DoD Laboratory Authorities for Breakthrough Scientific Research Act or the DoD LABS Research Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Defense (DOD) from disallowing an employee of a defense laboratory from traveling to a technical symposium or conference if the head of such laboratory determines that there is a sufficient amount available to the laboratory for such travel and approves such travel using standard travel approval procedures.
Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 to allow the director of any DOD science and technology laboratory to appoint as an employee, through 2019, any student enrolled in a program of undergraduate or graduate instruction leading to a bachelor's or master's degree in a scientific, technical, engineering, mathematical, or medical course of study. (Under current law, such a director may only appoint through such period a candidate already possessing a bachelor's degree or a qualified veteran.)
Directs the Secretary to report to the congressional defense committees on the implementation and use by DOD of specified hiring authorities provided under federal law, prior defense authorization Acts, and the Intergovernmental Personnel Act.
Amends the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 to reinstate and make permanent a DOD personnel program for the hiring of scientific and technical personnel.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4410 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4410
To improve the national defense laboratories by increasing retention
and hiring flexibility to enable the laboratories to perform
breakthrough scientific research and effectively fulfill the needs of
members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 4, 2014
Ms. Tsongas (for herself, Mr. Langevin, and Mr. Ruppersberger)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the national defense laboratories by increasing retention
and hiring flexibility to enable the laboratories to perform
breakthrough scientific research and effectively fulfill the needs of
members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
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 ``DoD Laboratory Authorities for
Breakthrough Scientific Research Act'' or the ``DoD LABS Research
Act''.
SEC. 2. TRAVEL TO TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM OR TECHNICAL CONFERENCE.
The Secretary of Defense may not prohibit an employee of a defense
laboratory from traveling to a technical symposium or technical
conference if the head of the defense laboratory--
(1) determines that there are sufficient amounts available
to the defense laboratory for such travel; and
(2) approves of such travel using the standard procedures
for approving travel.
SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF QUALIFIED STUDENTS IN THE TEMPORARY AUTHORITIES
FOR CERTAIN POSITIONS AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RESEARCH
AND ENGINEERING FACILITIES.
Section 1107(a)(1) of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113-66; 127 Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 2358
note) is amended to read as follows:
``(1) Candidates for scientific and engineering positions
at science and technology reinvention laboratories.--
``(A) The director of any Science and Technology
Reinvention Laboratory (hereinafter in this section
referred to as an `STRL') may appoint qualified
candidates to positions described in paragraph (1) of
subsection (b) as an employee in a laboratory described
in that paragraph without regard to the provisions of
subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States
Code (other than section 3303 and 3328 of such title).
``(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 51
of title 5, United States Code, for purposes of this
subsection, the term `qualified candidate' means an
individual who--
``(i) has earned a bachelor's degree; or
``(ii) is a student enrolled in a program
of undergraduate or graduate instruction
leading to a bachelor's or master's degree in a
scientific, technical, engineering,
mathematical, or medical course of study at an
institution of higher education (as defined in
section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)).''.
SEC. 4. ASSESSMENT OF CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HIRING PRACTICES.
(a) Assessment Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of
Representatives a report on the implementation and use by the
Department of Defense of the following hiring authorities:
(1) Section 1101 of the Strom Thurmond National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105-261; 5
U.S.C. 3104 note).
(2) Section 1107 of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113-66; 127 Stat. 887; 10
U.S.C. 2358 note).
(3) Section 9903 of title 5, United States Code (relating
to highly qualified experts).
(4) The Intergovernmental Personnel Act (5 U.S.C. 3371 et
seq.).
(b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) shall
contain--
(1) a description, including quantitative data, of the
implementation and use by each service and Defense Agency
within the Department of Defense of each authority in
subsection (a), including issues encountered, successes, and
lessons learned; and
(2) recommendations with respect to--
(A) improvements for such authorities;
(B) tailoring the number of positions or
eliminating any limitation on the numbers of positions
provided in such authorities (if applicable);
(C) how such authorities can be used or improved to
best suit the needs of each Department of Defense
laboratory; and
(D) the continuance of the hiring authority
provided under section 1107 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113-
66; 127 Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note) beyond the
sunset date provided in subsection (e) of such section.
SEC. 5. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR EXPERIMENTAL PERSONNEL PROGRAM FOR
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL PERSONNEL.
(a) In General.--Section 1101 of the Strom Thurmond National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105-261) is
amended by striking subsections (e) and (f).
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--Such section is further
amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``experimental'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking ``During the program period
specified in subsection (e)(1), the'' and inserting
``The''; and
(B) by striking ``experimental'';
(3) in subsection (d)(1)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by
striking ``12-month period'' and inserting ``calendar
year''; and
(B) in subparagraph (A), striking ``fiscal year''
and inserting ``calendar year'';
(4) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (e); and
(5) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by paragraph (4)),
by striking ``in which the authority under this section is in
effect''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats & Capabilities.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line