|
SEC. 835. EXTRAMURAL ACQUISITION
INNOVATION AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.
(a) Extramural Acquisition Innovation and
Research Activities.--
(1) In general.--Chapter 139 of title
10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section
2361 the following new section:
``Sec. 2361a. Extramural acquisition
innovation and research activities
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of
Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment and in coordination with the Under
Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, shall
establish and maintain extramural acquisition innovation and
research activities as described in subsection (d), which
shall include an acquisition research organization within a
civilian college or university that is not owned or operated
by the Federal Government that is established to provide and
maintain essential research and development capabilities
through a long-term strategic relationship with the Department
of Defense.
``(b) Goals.--The goal of any activity
conducted pursuant to this section shall be to provide
academic analyses and policy alternatives for innovation in
defense acquisition policies and practices to policymakers in
the Federal Government by using a variety of means intended to
widely disseminate research findings from such an activity, in
addition to executing demonstration and pilot programs of
innovative acquisition policies and practices.
``(c) Director.--
``(1) Appointment.--Not later than
June 1, 2020, the Secretary of Defense shall appoint an
individual from civilian life to serve as the director for
the extramural acquisition innovation and research
activities required by this section (referred to in this
section as the `Director').
``(2) Term.--The Director shall
serve a term of five years.
``(d) Activities.--The activities
described in this subsection are
as follows:
``(1) Research on past and current
defense acquisition policies and practices, commercial and
international best practices, and the application of new
technologies and analytical capabilities to improve
acquisition policies and practices.
``(2) Pilot programs to prototype
and demonstrate new acquisition practices for potential
transition to wider use in the Department of Defense.
``(3) Establishment of data
repositories and development of analytical capabilities, in
coordination with the Chief Data Officer of the Department
of Defense, to enable researchers and acquisition
professionals to access and analyze historical data sets to
support research and new policy and practice development.
``(4) Executive education to--
``(A) support acquisition
workforce development, including for early career,
mid-career, and senior leaders; and
``(B) provide appropriate
education on acquisition issues to non-acquisition
professionals.
``(5) On an ongoing basis, a review
of the implementation of recommendations contained in
relevant Department of Defense and private sector studies on
acquisition policies and practices,
including--
``(A) for recommendations for the
enactment of legislation, identify the extent to which the
recommendations have been enacted into law by Congress;
``(B) for recommendations for the
issuance of regulations, identify the extent to which the
recommendations have been adopted through the issuance or
revision of regulations;
``(C) for recommendations for
revisions to policies and procedures in the executive
branch, identify the extent to which the recommendations
have been adopted through issuance of an appropriate
implementing directive or other form of guidance; and
``(D) for recommendations for the
resources required to implement recommendations contained
in relevant Department of Defense and private sector
studies on acquisition policies and practices.
``(6) Engagement with researchers
and acquisition professionals in the Department of Defense,
as appropriate.
``(e) Funding.--Subject to the
availability of appropriations, the Secretary may use amounts
available in the Defense Acquisition Workforce and Development
Account to carry out the requirements of this section.
``(f) Annual Report.--Not later than
September 30, 2021, and annually thereafter, the Director
shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the congressional
defense committees a report describing the activities
conducted under this section during the previous year.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of
sections at the beginning
of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item
relating to
section 2361 the following new item:
``2361a. Extramural acquisition innovation and research
activities.''.
(3) Implementation.--
(A) Deadline.--Not later than March
1, 2020, the Secretary of Defense shall establish the
extramural acquisition innovation and research activities
required by section 2361a of title 10, United States Code
(as added by this subsection).
(B) Report.--
(i) In general.--Not later than
January 1, 2021, the Director of the extramural
acquisition innovation and research activities appointed
under such section shall submit to the Secretary of
Defense a report setting forth a plan, proposed budget,
and schedule for execution of such activities.
(ii) Transmittal.--Not later than
February 1, 2021, the Secretary of Defense shall transmit
the report required under clause (i), together with
whatever comments the Secretary considers appropriate, to
the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the
House of Representatives.
(b) Records of the Section 809 Panel.--
(1) Transfer and maintenance of
records.--Not later than March 1, 2020, the records of the
Section 809 Panel shall be transferred to, and shall be
maintained by, the Defense Technical Information Center.
(2) Status of records.--Working
papers, records of interview, and any other draft work
products generated for any purpose by the Section 809 Panel
shall be covered by the deliberative process privilege
exemption under paragraph (5) of section 552(b) of title
5, United States Code.
(3) Availability.--To the maximum
extent practicable, the Secretary shall make the records
available to support activities conducted by the research
organization described under section 2361a of title 10, United
States Code (as added by subsection (a)).
(4) Section 809 panel defined.--In
this subsection, the term ``Section 809 Panel'' means the
panel established by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to
section 809 of the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92).
|
Extramural acquisition innovation and
research activities (sec. 835)
The House amendment contained a provision
(sec. 861(l)) that would amend chapter 97 of title 10, United
States Code, to establish an academic center for acquisition
innovation at the Naval Postgraduate School to provide
decision-makers with academic analyses and policy alternatives
for innovating the defense acquisition system.
The Senate bill contained no similar
provision.
The Senate recedes with an amendment
that would direct the Secretary of Defense to establish
extramural acquisition innovation and research activities to
include an acquisition research organization within a
non-Federal civilian university or college, to provide and
maintain essential research and development capabilities through
a long-term, strategic relationship with the Department of
Defense. |
