II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1387 

To enable the Director of National Intelligence to transfer full-time equivalent 

positions to elements of the intelligence community to replace employees 

who are temporarily absent to participate in foreign language training, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 25, 2009 

Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. CHAMBLISS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence 

A BILL 

To enable the Director of National Intelligence to transfer 

full-time equivalent positions to elements of the intelligence community to replace employees who are temporarily absent to participate in foreign language training, 

and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Intelligence Critical 

5 Language Training Improvement Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) In 2009, eight years after the terrorist at2 tacks of September 11, 2001, the intelligence com3 munity continues to lack an adequate supply of per4 sonnel trained in critical foreign languages. 

5 (2) A number of elements of the intelligence 

6 community are attempting to address that lack of 

7 supply by recruiting applicants who can speak, read, 

8 and understand critical foreign languages. 

9 (3) Leaders in the intelligence community have 

10 recognized that improved recruiting practices are 

11 only a partial solution and that improved language 

12 training for current intelligence community employ13 ees is also necessary. 

14 (4) While language education and instruction 

15 provides long-term benefits for both intelligence 

16 agencies and individual employees, it has short-term 

17 costs for supervisors whose staff are absent due to 

18 language training and could provide supervisors with 

19 an incentive to resist allowing individual employees 

20 to pursue language training. 

21 (5) If the head of an element of the intelligence 

22 community was able to increase the number of per23 sonnel at that element during the period that an em24 ployee is participating in language training, that eleVerDate Nov 24 2008 05:59 Jun 26, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1387.IS S1387

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1 ment would not have to sacrifice short-term prior2 ities to address language training needs. 

3 (6) The Director of National Intelligence is 

4 uniquely situated to evaluate language training 

5 needs across the intelligence community and assess 

6 whether that training would be enhanced if elements 

7 of the intelligence community were given temporary 

8 additional personnel authorizations. 

9 (7) The intelligence community has a difficult 

10 time finding, training, and providing security clear11 ances to native foreign language speakers who are 

12 able to serve as translators and it would be bene13 ficial if all elements of the intelligence community 

14 were able to harness the capabilities of these individ15 uals. 

16 (8) The Director of National Intelligence is 

17 uniquely situated to identify translators within the 

18 intelligence community and provide for their tem19 porary transfer from one element of the intelligence 

20 community to another element. 

21 SEC. 3. TEMPORARY PERSONNEL AUTHORIZATIONS. 

22 (a) AUTHORIZED ADDITIONAL FTES.—In addition 

23 to the number of full-time equivalent positions authorized 

24 for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for 

25 a fiscal year, there is authorized for such Office for each 


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1 fiscal year an additional 50 full-time equivalent positions 

2 that may be utilized only for the purposes described in 

3 subsection (b). 

4 (b) PURPOSES.—The Director of National Intel5 ligence may use a full-time equivalent position authorized 

6 under subsection (a) only for the purposes of providing 

7 a temporary transfer of personnel made pursuant to the 

8 authority in section 102A(e)(2) of the National Security 

9 Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 403–1(e)(2)) to an element of the 

10 intelligence community to enable such element to increase 

11 its total authorized number of personnel, on a temporary 

12 basis— 

13 (1) during a period in which a permanent em14 ployee of such element is absent to participate in 

15 foreign language training; or 

16 (2) to accept a permanent employee of another 

17 element of the intelligence community to provide 

18 translation services a temporary basis. 

19 (c) INAPPLICABILITY OF OTHER LAW.—Subpara20 graph (B) of section 102A(e)(2) of the National Security 

21 Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 403–1(e)(2)) shall not apply to 

22 a transfer of personnel authorizations made under this 

23 section. 

Æ 


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