,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddaj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #d1 #bjad ,ms4
 ,tsongas 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,langevin1 
and ,mr4 ,ruppersberger7 introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,armed ,services  ,a  
,,bill  ,to improve the national defense
 laboratories by increasing retention   
and hiring flexibility to enable the    
laboratories to perform breakthrough    
scientific research and effectively     
fulfill the needs of members of the     
,armed ,forces1 and for other purposes4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,do,d ,laboratory ,authorities  
for ,breakthrough ,scientific ,research 
,act or the ,do,d ,,labs ,research ,act4
  #b4 ,travel to technical symposium or 
technical conference ,the ,secretary of 
,defense may not prohibit an employee of
 a defense laboratory from traveling to 
a technical symposium or technical      
conference if the head of the defense   
laboratory--  7#a7 determines that there

 are sufficient amounts available to the
 defense laboratory for such travel2 and
  7#b7 approves of such travel using the
 standard procedures for approving      
travel4  #c4 ,inclusion of qualified    
students in the temporary authorities   
for certain positions at ,department of 
,defense research and engineering       
facilities ,section #aajg7;a77#a7 of the
 ,national ,defense ,authorization ,act 
for ,fiscal ,year #bjad 7,public ,law   
#aac-ff2 #abg ,stat4 #hhg2 #aj ,u4,s4,c4
 #bceh note7 is amended to read as      
follows3  7#a7 ,candidates for          
scientific and engineering positions at 
science and technology reinvention      
laboratories  7,a7 ,the director of any 
,science and ,technology ,reinvention   
,laboratory 7hereinafter in this section
 referred to as an ,,strl7 may appoint  
qualified candidates to positions       
described in paragraph 7#a7 of          
subsection 7b7 as an employee in a      
laboratory described in that paragraph  
without regard to the provisions of     

subchapter ,i of chapter #cc of title   
#e1 ,united ,states ,code 7other than   
section #ccjc and #ccbh of such title74 
7,b7 ,notwithstanding the provisions of 
chapter #ea of title #e1 ,united ,states
 ,code1 for purposes of this subsection1
 the term qualified candidate means an  
individual who--  7i7 has earned a      
bachelor's degree2 or  7ii7 is a student
 enrolled in a program of undergraduate 
or graduate instruction leading to a    
bachelor's or master's degree in a      
scientific1 technical1 engineering1     
mathematical1 or medical course of study
 at an institution of higher education  
7as defined in section #aja7;a7 of the  
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajja774  4  #d4 ,assessment  
of certain ,department of ,defense      
hiring practices  7a7 ,assessment report
 ,not later than #ahj days after the    
date of the enactment of this ,act1 the 
,secretary of ,defense shall submit to  
the ,committees on ,armed ,services of  
the ,senate and the ,house of           

,representatives a report on the        
implementation and use by the           
,department of ,defense of the following
 hiring authorities3  7#a7 ,section     
#aaja of the ,strom ,thurmond ,national 
,defense ,authorization ,act for ,fiscal
 ,year #aiii 7,public ,law #aje-bfa2 #e 
,u4,s4,c4 #cajd note74  7#b7 ,section   
#aajg of the ,national ,defense         
,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year   
#bjad 7,public ,law #aac-ff2 #abg ,stat4
 #hhg2 #aj ,u4,s4,c4 #bceh note74  7#c7 
,section #iijc of title #e1 ,united     
,states ,code 7relating to highly       
qualified experts74  7#d7 ,the          
,intergovernmental ,personnel ,act 7#e  
,u4,s4,c4 #ccga et seq474  7b7 ,contents
 ,the report required under subsection  
7a7 shall contain--  7#a7 a description1
 including quantitative data1 of the    
implementation and use by each service  
and ,defense ,agency within the         
,department of ,defense of each         
authority in subsection 7a71 including  
issues encountered1 successes1 and      

lessons learned2 and  7#b7              
recommendations with respect to--  7,a7 
improvements for such authorities2  7,b7
 tailoring the number of positions or   
eliminating any limitation on the       
numbers of positions provided in such   
authorities 7if applicable72  7,c7 how  
such authorities can be used or improved
 to best suit the needs of each         
,department of ,defense laboratory2 and 
7,d7 the continuance of the hiring      
authority provided under section #aajg  
of the ,national ,defense ,authorization
 ,act for ,fiscal ,year #bjad 7,public  
,law #aac-ff2 #abg ,stat4 #hhg2 #aj     
,u4,s4,c4 #bceh note7 beyond the sunset 
date provided in subsection 7e7 of such 
section4  #e4 ,permanent authority for  
experimental personnel program for      
scientific and technical personnel  7a7 
,in general ,section #aaja of the ,strom
 ,thurmond ,national ,defense           
,authorization ,act for ,fiscal ,year   
#aiii 7,public ,law #aje-bfa7 is amended
 by striking subsections 7e7 and 7f74   

7b7 ,technical and conforming amendments
 ,such section is further amended--     
7#a7 in the section heading1 by striking
 ,experimental2  7#b7 in subsection     
7a7--  7,a7 by striking ,during the     
program period specified in subsection  
7e77#a71 the and inserting ,the2 and    
7,b7 by striking experimental2  7#c7 in 
subsection 7d77#a7--  7,a7 in the matter
 preceding subparagraph 7,a71 by        
striking #ab-month period and inserting 
calendar year2 and  7,b7 in subparagraph
 7,a71 striking fiscal year and         
inserting calendar year2  7#d7 by       
redesignating subsection 7g7 as         
subsection 7e72 and  7#e7 in subsection 
7e7 7as redesignated by paragraph 7#d771
 by striking in which the authority     
under this section is in effect4