I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7444 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to review and report to Congress on 
the status of the professional military education enterprise, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 1, 2020 
Mr. BACON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to review and report 
to Congress on the status of the professional military 
education enterprise, 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 ‘‘Professional Military 
Education Review Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. TRANSFORMATION OF THE PROFESSIONAL MILI-
TARY EDUCATION ENTERPRISE. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7444.IH
H7444
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(1) professional military education is founda-
tional to the development of ethical and effective 
military leaders and vital to national security; 
(2) oversight of professional military education 
is an essential part of Congress’ constitutional re-
sponsibilities to regulate and maintain the Armed 
Forces of the United States; 
(3) reform of the professional military edu-
cation system, as directed by the congressional de-
fense committees, has played a central role in the in-
stitutionalization of jointness as envisioned by the 
Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorga-
nization Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–433); 
(4) the Goldwater-Nichols professional military 
education model has served the Nation well since the 
end of the Cold War by enabling successful joint 
military operations across the spectrum of conflict; 
(5) recent changes in the national security envi-
ronment require that the professional military edu-
cation enterprise adapt to prepare the joint force to 
successfully defend American interests in evolving 
areas of strategic competition; and 
(6) the Department of Defense must transform 
the professional military education enterprise to 
meet these challenges by emphasizing focused and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7444.IH
H7444
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
rigorous intellectual study reflecting the hard won 
strategic insights of history, while leveraging ad-
vancements in the modern learning environment. 
(b) LIMITATION.—None of the funds authorized to 
be appropriated by this Act or otherwise made available 
for fiscal year 2021 for the Department of Defense may 
be obligated or expended to consolidate, close, or signifi-
cantly change the curriculum of the National Defense Uni-
versity or any institution of professional military education 
of an Armed Force until a period of 120 days has elapsed 
following the date on which the Under Secretary of De-
fense for Personnel and Readiness submits the report re-
quired under subsection (c). 
(c) REPORT REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary of Defense, acting through the Under Sec-
retary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, shall 
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the 
Senate and the House of Representatives a report on 
the status of the professional military education en-
terprise. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required under 
paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A consolidated summary that— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7444.IH
H7444
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(i) lists all components of the profes-
sional military education enterprise of the 
Department of Defense, including all asso-
ciated schools, programs, research centers, 
and support activities; and 
(ii) for each such component, identi-
fies the assigned personnel strength, an-
nual student throughput, and budget de-
tails covering the period of three fiscal 
years preceding the date of the report. 
(B) An assessment of the effectiveness and 
shortfalls of the existing professional military 
education enterprise as measured against grad-
uate utilization, post-graduate evaluations, and 
the education and force development require-
ments of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff and the Chiefs of the Armed Forces. 
(C) Recommendations to improve the intel-
lectual readiness of the joint force through re-
forms designed to— 
(i) improve the warfighting readiness, 
intellectual fitness, and cognitive ingenuity 
of military leaders; 
(ii) promote development of strategic 
thinkers capable of developing integrated 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7444.IH
H7444
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
political-military and cross-domain strate-
gies and new doctrinal concepts; 
(iii) enhance the effectiveness, coher-
ence, and efficiency of individual service 
approaches to professional military edu-
cation; 
(iv) improve the depth and rigor of 
professional military education curriculum 
in alignment with national defense strategy 
pacing threats while enhancing strategic 
relationships and operational integration 
with key allies and international security 
partners; and 
(v) foster the deliberate development 
of world-class faculty through increasing 
the value of faculty assignments and other 
appropriate measures. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:35 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H7444.IH
H7444
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS