II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 1906 

To establish the Office of Net Assessment within the Department of Defense. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 9, 2014 

Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. CORNYN, and Mr. KAINE) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services 

A BILL 

To establish the Office of Net Assessment within the 

Department of Defense. 

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

3 SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OFFICE OF NET AS4 SESSMENT. 

5 (a) POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to 

6 maintain an independent organization within the Depart7 ment of Defense to develop and coordinate net assess8 ments of the standing, trends, and future prospects of the 

9 military capabilities and potential of the United States in 

10 comparison with the military capabilities and potential of 


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•S 1906 IS

1 other countries or groups of countries so as to identify 

2 emerging or future threats or opportunities for the United 

3 States. 

4 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 4 of title 10, United 

6 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

7 following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 145. Office of Net Assessment 

9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There is in the Office of the Sec10 retary of Defense an office known as the Office of Net 

11 Assessment. 

12 ‘‘(b) HEAD.—(1) The head of the Office of Net As13 sessment shall be appointed by the Secretary of Defense. 

14 The head shall be a member of the Senior Executive Serv15 ice. 

16 ‘‘(2) The head of the Office of Net Assessment may 

17 communicate views on matters within the responsibility of 

18 the head directly to the Secretary without obtaining the 

19 approval or concurrence of any other official within the 

20 Department of Defense. 

21 ‘‘(3) The head of the Office of Net Assessment shall 

22 report directly to the Secretary. The Secretary may not 

23 delegate the authority under this paragraph. 

24 ‘‘(c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Office of Net Assess25 ment shall develop and coordinate net assessments with 


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1 respect to the standing, trends, and future prospects of 

2 the military capabilities and potential of the United States 

3 in comparison with the military capabilities and potential 

4 of other countries or groups of countries to identify emerg5 ing or future threats or opportunities for the United 

6 States. 

7 ‘‘(d) BUDGET.—In the budget materials submitted to 

8 the President by the Secretary of Defense in connection 

9 with the submittal to Congress, pursuant to section 1105 

10 of title 31, of the budget for any fiscal year after fiscal 

11 year 2014, the Secretary shall ensure that a separate, 

12 dedicated program element is assigned for the Office of 

13 Net Assessment. 

14 ‘‘(e) NET ASSESSMENT DEFINED.—In this section, 

15 the term ‘net assessment’ means the comparative analysis 

16 of military, technological, political, economic, and other 

17 factors governing the relative military capability of na18 tions.’’. 

19 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec20 tions at the beginning of chapter 4 of such title is 

21 amended by adding at the end the following new 

22 item: 

‘‘145. Office of Net Assessment.’’. 

Æ 


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