I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4410 

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. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 4, 2014 

Ms. TSONGAS (for herself, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Mr. RUPPERSBERGER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 

Services 

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. 

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 ‘‘DoD Laboratory Au5 thorities for Breakthrough Scientific Research Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘DoD LABS Research Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TRAVEL TO TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM OR TECHNICAL 

2 CONFERENCE. 

3 The Secretary of Defense may not prohibit an em4 ployee of a defense laboratory from traveling to a technical 

5 symposium or technical conference if the head of the de6 fense laboratory— 

7 (1) determines that there are sufficient 

8 amounts available to the defense laboratory for such 

9 travel; and 

10 (2) approves of such travel using the standard 

11 procedures for approving travel. 

12 SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF QUALIFIED STUDENTS IN THE TEM13 PORARY AUTHORITIES FOR CERTAIN POSI14 TIONS AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RE15 SEARCH AND ENGINEERING FACILITIES. 

16 Section 1107(a)(1) of the National Defense Author17 ization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113–66; 127 

18 Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note) is amended to read as 

19 follows: 

20 ‘‘(1) CANDIDATES FOR SCIENTIFIC AND ENGI21 NEERING POSITIONS AT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

22 REINVENTION LABORATORIES.— 

23 ‘‘(A) The director of any Science and 

24 Technology Reinvention Laboratory (hereinafter 

25 in this section referred to as an ‘STRL’) may 

26 appoint qualified candidates to positions deVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:44 Apr 05, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4410.IH H4410

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1 scribed in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) as an 

2 employee in a laboratory described in that para3 graph without regard to the provisions of sub4 chapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States 

5 Code (other than section 3303 and 3328 of 

6 such title). 

7 ‘‘(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of 

8 chapter 51 of title 5, United States Code, for 

9 purposes of this subsection, the term ‘qualified 

10 candidate’ means an individual who— 

11 ‘‘(i) has earned a bachelor’s degree; or 

12 ‘‘(ii) is a student enrolled in a pro13 gram of undergraduate or graduate in14 struction leading to a bachelor’s or mas15 ter’s degree in a scientific, technical, engi16 neering, mathematical, or medical course 

17 of study at an institution of higher edu18 cation (as defined in section 101(a) of the 

19 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

20 1001)).’’. 

21 SEC. 4. ASSESSMENT OF CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF DE22 FENSE HIRING PRACTICES. 

23 (a) ASSESSMENT REPORT.—Not later than 180 days 

24 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

25 of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed ServVerDate Mar 15 2010 22:44 Apr 05, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4410.IH H4410

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1 ices of the Senate and the House of Representatives a re2 port on the implementation and use by the Department 

3 of Defense of the following hiring authorities: 

4 (1) Section 1101 of the Strom Thurmond Na5 tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 

6 1999 (Public Law 105–261; 5 U.S.C. 3104 note). 

7 (2) Section 1107 of the National Defense Au8 thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 

9 113–66; 127 Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note). 

10 (3) Section 9903 of title 5, United States Code 

11 (relating to highly qualified experts). 

12 (4) The Intergovernmental Personnel Act (5 

13 U.S.C. 3371 et seq.). 

14 (b) CONTENTS.—The report required under sub15 section (a) shall contain— 

16 (1) a description, including quantitative data, of 

17 the implementation and use by each service and De18 fense Agency within the Department of Defense of 

19 each authority in subsection (a), including issues en20 countered, successes, and lessons learned; and 

21 (2) recommendations with respect to— 

22 (A) improvements for such authorities; 

23 (B) tailoring the number of positions or 

24 eliminating any limitation on the numbers of 


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1 positions provided in such authorities (if appli2 cable); 

3 (C) how such authorities can be used or 

4 improved to best suit the needs of each Depart5 ment of Defense laboratory; and 

6 (D) the continuance of the hiring authority 

7 provided under section 1107 of the National 

8 Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 

9 (Public Law 113–66; 127 Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 

10 2358 note) beyond the sunset date provided in 

11 subsection (e) of such section. 

12 SEC. 5. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR EXPERIMENTAL PER13 SONNEL PROGRAM FOR SCIENTIFIC AND 

14 TECHNICAL PERSONNEL. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1101 of the Strom Thur16 mond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 

17 1999 (Public Law 105–261) is amended by striking sub18 sections (e) and (f). 

19 (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

20 Such section is further amended— 

21 (1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘EXPER22 IMENTAL’’; 

23 (2) in subsection (a)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘During the program pe2 riod specified in subsection (e)(1), the’’ and in3 serting ‘‘The’’; and 

4 (B) by striking ‘‘experimental’’; 

5 (3) in subsection (d)(1)— 

6 (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 

7 (A), by striking ‘‘12-month period’’ and insert8 ing ‘‘calendar year’’; and 

9 (B) in subparagraph (A), striking ‘‘fiscal 

10 year’’ and inserting ‘‘calendar year’’; 

11 (4) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub12 section (e); and 

13 (5) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by para14 graph (4)), by striking ‘‘in which the authority 

15 under this section is in effect’’. 

Æ 


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