To require a strategy and report by the Secretary of Defense regarding the impact on small businesses of the requirement to use radio frequency identifier technology.

SA 1500. Mr. KERRY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1042, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2006 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 237, after line 17, insert the following:

SEC. 846. RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFIER TECHNOLOGY.

(a) Small Business Strategy.--As part of implementing its requirement that contractors use radio frequency identifier technology, the Secretary of Defense shall develop and implement--

(1) best practice standards regarding the use of that technology to ensure that the Department of Defense meets its contracting goals for the utilization of small business concerns (as defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)), in Department of Defense contracts; and

(2) a strategy to educate the small business community regarding radio frequency identifier technology requirements, compliance, standards, and opportunities.

(b) Reporting.--

(1) Initial report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit a report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives detailing the status of the efforts by the Secretary of Defense to establish requirements for radio frequency identifier technology used in Department of Defense contracting, including--

(A) standardization of the data required to be reported by such technology; and

(B) standardization of the manufacturing quality required for such technology.

(2) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of submission of the report under paragraph (1), and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit a report to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives detailing--

(A) the information described in paragraph (1);

(B) the status of the efforts of the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement the best practice standards required by subsection (a)(1); and

(C) the status of the efforts of the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a strategy to educate the small business community, as required by subsection (a)(2).