This bill amends 10 U.S.C. 2679 to expand the Department of Defense’s authority to enter into intergovernmental support agreements with other federal agencies, states, local governments, or tribal governments to provide, receive, or share installation-support services. It also broadens funding options for these arrangements and extends the related timeline.
A pilot program is created to test up to one such agreement per service branch (Army, Navy, Air Force) for up to 20 years. The overall aim is to improve efficiency and access to shared installation capabilities across government partners.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill adds a new authority for intergovernmental support agreements under section 2679, allowing partnership with other federal agencies for installation-support services. It also expands funding sources and extends the applicable timeframe, and it establishes a pilot program for per-branch participation.
Who It Affects
DoD components and installation-management entities, state/local/tribal governments, and other federal agencies that could provide or receive installation-support services.
Why It Matters
By enabling cross-agency collaboration and broader funding options, the bill seeks to unlock efficiency gains in installation management and scale shared services across government.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The Expanding Defense Community Partnerships Act broadens how the Department of Defense can obtain and share installation-support services with other federal agencies, as well as with state, local, and tribal governments. It adds a new cross-agency partnership authority, allowing collaboration to provide or receive installation-support services and to share those services among agencies.
The fiscal mechanics are updated to allow use of operation and maintenance funds, research and development funds, procurement funds for ammunition, and even non-appropriated funds to pay for these services, broadening the ways these arrangements can be financed. The legislation also extends the current deadline from 2025 to 2030 and adds that the scope of services can include facility repair, construction, maintenance, or operation.
Finally, the bill creates a pilot program permitting up to one intergovernmental support agreement per service (Army, Navy, Air Force) for up to 20 years to test these arrangements before broader adoption. This package is designed to increase flexibility and enable cost-effective, cross-government installation support.
A pilot is intended to generate learning on governance, oversight, and execution across agencies and jurisdictions.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill expands the DoD’s authority to enter intergovernmental support agreements with other federal agencies for installation-support services.
It authorizes payment of these services using O&M, RDT&E, ammunition procurement funds, or military construction funds, and allows non-appropriated funds.
The deadline for the relevant authority is extended from 2025 to 2030.
The scope of eligible activities now includes facility repair, construction, maintenance, or operation.
A pilot program allows up to one intergovernmental support agreement per service (Army, Navy, Air Force) for up to 20 years.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Expansion of authority for intergovernmental support agreements
Section 2(a) broadens the authority under 10 U.S.C. 2679. It adds a new paragraph that permits the Secretary concerned or a state, local, or tribal government, as applicable, to partner or collaborate with another federal agency to provide, receive, or share installation-support services under an intergovernmental support agreement. It also revises existing subsections to allow broader cross-agency collaboration and includes a new flexibility that the vendor of services can be from another federal agency. The practical effect is to enable a wider set of partners to participate in shared installation management, potentially unlocking economies of scale and better utilization of existing facilities and staff.
Pilot program for intergovernmental support agreements
Section 2(b) establishes a pilot program under which the Secretary of Defense may enter into not more than one intergovernmental support agreement under section 2679 for each of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. Each agreement can run up to 20 years, and the pilot is intended to test the governance, performance, cost-sharing, and effectiveness of cross-agency installation-support arrangements before broader adoption. This provision operates notwithstanding the general limitations in subsection (a)(2)(A), signaling a deliberate policy choice to evaluate a longer-duration, cross-cutting approach to installation support.
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Explore Defense in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- DoD installation-management offices and service components gain access to shared resources and more flexible funding mechanisms, enabling potential efficiencies and improved service delivery.
- Army, Navy, and Air Force installation commands may leverage cross-agency partnerships to optimize facilities and services.
- State, local, or tribal governments gain formal pathways to partner with other federal agencies for installation-support services, potentially improving local infrastructure efficiency.
- Other federal agencies that provide or coordinate installation-support services can participate in formal interagency agreements, expanding intergovernmental collaboration and governance.
- Policy and program managers within DoD and partner agencies gain experience and data from the pilot program to inform future scaling.
Who Bears the Cost
- DoD’s budgetary and administrative resources may incur costs associated with setting up, managing, and overseeing new interagency agreements and cross-agency processes.
- Local governments that participate may incur coordination and administrative costs to align programs with DoD requirements.
- Other federal agencies providing services may shoulder initial costs related to integration, data-sharing, and performance monitoring.
- Contractors and service providers may need to adjust to new cross-agency procurement and governance structures.
- Non-appropriated funding sources may be tapped to finance these arrangements, potentially diverting funds from other uses.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
Balancing broad collaboration and flexibility with tight governance and clear accountability is the central dilemma: cross-agency partnerships can unlock efficiencies but multiply the surfaces where oversight, funding control, and security requirements must align.
The bill expands the DoD’s ability to collaborate with other federal agencies and subnational governments, but this raises questions about oversight, accountability, and the allocation of funding across agencies. Coordinating requirements across multiple jurisdictions could create administrative complexity, require harmonization of procurement and security rules, and necessitate robust data-sharing and cybersecurity protections.
There is a risk that cost savings or efficiency gains are not realized if governance structures are not well designed, or if the pilot fails to scale.
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