,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bhfg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #af1 #bjah
 ,mr4 ,wicker introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,armed ,services   
,a ,,bill  ,to improve the ,junior      
,reserve ,officers' ,training ,corps    
programs1 to authorize an expansion of  
their presence in low-income1 rural1 and
 underserved areas of the ,united       
,states1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,,jrotc ,opportunities for          
,transformational ,change ,act or       
,,jrotc ,act4  #b4 ,enhancement of      
authorities in connection with ,junior  
,reserve ,officers' ,training ,corps    
programs  7a7 ,authority ,to convert    
otherwise closing units to ,national    
,defense ,cadet ,corps program units ,if
 the ,secretary of a military department
 is notified by a local educational     
agency of the intent of the agency to   
close its ,junior ,reserve ,officers'   

,training ,corps 7,,jrotc7 unit1 the    
,secretary shall offer the agency the   
option of converting the program to a   
,national ,defense ,cadet ,corps        
7,,ndcc7 program unit in lieu of closing
 the unit4  7b7 ,flexibility in         
administration of instructors  7#a7 ,in 
general ,the ,secretaries of the        
military departments shall undertake    
initiatives designed to promote         
flexibility in the hiring and           
compensation of instructors for the     
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps program under the jurisdiction of
 such ,secretaries4  7#b7 ,elements ,the
 initiatives undertaken pursuant to this
 subsection may provide for one or more 
of the following3  7,a7 ,termination of 
the requirement for a waiver as a       
condition of the hiring of              
well-qualified non-commissioned officers
 with a bachelor's degree for senior    
instructor positions within the ,junior 
,reserve ,officers' ,training ,corps4   
7,b7 ,specification of a single         

instructor as the minimum number of     
instructors required to found and       
operate a ,junior ,reserve ,officers'   
,training ,corps unit4  7,c7 ,authority 
for ,junior ,reserve ,officers'         
,training ,corps instructors to         
undertake school duties1 in addition to 
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps duties1 at small schools4  7,d7  
,authority for the payment of instructor
 compensation for a limited number of   
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps instructors on a #aj-month per   
year basis rather than a #ab-month per  
year basis4  7,e7 ,such other actions as
 the ,secretaries of the military       
departments consider appropriate4  7c7  
,flexibility in allocation and use of   
travel funding ,the ,secretaries of the 
military departments shall take         
appropriate actions to provide so-called
 regional directors of the ,junior      
,reserve ,officers' ,training ,corps    
programs located at remote rural schools
 enhanced discretion in the allocation  

and use of funds for travel in          
connection with ,junior ,reserve        
,officers' ,training ,corps activities4 
7d7 ,standardization of program data    
,the ,secretary of ,defense shall take  
appropriate actions to standardize the  
data collected and maintained on the    
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps programs in order to facilitate  
and enhance the collection and analysis 
of such data4 ,such actions shall       
include a requirement for the use of the
 ,national ,center for ,education       
,statistics 7,,nces7 identification code
 for each school with a unit under a    
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps program in order to facilitate   
identification of such schools and their
 units under the ,junior ,reserve       
,officers' ,training ,corps programs4   
7e7 ,authority for additional units     
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretaries of   
the military departments may1 using     
amounts authorized to be appropriated by
 paragraph 7#b71 establish an aggregate 

of not more than #ajj units under the   
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps programs in low-income and rural 
areas of the ,united ,states and areas  
of the ,united ,states currently        
underserved by the ,junior ,reserve     
,officers' ,training ,corps programs4   
7#b7 ,funding ,there is hereby          
authorized to be appropriated for fiscal
 year #bjai for the ,department of      
,defense amounts as follows3  7,a7 ,for 
,operation and ,maintenance1 ,army1     
#c1adj1jjj1 with the amount available   
for the ,junior ,reserve ,officers'     
,training ,corps program of the ,army4  
7,b7 ,for ,operation and ,maintenance1  
,navy1 #iej1jjj1 with the amount        
available for the ,junior ,reserve      
,officers' ,training ,corps program of  
the ,navy4  7,c7 ,for ,operation and    
,maintenance1 ,air ,force1 #a1jjj1jjj1  
with the amount available for the       
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps program of the ,air ,force4  7,d7
 ,for ,operation and ,maintenance1      

,marine ,corps1 #cij1jjj1 with the      
amount available for the ,junior        
,reserve ,officers' ,training ,corps    
program of the ,marine ,corps4  7,e7    
,for ,military ,personnel1 #a1bbj1jjj1  
of which-- 7i7 #ejj1jjj is for the ,army
 for the ,junior ,reserve ,officers'    
,training ,corps program of the ,army2  
7ii7 #bgj1jjj is for the ,navy for the  
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps program of the ,navy2  7iii7     
#chj1jjj is for the ,air ,force for the 
,junior ,reserve ,officers' ,training   
,corps program of the ,air ,force2 and  
7iv7 #gj1jjj is for the ,marine ,corps  
for the ,junior ,reserve ,officers'     
,training ,corps program of the ,marine 
,corps4  7#c7 ,supplement not supplant  
,the amounts authorized to be           
appropriated for fiscal year #bjai for  
the ,department of ,defense by this     
subsection are in addition to any other 
amounts authorized to be appropriated   
for fiscal year #bjai for the           
,department under any other provision of

 law4