H. R. 1735—306 
(f) STATUS
OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ASSIGNED
TO CONTRAC-
TORS.—An employee of the Department of Defense who is assigned 
to a nontraditional defense contractor under this section shall be 
considered, during the period of assignment, to be on detail to 
a regular work assignment in the Department for all purposes. 
The written agreement established under subsection (c) shall 
address the specific terms and conditions related to the employee’s 
continued status as a Federal employee. 
(g) TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES.— 
An employee of a nontraditional defense contractor who is assigned 
to a Department of Defense organization under this section— 
(1) shall continue to receive pay and benefits from the 
contractor from which such employee is assigned; 
(2) shall be deemed to be an employee of the Department 
of Defense for the purposes of— 
(A) chapter 73 of title 5, United States Code; 
(B) sections 201, 203, 205, 207, 208, 209, 603, 606, 
607, 643, 654, 1905, and 1913 of title 18, United States 
Code, and any other conflict of interest statute; 
(C) sections 1343, 1344, and 1349(b) of title 31, United 
States Code; 
(D) chapter 171 and section 1346(b) of title 28, United 
States Code (popularly known as the Federal Tort Claims 
Act), and any other Federal tort liability statute; 
(E) the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 
App. 101 et seq.); 
(F) chapter 21 of title 41, United States Code; and 
(G) subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United States 
Code, relating to compensation for work-related injuries; 
and 
(3) may not have access, while the employee is assigned 
to a Department organization, to any trade secrets or to any 
other nonpublic information which is of commercial value to 
the contractor from which such employee is assigned. 
(h) PROHIBITION AGAINST CHARGING CERTAIN COSTS TO FED-
ERAL GOVERNMENT.—A nontraditional defense contractor may not 
charge the Department of Defense or any other agency of the 
Federal Government, as direct or indirect costs under a Federal 
contract, the costs of pay or benefits paid by the contractor to 
an employee assigned to a Department organization under this 
section for the period of the assignment. 
(i) CONSIDERATION.—In providing for assignments of employees 
under this section, the Secretary of Defense shall take into consider-
ation the question of how assignments might best be used to help 
meet the needs of the Department of Defense with respect to the 
training of employees in financial management or in acquisition. 
(j) NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES.—The number of employees 
of the Department of Defense who may be assigned to nontradi-
tional defense contractors under this section at any given time 
may not exceed the following: 
(A) Five employees in the field of financial manage-
ment. 
(B) Five employees in the acquisition field. 
(2) NONTRADITIONAL DEFENSE CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES.— 
The 
total 
number 
of 
nontraditional 
defense 
contractor
H. R. 1735—307 
employees who may be assigned to the Department under this 
section at any given time may not exceed 10 such employees. 
(k) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY FOR ASSIGNMENTS.—No assign-
ment of an employee may commence under this section after Sep-
tember 30, 2019. 
SEC. 1111. PILOT PROGRAM ON ENHANCED PAY AUTHORITY FOR CER-
TAIN ACQUISITION AND TECHNOLOGY POSITIONS IN THE 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Defense 
may carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advis-
ability of using the pay authority specified in subsection (d) to 
fix the rate of basic pay for positions described in subsection (c) 
in order to assist the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the 
military departments in attracting and retaining high-quality 
acquisition and technology experts in positions responsible for man-
aging and developing complex, high-cost, technological acquisition 
efforts of the Department of Defense. 
(b) APPROVAL REQUIRED.—The pilot program may be carried 
out only with approval as follows: 
(1) Approval of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisi-
tion, Technology, and Logistics, in the case of positions in 
the Office of the Secretary of Defense. 
(2) Approval of the Service Acquisition Executive of the 
military department concerned, in the case of positions in a 
military department. 
(c) POSITIONS.—The positions described in this subsection are 
positions that— 
(1) require expertise of an extremely high level in a sci-
entific, technical, professional, or acquisition management field; 
and 
(2) are critical to the successful accomplishment of an 
important acquisition or technology development mission. 
(d) RATE OF BASIC PAY.—The pay authority specified in this 
subsection is authority as follows: 
(1) Authority to fix the rate of basic pay for a position 
at a rate not to exceed 150 percent of the rate of basic pay 
payable for level I of the Executive Schedule, upon the approval 
of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, 
and Logistics or the Service Acquisition Executive concerned, 
as applicable. 
(2) Authority to fix the rate of basic pay for a position 
at a rate in excess of 150 percent of the rate of basic pay 
payable for level I of the Executive Schedule, upon the approval 
of the Secretary of Defense. 
(e) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The authority in subsection (a) may be 
used only to the extent necessary to competitively recruit or 
retain individuals exceptionally well qualified for positions 
described in subsection (c). 
(2) NUMBER OF POSITIONS.—The authority in subsection 
(a) may not be used with respect to more than five positions 
in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and more than five 
positions in each military department at any one time. 
(3) TERM OF POSITIONS.—The authority in subsection (a) 
may be used only for positions having terms less than five 
years.
H. R. 1735—308 
(f) TERMINATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The authority to fix rates of basic pay 
for a position under this section shall terminate on October 
1, 2020. 
(2) CONTINUATION OF PAY.—Nothing in paragraph (1) shall 
be construed to prohibit the payment after October 1, 2020, 
of basic pay at rates fixed under this section before that date 
for positions whose terms continue after that date. 
SEC. 1112. PILOT PROGRAM ON DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY FOR VET-
ERAN TECHNICAL EXPERTS INTO THE DEFENSE ACQUISI-
TION WORKFORCE. 
(a) PILOT PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Defense may carry out 
a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of 
appointing qualified veteran candidates to positions described in 
subsection (b) in the defense acquisition workforce of the military 
departments without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of 
chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code. The Secretary shall 
carry out the pilot program in each military department through 
the service acquisition executive of such military department. 
(b) POSITIONS.—The positions described in this subsection are 
scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematics positions, 
including technicians, within the defense acquisition workforce. 
(c) LIMITATION.—Authority under subsection (a) may not, in 
any calendar year and with respect to any military department, 
be exercised with respect to a number of candidates greater than 
the number equal to 1 percent of the total number of positions 
in the acquisition workforce of that military department that are 
filled as of the close of the fiscal year last ending before the 
start of such calendar year. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘employee’’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 2105 of title 5, United States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. 
(e) TERMINATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The authority to appoint candidates to 
positions under the pilot program shall expire on the date 
that is five years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) EFFECT ON EXISTING APPOINTMENTS.—The termination 
by paragraph (1) of the authority in subsection (a) shall not 
affect any appointment made under that authority before the 
termination date specified in paragraph (1) in accordance with 
the terms of such appointment. 
SEC. 1113. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY FOR TECHNICAL EXPERTS INTO 
THE DEFENSE ACQUISITION WORKFORCE. 
(a) AUTHORITY.—Each Secretary of a military department may 
appoint qualified candidates possessing a scientific or engineering 
degree to positions described in subsection (b) for that military 
department without regard to the provisions of subchapter I of 
chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code. 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—Positions described in this subsection are 
scientific and engineering positions within the defense acquisition 
workforce. 
(c) LIMITATION.—Authority under this section may not, in any 
calendar year and with respect to any military department, be 
exercised with respect to a number of candidates greater than
H. R. 1735—309 
the number equal to 5 percent of the total number of scientific 
and engineering positions within the acquisition workforce of that 
military department that are filled as of the close of the fiscal 
year last ending before the start of such calendar year. 
(d) NATURE OF APPOINTMENT.—Any appointment under this 
section shall be treated as an appointment on a full-time equivalent 
basis, unless such appointment is made on a term or temporary 
basis. 
(e) EMPLOYEE DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘employee’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 2105 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(f) TERMINATION.—The authority to make appointments under 
this section shall not be available after December 31, 2020. 
TITLE XII—MATTERS RELATING TO 
FOREIGN NATIONS 
Subtitle A—Assistance and Training 
Sec. 1201. One-year extension of logistical support for coalition forces supporting 
certain United States military operations. 
Sec. 1202. Strategic framework for Department of Defense security cooperation. 
Sec. 1203. Redesignation, modification, and extension of National Guard State 
Partnership Program. 
Sec. 1204. Extension of authority for non-reciprocal exchanges of defense personnel 
between the United States and foreign countries. 
Sec. 1205. Monitoring and evaluation of overseas humanitarian, disaster, and civic 
aid programs of the Department of Defense. 
Sec. 1206. One-year extension of funding limitations for authority to build the ca-
pacity of foreign security forces. 
Sec. 1207. Authority to provide support to national military forces of allied coun-
tries for counterterrorism operations in Africa. 
Sec. 1208. Reports on training of foreign military intelligence units provided by the 
Department of Defense. 
Sec. 1209. Prohibition on security assistance to entities in Yemen controlled by the 
Houthi movement. 
Subtitle B—Matters Relating to Afghanistan and Pakistan 
Sec. 1211. Extension and modification of Commanders’ Emergency Response Pro-
gram. 
Sec. 1212. Extension and modification of authority for reimbursement of certain co-
alition nations for support provided to United States military oper-
ations. 
Sec. 1213. Additional matter in semiannual report on enhancing security and sta-
bility in Afghanistan. 
Sec. 1214. Extension of authority to acquire products and services produced in 
countries along a major route of supply to Afghanistan. 
Sec. 1215. Extension of authority to transfer defense articles and provide defense 
services to the military and security forces of Afghanistan. 
Sec. 1216. Modification of protection for Afghan allies. 
Subtitle C—Matters Relating to Syria and Iraq 
Sec. 1221. Extension of authority to support operations and activities of the Office 
of Security Cooperation in Iraq. 
Sec. 1222. Strategy for the Middle East and to counter violent extremism. 
Sec. 1223. Modification of authority to provide assistance to counter the Islamic 
State of Iraq and the Levant. 
Sec. 1224. Reports on United States Armed Forces deployed in support of Oper-
ation Inherent Resolve. 
Sec. 1225. Matters relating to support for the vetted Syrian opposition. 
Sec. 1226. Support to the Government of Jordan and the Government of Lebanon 
for border security operations. 
Sec. 1227. Sense of Congress on the security and protection of Iranian dissidents 
living in Camp Liberty, Iraq.