ROCKET PROPULSION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

SEC. 1604. ROCKET PROPULSION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.(a) Development.—(1) In general.—The Secretary of Defense shall develop a next-generation rocket propulsion system that enables the effective, efficient, and expedient transition from the use of non-allied space launch engines to a domestic alternative for national security space launches.(2) Requirements.—The system developed under paragraph (1) shall—(A) be made in the United States;(B) meet the requirements of the national security space community;(C) be developed by not later than 2019;(D) be developed using full and open competition; and(E) be available for purchase by all space launch providers of the United States.(b) Report.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes—(1) a plan to carry out the development of the rocket propulsion system under subsection (a), including an analysis of the benefits of using public-private partnerships;(2) the requirements of the program to develop such system; and(3) the estimated cost of such system.(c) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.—In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means the following:(1) The congressional defense committees.(2) The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.