(c) TECHNICAL
AUTHORITY.—The Commandant 
shall maintain or designate the technical authority to es-
tablish, approve, and maintain technical requirements. 
Any such designation shall be made in writing and may 
not be delegated to the authority of the Chief Acquisition 
Officer established by section 55 of title 14, United States 
Code. 
(d) DESIGNATION OF POSITIONS IN THE ACQUISI-
TION WORKFORCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall des-
ignate a sufficient number of positions to be in the 
Coast Guard’s acquisition workforce to perform ac-
quisition-related functions at Coast Guard head-
quarters and field activities. 
(2) REQUIRED POSITIONS.—In designating po-
sitions under subsection (a), the Commandant shall 
include, at a minimum, positions encompassing the 
following competencies and functions: 
(A) Program management. 
(B) Systems planning, research, develop-
ment, engineering, and testing. 
(C) Procurement, including contracting. 
(D) Industrial and contract property man-
agement. 
(E) Life-cycle logistics. 
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(F) Quality control and assurance. 
(G) Manufacturing and production. 
(H) Business, cost estimating, financial 
management, and auditing. 
(I) Acquisition education, training, and ca-
reer development. 
(J) Construction and facilities engineering. 
(K) Testing and evaluation. 
(3) ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT HEADQUARTER 
ACTIVITIES.—The Commandant shall also designate 
as positions in the acquisition workforce under para-
graph (1) those acquisition-related positions located 
at Coast Guard headquarters units. 
(4) APPROPRIATE EXPERTISE REQUIRED.—The 
Commandant shall ensure that each individual as-
signed to a position in the acquisition workforce has 
the appropriate expertise to carry out the respon-
sibilities of that position. 
(e) MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall es-
tablish a management information system capability 
to improve acquisition workforce management and 
reporting. 
(2) INFORMATION
MAINTAINED.—Information 
maintained with such capability shall include the fol-
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lowing standardized information on individuals as-
signed to positions in the workforce: 
(A) Qualifications, assignment history, and 
tenure of those individuals assigned to positions 
in the acquisition workforce or holding acquisi-
tion-related certifications. 
(B) Promotion rates for officers and mem-
bers of the Coast Guard in the acquisition 
workforce. 
(f) REPORT ON ADEQUACY OF ACQUISITION WORK-
FORCE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commandant shall re-
port to the appropriate congressional committees by 
July 1 of each year on the scope of the acquisition 
activities to be performed in the next fiscal year and 
on the adequacy of the current acquisition workforce 
to meet that anticipated workload. 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report shall— 
(A) specify the number of officers, mem-
bers, and employees of the Coast Guard cur-
rently and planned to be assigned to each posi-
tion designated under subsection (d); and 
(B) identify positions that are understaffed 
to meet the anticipated acquisition workload, 
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and actions that will be taken to correct such 
understaffing. 
(g) APPOINTMENTS TO ACQUISITION POSITIONS.— 
The Commandant shall ensure that no requirement or 
preference for officers or members of the Coast Guard is 
used in the consideration of persons for positions in the 
acquisition workforce. 
(h) CAREER PATHS.— 
(1) IDENTIFICATION
OF
CAREER
PATHS.—To 
establish acquisition management as a core com-
petency of the Coast Guard, the Commandant 
shall— 
(A) ensure that career paths for officers, 
members, and employees of the Coast Guard 
who wish to pursue careers in acquisition are 
identified in terms of the education, training, 
experience, and assignments necessary for ca-
reer progression of those officers, members, and 
employees to the most senior positions in the 
acquisition workforce; and 
(B) publish information on such career 
paths. 
(2) PROMOTION
PARITY.—The Commandant 
shall ensure that promotion parity is established for 
officers and members of the Coast Guard who have 
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been assigned to the acquisition workforce relative to 
officers and members who have not been assigned to 
the acquisition workforce. 
(i) BALANCED WORKFORCE POLICY.—In the devel-
opment of acquisition workforce policies under this section 
with respect to any civilian employees or applicants for 
employment, the Commandant shall, consistent with the 
merit system principles set out in paragraphs (1) and (2) 
of section 2301(b) of title 5, United States Code, take into 
consideration the need to maintain a balanced workforce 
in which women and members of racial and ethnic minor-
ity groups are appropriately represented in Government 
service. 
(j) GUIDANCE ON TENURE AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF 
PROGRAM MANAGERS.— 
(1) ISSUANCE OF GUIDANCE.—Not later than 
one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Commandant shall issue guidance to address the 
qualifications, resources, responsibilities, tenure, and 
accountability of program managers for the manage-
ment of acquisition programs and projects. The 
guidance shall address, at a minimum— 
(A) the qualifications that shall be required 
of program managers, including the number of 
years of acquisition experience and the profes-
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sional training levels to be required of those ap-
pointed to program management positions; 
(B) authorities available to program man-
agers, including, to the extent appropriate, the 
authority to object to the addition of new pro-
gram requirements that would be inconsistent 
with the parameters established for an acquisi-
tion program; and 
(C) the extent to which a program man-
ager who initiates a new program or project will 
continue in management of that program or 
project without interruption until the delivery of 
the first production units of the program. 
(2) STRATEGY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 18 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Commandant shall develop a comprehensive 
strategy for enhancing the role of Coast Guard 
program managers in developing and carrying 
out acquisition programs. 
(B) MATTERS
TO
BE
ADDRESSED.—The 
strategy required by this section shall address, 
at a minimum— 
(i) the creation of a specific career 
path and career opportunities for individ-
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managers in managing systems acquisition 
efforts; 
(vi) a description in detail of how the 
Coast Guard will promote a balanced work-
force in which women and members of ra-
cial and ethnic minority groups are appro-
priately represented in Government service; 
and 
(vii) the methods by which the ac-
countability of program managers for the 
results of acquisition programs will be in-
creased. 
(3) REPORT BY COMPTROLLER GENERAL.—Not 
later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees a report on the actions taken by the 
Commandant to implement the requirements of this 
subsection, including the strategies that are required 
to be developed by this subsection. 
SEC. 303. RECOGNITION OF COAST GUARD PERSONNEL 
FOR EXCELLENCE IN ACQUISITION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commandant shall com-
mence implementation of a program to recognize excellent 
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performance by individuals and teams comprised of offi-
cers, members, and employees of the Coast Guard that 
contributed to the long-term success of a Coast Guard ac-
quisition program or project. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The program required by sub-
section (a) shall include the following: 
(1) Specific award categories, criteria, and eligi-
bility and manners of recognition. 
(2) Procedures for the nomination by personnel 
of the Coast Guard of individuals and teams com-
prised of officers, members, and employees of the 
Coast Guard for recognition under the program. 
(3) Procedures for the evaluation of nomina-
tions for recognition under the program by one or 
more panels of individuals from the Government, 
academia, and the private sector who have such ex-
pertise and are appointed in such manner as the 
Commandant shall establish for the purposes of this 
program. 
(c) AWARD OF CASH BONUSES.—As part of the pro-
gram required by subsection (a), the Commandant, sub-
ject to the availability of appropriations, may award to any 
individual recognized pursuant to the program a cash 
bonus to the extent that the performance of such indi-
vidual so recognized warrants the award of such bonus. 
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SEC. 304. ENHANCED STATUS QUO OFFICER PROMOTION 
SYSTEM. 
Chapter 11 of title 14, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in section 253(a)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘considered,’’; 
and 
(B) by striking ‘‘, and the number of offi-
cers the board may recommend for promotion’’; 
(2) in section 258— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ be-
fore the existing text; 
(B) in subsection (a) (as so designated) by 
striking the colon at the end of the material 
preceding paragraph (1) and inserting ‘‘—’’; 
and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) PROVISION OF DIRECTION AND GUIDANCE.— 
‘‘(1) In addition to the information provided 
pursuant to subsection (a), the Commandant may 
furnish the selection board— 
‘‘(A) specific direction relating to the needs 
of the Coast Guard for officers having par-
ticular skills, including direction relating to the 
need for a minimum number of officers with 
particular skills within a specialty; and 
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‘‘(B) any other guidance that the Com-
mandant believes may be necessary to enable 
the board to properly perform its functions. 
‘‘(2) Selections made based on the direction and 
guidance provided under this subsection shall not ex-
ceed the maximum percentage of officers who may 
be selected from below the announced promotion 
zone at any given selection board convened under 
section 251 of this title.’’; 
(3) in section 259(a), by inserting after ‘‘whom 
the board’’ the following: ‘‘, giving due consideration 
to the needs of the Coast Guard for officers with 
particular skills so noted in specific direction fur-
nished to the board by the Commandant under sec-
tion 258 of this title,’’; and 
(4) in section 260(b), by inserting after ‘‘quali-
fied for promotion’’ the following: ‘‘to meet the 
needs of the service (as noted in specific direction 
furnished the board by the Commandant under sec-
tion 258 of this title)’’. 
SEC. 305. COAST GUARD ACQUISITION WORKFORCE EXPE-
DITED HIRING AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of sections 3304, 
5333, and 5753 of title 5, United States Code, the Com-
mandant may— 
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(1) designate any category of acquisition posi-
tions within the Coast Guard as shortage category 
positions; and 
(2) use the authorities in such sections to re-
cruit and appoint highly qualified persons directly to 
positions so designated. 
(b) LIMITATION.—The Commandant may not ap-
point a person to a position of employment under this sub-
section after September 30, 2012. 
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Union Calendar No. 117 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 1665 
[Report No. 111–215] 
A BILL 
To structure Coast Guard acquisition processes and 
policies, and for other purposes. 
JULY 20, 2009 
Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
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