§ 2484. Commissary stores: merchandise that may be sold; uniform surcharges and pricing

(a) In General.— As provided in section 2481 (a) of this title, commissary stores are intended to be similar to commercial grocery stores and may sell merchandise similar to that sold in commercial grocery stores.

(b) Authorized Commissary Merchandise Categories.— Merchandise sold in, at, or by commissary stores may include items in the following categories:

(1) Meat, poultry, seafood, and fresh-water fish.

(2) Nonalcoholic beverages.

(3) Produce.

(4) Grocery food, whether stored chilled, frozen, or at room temperature.

(5) Dairy products.

(6) Bakery and delicatessen items.

(7) Nonfood grocery items.

(8) Tobacco products.

(9) Health and beauty aids.

(10) Magazines and periodicals.

(1) The Secretary of Defense may authorize the sale in, at, or by commissary stores of merchandise not covered by a category specified in subsection (b). The Secretary shall notify Congress of all merchandise authorized for sale pursuant to this paragraph, as well as the removal of any such authorization.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Department of Defense military resale system shall continue to maintain the exclusive right to operate convenience stores, shopettes, and troop stores, including such stores established to support contingency operations.

(3)

(A) A military exchange shall be the vendor for the sale of tobacco products in commissary stores and may be the vendor for such merchandise as may be authorized for sale in commissary stores under paragraph (1). Except as provided in subparagraph (B), subsections (d) and (e) shall not apply to the pricing of such an item when a military exchange serves as the vendor of the item. Commissary store and exchange prices shall be comparable for such an item.

(B) When a military exchange is the vendor of tobacco products or other merchandise authorized for sale in a commissary store under paragraph (1), any revenue above the cost of procuring the merchandise shall be allocated as if the revenue were a uniform sales price surcharge described in subsection (d).

(d) Uniform Sales Price Surcharge.— The Secretary of Defense shall apply a uniform surcharge equal to five percent on the sales prices established under subsection (e) for each item of merchandise sold in, at, or by commissary stores.

(e) Sales Price Establishment.—

(1) The Secretary of Defense shall establish the sales price of each item of merchandise sold in, at, or by commissary stores at the level that will recoup the actual product cost of the item.

(2) Any change in the pricing policies for merchandise sold in, at, or by commissary stores shall not take effect until the Secretary of Defense submits written notice of the proposed change to Congress and a period of 90 days of continuous session of Congress expires following the date on which notice was received. For purposes of this paragraph, the continuity of a session of Congress is broken only by an adjournment of the Congress sine die, and the days on which either House is not in session because of an adjournment or recess of more than three days to a day certain are excluded in a computation of such 90-day period.

(3) The sales price of merchandise and services sold in, at, or by commissary stores shall be adjusted to cover the following:

(A) The cost of first destination commercial transportation of the merchandise in the United States to the place of sale.

(B) The actual or estimated cost of shrinkage, spoilage, and pilferage of merchandise under the control of commissary stores.

(f) Special Rule for Brand-Name Commercial Items.— The Secretary of Defense may not use the exception provided in section 2304 (c)(5) of this title regarding the procurement of a brand-name commercial item for resale in, at, or by commissary stores unless the commercial item is regularly sold outside of commissary stores under the same brand name as the name by which the commercial item will be sold in, at, or by commissary stores. In determining whether a brand name commercial item is regularly sold outside of commissary stores, the Secretary shall consider only sales of the item on a regional or national basis by commercial grocery or other retail operations consisting of multiple stores.

(g) Special Rules for Certain Merchandise.—

(1) Notwithstanding the general requirement that merchandise sold in, at, or by commissary stores be commissary store inventory, the Secretary of Defense may authorize the sale of tobacco products as noncommissary store inventory. Except as provided in paragraph (2), subsections (d) and (e) shall not apply to the pricing of such merchandise items.

(2) When tobacco products are authorized for sale in a commissary store as noncommissary store inventory, any revenue above the cost of procuring the tobacco products shall be allocated as if the revenue were a uniform sales price surcharge described in subsection (d).

(h) Use of Surcharge for Construction, Repair, Improvement, and Maintenance.—

(1)

(A) The Secretary of Defense may use the proceeds from the surcharges imposed under subsection (d) only—

(i) to acquire (including acquisition by lease), construct, convert, expand, improve, repair, maintain, and equip the physical infrastructure of commissary stores and central product processing facilities of the defense commissary system; and

(ii) to cover environmental evaluation and construction costs related to activities described in clause (i), including costs for surveys, administration, overhead, planning, and design.

(B) In subparagraph (A), the term “physical infrastructure” includes real property, utilities, and equipment (installed and free standing and including computer equipment), necessary to provide a complete and usable commissary store or central product processing facility.

(2)

(A) The Secretary of Defense may authorize a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the United States to enter into a contract for construction of a shopping mall or similar facility for a commissary store and one or more nonappropriated fund instrumentality activities. The Secretary may use the proceeds of surcharges under subsection (d) to reimburse the nonappropriated fund instrumentality for the portion of the cost of the contract that is attributable to construction of the commissary store or to pay the contractor directly for that portion of such cost.

(B) In subparagraph (A), the term “construction”, with respect to a facility, includes acquisition, conversion, expansion, installation, or other improvement of the facility.

(3)

(A) The Secretary of Defense may use the proceeds derived from surcharges imposed under subsection (d) in connection with sales of commissary merchandise through initiatives described in subparagraph (B) to offset the cost of such initiatives.

(B) Subparagraph (A) applies with respect to initiatives, utilizing temporary and mobile equipment, intended to provide members of reserve components, retired members, and other persons eligible for commissary benefits, but without reasonable access to commissary stores, improved access to commissary merchandise.

(4) The Secretary of Defense, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, may obligate anticipated proceeds from the surcharges under subsection (d) for any use specified in paragraph (1), (2), or (3), without regard to fiscal year limitations, if the Secretary determines that such obligation is necessary to carry out any use of such adjustments or surcharges specified in such paragraph.

(5) Revenues received by the Secretary of Defense from the following sources or activities of commissary store facilities shall be available for the purposes set forth in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3):

(A) Sale of recyclable materials.

(B) Sale of excess and surplus property.

(D) Royalties.

(E) Fees paid by sources of products in order to obtain favorable display of the products for resale, known as business related management fees.

U.S. Code

§ 2484. Commissary stores: merchandise that may be sold; uniform surcharges and pricing