S. 4766

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4766 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4766

To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to 
evaluate the safety, quality, and qualification pathways of printable 
energetic feedstocks for controlled additive manufacturing 
applications.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 11, 2026

Mr. Cornyn introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program to 
evaluate the safety, quality, and qualification pathways of printable 
energetic feedstocks for controlled additive manufacturing 
applications.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM ON SAFETY AND QUALIFICATION OF PRINTABLE 
ENERGETIC FEEDSTOCKS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING.

(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish a 
pilot program, to be carried out by the Under Secretary of Defense for 
Research and Engineering, in coordination with the Capability Program 
Executive, Ammunition and Energetics (or successor organization) and 
appropriate service acquisition executives, to evaluate the safety, 
quality, and qualification pathways of printable energetic feedstocks 
for controlled additive manufacturing applications.
(b) Purpose.--The purposes of the pilot program are--
(1) to determine whether the use of printable energetic 
feedstocks can improve handling safety, process stability, lot-
to-lot consistency, and supply chain resilience relative to 
traditional energetics manufacturing and handling methods;
(2) to analyze the effect of printable energetic feedstocks 
with regards to logistics, including throughput, waste, defect 
rate, and constituent material availability versus state-of-
the-art legacy processes;
(3) to develop and validate new test and evaluation 
methods, if necessary, including metrology and digital quality 
assurance, if existing qualification pathways are insufficient 
to assess printable energetic feedstocks for Department of 
Defense use;
(4) to assess applicability of printable energetic 
feedstocks to existing or planned munition and energetics 
modernization efforts, consistent with explosive safety, 
security, and environmental requirements that provide advantage 
in performance or logistics; and
(5) to identify barriers to adoption, including 
infrastructure, standards, certification, and workforce 
requirements.
(c) Activities.--Activities under the pilot program may include--
(1) identification, assessment, and characterization of 
representative printable energetic feedstocks and their 
performance consistency under controlled conditions;
(2) development of qualification criteria and data packages 
to inform safety releases, waivers, or certifications as 
appropriate;
(3) limited demonstrations at Government facilities or 
contractor facilities that meet all applicable explosive safety 
and security requirements;
(4) development of nonproprietary standards, metrology 
approaches, and digital thread quality controls for printable 
energetic feedstocks; and
(5) analysis of operational effects via wargaming or 
mission or campaign modeling and experimental performance data.
(d) Comparative Safety Assessment Required.--As a core element of 
the pilot program, the Secretary shall conduct a comparative assessment 
of the safety of the use of printable energetic feedstocks relative to 
traditional energetics manufacturing and handling, including, at a 
minimum--
(1) hazards and risks associated with storage, transport, 
handling, and processing;
(2) sensitivity and response to credible stimuli (including 
thermal and mechanical stimuli) using appropriate test 
standards;
(3) process safety considerations, including potential 
failure modes and mitigations for controlled additive 
manufacturing workflows;
(4) accident and incident risk modeling (including 
qualitative and quantitative risk assessment where feasible); 
and
(5) recommended safety controls, facility requirements, and 
operational constraints for any future operational use.
(e) Safety and Security Requirements.--The Secretary shall ensure 
that activities under the pilot program--
(1) are conducted only at facilities compliant with 
applicable explosive safety siting, storage, handling, and 
operating requirements;
(2) incorporate counter-diversion safeguards, inventory 
accountability, and chain-of-custody controls; and
(3) do not authorize dissemination of restricted 
manufacturing parameters outside approved Government and 
cleared-industry channels.
(f) Reporting.--Not later than 180 days after initiation of the 
pilot program, and annually thereafter for the duration of the pilot 
program, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense 
committees a report that includes--
(1) pilot objectives, participants, test locations, and 
safety governance structure;
(2) test methodologies, standards used, and key safety and 
quality metrics;
(3) results of activities conducted under subsection (c), 
including identification, assessment, and characterization of 
representative printable energetic feedstocks, demonstrations, 
qualification criteria, data packages, and standards 
development;
(4) results of the comparative safety assessment required 
under subsection (d), including identified hazards, 
mitigations, and residual risk;
(5) an assessment of cost, schedule, and scalability 
relative to traditional energetics manufacturing and handling;
(6) recommended qualification and certification pathways, 
including any standards gaps; and
(7) any recommended legislative, regulatory, or resourcing 
actions required to enable safe adoption.
(g) Termination.--The pilot program shall terminate before the date 
that is two years after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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