DoD Laboratory Authorities for Breakthrough Scientific Research Act

H.R. 4410 · 113th Congress · Apr 4, 2014 · Lineage

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.

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”.