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 sci-
entific 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) intro-
duced 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 effec-
tively fulfill the needs of members of the Armed Forces, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘DoD Laboratory Au-
thorities for Breakthrough Scientific Research Act’’ or the 
‘‘DoD LABS Research Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. TRAVEL TO TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUM OR TECHNICAL 
CONFERENCE. 
The Secretary of Defense may not prohibit an em-
ployee of a defense laboratory from traveling to a technical 
symposium or technical conference if the head of the de-
fense 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. 
SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF QUALIFIED STUDENTS IN THE TEM-
PORARY AUTHORITIES FOR CERTAIN POSI-
TIONS AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RE-
SEARCH AND ENGINEERING FACILITIES. 
Section 1107(a)(1) of the National Defense Author-
ization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 113–66; 127 
Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(1) CANDIDATES FOR SCIENTIFIC AND ENGI-
NEERING 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’) may 
appoint qualified candidates to positions de-
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scribed in paragraph (1) of subsection (b) as an 
employee in a laboratory described in that para-
graph without regard to the provisions of sub-
chapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United States 
Code (other than section 3303 and 3328 of 
such title). 
‘‘(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of 
chapter 51 of title 5, United States Code, for 
purposes of this subsection, the term ‘qualified 
candidate’ means an individual who— 
‘‘(i) has earned a bachelor’s degree; or 
‘‘(ii) is a student enrolled in a pro-
gram of undergraduate or graduate in-
struction leading to a bachelor’s or mas-
ter’s degree in a scientific, technical, engi-
neering, mathematical, or medical course 
of study at an institution of higher edu-
cation (as defined in section 101(a) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001)).’’. 
SEC. 4. ASSESSMENT OF CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF DE-
FENSE 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 Serv-
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ices of the Senate and the House of Representatives a re-
port on the implementation and use by the Department 
of Defense of the following hiring authorities: 
(1) Section 1101 of the Strom Thurmond Na-
tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
1999 (Public Law 105–261; 5 U.S.C. 3104 note). 
(2) Section 1107 of the National Defense Au-
thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (Public Law 
113–66; 127 Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note). 
(3) Section 9903 of title 5, United States Code 
(relating to highly qualified experts). 
(4) The Intergovernmental Personnel Act (5 
U.S.C. 3371 et seq.). 
(b) CONTENTS.—The report required under sub-
section (a) shall contain— 
(1) a description, including quantitative data, of 
the implementation and use by each service and De-
fense Agency within the Department of Defense of 
each authority in subsection (a), including issues en-
countered, 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 
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positions provided in such authorities (if appli-
cable); 
(C) how such authorities can be used or 
improved to best suit the needs of each Depart-
ment 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; 127 Stat. 887; 10 U.S.C. 
2358 note) beyond the sunset date provided in 
subsection (e) of such section. 
SEC. 5. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR EXPERIMENTAL PER-
SONNEL PROGRAM FOR SCIENTIFIC AND 
TECHNICAL PERSONNEL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1101 of the Strom Thur-
mond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
1999 (Public Law 105–261) is amended by striking sub-
sections (e) and (f). 
(b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
Such section is further amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘EXPER-
IMENTAL’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
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(A) by striking ‘‘During the program pe-
riod specified in subsection (e)(1), the’’ and in-
serting ‘‘The’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘experimental’’; 
(3) in subsection (d)(1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by striking ‘‘12-month period’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘calendar year’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (A), striking ‘‘fiscal 
year’’ and inserting ‘‘calendar year’’; 
(4) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub-
section (e); and 
(5) in subsection (e) (as redesignated by para-
graph (4)), by striking ‘‘in which the authority 
under this section is in effect’’. 
Æ 
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