National Security Culture and Language Training Act - Establishes an: (1) Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Sciences Initiatives; and (2) Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Sciences Initiatives. Requires the Office to, among other things: (1) devise and implement a training doctrine that includes the development of cultural, sociological, and psychological knowledge and skills for members of the Armed Forces; and (2) use existing military cultural training programs to expand training efforts for all military personnel.
Authorizes the Secretary of the military department concerned (Secretary concerned) to pay: (1) a skill proficiency bonus to a regular or reserve member in training to acquire proficiency in a foreign language or expertise in foreign cultural studies or a related skill designated as critical by the Secretary concerned; and (2) incentive pay to a person enrolled in an officer training program to also participate in an education or training program to acquire such proficiency.
Directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a pilot program to provide a skill proficiency bonus to a member of the reserves receiving compensation for inactive-duty training while participating in an education or training program to acquire such proficiency.
[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 6037 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6037
To amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to create the position
of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural
Training, and Social Science Initiatives and to authorize a new skill
incentive pay and proficiency bonus to encourage members of the Armed
Forces to train in critical foreign languages and foreign cultural
studies.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 13, 2008
Ms. Giffords (for herself, Ms. Shea-Porter, and Mr. Johnson of Georgia)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend titles 10 and 37, United States Code, to create the position
of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural
Training, and Social Science Initiatives and to authorize a new skill
incentive pay and proficiency bonus to encourage members of the Armed
Forces to train in critical foreign languages and foreign cultural
studies.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Security Culture and
Language Training Act''.
SEC. 2. OFFICE OF IRREGULAR WARFARE, CULTURAL TRAINING, AND SOCIAL
SCIENCE INITIATIVES.
(a) Establishing the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular
Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science Initiatives.--Section
138 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``ten'' and inserting
``eleven''; and
(2) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(6) One of the Assistant Secretaries shall be the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural
Training, and Social Science Initiatives. He shall have as his
principal duty the overall supervision of the Office of
Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science
Initiatives.''.
(b) Establishment of the Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural
Training, and Social Science Initiatives.--Chapter 101 of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``Sec. 2016. Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social
Science Initiatives
``(a) Establishment.--There is in the Office of the Secretary of
Defense an Office of Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social
Science Initiatives (hereinafter in this section referred to as the
`Office'). The Office shall be under the Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and Social Science
Initiatives.
``(b) Duties.--The Office shall--
``(1) devise and implement a training doctrine that
includes the development of cultural, sociological, and
psychological knowledge and skills for members of the armed
forces;
``(2) use existing cultural training programs and
structures in the armed forces to expand training efforts for
all military personnel;
``(3) devise measurable, empirical criteria for determining
the value and efficacy of each initiative and program of the
Office;
``(4) develop and maintain partnerships between the
Department of Defense and academic institutions, social science
professionals, and human science professionals to further the
mission of the Office;
``(5) serve as the clearinghouse within the Department of
Defense for knowledge in the human and social sciences;
``(6) develop products and studies on cultural awareness
training and education, educational training and science,
language science, and opinion shaping; and
``(7) disseminate human and social science knowledge to
members of the armed forces in the field in a useable,
standardized form.
``(c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this section, and every year thereafter, the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Irregular Warfare, Cultural Training, and
Social Science Initiatives shall submit a report to Congress on the
implementation of this section.''.
SEC. 3. USE OF NEW SKILL INCENTIVE PAY AND PROFICIENCY BONUS
AUTHORITIES TO ENCOURAGE TRAINING IN CRITICAL FOREIGN
LANGUAGES AND FOREIGN CULTURAL STUDIES.
(a) Eligibility for Skill Proficiency Bonus.--Subsection (b) of
section 353 of title 37, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``(b) Skill Proficiency Bonus.--
``(1) Availability; eligible persons.--The Secretary
concerned may pay a proficiency bonus to a member of a regular
or reserve component of the uniformed services who--
``(A) is entitled to basic pay under section 204 of
this title or compensation under section 206 of this
title or is enrolled in an officer training program;
and
``(B) is determined to have, and maintains,
certified proficiency under subsection (d) in a skill
designated as critical by the Secretary concerned or is
in training to acquire proficiency in a critical
foreign language or expertise in foreign cultural
studies or a related skill designated as critical by
the Secretary concerned.
``(2) Inclusion of certain senior rotc members.--A
proficiency bonus may be paid under this subsection to a
student who is enrolled in the Senior Reserve Officers'
Training Corps program even though the student is in the first
year of the four-year course under the program. During the
period covered by the proficiency bonus, the student shall also
be entitled to a monthly subsistence allowance under section
209(c) of this title even though the student has not entered
into an agreement under section 2103a of title 10. However, if
the student receives incentive pay under subsection (g)(2) for
the same period, the student may receive only a single monthly
subsistence allowance under section 209(c) of this title.''.
(b) Availability of Incentive Pay for Participation in Foreign
Language Education or Training Programs.--Such section is further
amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (g), (h), and (i) as
subsections (h), (i), and (j), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new
subsection (g):
``(g) Foreign Language Studies in Officer Training Programs.--
``(1) Availability of incentive pay.--The Secretary
concerned may pay incentive pay to a person enrolled in an
officer training program to also participate in an education or
training program to acquire proficiency in a critical foreign
language or expertise in foreign cultural studies or a related
skill designated as critical by the Secretary concerned.
``(2) Inclusion of certain senior rotc members.--Incentive
pay may be paid under this subsection to a student who is
enrolled in the Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps program
even though the student is in the first year of the four-year
course under the program. While the student receives the
incentive pay, the student shall also be entitled to a monthly
subsistence allowance under section 209(c) of this title even
though the student has not entered into an agreement under
section 2103a of title 10. However, if the student receives a
proficiency bonus under subsection (b)(2) covering the same
month, the student may receive only a single monthly
subsistence allowance under section 209(c) of this title.
``(3) Critical foreign language defined.--In this section,
the term `critical foreign language' includes Arabic, Korean,
Japanese, Chinese, Pashto, Persian-Farsi, Serbian-Croatian,
Russian, Portuguese, or other language designated as critical
by the Secretary concerned.''.
(c) Pilot Program for Foreign Language Proficiency Training for
Reserve Members.--
(1) Pilot program required.--The Secretary of Defense shall
conduct a pilot program to provide a skill proficiency bonus
under section 353(b) of title 37, United States Code, to a
member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who is
entitled to compensation under section 206 of such title while
the member participates in an education or training program to
acquire proficiency in a critical foreign language or expertise
in foreign cultural studies or a related skill designated as
critical under such section 353.
(2) Duration of pilot program.--The Secretary shall conduct
the pilot program during the period beginning on October 1,
2008, and ending on December 31, 2013. Incentive pay may not be
provided under the pilot program after December 31, 2013.
(3) Reporting requirement.--Not later than March 31, 2012,
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing the
results of the pilot program and the recommendations of the
Secretary regarding whether to continue or expand the pilot
program.
(d) Expedited Implementation.--Notwithstanding section 662 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law
110-181; 122 Stat. 180; 37 U.S.C. 301 note), the Secretary of a
military department may immediately implement the amendments made by
subsections (a) and (b) in order to ensure the prompt availability of
proficiency bonuses and incentive pay under section 553 of title 37,
United States Code, as amended by such subsections, for persons
enrolled in officer training programs.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities.
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