MODIFICATION OF ACQUISITION AUTHORITY UNDER STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MATERIALS STOCK PILING ACT.

SEC. 1412. MODIFICATION OF ACQUISITION AUTHORITY UNDER STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MATERIALS STOCK PILING ACT. (a) In General.—Section 5 of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98d) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) in the first sentence, by inserting “under the authority of paragraph (3) of this section or” after “Except for acquisitions made”; and (ii) in the second sentence, by striking “for such acquisition” and inserting “for any acquisition of materials under this Act”; and (B) by adding at the end the following: “(3) Using funds appropriated for acquisition of materials under this Act, the National Defense Stockpile Manager may acquire materials determined to be strategic and critical under section 3(a) without regard to the requirement of the first sentence of paragraph (1) if the Stockpile Manager determines there is a shortfall of such materials in the stockpile.” ; and (2) in subsection (c), by striking “to carry out the purposes for which appropriated for a period of two fiscal years, if so provided in appropriation Acts” and inserting “until expended, unless otherwise provided in appropriations Acts”. (b) Increase in Quantities of Materials to Be Stockpiled.—Section 3(c)(2) of the Strategic and Critical Materials Stock Piling Act (50 U.S.C. 98b(c)(2)) is amended— (1) by amending the first sentence to read as follows: “The President shall notify Congress in writing of any increase proposed to be made in the quantity of any material to be stockpiled that involves the acquisition of additional materials for the stockpile.”; (2) in the second sentence, by striking “the change after the end of the 45-day period” and inserting “the increase after the end of the 30-day period”; and (3) in the third sentence, by striking “change” and inserting “increase”.