DoD LABS Research Act

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. Short title This Act may be cited as the DoD Laboratory Authorities for Breakthrough Scientific Research Act DoD LABS Research Act 2. Travel to technical symposium or technical conference The Secretary of Defense may not prohibit an employee of a defense laboratory from traveling to a technical symposium or technical conference if the head of the defense laboratory— (1) determines that there are sufficient amounts available to the defense laboratory for such travel; and (2) approves of such travel using the standard procedures for approving travel. 3. Inclusion of qualified students in the temporary authorities for certain positions at Department of Defense research and engineering facilities Section 1107(a)(1) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113–66; 127 Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 2358 (1) Candidates for scientific and engineering positions at science and technology reinvention laboratories (A) The director of any Science and Technology Reinvention Laboratory (hereinafter in this section referred to as an STRL chapter 33 (B) Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 51 qualified candidate (i) has earned a bachelor’s degree; or (ii) is a student enrolled in a program of undergraduate or graduate instruction leading to a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a scientific, technical, engineering, mathematical, or medical course of study at an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)). . 4. Assessment of certain Department of Defense hiring practices (a) Assessment report Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the implementation and use by the Department of Defense of the following hiring authorities: (1) Section 1101 of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105–261; 5 U.S.C. 3104 (2) Section 1107 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 ( Public Law 113–66 10 U.S.C. 2358 (3) Section 9903 (4) The Intergovernmental Personnel Act ( 5 U.S.C. 3371 et seq. (b) Contents The report required under subsection (a) shall contain— (1) a description, including quantitative data, of the implementation and use by each service and Defense Agency within the Department of Defense of each authority in subsection (a), including issues encountered, successes, and lessons learned; and (2) recommendations with respect to— (A) improvements for such authorities; (B) tailoring the number of positions or eliminating any limitation on the numbers of positions provided in such authorities (if applicable); (C) how such authorities can be used or improved to best suit the needs of each Department of Defense laboratory; and (D) the continuance of the hiring authority provided under section 1107 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 ( Public Law 113–66 10 U.S.C. 2358 5. Permanent authority for experimental personnel program for scientific and technical personnel (a) In general Section 1101 of the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 (Public Law 105–261) is amended by striking subsections (e) and (f). (b) Technical and conforming amendments Such section is further amended— (1) in the section heading, by striking Experimental (2) in subsection (a)— (A) by striking During the program period specified in subsection (e)(1), the The (B) by striking experimental (3) in subsection (d)(1)— (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 12-month period calendar year (B) in subparagraph (A), striking fiscal year calendar year (4) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (e); and (5) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by paragraph (4)), by striking in which the authority under this section is in effect

Summary: DoD Laboratory Authorities for Breakthrough Scientific Research Act or the DoD LABS Research Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Defense (DOD) from disallowing an employee of a defense laboratory from traveling to a technical symposium or conference if the head of such laboratory determines that there is a sufficient amount available to the laboratory for such travel and approves such travel using standard travel approval procedures. Amends the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 to allow the director of any DOD science and technology laboratory to appoint as an employee, through 2019, any student enrolled in a program of undergraduate or graduate instruction leading to a bachelor's or master's degree in a scientific, technical, engineering, mathematical, or medical course of study. (Under current law, such a director may only appoint through such period a candidate already possessing a bachelor's degree or a qualified veteran.) Directs the Secretary to report to the congressional defense committees on the implementation and use by DOD of specified hiring authorities provided under federal law, prior defense authorization Acts, and the Intergovernmental Personnel Act. Amends the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 to reinstate and make permanent a DOD personnel program for the hiring of scientific and technical personnel.