
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 10USC2451]

 
                         TITLE 10--ARMED FORCES
 
                    Subtitle A--General Military Law
 
                PART IV--SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROCUREMENT
 
               CHAPTER 145--CATALOGING AND STANDARDIZATION
 
Sec. 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.

(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 138; Pub. L. 85-861, Sec. 33(a)(13), 
Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1565.)

                                          Historical and Revision Notes
                                                    1956 Act
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
            Revised section                      Source (U.S. Code)            
   Source (Statutes at Large)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
2451(a)...............................  5:173.                               Ju
ly 1, 1952, ch. 539, Secs.  2, 4,
2451(b)...............................  5:173b(a).                            6
6 Stat. 318, 319; 1953 Reorg.
2451(c)...............................  5:173b(b).                            P
lan No. 6, Sec.  1(a) (as
                                                                              a
pplicable to Defense Supply
                                                                              M
anagement Agency), eff. June 30,
                                                                              1
953, 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.


                               Amendments

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


                    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, Sec. 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, Sec. 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, 
Secs. 1(30)(A), 6(b), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1294, 1314.
    Pub. L. 94-106, title VIII, Sec. 814(a), (b), Oct. 7, 1975, 89 Stat. 
540, as amended by Pub. L. 94-361, title VIII, Sec. 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, Secs. 1(30)(A), 6(b), Oct. 12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1294, 
1314.
    Pub. L. 93-365, title III, Sec. 302(c), Aug. 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 402, 
as amended by Pub. L. 94-106, title VIII, Sec. 814(c), Oct. 7, 1975, 89 
Stat. 540; Pub. L. 97-252, title XI, Sec. 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, Secs. 1(30)(A), 6(b), Oct. 
12, 1982, 96 Stat. 1294, 1314.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in sections 2452, 2453, 2454 of this 
title.
