) The Secretary of Defense shall develop a single catalog system and related program of standardizing supplies for the Department of Defense.

(b) In cataloging, the Secretary shall name, describe, classify, and number each item recurrently used, bought, stocked, or distributed by the Department of Defense, so that only one distinctive combination of letters or numerals, or both, identifies the same item throughout the Department of Defense. Only one identification may be used for each item for all supply functions from purchase to final disposal in the field or other area. The catalog may consist of a number of volumes, sections, or supplements. It shall include all items of supply and, for each item, information needed for supply operations, such as descriptive and performance data, size, weight, cubage, packaging and packing data, a standard quantitative unit of measurement, and other related data that the Secretary determines to be desirable.

(c) In standardizing supplies the Secretary shall, to the highest degree practicable-

(1) standardize items used throughout the Department of Defense by developing and using single specifications, eliminating overlapping and duplicate specifications, and reducing the number of sizes and kinds of items that are generally similar;

(2) standardize the methods of packing, packaging, and preserving such items; and

(3) make efficient use of the services and facilities for inspecting, testing, and accepting such items.

(d) The Secretary shall coordinate with the Administrator of General Services to enable the use of commercial identifiers for commercial products (as defined in section 103 of title 41) within the Federal cataloging system.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 138 ; Pub. L. 85–861, §33(a)(13), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1565 ; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title III, §341, Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1448 ; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, §836(e)(9), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1870 .)

Historical and Revision Notes
1956 Act

Revised section	Source (U.S. Code)	Source (Statutes at Large)
2451(a) 2451(b) 2451(c)	5:173. 5:173b(a). 5:173b(b).	July 1, 1952, ch. 539, §§2, 4, 66 Stat. 318 , 319; 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 6, §1(a) (as applicable to Defense Supply Management Agency), eff. June 30, 1953, 67 Stat. 638.

In subsection (a), the words "for the Department of Defense" are inserted for clarity. 5:173 (1st sentence) is omitted as impliedly repealed by section 2 of 1953 Reorganization Plan No. 6, effective June 30, 1953, 67 Stat. 638.

In subsection (b), the words "or any of the departments thereof", "in such manner", "original", and "necessary or" are omitted as surplusage. The words "throughout the Department of Defense" are substituted for the words "either within a bureau or service, between bureaus or services, or between the departments". The word "recurrently" is substituted for the word "repetitively". The words "Only one identification may" are substituted for the words "The single item identification shall".

In subsection (c), the words "the most" are omitted as surplusage. The words "to the highest degree practicable" are substituted for the words "achieve the highest practicable degree possible" and "The greatest practicable degree of standardization * * * shall be achieved".

1958 Act

The change makes clear that clauses (2) and (3) apply to all items, whether or not standardized, used throughout the Department of Defense.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted "commercial products (as defined in section 103 of title 41)" for "commercial items".

2003-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 108–136 added subsec. (d).

1958-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 85–861 substituted "such" for "standardized" in cl. (2), and "such" for "those" in cl. (3).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Jan. 1, 2020, subject to a savings provision, see section 836(h) of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as an Effective Date of 2018 Amendment; Savings Provision note under section 453b of Title 6, Domestic Security.

Effective Date of 1958 Amendment

Amendment of section by Pub. L. 85–861 effective Aug. 10, 1956, see section 33(g) of Pub. L. 85–861, set out as a note under section 101 of this title.

Defense-Wide Electronic Mall System for Supply Purchases

Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title III, §332, Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 1968 , provided that:

"(a) Electronic Mall System Defined.-In this section, the term 'electronic mall system' means an electronic system for displaying, ordering, and purchasing supplies and materiel available from sources within the Department of Defense and from the private sector.

"(b) Development and Management.-(1) Using systems and technology available in the Department of Defense as of the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 17, 1998], the Joint Electronic Commerce Program Office of the Department of Defense shall develop a single, defense-wide electronic mall system, which shall provide a single, defense-wide electronic point of entry and a single view, access, and ordering capability for all Department of Defense electronic catalogs. The Secretary of each military department and the head of each Defense Agency shall provide to the Joint Electronic Commerce Program Office the necessary and requested data to ensure compliance with this paragraph.

"(2) The Defense Logistics Agency, under the direction of the Joint Electronic Commerce Program Office, shall be responsible for maintaining the defense-wide electronic mall system developed under paragraph (1).

"(c) Role of Chief Information Officer.-The Chief Information Officer of the Department of Defense shall be responsible for-

"(1) overseeing the elimination of duplication and overlap among Department of Defense electronic catalogs; and

"(2) ensuring that such catalogs utilize technologies and formats compliant with the requirements of subsection (b).

"(d) Implementation.-Within 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief Information Officer shall develop and provide to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of Senate and House of Representatives]-

"(1) an inventory of all existing and planned electronic mall systems in the Department of Defense; and

"(2) a schedule for ensuring that each such system is compliant with the requirements of subsection (b)."

Standardization and Interoperability of NATO Weapons

Pub. L. 94–361, title VIII, §803, July 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 930 , which expressed the sense of Congress that the weapons systems of the NATO Allies be standardized and interoperable, that this goal would be facilitated by inter-allied procurement of arms and closer intra-European collaboration in arms procurement, and directed the Secretary of Defense to negotiate with the Allies toward these ends and to report to Congress on actions and programs undertaken to achieve them, was repealed and restated in section 2457 of this title by Pub. L. 97–295, §§1(30)(A), 6(b), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1294 , 1314.

Pub. L. 94–106, title VIII, §814(a), (b), Oct. 7, 1975, 89 Stat. 540 , as amended by Pub. L. 94–361, title VIII, §802, July 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 930 , which had provided that it was the policy of the United States that the equipment of our armed forces in Europe be standardized or at least interoperable with that of our NATO Allies, directed the Secretary of Defense to carry out procurement policies toward this end and to report to Congress on any agreements with the Allies involving exchange of equipment manufactured in the United States for equipment manufactured outside it, authorized the Secretary to find such agreements contrary to the public interest and required him to report on the procurement of any major weapons system not in accord with these policies, was repealed and restated in section 2457 of this title by Pub. L. 97–295, §§1(30)(A), 6(b), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1294 , 1314.

Pub. L. 93–365, title III, §302(c), Aug. 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 402 , as amended by Pub. L. 94–106, title VIII, §814(c), Oct. 7, 1975, 89 Stat. 540 ; Pub. L. 97–252, title XI, §1121, Sept. 8, 1982, 96 Stat. 754 , which had directed the Secretary of Defense to assess the costs and possible loss of effectiveness from the failure of the NATO Allies to standardize equipment, to suggest standardization actions, and to report these matters to the Allies and Congress and to Congress annually on them and results obtained with the Allies, was repealed and restated in section 2457 of this title by Pub. L. 97–295, §§1(30)(A), 6(b), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1294 , 1314.