HR 1665 RFS 
cer, Coast Guard Chief Engineer, and the Coast 
Guard Chief Information Officer may identify; 
(2) the use, as appropriate, of Navy technical 
expertise; and 
(3) the temporary assignment or exchange of 
personnel between the Coast Guard and the Office 
of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, 
Development, and Acquisition, including Naval Sys-
tems Commands, to facilitate the development of or-
ganic capabilities in the Coast Guard. 
(c) TECHNICAL REQUIREMENT APPROVAL PROCE-
DURES.—The Coast Guard Chief Acquisition Officer shall 
adopt, to the extent practicable, procedures that are simi-
lar to those used by the senior procurement executive of 
the Department of the Navy to approve all technical re-
quirements. 
(d) ASSESSMENT.—Within 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall 
transmit a report to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees that— 
(1) contains an assessment of current Coast 
Guard acquisition and management capabilities to 
manage Level 1 and Level 2 acquisitions; 
(2) includes recommendations as to how the 
Coast Guard can improve its acquisition manage-
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ment, either through internal reforms or by seeking 
acquisition expertise from the Department of De-
fense; and 
(3) addresses specifically the question of wheth-
er the Coast Guard can better leverage Department 
of Defense or other agencies’ contracts that would 
meet the needs of Level 1 or Level 2 acquisitions in 
order to obtain the best possible price. 
TITLE III—COAST GUARD 
PERSONNEL 
SEC. 301. CHIEF ACQUISITION OFFICER. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 3 of title 14, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘§ 55. Chief Acquisition Officer 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF CHIEF ACQUISITION OFFI-
CER.—There shall be in the Coast Guard a Chief Acquisi-
tion Officer selected by the Commandant who shall be a 
Rear Admiral or civilian from the Senior Executive Service 
(career reserved) and who meets the qualifications set 
forth under subsection (b). The Chief Acquisition Officer 
shall serve at the Assistant Commandant level and have 
acquisition management as that individual’s primary duty. 
‘‘(b) QUALIFICATIONS.— 
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‘‘(1) The Chief Acquisition Officer and any 
Flag Officer serving in the Acquisitions Directorate 
shall be an acquisition professional with a program 
manager level III certification and must have at 
least 10 years experience in an acquisition position, 
of which at least 4 years were spent in one of the 
following qualifying positions: 
‘‘(A) Program executive officer. 
‘‘(B) Program manager of a Level 1 or 
Level 2 acquisition. 
‘‘(C) Deputy program manager of a Level 
1 or Level 2 acquisition. 
‘‘(D) Project manager for a Level 1 or 
Level 2 acquisition. 
‘‘(E) Any other acquisition position of sig-
nificant responsibility in which the primary du-
ties are supervisory or management duties. 
‘‘(2) The Commandant shall periodically publish 
a list of the positions designated under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORITY AND FUNCTIONS OF THE CHIEF AC-
QUISITION OFFICER.—The functions of the Chief Acquisi-
tion Officer shall include— 
‘‘(1) monitoring the performance of programs 
and projects on the basis of applicable performance 
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measurements 
and 
advising 
the 
Commandant, 
through the chain of command, regarding the appro-
priate business strategy to achieve the missions of 
the Coast Guard; 
‘‘(2) maximizing the use of full and open com-
petition at the prime contract and subcontract levels 
in the acquisition of property, capabilities, assets, 
and services by the Coast Guard by establishing poli-
cies, procedures, and practices that ensure that the 
Coast Guard receives a sufficient number of sealed 
bids or competitive proposals from responsible 
sources to fulfill the Government’s requirements, in-
cluding performance and delivery schedules, at the 
lowest cost or best value considering the nature of 
the property, capability, asset, or service procured; 
‘‘(3) making acquisition decisions in concur-
rence with the technical authority of the Coast 
Guard, as designated by the Commandant, and con-
sistent with all other applicable laws and decisions 
establishing procedures within the Coast Guard; 
‘‘(4) ensuring the use of detailed performance 
specifications in instances in which performance 
based contracting is used; 
‘‘(5) managing the direction of acquisition pol-
icy for the Coast Guard, including implementation of 
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the unique acquisition policies, regulations, and 
standards of the Coast Guard; 
‘‘(6) developing and maintaining an acquisition 
career management program in the Coast Guard to 
ensure that there is an adequate acquisition work-
force; 
‘‘(7) assessing the requirements established for 
Coast Guard personnel regarding knowledge and 
skill in acquisition resources and management and 
the adequacy of such requirements for facilitating 
the achievement of the performance goals established 
for acquisition management; 
‘‘(8) developing strategies and specific plans for 
hiring, training, and professional development; and 
‘‘(9) reporting to the Commandant, through the 
chain of command, on the progress made in improv-
ing acquisition management capability.’’. 
(b) APPLICATION
OF
QUALIFICATION
REQUIRE-
MENT.—Section 55(b) of title 14, United States Code, as 
amended by this section, shall apply beginning October 1, 
2011. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘55. Chief Acquisition Officer.’’. 
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