# § 3222. Independent cost estimate required before approval
**(a)** **Requirement.—** A milestone decision authority may not approve entering the engineering and manufacturing development phase, or production and deployment phase, of a major defense acquisition program or major subprogram unless an independent cost estimate has been conducted or approved by the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation and considered by the milestone decision authority that includes a cost estimate of the full life-cycle cost of the program or subprogram.
**(b)** **Regulations.—** The regulations governing the content and submission of independent cost estimates required by section 3221 of this title shall require that the independent cost estimate of the full life-cycle cost of a program or subprogram include—
**(1)** all costs of development, procurement, military construction, operations and support, and trained manpower to operate, maintain, and support the program or subprogram upon full operational deployment, without regard to funding source or management control; and
**(2)** an analysis to support decisionmaking that identifies and evaluates alternative courses of action that may reduce cost and risk, and result in more affordable programs and less costly systems.
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**Source Credit**: (Added and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1812(a), (c), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4174, 4175; Pub. L. 118–159, div. A, title VIII, § 806(b)(3), Dec. 23, 2024, 138 Stat. 1974.)
## Editorial Notes
### Codification
The text of subsec. (b) of , which was transferred to this section and amended by , was based on , , .
### Prior Provisions
A prior section 3222, , ; , , , related to authorized strength of Army Reserve, exclusive of members on active duty, prior to repeal by , §§ 1662(a)(3), 1691, , , 3026, effective . See .
### Amendments
2024—Subsec. (a). , which directed substitution of “authority that includes a cost estimate” for “authority that—” in introductory provisions, par. (1), and “(2) for the for the engineering and manufacturing development phase, or production and deployment phase, includes a cost estimate”, was executed by making the substitution for “authority that—” in introductory provisions, par. (1), and “(2) for the engineering and manufacturing development phase, or production and deployment phase, includes a cost estimate”, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
, substituted “the engineering and manufacturing development phase, or production and deployment phase,” for “a milestone phase” in introductory provisions.
2021—Subsec. (a). , (2)(A), (D), redesignated subsec. (b) of as subsec. (a) of this section, substituted “Requirement” for “Independent Cost Estimate Required Before Approval” in heading, struck out par. (1) designation before “A milestone”, and redesignated subpars. (A) and (B) as pars. (1) and (2), respectively.
Subsec. (b). –(D), redesignated subsec. (a)(2) as (b), inserted heading, substituted “” for “subsection (a)” in introductory provisions, and redesignated subpars. (A) and (B) as pars. (1) and (2), respectively.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date
Section and amendment by effective , with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see , set out as an Effective Date of 2021 Amendment note preceding .