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Pilot program for secure recycling of domestic electronic waste

Division A · Title III: Operation and Maintenance · Subtitle B: Energy and Environment

Plain-language summaryAI

The Department of Defense will start a pilot program to test using U.S.-based facilities to securely recycle electronic waste, focusing on safely destroying data and recovering important materials. The program will evaluate the reuse of recovered materials, environmental and supply chain benefits, and compliance with security standards. Within a year, the Department must report on the program’s costs, security advantages, impact on supply chains, and whether it should be expanded.

AI-generated from this section’s text — a quick orientation, not a substitute for the full text below. Not legal advice.

Section Text · Sec. 314.
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(a) Pilot program

The Secretary of Defense shall establish a pilot program to evaluate the use of domestic, integrated electronic waste recycling infrastructure to support the secure destruction of data and the recovery of critical materials from electronic equipment of the Department of Defense.

(b) Scope

In carrying out the pilot program under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

(1)

use existing facilities capable of end-to-end processing of the electronic waste referred to in such subsection, including the secure dismantling and shredding of such waste and metallurgical recovery from such waste;

(2)

assess the potential for reuse in the defense industrial base of critical minerals and other materials so recovered;

(3)

assess the environmental and supply chain benefits associated with the domestic recycling of such electronic waste; and

(4)

ensure compliance with applicable standards of the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency, respectively, for the destruction of data.

(c) Report

Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the results of the pilot program under subsection (a), including an assessment of—

(1)

the cost effectiveness of the pilot program;

(2)

security benefits realized through the pilot program, including with respect to data protection;

(3)

the effect of the pilot program on supply chain resilience; and

(4)

recommendations of the Secretary regarding the potential expansion of the pilot program across the Department of Defense.