What This Bill Does
This bill makes permanent the Secretary of Defense's direct hire authority (power to hire people without following standard federal hiring procedures) for three specific groups of facilities and offices. The bill takes temporary hiring rules that were set to expire and makes them permanent by adding them to federal law.
Who It Affects
The Secretary of Defense and staff at domestic defense industrial base facilities (factories and plants that make military equipment), the Major Range and Test Facilities Base (testing grounds for military equipment) and the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (the office that tests military equipment).
Key Provisions
• The Secretary of Defense gets permanent direct hire authority for domestic defense industrial base facilities, the Major Range and Test Facilities Base and the Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (Sec. 2(a))
• Time limits on this hiring authority are removed, making the authority permanent rather than temporary (Sec. 2(b))
• The previous temporary law authorizing this hiring authority is repealed (Sec. 2(d))
What Changes
The Secretary of Defense can permanently hire people for these three types of facilities without following the standard federal civil service hiring rules. Previously this authority had an expiration date, which this bill removes.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 339
To amend title 10, United States Code, to make permanent the direct hire
authority of the Secretary of Defense for domestic defense industrial
base facilities, the Major Range and Test Facilities Base, and the Office
of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 9, 2023
Mr. LANKFORD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to make permanent
the direct hire authority of the Secretary of Defense
for domestic defense industrial base facilities, the Major
Range and Test Facilities Base, and the Office of the
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Defense
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Improved Hiring Act’’.
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•S 339 IS
SEC. 2. MAKING PERMANENT THE DIRECT HIRE AUTHOR-
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ITY FOR DOMESTIC DEFENSE INDUSTRIAL
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BASE FACILITIES, THE MAJOR RANGE AND
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TEST FACILITIES BASE, AND THE OFFICE OF
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THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONAL TEST AND
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EVALUATION.
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(a) CODIFICATION OF SECTION 1125 OF FY 2017
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NDAA.—Chapter 81 of title 10, United States Code, is
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amended by adding at the end a new section consisting
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of—
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(1) a heading as follows:
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‘‘§ 1599j. Direct hire authority for domestic defense
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industrial
base
facilities,
the
Major
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Range and Test Facilities Base, and the
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Office of the Director of Operational Test
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and Evaluation’’;
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and
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(2) a text consisting of the text of section 1125
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of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
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Year 2017 (10 U.S.C. 1580 note prec.).
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(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS
IN CONNECTION
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WITH CODIFICATION.—Section 1599j of title 10, United
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States Code, as added by subsection (a), is amended—
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(1) in subsection (a)—
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•S 339 IS
(A) by striking ‘‘During each of fiscal
1
years 2017 through 2025, the Secretary’’ and
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inserting ‘‘The Secretary’’; and
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(B) by striking ‘‘United States Code,’’; and
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(2) in subsection (b)—
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(A) by striking ‘‘During fiscal years 2017
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through 2021, the Secretary’’ and inserting
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‘‘The Secretary’’; and
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(B) by striking ‘‘United States Code,’’.
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(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
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at the beginning of chapter 81 of such title is amended
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by adding at the end the following new item:
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‘‘1599j. Direct hire authority for domestic defense industrial base facilities, the
Major Range and Test Facilities Base, and the Office of the
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.’’.
(d) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Section 1125 of the Na-
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tional Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (10
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U.S.C. 1580 note prec.) is repealed.
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Æ
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