I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4533 
To require the Secretary of Defense to assess, and submit a report to 
Congress on, civilian staffing at the Department of Defense Office for 
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 11, 2023 
Mr. ALFORD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight 
and Accountability, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Defense to assess, and submit 
a report to Congress on, civilian staffing at the Depart-
ment of Defense Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclu-
sion, 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 ‘‘Cost of Wokeism in 
the Military Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ASSESSMENTS OF STAFFING IN DOD OFFICE FOR 
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) SECRETARY ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary 
of Defense shall conduct an assessment validating 
each civil service position in the Office for Diversity, 
Equity, and Inclusion against existing personnel of 
the Office. For purposes of carrying out such assess-
ment, the head of the Office shall submit to the Sec-
retary the alignment of total force manpower re-
sources of the Office against core missions, tasks, 
and functions, including a mapping of missions to 
the originating statute or Department policy. 
(2) OFFICE ASSESSMENT.—The head of the Of-
fice shall conduct an assessment on the tasks, func-
tions, and associated civilian personnel the Office be-
lieves are necessary to perform the duties of the Of-
fice. 
(3) 
SECRETARY
ANALYSIS.—The 
Secretary 
shall determine whether there is any conflict between 
the assessment conducted under paragraph (1) and 
the assessment under paragraph (2), and what per-
sonnel actions (if any) the Secretary will take to 
eliminate such conflict. 
(b) INTERIM BRIEFING AND REPORT.— 
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(1) INTERIM BRIEFING.—Not later than April 
1, 2024, the Secretary shall provide to the congres-
sional defense committees an interim briefing on the 
assessments under subsection (a). 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the congressional defense com-
mittees a report on the assessments under sub-
section (a). Such report shall include the following: 
(A) A validation of every civil service posi-
tion in the Office against existing civilian per-
sonnel requirements. 
(B) The methodology and process through 
which such validation was performed. 
(C) Relevant statistical analysis on civil 
service position fill rates against validated re-
quirements. 
(D) Analysis of each civil service position 
and grade and whether the position description 
and grade match the function and task require-
ments of the position. 
(E) Plan to update grades and position de-
scriptions to meet current and future require-
ments, tasks, and functions. 
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(F) Lessons learned through the civilian 
position validation process and statistical anal-
ysis under subparagraphs (B) through (F). 
(G) Any legislative, policy or budgetary 
recommendations of the Secretary related to the 
subject matter of the report. 
(3) LIMITATION.—If the final report is not sub-
mitted to Congress under paragraph (2) within one 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, until 
the date that such report is so submitted— 
(A) no new civil service position may be es-
tablished at the Office; 
(B) members of the uniformed services 
may not be detailed or otherwise used to carry 
out any function or duty of the Office; and 
(C) no additional personal services contrac-
tors may be appointed to a position at the Of-
fice. 
(c) BUDGET REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall, in 
the Secretary’s annual budget submission to the Office of 
Management and Budget for fiscal year 2025 and each 
fiscal year thereafter, identify mission changes, opportuni-
ties for automation, and business process improvements 
that could better optimize the size, structure, composition 
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