I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6738 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES December 13, 2023 Mr. Bacon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To provide for the appointment of fellows in the John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellows Program to term excepted service positions, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Strategic Defense Fellows Program Act of 2023 . 2. Amendments to the John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellows Program (a) Selection of participants Subsection (d)(2) of section 932 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year ( Public Law 115–232 ; 10 U.S.C. 1580 note prec.) is amended to read as follows: (2) Geographical representation Out of the total number of individuals selected to participate in the fellows program, which shall not exceed 60 individuals in any year, no more than 20 percent may be from any of the following geographic regions: (A) The Northeast United States. (B) The Southeast United States. (C) The Midwest United States. (D) The Southwest United States. (E) The Western United States. (F) Alaska, Hawaii, United States territories, and areas outside the United States. . (b) Appointment and career development Such section is further amended— (1) in subsection (d)(3)— (A) by striking assigned and inserting appointed ; and (B) by striking assignment and inserting appointment ; and (2) by amending subsections (e) and (f) to read as follows: (e) Appointment (1) In general An individual who participates in the fellows program shall be appointed into an excepted service position in the Department. (2) Position requirements Each year, the head of each Department of Defense Component shall submit to the Secretary of Defense placement opportunities for participants in the fellows program. Such placement opportunities shall provide for leadership development and potential commencement of a career track toward a position of senior leadership in the Department. The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the heads of Department of Defense Components, shall establish qualification requirements for the appointment of participants under paragraph (1). (3) Appointment to positions Each year, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint participants in the fellows program to positions in the Department of Defense Components. In making such appointments, the Secretary shall seek to best match the qualifications and skills of the participants with the requirements for positions available for appointment. (4) Term The term of each appointment under the fellows program shall be one year with the option to extend the appointment up to one additional year. (5) Grade An individual appointed to a position under the fellows program shall be appointed at a level between GS–10 and GS–12 of the General Schedule based on the directly related qualifications, skills, and professional experience of the individual. (6) Education loan repayment To the extent that funds are provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary of Defense may repay a loan of a participant in the fellows program if the loan is described by subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 16301(a)(1) of title 10, United States Code. Any repayment of a loan under this paragraph may require a minimum service agreement, as determined by the Secretary. (7) Department of defense component defined In this subsection, the term Department of Defense Component means a Department of Defense Component, as set forth in section 111 of title 10, United States Code. (f) Career development (1) In general The Secretary of Defense shall ensure that participants in the fellows program— (A) receive career development opportunities and support appropriate for the commencement of a career track within the Department leading toward a future position of senior leadership within the Department, including ongoing mentorship support through appropriate personnel from entities within the Department; and (B) are provided appropriate employment opportunities for competitive and excepted service positions in the Department upon successful completion of the fellows program. (2) Publication of selection The Secretary shall publish, on an internet website of the Department available to the public, the names of the individuals selected to participate in the fellows program. .