§ 2325. Restructuring costs

(a) Limitation on Payment of Restructuring Costs.—
(1) The Secretary of Defense may not pay, under section 2324 of this title, a defense contractor for restructuring costs associated with a business combination of the contractor that occurs after November 18, 1997, unless the Secretary determines in writing either—
(A) that the amount of projected savings for the Department of Defense associated with the restructuring will be at least twice the amount of the costs allowed; or
(B) that the amount of projected savings for the Department of Defense associated with the restructuring will exceed the amount of the costs allowed and that the business combination will result in the preservation of a critical capability that otherwise might be lost to the Department.
(2) The Secretary may not delegate the authority to make a determination under paragraph (1), with respect to a business combination, to an official of the Department of Defense—
(A) below the level of an Assistant Secretary of Defense for cases in which the amount of restructuring costs is expected to exceed $25,000,000 over a 5-year period; or
(B) below the level of the Director of the Defense Contract Management Agency for all other cases.
(b) Report.— Not later than March 1 in each of 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report that contains, with respect to business combinations occurring on or after August 15, 1994, the following:
(1) For each defense contractor to which the Secretary has paid, under section 2324 of this title, restructuring costs associated with a business combination, a summary of the following:
(A) An estimate of the amount of savings for the Department of Defense associated with the restructuring that has been realized as of the end of the preceding calendar year.
(B) An estimate of the amount of savings for the Department of Defense associated with the restructuring that is expected to be achieved on defense contracts.
(2) An identification of any business combination for which the Secretary has paid restructuring costs under section 2324 of this title during the preceding calendar year and, for each such business combination—
(A) the supporting rationale for allowing such costs;
(B) factual information associated with the determination made under subsection (a) with respect to such costs; and
(C) a discussion of whether the business combination would have proceeded without the payment of restructuring costs by the Secretary.
(3) For business combinations of major defense contractors that took place during the year preceding the year of the report—
(A) an assessment of any potentially adverse effects that the business combinations could have on competition for Department of Defense contracts (including potential horizontal effects, vertical effects, and organizational conflicts of interest), the national technology and industrial base, or innovation in the defense industry; and
(B) the actions taken to mitigate the potentially adverse effects.
(c) Definition.— In this section, the term “business combination” includes a merger or acquisition.