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TITLE VIII--ACQUISITION POLICY, ACQUISITION MANAGEMENT, AND RELATED MATTERS

Public Law 108-136

House Conference Report 108-354

SEC. 835. GENERAL MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS.

Subchapter V of chapter 87 of title 10, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking section 1763; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new section 1764:

`Sec. 1764. Authority to establish different minimum requirements

`(a) AUTHORITY- (1) The Secretary of Defense may prescribe a different minimum number of years of experience, different minimum education qualifications, and different tenure of service qualifications to be required for eligibility for appointment or advancement to an acquisition position referred to in subsection (b) than is required for such position under or pursuant to any provision of this chapter.

`(2) Any requirement prescribed under paragraph (1) for a position referred to in any paragraph of subsection (b) shall be applied uniformly to all positions referred to in such paragraph.

`(b) APPLICABILITY- This section applies to the following acquisition positions in the Department of Defense:

`(1) Contracting officer, except a position referred to in paragraph (5).

`(2) Program executive officer.

`(3) Senior contracting official.

`(4) Program manager.

`(5) A position in the contract contingency force of an armed force that is filled by a member of that armed force.

`(c) DEFINITION- In this section, the term `contract contingency force', with respect to an armed force, has the meaning given such term in regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned.'.

The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 841) that would amend the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) to give the Secretary of Defense greater flexibility in managing the acquisition and support workforce. Specifically, the provision would give the Secretary the flexibility to establish different experience, educational, and tenure requirements for acquisition positions; require the establishment of a single acquisition corps; and streamline obsolete and outdated provisions of DAWIA.

The House bill contained no similar provision.

The House recedes with an amendment to split the provision into several sections.

Senate Report 108-046

The committee recommends a provision that would amend the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) to give the Secretary of Defense greater flexibility in managing the acquisition and support workforce. Specifically, the provision would give the Secretary the flexibility to establish different experience, educational, and tenure requirements for acquisition positions; require the establishment of a single acquisition corps; and streamline obsolete and outdated provisions of DAWIA.