To provide for a report on the recruitment and retention of individuals with foreign language skills.

1. Adds SEC. 1107. FELLOWSHIPS FOR STUDENTS TO ENTER FEDERAL SERVICE at the end of title XI

   Adds a section

   In S. 2400 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (b) Repeal of Superseded Law.--Section 349 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 (Public Law 103-337; 108 Stat. 2727; 10 U.S.C. 1587 note) is repealed.

   Inserted: SEC. 1107. FELLOWSHIPS FOR STUDENTS TO ENTER FEDERAL SERVICE.

   Inserted: (a) In General.--The David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 (50 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 802 the following:

   Inserted: "SEC. 802A. FELLOWSHIPS FOR STUDENTS TO ENTER FEDERAL SERVICE.

   Inserted: "(a) Definitions.--In this section:

   Inserted: "(1) Agency.--The term 'agency' means the Department of Defense.

   Inserted: "(2) Institution of higher education.--The term 'institution of higher education' has the meaning given to such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

   Inserted: "(3) National security position.--The term 'national security position' means an employment position determined by the Board, in consultation with an agency, for the purposes of a program established under this section, to involve important homeland security or national applications.

   Inserted: "(b) In General.--The Board shall establish and implement a program for the awarding of fellowships (to be known as 'National Security Fellowships') to undergraduate and graduate students who, in exchange for receipt of the fellowship, agree to employment with the Federal Government in a national security position. The Board may provide for the program to apply to, and be administered with respect to, 1 or more organizational units of an agency.

   Inserted: "(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to participate in the program established under subsection (b), a student shall--

   Inserted: "(1) have been accepted into a undergraduate or graduate school program at an accredited institution of higher education within the United States and be pursuing or intend to pursue undergraduate or graduate education in the United States in the discipline of foreign languages that are critical areas of national security (as determined by the Board);

   Inserted: "(2) be a United States citizen, United States national, permanent legal resident, or citizen of the Freely Associated States; and

   Inserted: "(3) agree to employment with an agency or office of the Federal Government in a national security position.

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   Inserted: "(d) Service Agreement.--In awarding a fellowship under the program under this section, the Board shall require the recipient to enter into an agreement under which, in exchange for such assistance, the recipient--

   Inserted: "(1) will maintain satisfactory academic progress (as determined in accordance with regulations issued by the Board) and provide regularly scheduled updates to the Board on the progress of their education and how their employment continues to relate to a national security objective of the Federal Government;

   Inserted: "(2) will, upon completion of such education, be employed by the agency for which the fellowship was awarded for a period of at least 3 years as specified by the Board; and

   Inserted: "(3) agrees that if the recipient is unable to meet either of the requirements described in paragraph (1) or (2), the recipient will reimburse the United States for the amount of the assistance provided to the recipient under the fellowship, together with interest at a rate determined in accordance with regulations issued by the Board, but not higher than the rate generally applied in connection with other Federal education loans.

   Inserted: "(e) Federal Employment Eligibility.--If a recipient of a fellowship under this section demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that, after completing their education, the recipient is unable to obtain a national security position in the Federal Government because such recipient is not eligible for a security clearance or other applicable clearance necessary for such position, the Board may permit the recipient to fulfill the service obligation under the agreement under subsection (d) by working in a non-national security position in the agency, for a period of not less than 3 years, in the area of study for which the fellowship was awarded.

   Inserted: "(f) Fellowship Selection.--

   Inserted: "(1) In general.--The Board shall consult with agencies in the selection and placement of national security fellows under this section.

   Inserted: "(2) Functions.--The Board shall carry out the following functions:

   Inserted: "(A) Develop criteria for awarding fellowships under this section.

   Inserted: "(B) Provide for the wide dissemination of information regarding the activities assisted under this section.

   Inserted: "(C) Establish qualifications for students desiring fellowships under this section, including a requirement that the student have a demonstrated commitment to the study of the discipline for which the fellowship is to be awarded.

   Inserted: "(D) Provide for the establishment and semiannual update of a list of fellowship recipients, including an identification of their skills, who are available to work in a national security position.

   Inserted: "(E) Not later than 30 days after a fellowship recipient completes the study or education for which assistance was provided under this section, work in conjunction with agencies to make reasonable efforts to hire and place the fellow in an appropriate national security position.

   Inserted: "(F) Review the administration of the program established under this section.

   Inserted: "(G) Develop and provide to Congress a strategic plan that identifies the skills needed by the Federal national security workforce and how the provisions of this Act, and related laws, regulations, and policies will be used to address such needs.

   Inserted: "(g) Special Consideration for Current Federal Employees.--

   Inserted: "(1) Set aside of fellowships.--Twenty percent of the fellowships awarded under this section shall be set aside for Federal employees who are working in national security positions on the date of enactment of this section to enhance the education and training of such employees in areas important to national security.

   Inserted: "(2) Full- or part-time education.--Federal employees who are awarded fellowships under paragraph (1) shall be permitted to obtain advanced education under the fellowship on a full-time or part-time basis.

   Inserted: "(3) Part-time education.--A Federal employee who pursues education or training under a fellowship under paragraph (1) on a part-time basis shall be eligible for a stipend in an amount which, when added to the employee's part-time compensation, does not exceed the amount described in subsection (i)(2).

   Inserted: "(h) Amount of Award.--A National Security Fellow who complies with the requirements of this section may receive funding under the fellowship for up to 3 years at an amount determined appropriate by the Board, but not to exceed the sum of--

   Inserted: "(1) the amount of tuition paid by the fellow; and

   Inserted: "(2) a stipend in an amount equal to the maximum stipend available to recipients of fellowships under section 10 of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1869) for the year involved.

   Inserted: "(i) Consultation With Chief Human Capital Officers.--The Board shall consult with the chief human capital officers of participating agencies in carrying out this section.

   Inserted: "(j) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed--

   Inserted: "(1) to authorize the Board to determine national security positions for any other purpose other than to make such determinations as are required by this section in order to carry out the purposes of this section; and

   Inserted: "(2) as a basis for determining the exemption of any position from inclusion in a bargaining unit under chapter 71 of title 5, United States Code, or from the right of any incumbent of a national security position determined by the Board under this section, from entitlement to all rights and benefits under such chapter.

   Inserted: "(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of enabling the Board to provide for the recruitment and retention of highly qualified employees in national security positions, there are authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, and such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year thereafter.".

   Inserted: (b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--The David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991 (50 U.S.C. 1901 et seq.) is amended--

   Inserted: (1) in section 803(b)--

   Inserted: (A) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through (7) as paragraphs (7) through (9), respectively; and

   Inserted: (B) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:

   Inserted: "(5) The Secretary of Homeland Security.

   Inserted: "(6) The Attorney General of the United States.";

   Inserted: (2) in section 803(c), by striking "subsection (b)(6)" and inserting "subsection (b)(8)";

   Inserted: (3) in section 804(b)(1), by inserting ", including section 802a" before the semicolon;

   Inserted: (4) by inserting after section 807, the following:

   Inserted: "SEC. 807A. NONAPPLICATION OF PROVISIONS TO CERTAIN STUDENT FELLOWSHIPS AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE CORPS.

   Inserted: "Sections 805, 806, and 807 shall not apply with respect to section 802a."; and

   Inserted: (5) in section 808(4), by striking "The term" and inserting "Except as provided under section 802a, the term".

   Inserted: (c) Critical Hiring Need.--Section 3304(a)(3) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the following:

   Inserted: "(B)(i) the Office of Personnel Management has determined that there exists a severe shortage of candidates or there is a critical hiring need; or

   Inserted: "(ii) the candidate is a participant in the national security fellowship program under section 802a of the David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991.".

   Original wording

   At the end of title XI, insert the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed