Topic: Defense — Contractors
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-03-25 00:00:00

Agile Acquisition to Retain Technological Edge Act 

This bill expresses the sense of Congress that all stakeholders in the acquisition system of the Department of Defense (DOD), including Congress and industry, should be: (1) successful, (2) proactive, (3) agile, (4) transparent, and (5) innovative.

Authority is permanently extended for: (1) funding the DOD Acquisition Workforce Development Fund, and (2) expedited hiring for acquisition workforce positions.

A dual-track career path is established that permits officers and enlisted personnel to gain experience in a primary career in combat arms and a secondary career in the acquisition field.

DOD is required to:

 provide mandatory training for members of the armed forces and DOD employees responsible for specified procurement-related market research, and contract for an independent comprehensive study of strategic planning related to the defense acquisition workforce. Each major defense acquisition program and each major system approved by a Milestone Decision Authority shall have an acquisition strategy, including a risk management and mitigation strategy, for which the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics shall be responsible.

The Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 is amended to repeal the provision regarding prototyping requirements for major defense acquisition programs.

The Under Secretary shall: (1) complete an examination of the decision authority related to acquisition of services, and (2) develop guidance to improve capabilities and processes related to oversight and management of services contracts.

Defense business system requirements are revised.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 is amended to eliminate the pilot program designation of the mentor-protege program.

The Small Business Act is amended to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to implement the plan to improve the quality of data reported on bundled or consolidated contracts in the federal procurement data system by the first day of FY2017.

The Secretary of Defense shall direct the Defense Business Board to review DOD regulations and practices related to government access to and use of intellectual property rights of private sector firms.

The Secretary of each military department shall expend specified amounts of the respective military department's extramural budget for small business innovative research (SBIR) for FY2018 and each subsequent fiscal year.

The authorization of appropriations under the Ike Skeleton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 is extended through FY2020 for the defense research and development rapid innovation program.

The Director of Operational Test Evaluation shall consider the potential for increases in program cost estimates or delays in schedule estimates in the implementation of policies, procedures, and activities related to operational test and evaluation, and shall ensure that operational test and evaluation activities do not unnecessarily increase program costs or impede program schedules.

The Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps shall review their current individual defense acquisitions authorities with respect to development of DOD requirements, acquisition processes, and associated budget practices.

The SBA Administrator is added to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council.

The Secretary of Defense shall:

 contract for an independent study of factors leading to the filing of bid protests, and designate an individual within DOD to make commercial item determinations for DOD procurement purposes. A contracting officer may consider evidence provided by an offeror of recent purchase prices paid by the government for identical or similar commercial items in establishing price reasonableness on a subsequent purchase if the contracting officer is satisfied that the prices previously paid remain a valid reference.

Thresholds are raised for: (1) simplified acquisition, (2) micro purchases, (3) special emergency procurement both inside and outside the United States, and (4) the small business reservation.

The rounding method is revised for making inflation adjustments to acquisition-related dollar thresholds.

The requirement for stand-alone manpower estimates for major defense acquisition programs is repealed.