# § 4424. Mechanisms to speed deployment of successful weapon system component or technology prototypes
**(a)** **Selection of Prototype Project for Production and Rapid Fielding.—** A weapon system component or technology prototype project may be selected by the service acquisition executive of the military department concerned for a follow-on production contract or other transaction without the use of competitive procedures, notwithstanding the requirements of sections 3201 through 3205 of this title, if—
**(1)** the follow-on production project addresses a high priority warfighter need or reduces the costs of a weapon system;
**(2)** competitive procedures were used for the selection of parties for participation in the original prototype project;
**(3)** the participants in the original prototype project successfully completed the requirements of the project; and
**(4)** a prototype of the system to be procured was demonstrated in a relevant environment.
**(b)** **Special Transfer Authority.—**
**(1)** The Secretary of a military department may, as specified in advance by appropriations Acts, transfer funds that remain available for obligation in procurement appropriation accounts of the military department to fund the low-rate initial production of the rapid fielding project until required funding for full-rate production can be submitted and approved through the regular budget process of the Department of Defense.
**(2)** The funds transferred under this subsection to fund the low-rate initial production of a rapid fielding project shall be for a period not to exceed two years, the amount for such period may not exceed $50,000,000, and the special transfer authority provided in this subsection may not be used more than once to fund procurement of a particular new or upgraded system.
**(3)** The special transfer authority provided in this subsection is in addition to any other transfer authority available to the Department of Defense.
**(c)** **Notification to Congress.—** Within 30 days after the service acquisition executive of a military department selects a weapon system component or technology project for a follow-on production contract or other transaction, the service acquisition executive shall notify the congressional defense committees of the selection and provide a brief description of the rapid fielding project.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VIII, § 806(a)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2259, § 2447d; renumbered § 4424 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, § 1851(c)(1), (4), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4272, 4273.)
## Editorial Notes
### Amendments
2021—, renumbered as this section.
Subsec. (a). , substituted “sections 3201 through 3205” for “section 2304” in introductory provisions.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 2021 Amendment
Amendment by effective , with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see , set out as a note preceding .
### Effective Date
Section effective , see , set out as a note under .