H. R. 1735—294 
(A) IN GENERAL.—On a quarterly basis, the Coordinator 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
a report that includes a summary of each hostage situation 
described in subsection (a)(1). 
(B) FORM
OF
REPORT.— Each report under this 
subparagraph (A) may be submitted in classified or 
unclassified form. 
(2) BRIEFING.—On a quarterly basis, the Coordinator shall 
provide to the Senators representing the State, and the 
Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of the House 
of Representatives representing the district, where a hostage 
described in subsection (a)(1) resides a briefing with respect 
to the status of such hostage. 
(3) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 
means— 
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 
on the Judiciary, the Permanent Select Committee on Intel-
ligence, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
of Representatives; and 
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee 
on the Judiciary, the Select Committee on Intelligence, 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. 
SEC. 1093. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE INADVERTENT TRANSFER 
OF ANTHRAX FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the inadvertent transfer of live Bacillus anthracis, also 
known as anthrax, from an Army laboratory to numerous lab-
oratories located in many States and several countries that 
was discovered in May 2015 represents a serious safety lapse; 
(2) the Department of Defense, in cooperation with the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, should continue 
to investigate the cause of this lapse and determine what 
protective protocols should be strengthened; 
(3) the Department of Defense should reassess all Select 
Agent standards on a regular basis to ensure they are current 
and effective to prevent a reoccurrence; and 
(4) the Department of Defense should keep Congress 
apprised of the investigation, any potential public health or 
safety risk, corrective actions taken, and plans to regularly 
reassess standards. 
SEC. 1094. MODIFICATION OF CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE 
TO MAJOR MEDICAL FACILITY LEASE FOR A DEPART-
MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS OUTPATIENT CLINIC IN 
TULSA, OKLAHOMA. 
Section 601(b) of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Account-
ability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–146; 128 Stat. 1793) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘IN TULSA.—’’ and all that follows through 
‘‘In carrying out’’ and inserting ‘‘IN TULSA.—In carrying out’’; 
(2) by striking paragraph (2); 
(3) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through (E) as para-
graphs (1) through (5), respectively, and adjusting the indenta-
tion of the margin of such paragraphs, as so redesignated, 
two ems to the left;
H. R. 1735—295 
(4) in paragraph (1), as so redesignated, by striking 
‘‘140,000 gross square feet’’ and inserting ‘‘140,000 net usable 
square feet’’; 
(5) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by striking ‘‘not 
more than the average’’ and all that follows and inserting 
‘‘not more than the average of equivalent medical facility leases 
executed by the Department of Veterans Affairs over the last 
five years, plus 20 percent;’’; and 
(6) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by striking ‘‘30- 
year life cycle’’ and inserting ‘‘20-year life cycle’’. 
SEC. 1095. AUTHORIZATION OF FISCAL YEAR 2015 MAJOR MEDICAL 
FACILITY PROJECTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
AFFAIRS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may 
carry out the following major medical facility projects in fiscal 
year 2015, with each project to be carried out in an amount not 
to exceed the amount specified for that project: 
(1) Construction of a community living center, outpatient 
clinic, renovated domiciliary, and renovation of existing 
buildings in Canandaigua, New York, in an amount not to 
exceed $158,980,000. 
(2) Seismic corrections to the mental health and community 
living center in Long Beach, California, in an amount not 
to exceed $126,100,000. 
(3) Seismic correction of 12 buildings in West Los Angeles, 
California, in an amount not to exceed $70,500,000. 
(4) Construction of a spinal cord injury building and seismic 
corrections in San Diego, California, in an amount not to exceed 
$205,840,000. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for fiscal 
year 2015 or the year in which funds are appropriated for the 
Construction, Major Projects, account, a total of $561,420,000 for 
the projects authorized in subsection (a). 
SEC. 1096. DESIGNATION OF CONSTRUCTION AGENT FOR CERTAIN 
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS BY DEPARTMENT OF VET-
ERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall seek 
to enter into an agreement subject to subsections (b), (c), and 
(e) of section 1535 of title 31, United States Code, with the Army 
Corps of Engineers or another entity of the Federal Government 
to serve, on a reimbursable basis, as the construction agent for 
the construction, alteration, or acquisition of any medical facility 
of the Department of Veterans Affairs specifically authorized by 
Congress after the date of the enactment of this Act that involves 
a total expenditure of more than $100,000,000, excluding any 
acquisition by exchange. 
(b) AGREEMENT.—Under the agreement entered into under sub-
section (a), the construction agent shall provide design, procure-
ment, and construction management services for the construction, 
alteration, and acquisition of medical facilities of the Department. 
SEC. 1097. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STRATEGY FOR COUNTERING 
UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE. 
(a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense shall, in 
consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and
H. R. 1735—296 
the heads of other appropriate departments and agencies of the 
United States Government, develop a strategy for the Department 
of Defense to counter unconventional warfare threats posed by 
adversarial state and non-state actors. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under subsection (a) 
shall include each of the following: 
(1) An articulation of the activities that constitute 
unconventional warfare threats to the United States and allies. 
(2) A clarification of the roles and responsibilities of the 
Department of Defense in providing indications and warning 
of, and protection against, acts of unconventional warfare. 
(3) An analysis of the adequacy of current authorities and 
command structures necessary for countering unconventional 
warfare. 
(4) An articulation of the goals and objectives of the Depart-
ment of Defense with respect to countering unconventional 
warfare threats. 
(5) An articulation of related or required interagency 
capabilities and whole-of-Government activities required by the 
Department of Defense to support a counter-unconventional 
warfare strategy. 
(6) Recommendations for improving the counter-unconven-
tional warfare capabilities, authorities, and command struc-
tures of the Department of Defense. 
(7) Recommendations for improving interagency coordina-
tion and support mechanisms with respect to countering 
unconventional warfare threats. 
(8) Recommendations for the establishment of joint doctrine 
to support counter-unconventional warfare capabilities within 
the Department of Defense. 
(9) Any other matters the Secretary of Defense considers 
appropriate. 
(c) SUBMITTAL TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 
shall submit to the congressional defense committees the strategy 
required by subsection (a). The strategy shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex. 
(d) UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘unconventional warfare’’ means activities conducted to enable 
a resistance movement or insurgency to coerce, disrupt, or over-
throw a government or occupying power by operating through or 
with an underground, auxiliary, or guerrilla force in a denied area. 
TITLE XI—CIVILIAN PERSONNEL 
MATTERS 
Sec. 1101. Procedures for reduction in force of Department of Defense civilian per-
sonnel. 
Sec. 1102. One-year extension of temporary authority to grant allowances, benefits, 
and gratuities to civilian personnel on official duty in a combat zone. 
Sec. 1103. Extension of rate of overtime pay for Department of the Navy employees 
performing work aboard or dockside in support of the nuclear-powered 
aircraft carrier forward deployed in Japan. 
Sec. 1104. Modification to temporary authorities for certain positions at Depart-
ment of Defense research and engineering facilities. 
Sec. 1105. Required probationary period for new employees of the Department of 
Defense. 
Sec. 1106. Delay of periodic step increase for civilian employees of the Department 
of Defense based upon unacceptable performance.
H. R. 1735—297 
Sec. 1107. United States Cyber Command workforce. 
Sec. 1108. One-year extension of authority to waive annual limitation on premium 
pay and aggregate limitation on pay for Federal civilian employees 
working overseas. 
Sec. 1109. Pilot program on dynamic shaping of the workforce to improve the tech-
nical skills and expertise at certain Department of Defense laboratories. 
Sec. 1110. Pilot program on temporary exchange of financial management and ac-
quisition personnel. 
Sec. 1111. Pilot program on enhanced pay authority for certain acquisition and 
technology positions in the Department of Defense. 
Sec. 1112. Pilot program on direct hire authority for veteran technical experts into 
the defense acquisition workforce. 
Sec. 1113. Direct hire authority for technical experts into the defense acquisition 
workforce. 
SEC. 1101. PROCEDURES FOR REDUCTION IN FORCE OF DEPARTMENT 
OF DEFENSE CIVILIAN PERSONNEL. 
(a) PROCEDURES.—Section 1597 of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(f) REDUCTIONS BASED PRIMARILY ON PERFORMANCE.—The Sec-
retary of Defense shall establish procedures to provide that, in 
implementing any reduction in force for civilian positions in the 
Department of Defense in the competitive service or the excepted 
service, the determination of which employees shall be separated 
from employment in the Department shall be made primarily on 
the basis of performance, as determined under any applicable 
performance management system.’’. 
(b) SENSE
OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that 
the Secretary of Defense should proceed with the collaborative 
work with employee representatives on the ‘‘New Beginnings’’ 
performance management and workforce incentive system author-
ized under section 1113 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111–84; 5 U.S.C. 9902 note) 
and begin implementation of the new system at the earliest possible 
date. 
SEC. 1102. ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO 
GRANT ALLOWANCES, BENEFITS, AND GRATUITIES TO 
CIVILIAN PERSONNEL ON OFFICIAL DUTY IN A COMBAT 
ZONE. 
Paragraph (2) of section 1603(a) of the Emergency Supple-
mental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, 
and Hurricane Recovery, 2006 (Public Law 109–234; 120 Stat. 443), 
as added by section 1102 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (Public Law 110–417; 122 
Stat. 4616) and as most recently amended by section 1102 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public 
Law 113–291; 128 Stat. 3525), is further amended by striking 
‘‘2016’’ and inserting ‘‘2017’’. 
SEC. 1103. EXTENSION OF RATE OF OVERTIME PAY FOR DEPARTMENT 
OF THE NAVY EMPLOYEES PERFORMING WORK ABOARD 
OR DOCKSIDE IN SUPPORT OF THE NUCLEAR-POWERED 
AIRCRAFT CARRIER FORWARD DEPLOYED IN JAPAN. 
Section 5542(a)(6)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ‘‘September 30, 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘September 30, 
2017’’.