(b) INTEGRATED
PRODUCT
TEAMS.—Integrated 
product teams, and all teams that oversee integrated prod-
uct teams, shall be chaired by officers, members, or em-
ployees of the Coast Guard. 
(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. 
(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-
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 Congress 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 cur-
rent 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, 
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 
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 1 
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-