This bill amends title 10, United States Code, to mandate that the Secretary of Defense publish and update, at least quarterly, a comprehensive list of dietary supplement ingredients and performance-enhancing substances prohibited for use by members of the Armed Forces. This list must be easily accessible online, available in a searchable database, and downloadable in a common digital format to ensure transparency and ease of access for service members. A key provision allows a commanding officer to elect not to discipline or administratively separate a service member for a first-time offense involving the possession or use of a prohibited dietary supplement ingredient (excluding controlled substances). This leniency applies if the member satisfies a "good faith standard," which includes lacking actual knowledge of the prohibited ingredient, purchasing from a Department of Defense-affiliated facility, or reasonably relying on a search that failed to identify the ingredient. The bill explicitly states that such possession does not constitute drug abuse. Furthermore, the legislation directs the Secretary to update Department of Defense Instruction 6130.06 and significantly enhance the Operation Supplement Safety internet website within one year. These enhancements include improved search functionality with autofill and autocorrect, artificial intelligence tools to scan product labels, and the capacity for users to receive notifications when new ingredients are added to the prohibited list. The Secretary must also review opportunities to incorporate dietary supplement safety education into existing training programs for service members. Finally, the bill requires the Secretary to submit several reports to Congress. These include initial and final implementation reports, as well as annual reports for five years detailing disciplinary actions taken, disaggregated by armed force and pay grade, and assessing the effectiveness of educational efforts related to dietary supplement safety.
This bill amends title 10, United States Code, to mandate that the Secretary of Defense publish and update, at least quarterly, a comprehensive list of dietary supplement ingredients and performance-enhancing substances prohibited for use by members of the Armed Forces. This list must be easily accessible online, available in a searchable database, and downloadable in a common digital format to ensure transparency and ease of access for service members. A key provision allows a commanding officer to elect not to discipline or administratively separate a service member for a first-time offense involving the possession or use of a prohibited dietary supplement ingredient (excluding controlled substances). This leniency applies if the member satisfies a "good faith standard," which includes lacking actual knowledge of the prohibited ingredient, purchasing from a Department of Defense-affiliated facility, or reasonably relying on a search that failed to identify the ingredient. The bill explicitly states that such possession does not constitute drug abuse. Furthermore, the legislation directs the Secretary to update Department of Defense Instruction 6130.06 and significantly enhance the Operation Supplement Safety internet website within one year. These enhancements include improved search functionality with autofill and autocorrect, artificial intelligence tools to scan product labels, and the capacity for users to receive notifications when new ingredients are added to the prohibited list. The Secretary must also review opportunities to incorporate dietary supplement safety education into existing training programs for service members. Finally, the bill requires the Secretary to submit several reports to Congress. These include initial and final implementation reports, as well as annual reports for five years detailing disciplinary actions taken, disaggregated by armed force and pay grade, and assessing the effectiveness of educational efforts related to dietary supplement safety.