I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1537 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct studies regarding alternative 

models for acquisition and funding of technologies supporting networkcentric operations. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 16, 2009 

Mr. SESTAK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct studies regarding alternative models for acquisition and funding of 

technologies supporting network-centric operations. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. STUDIES TO ANALYZE ALTERNATIVE MODELS 

4 FOR ACQUISITION AND FUNDING OF TECH5 NOLOGIES SUPPORTING NETWORK-CENTRIC 

6 OPERATIONS. 

7 (a) STUDIES REQUIRED.— 

8 (1) INDEPENDENT STUDY.—Not later than 90 

9 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 


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1 Secretary of Defense shall enter into a contract with 

2 an independent federally funded research and devel3 opment center to carry out a comprehensive study of 

4 policies, procedures, organization, and regulatory 

5 constraints affecting the acquisition of technologies 

6 supporting network-centric operations. The contract 

7 shall be funded from amounts appropriated pursuant 

8 to an authorization of appropriations in this Act or 

9 otherwise made available for fiscal year 2010 for op10 eration and maintenance for Defense-wide activities. 

11 (2) JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF STUDY.—The 

12 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall carry out 

13 a comprehensive study of the same subjects covered 

14 by paragraph (1). The study shall be independent of 

15 the study required by paragraph (1) and shall be 

16 carried out in conjunction with the military depart17 ments and in coordination with the Secretary of De18 fense. 

19 (b) MATTERS TO BE ADDRESSED.—Each study re20 quired by subsection (a) shall address the following mat21 ters: 

22 (1) Development of a system for understanding 

23 the various foundational components that contribute 

24 to network-centric operations, such as data transVerDate Nov 24 2008 06:25 Mar 17, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1537.IH H1537

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1 port, processing, storage, data collection, and dis2 semination of information. 

3 (2) Determining how acquisition and funding 

4 programs that are in place as of the date of the en5 actment of this Act relate to the system developed 

6 under paragraph (1). 

7 (3) Development of acquisition and funding 

8 models using the system developed under paragraph 

9 (1), including— 

10 (A) a model under which a joint entity 

11 independent of any military department (such 

12 as the Joint Staff) is established with responsi13 bility and control of all funding for the acquisi14 tion of technologies for network-centric oper15 ations, and with authority to oversee the incor16 poration of such technologies into the acquisi17 tion programs of the military departments; 

18 (B) a model under which an executive 

19 agent is established to manage and oversee the 

20 acquisition of technologies for network-centric 

21 operations, but would not have exclusive control 

22 of the funding for such programs; 

23 (C) a model under which the acquisition 

24 and funding programs that are in place as of 


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1 the date of the enactment of this Act are main2 tained; and 

3 (D) any other model that the entity car4 rying out the study considers relevant. 

5 (4) An analysis of each of the models developed 

6 under paragraph (3) with respect to potential bene7 fits in— 

8 (A) collecting, processing, and dissemi9 nating information; 

10 (B) network commonality; 

11 (C) common communications; 

12 (D) interoperability; 

13 (E) mission impact and success; and 

14 (F) cost-effectiveness. 

15 (5) An evaluation of each of the models devel16 oped under paragraph (3) with respect to feasibility, 

17 including identification of legal, policy, or regulatory 

18 barriers that may impede the implementation of 

19 such model. 

20 (c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than September 

21 30, 2010, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the 

22 congressional defense committees a report on the results 

23 of the studies required by subsection (a). The report shall 

24 include the findings and recommendations of the studies 


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1 and any observations and comments that the Secretary 

2 considers appropriate. 

3 (d) NETWORK-CENTRIC OPERATIONS DEFINED.—In 

4 this section, the term ‘‘network-centric operations’’ refers 

5 to the ability to exploit all human and technical elements 

6 of the Joint Force and mission partners through the full 

7 integration of collected information, awareness, knowl8 edge, experience, and decisionmaking, enabled by secure 

9 access and distribution, all to achieve agility and effective10 ness in a dispersed, decentralized, dynamic, or uncertain 

11 operational environment. 

Æ 


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