Digital Defense Leadership Act
Bill: H.R.4985 | Sponsor: Rep. Vela, Filemon (D-TX)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Digital Defense Leadership Act
This bill addresses and implements various programs and policies related to artificial intelligence and emerging technologies for national defense, including by requiring the President to transmit to Congress a national strategy relating to the global information domain and requiring the development of new federal and military career positions related to artificial intelligence and software development.

To implement certain recommendations of the National Security 
                 Commission on Artificial Intelligence.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Digital Defense 
Leadership Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. National strategy relating to the global information domain.
Sec. 3. Artificial intelligence readiness goals.
Sec. 4. Role of intelligence community in steering committee on 
                            emerging technology.
Sec. 5. Resourcing plan for digital ecosystem.
Sec. 6. Integrating digital skill sets and computational thinking into 
                            military junior leader education.
Sec. 7. Integration of material on emerging technologies into 
                            professional military education.
Sec. 8. Short course on emerging technologies for senior personnel of 
                            the Department of Defense.
Sec. 9. Emerging technology-coded billets within the Department of 
                            Defense.
Sec. 10. Agile contracting mechanism for software acquisition.
Sec. 11. Enhanced role of Under Secretary of Defense for Research and 
                            Engineering on the Joint Requirements 
                            Oversight Council.
Sec. 12. Artificial Intelligence Development and Prototyping Fund.
Sec. 13. Enhanced authority to enter into cooperative research and 
                            development agreements with international 
                            partners.
Sec. 14. Role of Director of Science and Technology as Chief Technology 
                            Officer for the intelligence community.
Sec. 15. Establishment of Artificial Intelligence Critical Applications 
                            Fund.
Sec. 16. Artificial intelligence technology roadmap and funding plan 
                            for the intelligence community.
Sec. 17. Digital expertise recruiting offices.
Sec. 18. Occupational series relating to artificial intelligence and 
                            digital career fields.
Sec. 19. Military career fields for software development, data science, 
                            and artificial intelligence.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL STRATEGY RELATING TO THE GLOBAL INFORMATION DOMAIN.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of this section, the President shall transmit to Congress a 
national strategy relating to the global information domain to--
            (1) address such domain as a component of the national 
        security of the United States; and
            (2) ensure the United States leads in the development of 
        technologies and tactics applicable to such domain.
    (b) Elements.--The strategy required under subsection (a) shall, at 
a minimum--
            (1) prioritize the global information domain as an area for 
        international competition with respect to foreign adversaries;
            (2) detail how such adversaries, as well as nonstate 
        actors, are attempting to influence and control such domain to 
        shape global opinion and achieve strategic advantage;
            (3) account for the critical role of artificial 
        intelligence-enabled malign information in the activities of 
        such adversaries and nonstate actors referred to in paragraph 
        (2);
            (4) identify and prioritize actions to defend, counter, and 
        compete in such domain, including recommendations with respect 
        to--
                    (A) changing the priorities of the national 
                security agencies of the United States; and
                    (B) establishing new national security agencies to 
                prioritize such actions; and
            (5) provide recommendations, including any suggestions for 
        legislation, with respect to updating--
                    (A) critical infrastructure designations; and
                    (B) sector-specific plans to account for emerging 
                technologies, including artificial intelligence.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial 
        intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        238(g) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act 
        for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note).
            (2) Artificial intelligence-enabled malign information.--
        The term ``artificial intelligence-enabled malign information'' 
        refers to a broad range of applications in which artificial 
        intelligence is used to generate, spread, or target 
        disinformation, or otherwise control or manipulate the flow and 
        substance of information in the global information domain.
            (3) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical 
        infrastructure'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        1016(e) of Public Law 107-56 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)).
            (4) Foreign adversary.--The term ``foreign adversary'' 
        means a foreign government engaged in a long-term pattern or 
        serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the 
        national security of the United States or security and safety 
        of United States persons.
            (5) Global information domain.--The term ``global 
        information domain'' means a sphere of strategic competition in 
        which foreign adversaries and nonstate actors create, obtain, 
        fuse, analyze, distort, transfer, exchange, or disseminate 
        information, overtly or covertly, to influence public opinion 
        for national security, geopolitical, or economic purposes.

SEC. 3. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE READINESS GOALS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall--
            (1) review the potential applications of artificial 
        intelligence and digital technology to the platforms, 
        processes, and operations of the Department of Defense; and
            (2) establish performance objectives and accompanying 
        metrics for the incorporation of artificial intelligence and 
        digital readiness into such platforms, processes, and 
        operations.
    (b) Skills Gaps.--As a part of the review required by subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall direct the military departments and other 
relevant organizations and elements of the Department of Defense to--
            (1) conduct a comprehensive review of skill gaps in the 
        fields of software development, software engineering, knowledge 
        management, data science, and artificial intelligence;
            (2) assess the number and qualifications of civilian 
        personnel needed for both management and specialist tracks in 
        such fields;
            (3) assess the number of military personnel (including 
        officers and enlisted members of the Armed Forces) needed for 
        both management and specialist tracks in such fields; and
            (4) establish recruiting, training, and talent management 
        goals to achieve and maintain the staffing levels needed to 
        fill identified gaps and meet the Department's needs for 
        skilled personnel.
    (c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 120 days after the 
completion of the review required by subsection (a), the Secretary of 
Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the findings of the review 
and any actions taken or proposed to be taken by the Secretary to 
address such findings.

SEC. 4. ROLE OF INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY IN STEERING COMMITTEE ON 
              EMERGING TECHNOLOGY.

    Section 236 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283), is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraph (8) as paragraph 
                (9); and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (7) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(8) One or more representatives of the intelligence 
        community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security Act 
        of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003)), which shall include, at a minimum, 
        the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(c) Chairpersons.--The Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Vice 
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Principal Deputy 
Director of National Intelligence shall serve as Co-Chairpersons of the 
Steering Committee.''.

SEC. 5. RESOURCING PLAN FOR DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall develop a plan 
for the development of a modern digital ecosystem that uses state-of-
the-art tools and modern processes to enable the development, testing, 
fielding, and continuous updating of artificial intelligence-powered 
applications at speed and scale from headquarters to the tactical edge.
    (b) Contents of Plan.--At a minimum, the plan required by 
subsection (a) shall include--
            (1) an open architecture and an evolving reference design 
        and guidance for needed technical investments in the proposed 
        ecosystem that address issues including common interfaces, 
        authentication, applications, platforms, software, hardware, 
        and data infrastructure; and
            (2) a governance structure, together with associated 
        policies and guidance, to drive the implementation of the 
        reference throughout the Department on a federated basis.

SEC. 6. INTEGRATING DIGITAL SKILL SETS AND COMPUTATIONAL THINKING INTO 
              MILITARY JUNIOR LEADER EDUCATION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Chiefs of the Armed Forces shall expand the 
curriculum for military junior leader education to include the 
following:
            (1) Problem definition and curation.
            (2) A conceptual understanding of the artificial 
        intelligence lifecycle.
            (3) Data collection and management.
            (4) Probabilistic reasoning and data visualization.
            (5) Data-informed decision making.
    (b) Resources.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Chiefs shall 
use existing artificial intelligence-enabled systems and tools to the 
extent possible.

SEC. 7. INTEGRATION OF MATERIAL ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES INTO 
              PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Joint Chiefs of 
Staff, shall ensure that the curriculum for professional military 
education for each Armed Force under the jurisdiction of the Secretary 
of a military department includes periodic courses on militarily 
significant emerging technologies that expand the knowledge base, 
vocabulary, and skills necessary to intelligently analyze and use 
emerging technologies in the tactical, operational, and strategic 
levels of warfighting and warfighting support.

SEC. 8. SHORT COURSE ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR SENIOR PERSONNEL OF 
              THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a short 
course on emerging technologies for covered personnel. The short course 
shall be taught on an iterative, two-year cycle and shall address how 
the most recent and relevant technologies may be applied to military 
and business outcomes in the Department of Defense.
    (b) Objectives.--In assessing participation in the short course 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure that--
            (1) in the first year that the course is offered, at least 
        20 percent of covered personnel pass the short course; and
            (2) in each subsequent year, an additional 10 percent of 
        covered personnel pass the such course, until 80 percent of 
        covered personnel have passed.
    (c) Covered Personnel Defined.--In this section, the term ``covered 
personnel'' means--
            (1) officers in--
                    (A) each Armed Force under the jurisdiction of the 
                Secretary of a military department; and
                    (B) a grade above O-6; and
            (2) civilian employees of the Department of Defense in the 
        Senior Executive Service.

SEC. 9. EMERGING TECHNOLOGY-CODED BILLETS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF 
              DEFENSE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall ensure that each 
Armed Force under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of a military 
department--
            (1) develop a process to qualify officers on emerging 
        technology; and
            (2) establishes billets for officers qualified under such 
        process; and
    (b) Qualification Process.--The process under subsection (a)(1) 
shall be modeled on a streamlined version of the joint qualification 
process and may include credit for serving in the following:
            (1) Fellowships focused on emerging technology.
            (2) Talent exchanges focused on emerging technology.
            (3) Federal occupations focused on emerging technology.
            (4) Educational courses focused on emerging technologies.
    (c) Appropriate Billets.--Billets under subsection (a)(2) may 
include the following duties:
            (1) Acquisition of emerging technologies.
            (2) Integrating technology into field units.
            (3) Developing organizational and operational concepts.
            (4) Developing training and educational plans.
            (5) Operational and tactical leadership.

SEC. 10. AGILE CONTRACTING MECHANISM FOR SOFTWARE ACQUISITION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall establish an 
agile contracting mechanism to support any software acquisition pathway 
developed pursuant to section 800 of the National Defense Authorization 
Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (10 U.S.C. 2223a note).
    (b) Characteristics.--The agile contracting mechanism established 
pursuant to subsection (a) shall authorize processes pursuant to 
which--
            (1) a contract is awarded on the basis of statements of 
        qualifications and past performance data submitted by offerors, 
        supplemented by discussions with two or more offerors 
        determined to be the most highly qualified offerors, without 
        regard to price;
            (2) the contract terms identify the persons to be engaged 
        for the work, and substitutions shall not be made during the 
        base contract period without the advance written consent of the 
        contracting officer;
            (3) the contractor reviews existing software in 
        consultation with the user community and utilizes user feedback 
        to define and prioritize software requirements, and to design 
        and implement new software and software upgrades, as 
        appropriate;
            (4) an independent cost estimate is developed in parallel 
        with engineering of the software; and
            (5) performance metrics based on the value of the software 
        to be acquired are established to address issues such as 
        development, delivery, and deployment rates of software and 
        software updates, and assessment and estimation of the size and 
        complexity of the life cycle of such software.

SEC. 11. ENHANCED ROLE OF UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR RESEARCH AND 
              ENGINEERING ON THE JOINT REQUIREMENTS OVERSIGHT COUNCIL.

    Section 181 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``the Secretary of Defense and'' before ``the 
                Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (6) as 
                paragraphs (3) through (7);
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(2) leveraging awareness of global technology trends, 
        threats, and adversary capabilities to address gaps in joint 
        military capabilities and validate the technical feasibility of 
        requirements developed by the armed forces;'';
                    (D) in paragraph (4)(B), as so redesignated, by 
                inserting ``the Secretary of Defense and'' before ``the 
                Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff''; and
                    (E) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by 
                inserting ``the Secretary of Defense and'' before ``the 
                Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for 
                        making recommendations about'' and inserting 
                        ``Council for'';
                            (ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (B) 
                        through (F) as subparagraphs (C) through (G), 
                        respectively; and
                            (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (A) 
                        the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(B) The Under Secretary of Defense for Research 
                and Engineering, who is the Co-Chair of the Council and 
                is the chief science advisor to the Council.'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``(B), (C), (D), 
                and (E)'' and inserting ``(C), (D), (E), and (F)''; and
                    (C) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:
            ``(3) In making any recommendation to the Secretary of 
        Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff pursuant 
        to this section, the Co-Chairs of the Council shall provide any 
        dissenting view of members of the Council with respect to such 
        recommendation.''; and
            (3) in subsection (d)(1)--
                    (A) by striking subparagraph (D); and
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) through (H) 
                as paragraphs (D) through (G), respectively.

SEC. 12. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DEVELOPMENT AND PROTOTYPING FUND.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish a fund to 
be known as the ``Artificial Intelligence Development and Prototyping 
Fund'' to support operational prototyping and speed the transition of 
artificial intelligence-enabled applications into both service-specific 
and joint mission capabilities, with priority given to joint mission 
capabilities for combatant commanders. The Fund shall be managed by the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in 
consultation with the Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence 
Center, the head of the Joint Staff, and the Chief of each Armed Force.
    (b) Transfer Authority.--Amounts available in the Fund may be 
transferred to the Secretary of a military department for the purpose 
of carrying out a development or prototyping program selected by the 
Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering for the 
purposes described in subsection (a). Any amount so transferred shall 
be credited to the account to which it is transferred. The transfer 
authority provided in this subsection is in addition to any other 
transfer authority available to the Department of Defense.
    (c) Notice to Congress.--The Under Secretary of Defense for 
Research and Development shall notify the congressional defense 
committees (as defined in section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States 
Code) of all transfers under subsection (b). Each notification shall 
specify the amount transferred, the purpose of the transfer, and the 
total projected cost and estimated cost to complete the acquisition 
program to which the funds were transferred.

SEC. 13. ENHANCED AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND 
              DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS WITH INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS.

    (a) Authority of Secretary of Defense.--Section 2350a of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the 
                following:
            ``(F) Any business, academic institution, research 
        institution, or other nongovernmental entity organized pursuant 
        to the laws of a country referred to in subparagraphs (C), (D), 
        and (E), subject to the consent of the country involved.'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``a country 
                referred to in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2),'' and 
                inserting ``a country referred to in subparagraph (E) 
                of paragraph (2) or a nongovernmental entity referred 
                to in subparagraph (F) of such paragraph,''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(4) The Secretary may delegate the authority to enter memoranda 
of understanding pursuant to this section to the secretary of a 
military department, the Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence 
Center, and the Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects 
Agency, subject to such terms and conditions as may be necessary to 
ensure that any agreements entered are consistent with the foreign 
policy and defense policy of the United States.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``will improve, 
        through the application of emerging technology,'' and inserting 
        ``is likely to improve, through the application or enhancement 
        of emerging technology,''; and
            (3) in subsection (c)(3), by inserting at the end the 
        following: ``If a foreign partner is expected to contribute 
        significantly to the development of a new or novel capability, 
        full consideration shall be given to nonmonetary contributions, 
        including the value of research and development capabilities 
        and the strategic partnerships.''.
    (b) Authority of the President.--Section 2767 of title 22, United 
States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following: 
        ``If a foreign partner is expected to contribute significantly 
        to the development of a new or novel capability, full 
        consideration shall be given to non-monetary contributions, 
        including the value of research and development capabilities 
        and the strategic partnerships.'';
            (2) in subsection (f)(4), by inserting ``(and a description 
        of any nonmonetary contributions made by such participants)'' 
        before the semicolon; and
            (3) in subsection (j)--
                    (A) by amending the subsection heading to read as 
                follows: ``Cooperative Project Agreements With Friendly 
                Foreign Countries Not Members of NATO and With 
                Nongovernmental Organizations in NATO and in Friendly 
                Non-NATO Countries''; and
                    (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
            ``(2) The President may enter into a cooperative project 
        agreement with any business, academic institution, research 
        institution, or other nongovernmental entity organized pursuant 
        to the laws of a NATO member or a friendly foreign country that 
        is not a member of NATO, subject to the consent of the country 
        involved.''.

SEC. 14. ROLE OF DIRECTOR OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AS CHIEF TECHNOLOGY 
              OFFICER FOR THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.

    Section 103E(c) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
3030(c)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as 
        paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
        paragraphs:
            ``(2) serve as the Chief Technology Officer for the 
        intelligence community;
            ``(3) establish policies for the intelligence community on 
        research and engineering, technology development, technology 
        transition, prototyping activities, experimentation, and 
        developmental testing, and oversee the implementation of such 
        policies;
            ``(4) establish common technical standards and policies 
        necessary to rapidly scale artificial intelligence-enabled 
        applications across the intelligence community;''.

SEC. 15. ESTABLISHMENT OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CRITICAL APPLICATIONS 
              FUND.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director of National Intelligence shall 
establish in the Treasury a fund, to be known as the ``Artificial 
Intelligence Critical Applications Fund'', for the purposes of 
supporting the development and acquisition of applications enabled by 
artificial intelligence for use by the intelligence community.
    (b) Management.--The Director of Science and Technology appointed 
under section 103E of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
3030), in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence 
Science and Technology Committee specified in such section, shall be 
responsible for the management of the Artificial Intelligence Critical 
Applications Fund.
    (c) Authority To Transfer Amounts.--
            (1) Transfer authority.--The Director of National 
        Intelligence may transfer amounts from the Artificial 
        Intelligence Critical Applications Fund to the head of any 
        element of the intelligence community, to be merged with 
        amounts otherwise available under the account to which 
        transferred, for the purpose of carrying out a program selected 
        by the Director of Science and Technology for the purposes 
        described in subsection (a). Any amount so transferred shall be 
        credited to the account to which it was transferred.
            (2) Additional transfer authority.--The transfer authority 
        in paragraph (1) is in addition to any other transfer authority 
        provided to the Director of National Intelligence or the head 
        of any element of the intelligence community.
    (d) Congressional Notification.--Upon making a transfer pursuant to 
subsection (c), the Director of National Intelligence shall submit to 
the appropriate congressional committees a notification of the 
transfer. Each notification shall include an identification of the 
following:
            (1) The amount transferred.
            (2) The purpose of the transfer.
            (3) The total projected cost and estimated cost to complete 
        the program for which the transferred amounts will be used.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
        means--
                    (A) the congressional intelligence committees; and
                    (B) the Committees on Appropriations of the House 
                of Representatives and the Senate.
            (2) The term ``artificial intelligence'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 238 of the John S. McCain National 
        Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. 2358 
        note).
            (3) The terms ``congressional intelligence committees'' and 
        ``intelligence community'' have the meaning given those term in 
        section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 
        3003).

SEC. 16. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP AND FUNDING PLAN 
              FOR THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall develop a technology 
annex to the National Intelligence Strategy and a 10-year plan to 
provide long-term, predictable funding of up to $1,000,000,000 to 
implement the steps identified in such annex.
    (b) Contents of Technology Annex.--The technology annex under 
subsection (a) shall provide a technology roadmap for the adoption of 
artificial intelligence-enabled applications to solve operational 
intelligence requirements, including--
            (1) a description of challenges faced in the efforts of the 
        intelligence community to analyze the global environment and 
        monitor technological advancements, adversarial capability 
        development, and emerging threats;
            (2) identification of technical capabilities, including 
        artificial intelligence capabilities, needed to enable steps to 
        address each challenge;
            (3) a prioritized, time-phased plan for developing or 
        acquiring such technical capabilities, that takes into account 
        research and development timelines, a strategy for public 
        private partnerships, and a strategy for connecting researchers 
        to end users for early prototyping, experimentation, and 
        iteration;
            (4) any additional or revised acquisition policies and 
        workforce training requirements that may be needed to enable 
        personnel of the intelligence community to identify, procure, 
        integrate, and operate the technologies identified in the 
        annex;
            (5) identification of infrastructure requirements for 
        developing and deploying technical capabilities, including--
                    (A) data, compute, storage, and network needs;
                    (B) a resourced and prioritized plan for 
                establishing such infrastructure; and
                    (C) an analysis of the testing, evaluation, 
                verification, and validation requirements to support 
                prototyping and experimentation and a resourced plan to 
                implement them, including standards, testbeds, and red-
                teams for testing artificial intelligence systems 
                against digital ``denial and deception'' attacks;
            (6) consideration of human factor elements associated with 
        priority technical capabilities, including innovative human-
        centric approaches to user interface, human-machine teaming, 
        and workflow integration;
            (7) consideration of interoperability with allies and 
        partners of the United States, including areas for sharing of 
        data, tools, and intelligence products; and
            (8) flexibility to adapt and iterate annex implementation 
        at the speed of technological advancement.
    (c) Intelligence Community Defined.--In this section, the term 
``intelligence community'' has the meaning given that term in section 3 
of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003).

SEC. 17. DIGITAL EXPERTISE RECRUITING OFFICES.

    (a) Digital Expertise Recruiting for the Department of Defense.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 270 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
        designate a chief digital recruiting officer within the office 
        of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness 
        to oversee a digital recruiting office to carry out the 
        responsibilities set forth in paragraph (2).
            (2) Duties.--The chief digital recruiting officer shall be 
        responsible for--
                    (A) identifying needs within the Department of 
                Defense for specific types of digital expertise;
                    (B) recruiting technologists in partnership with 
                the heads of elements of the Department, including by 
                attending conferences and career fairs, and actively 
                recruiting on university campuses and from the private 
                sector;
                    (C) integrating Federal scholarship for service 
                programs into civilian recruiting;
                    (D) offering recruitment and referral bonuses; and
                    (E) partnering with human resource teams in the 
                elements of the Department to use direct-hire 
                authorities to accelerate hiring.
            (3) Resources.--The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that 
        the chief digital recruiting officer is provided with personnel 
        and resources sufficient to maintain an office and to carry out 
        the duties set forth in paragraph (2).
    (b) Digital Expertise Recruiting for the Intelligence Community.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 270 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Director of National 
        Intelligence shall designate a chief digital recruiting officer 
        to oversee a digital recruiting office to carry out the 
        responsibilities set forth in paragraph (2).
            (2) Duties.--The chief digital recruiting officer shall be 
        responsible for--
                    (A) identifying needs within the intelligence 
                community for specific types of digital expertise;
                    (B) recruiting technologists, in partnership with 
                the heads of the elements of the intelligence 
                community, including by attending conferences and 
                career fairs, and actively recruiting on university 
                campuses and from the private sector;
                    (C) integrating Federal scholarship for service 
                programs into intelligence community recruiting;
                    (D) offering recruitment and referral bonuses; and
                    (E) partnering with human resource teams in the 
                elements of the intelligence community to use direct-
                hire authorities to accelerate hiring.
            (3) Resources.--The Director of National Intelligence shall 
        ensure that the chief digital recruiting officer is provided 
        with personnel and resources sufficient to maintain an office 
        and to carry out the duties set forth in paragraph (2).
            (4) Intelligence community defined.--In this subsection, 
        the term ``intelligence community'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 
        U.S.C. 3003).

SEC. 18. OCCUPATIONAL SERIES RELATING TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND 
              DIGITAL CAREER FIELDS.

    (a) Digital Career Fields.--Not later than 270 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management shall exercise the authority of the Director under section 
5105 of title 5, United States Code, to establish one or more new 
occupational series and associated policies covering Federal Government 
positions in the fields of software development, software engineering, 
data science, and knowledge management.
    (b) Artificial Intelligence Fields.--Not later than 270 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of 
Personnel Management shall exercise the authority of the Director under 
section 5105 of title 5, United States Code, to establish a new 
occupational series and associated policies covering Federal Government 
positions in the field of artificial intelligence.

SEC. 19. MILITARY CAREER FIELDS FOR SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, DATA SCIENCE, 
              AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

    Section 230 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92; 10 U.S.C. 501 note prec.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Career Fields.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Digital Defense Leadership Act, each Chief of an Armed 
Force shall establish new military career fields--
            ``(1) for software development, data science, and 
        artificial intelligence for members and officers under the 
        jurisdiction of such Chief; and
            ``(2) that are designated competitive categories for 
        promotion under subchapter VI of chapter 36 of title 10, United 
        States Code.''.
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