What This Bill Does
This bill eliminates the position of Chief Diversity Officer at the Department of Defense. It also prevents the Department of Defense from creating any similar positions in the future using federal funds.
Who It Affects
The Department of Defense and anyone currently or potentially holding the position of Chief Diversity Officer or Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion within that agency.
Key Provisions
* The law repeals Section 147 of Title 10, United States Code, which established the Chief Diversity Officer position (Sec. 2(a)(1))
* The law repeals Section 913 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, which created another related position (Sec. 2(b))
* No federal money can be used to create any position within the Department of Defense that is the same as or substantially similar to the Chief Diversity Officer position or the Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion position (Sec. 3)
What Changes
The Chief Diversity Officer position at the Department of Defense no longer exists. The Department of Defense cannot spend federal funds to establish a position that is the same as or substantially similar to either the Chief Diversity Officer role or the Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion role as they existed before this law takes effect.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
II
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 191
To eliminate the position of the Chief Diversity Officer of the Department
of Defense, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
JANUARY 31, 2023
Mr. RUBIO (for himself, Mr. RISCH, Mr. COTTON, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. CRUZ,
Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. LANKFORD, and Mr. HAGERTY) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Armed Services
A BILL
To eliminate the position of the Chief Diversity Officer of
the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Restoring Military
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Focus Act’’.
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SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF THE CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER
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OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
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(a) REPEAL OF POSITION.—
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•S 191 IS
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 147 of title 10,
1
United States Code, is repealed.
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(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
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tions at the beginning of chapter 4 of such title is
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amended by striking the item relating to section
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147.
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(b) CONFORMING REPEAL.—Section 913 of the Wil-
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liam M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authoriza-
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tion Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116–283; 134
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Stat. 3802) is repealed.
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SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON ESTABLISHMENT OF SIMILAR PO-
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SITIONS.
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No Federal funds may be obligated or expended to
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establish a position within the Department of Defense that
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is the same as or substantially similar to—
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(1) the position of Chief Diversity Officer, as
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described in section 147 of title 10, United States
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Code, as such section was in effect on the day before
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the date of the enactment of this Act; or
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(2) the position of Senior Advisor for Diversity
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and Inclusion, as described in section 913(b) of the
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William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Au-
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thorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law
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116–283; 134 Stat. 3803), as such section was in ef-
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•S 191 IS
fect on the day before the date of the enactment of
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this Act.
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Æ
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