I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7712 

To prohibit the Secretary of Defense from eliminating or otherwise modifying 

certain programs of the National Defense University pending an assessment of such programs. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 21, 2020 

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

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To prohibit the Secretary of Defense from eliminating or 

otherwise modifying certain programs of the National 

Defense University pending an assessment of such programs. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Special Operations and 

5 International Security Education Act’’. 


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•HR 7712 IH

1 SEC. 2. COLLEGE OF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS 

2 OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY. 

3 (a) PROHIBITION.—The Secretary of Defense may 

4 not eliminate, divest, downsize, or reorganize the College 

5 of International Security Affairs, nor its satellite program, 

6 the Joint Special Operations Masters of Arts, of the Na7 tional Defense University, or seek to reduce the number 

8 of students educated at the College, or its satellite pro9 gram, until 30 days after the date on which the congres10 sional defense committees receive the report required by 

11 subsection (c). 

12 (b) ASSESSMENT, DETERMINATION, AND REVIEW.— 

13 The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in consultation 

14 with the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 

15 Readiness, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special 

16 Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict, the Deputy Assistant 

17 Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Global 

18 Threats, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for 

19 Stability and Humanitarian Affairs, the Deputy Assistant 

20 Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Com21 bating Terrorism, the Chief Financial Officer of the De22 partment, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and 

23 the Commander of United States Special Operations Com24 mand, shall— 

25 (1) assess requirements for joint professional 

26 military education and civilian leader education in 


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•HR 7712 IH

1 the counterterrorism, irregular warfare, and asym2 metrical domains to support the Department and 

3 other national security institutions of the Federal 

4 Government; 

5 (2) determine whether the importance, chal6 lenges, and complexity of the modern counterter7 rorism environment and irregular and asymmetrical 

8 domains warrant— 

9 (A) a college at the National Defense Uni10 versity, or a college independent of the National 

11 Defense University whose leadership is respon12 sible to the Office of the Secretary of Defense; 

13 and 

14 (B) the provision of resources, services, 

15 and capacity at levels that are the same as, or 

16 decreased or enhanced in comparison to, those 

17 resources, services, and capacity in place at the 

18 College of International Security Affairs on 

19 January 1, 2019; 

20 (3) review the plan proposed by the National 

21 Defense University for eliminating the College of 

22 International Security Affairs and reducing and re23 structuring the counterterrorism, irregular, and 

24 asymmetrical faculty, course offerings, joint profes25 sional military education and degree and certificate 


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•HR 7712 IH

1 programs, and other services provided by the Col2 lege; and 

3 (4) assess the changes made to the College of 

4 International Security Affairs since January 1, 

5 2019, and the actions necessary to reverse those 

6 changes, including relocating the College and its as7 sociated budget, faculty, staff, students, and facili8 ties outside of the National Defense University. 

9 (c) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than February 1, 

10 2021, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional de11 fense committees a report on— 

12 (1) the findings of the Secretary with respect to 

13 the assessments, determination, and review con14 ducted under subsection (b); and 

15 (2) such recommendations as the Secretary may 

16 have for higher education in the counterterrorism, 

17 irregular, and asymmetrical domains. 

Æ 


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