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Representatives Jen Kiggans of Virginia and Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire introduced the Shipyard Modernization Sustainment Act on October 26, 2026, proposing independent Government Accountability Office reviews of the U.S. Navy's Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, including annual assessments, congressional briefings and a final report by 2031. The legislation follows a September GAO investigation estimating that modernization of the Navy's four public shipyards at Norfolk, Portsmouth, Puget Sound and Pearl Harbor could cost more than $200 billion and require at least another 50 years, with some projects extending beyond 2080.
A 20-Year Plan Becomes a
50-Plus-Year Undertaking
The Navy launched SIOP in 2018 to rebuild four critical public shipyards. Its planned modernization now stretches across generations of ships, workers and congressional budgets.
At least 20 years
50 or more additional years
The Construction Timeline Now Reaches Beyond 2080
Where the Navy's Modernization Bill Is Taking Shape
GAO's identified construction-project portfolio, as of April 2026. The figures include completed work, work underway and projects still in design.
| Naval Shipyard | Completed | Underway | In Design | Identified Construction Cost | Major Infrastructure Project | Project Timeline | Operational / Engineering Challenge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Virginia |
11 | 8 | 6 | $4.27B 25 projects |
Carrier-supporting utilities, dry-dock improvements and maintenance facilities. | Multiple projects at different stages; no single yard-wide completion date. | Deteriorating structures, including buildings still needed for ship maintenance, require repair while modernization planning continues. |
| Portsmouth Maine |
23 | 8 | 12 | $3.82B 43 projects |
Approximately $2.46B in requested authorization for the Dry Dock 1 expansion. | May 2029 Dry-dock target |
Concrete sections are built approximately 200 miles away and transported by barge. Submarine overhauls continue amid construction. |
| Pearl Harbor Hawaii |
9 | 7 | 6 | $5.80B 22 projects |
Approximately $4.47B in requested authorization for a new Virginia-class dry dock. | March 2029 Dry-dock target |
Major excavation, dredging, utility upgrades and new waterfront facilities must be integrated with operating shipyard infrastructure. |
| Puget Sound Washington |
14 | 20 | 16 | $19.56B 50 projects |
$14.76B in requested total authorization for the planned new dry-dock complex and associated relocation work. | 2038 Planned dry-dock completion |
Seismic mitigation, building relocations, pier demolition and construction sequencing create extensive interdependent work. |
Can the Navy's Shipyard Funding Keep Pace?
Stress-test the annual funding requirement for a multi-decade shipyard modernization program. Compare cost escalation, target completion dates and illustrative annual funding capacity.
Program Assumptions
Flat annual equivalent to fund the modeled total over the selected horizon. Not an official Navy funding request.
Annual Funding Requirement vs. Assumed Capacity
Compare the average annual cost equivalent against the assumed annual funding envelope.
The Congressional Oversight Window
The proposed bill's final GAO reporting deadline is 2031. The chart shows how short that period is relative to a selected multi-decade program horizon.
Model Start 2031
Proposed GAO Report 2081
Scenario End
The $200 billion starting value is a rounded modeling floor based on GAO's finding that the overall SIOP cost will exceed that amount. The 2081 completion year and $3.5 billion annual funding default are illustrative assumptions, not verified Navy program baselines. The model treats the chosen total program value as an amount to spread uniformly across a hypothetical 2026-to-completion period. It does not subtract historical spending or reproduce the Navy's actual remaining-work profile. Funding shortfall equals modeled cost minus the assumed constant annual envelope over that period, floored at zero. Additional cost shock represents a further increase beyond the chosen program value, not a separate calculation of inflation already reflected in GAO's escalated estimates. Actual yearly appropriations, obligations, expenditures, and project schedules will vary.
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