To direct the Department of Defense to designate an executive agent responsible for continuing education in strategic foreign languages, and for other purposes.

Bill: 117-hr-5200
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]
Introduced: 2021-09-10
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Foreign language and bilingual programs

Military education and training

Military procurement, research, weapons development

Military readiness

Public contracts and procurement

Teaching, teachers, curricula
Latest action: action_date: 2021-09-10
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-09-10
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill requires the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness within the Department of Defense (DOD) to designate an executive agent for commercially available advanced foreign language training to meet operational readiness requirements of DOD.</p> <p>The executive agent must establish a procedure for the respective military departments to reimburse any organization of DOD that provides foreign language instruction to service members.<br> </p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5200 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 10, 2021 Mr. Bacon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To direct the Department of Defense to designate an executive agent responsible for continuing education in strategic foreign languages, and for other purposes.

1. Defense language continuing education program (a) In general Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall coordinate with the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency to designate an executive agent for commercially available advanced foreign language training to meet operational readiness requirements of the Department of Defense. (b) Elements The executive agent designated in subsection (a) shall be responsible for the following: (1) Developing policies, procedures, and curricula to allow for continuing language training when linguists transition to operational environments from education or training environments, such as the Defense Language Institute, the Defense Language and National Security Education Office, or service-based training. (2) Identifying the resourcing requirements necessary for each Armed Force to have access to the following foreign language training elements: (A) A foreign language and current culture training and maintenance virtual immersion program covering strategic languages (as designated by the Federal Government), with a range of multimedia materials including— (i) current and authentic copyrighted multimedia content (video, audio, print, etc.), in multiple genres, that have been cleared for legal use; (ii) foreign-originated newscasts and interviews with foreign speakers; and (iii) any other content determined by the executive agent to be necessary for personnel to acquire proper vocabulary, phraseology, and enhanced understanding of the nuances associated with foreign cultures. (B) Anytime accessibility, both online and via mobile device. (C) Training programs with success proven by previous partnerships with academic institutions in the United States or other departments and agencies of the Federal Government. (c) Reimbursement authority Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the executive agent, in coordination with the chief of each covered Armed Force, shall establish a procedure through which the Armed Force shall reimburse any organization of the Department of Defense that provides instruction under this section to members of that Armed Force for the costs of such instruction. (d) Covered Armed Force defined In this section, the term covered Armed Force means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.