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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5321 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5321
To amend the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2019 to improve the John S. McCain strategic defense
fellows program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 1, 2023
Mr. Bacon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2019 to improve the John S. McCain strategic defense
fellows program.
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 ``Strategic Defense Fellows Act of
2023''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE JOHN S. MCCAIN STRATEGIC DEFENSE FELLOWS
PROGRAM.
(a) Selection of Participants.--Subsection (d)(2) of section 932 of
the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2019 (Public Law 115-232; 10 U.S.C. 1580 note prec.) is amended to read
as follows:
``(2) Geographical representation.--Out of the total number
of individuals selected to participate in the fellows program
in any year, no more than 20 percent may be from any of the
following geographic regions:
``(A) The Northeast United States.
``(B) The Southeast United States.
``(C) The Midwest United States.
``(D) The Southwest United States.
``(E) The Western United States.
``(F) Alaska, Hawaii, United States territories,
and areas outside the United States.''.
(b) Appointment, Placement, and Conversion.--Such section is
further amended--
(1) in subsection (d)(3)--
(A) by striking ``assigned'' and inserting
``appointed''; and
(B) by striking ``assignment'' and inserting
``appointment''; and
(2) by amending subsections (e) and (f) to read as follows:
``(e) Appointment.--
``(1) In general.--An individual who participates in the
fellows program shall be appointed into an excepted service
position in the Department.
``(2) Position requirements.--Each year, the head of each
Department of Defense Component shall submit to the Secretary
of Defense placement opportunities for participants in the
fellows program. Such placement opportunities shall provide for
leadership development and potential commencement of a career
track toward a position of senior leadership in the Department.
The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the heads of
Department of Defense Components, shall establish qualification
requirements for the appointment of participants under
paragraph (1) and subsection (f)(2).
``(3) Appointment to positions.--Each year, the Secretary
of Defense shall appoint participants in the fellows program to
positions in the Department of Defense Components. In making
such appointments, the Secretary shall seek to best match the
qualifications and skills of the participants with the
requirements for positions available for appointment.
``(4) Term.--The term of each appointment under the fellows
program shall be one year with the option to extend the
appointment up to one additional year.
``(5) Grade.--An individual appointed to a position under
the fellows program shall be appointed at a level between GS-10
and GS-12 of the General Schedule based on the directly-related
qualifications, skills, and professional experience of the
individual.
``(6) Education loan repayment.--To the extent that funds
are provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary
of Defense may repay a loan of a participant in the fellows
program if the loan is described by subparagraph (A), (B), or
(C) of section 16301(a)(1) of title 10, United States Code. Any
repayment of a loan under this paragraph may require a minimum
service agreement, as determined by the Secretary.
``(7) Department of defense component defined.--In this
subsection, the term `Department of Defense Component' means a
Department of Defense Component, as set forth in section 111 of
title 10, United States Code.
``(f) Career Development.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure
that participants in the fellows program--
``(A) receive career development opportunities and
support appropriate for the commencement of a career
track within the Department leading toward a future
position of senior leadership within the Department,
including ongoing mentorship support through
appropriate personnel from entities within the
Department; and
``(B) are provided appropriate employment
opportunities for competitive and excepted service
positions in the Department upon successful completion
of the fellows program.
``(2) Noncompetitive appointment or conversion.--Upon a
participant's successful completion of the fellows program, the
Secretary may, without regard to the provisions of subchapter I
of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, noncompetitively
appoint or convert the participant into a vacant competitive or
excepted service position in the Department, if the Secretary
determines that such appointment or conversion will contribute
to the development of highly qualified future senior leaders
for the Department. The Secretary may appoint or convert the
participant into a position up to the GS-13 level of the
General Schedule or an equivalent position for which the
participant is qualified without regard to any minimum time in
grade requirements.
``(3) Appointment of former participants.--The Secretary
may utilize the authority in paragraph (2) for a participant--
``(A) up to 2 years after the date of the
participant's successful completion of the fellows
program; or
``(B) in the case of a participant who entered the
fellows program before the date of the enactment of
this subparagraph, up to 5 years after the date of the
participant's successful completion of the fellows
program.
``(4) Publication of selection.--The Secretary shall
publish, on an Internet website of the Department available to
the public, the names of the individuals selected to
participate in the fellows program.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
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