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ization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (as amended by this sec-
tion).
SEC. 256. COMPTROLLER GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF THE
DEFENSE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM TO STIM-
ULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH.
(a) REVIEW.—Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the Committees on Armed
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives an
assessment of the effectiveness of the Defense Experimental
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.
(b) ASSESSMENT.—The report under subsection (a)
shall include the following:
(1) A description and assessment of the tangible
results and progress toward the objectives of the pro-
gram, including—
(A) an identification of any past program
activities that led to, or were fundamental to,
applications used by, or supportive of, oper-
ational users; and
(B) an assessment of whether the program
has expanded the national research infrastruc-
ture.
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(2) An assessment whether the activities under-
taken under the program are consistent with the stat-
ute authorizing the program.
(3) An assessment whether the various elements
of the program, such as structure, funding, staffing,
project solicitation and selection, and administration,
are working effectively and efficiently to support the
effective execution of the program.
(4) A description and assessment of past and on-
going activities of State planning committees under
the program in supporting the achievement of the ob-
jectives of the program.
(5) An analysis of the advantages and disadvan-
tages of having an institution-based formula for qual-
ification to participate in the program when com-
pared with the advantages and disadvantages of hav-
ing a State-based formula for qualification to partici-
pate in supporting defense missions and the objective
of expanding the Nation’s defense research infrastruc-
ture.
(6) An identification of mechanisms for improv-
ing the management and implementation of the pro-
gram, including modification of the statute author-
izing the program, Department regulations, program
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structure, funding levels, funding strategy, or the ac-
tivities of the State committees.
(7) Any other matters the Comptroller General
considers appropriate.
SEC. 257. STUDY AND REPORT ON STANDARD SOLDIER PA-
TIENT TRACKING SYSTEM.
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—In conjunction with the devel-
opment of the pilot program utilizing an electronic clear-
inghouse for support of the disability evaluation system of
the Department of Defense authorized under this Act, the
Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study on the feasibility
of including in the required pilot program the following ad-
ditional elements:
(1) A means to allow each recovering service
member, each family member of such a member, each
commander of a military installation retaining med-
ical holdover patients, each patient navigator, and
ombudsman office personnel, at all times, to be able
to locate and understand exactly where a recovering
service member is in the medical holdover process.
(2) A means to ensure that the commander of
each military medical facility where recovering serv-
ice members are located is able to track appointments
of such members to ensure they are meeting timeliness
and other standards that serve the member.
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(3) A means to ensure each recovering service
member is able to know when his or her appointments
and other medical evaluation board or physical eval-
uation board deadlines will be and that they have
been scheduled in a timely and accurate manner.
(4) Any other information needed to conduct
oversight of care of the member through out the med-
ical holdover process.
(5) Information that will allow the Secretaries of
the military departments and the Under Secretary of
Defense for Personnel and Readiness to monitor
trends and problems.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 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 results
of the study, with such findings and recommendations as
the Secretary considers appropriate.
SEC. 258. COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF PROPOSED FUNDING
REDUCTION FOR HIGH ENERGY LASER SYS-
TEMS TEST FACILITY.
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of De-
fense shall submit to the congressional defense committees
a report containing a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed
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reduction in Army research, development, test, and evalua-
tion funding for the High Energy Laser Systems Test Facil-
ity.
(b) EVALUATION OF IMPACT ON OTHER MILITARY DE-
PARTMENTS.—The report required under subsection (a)
shall include an evaluation of the impact of the proposed
reduction in funding on each Department of Defense orga-
nization or activity that utilizes the High Energy Laser
Systems Test Facility.
TITLE III—OPERATION AND
MAINTENANCE
Subtitle A—Authorization of
Appropriations
SEC. 301. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE FUNDING.
Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated for fis-
cal year 2008 for the use of the Armed Forces and other
activities and agencies of the Department of Defense, for
expenses, not otherwise provided for, for operation and
maintenance, in amounts as follows:
(1) For the Army, $29,725,273,000.
(2) For the Navy, $33,307,690,000.
(3) For the Marine Corps, $4,998,493,000.
(4) For the Air Force, $32,967,215,000.
(5) For Defense-wide activities, $22,397,153,000.
(6) For the Army Reserve, $2,512,062,000.