S.Amdt. 4143

SA 4143. Mr. MORAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle B of title II, add the following:

SEC. 221. DESIGNATION OF INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS
ADVANCED LABORATORY FOR AIR VEHICLE SUSTAINMENT
FOR APPLIED RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND
EVALUATION ON SUSTAINMENT OF DEFENSE AIR
VEHICLES.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense may, acting
through the Office of Research and Engineering of the
Department of Defense, designate an appropriate institution
of higher education as an Advanced Laboratory for Air Vehicle
Sustainment under the University Affiliated Research Center
program to carry out applied research, development, test, and
evaluation activities for the Department of Defense on the
sustainment of defense air vehicles.

[[Page S3191]]

(b) Requirements for Designation.--An institution of higher
education designated pursuant to subsection (a) shall--
(1) have the capability to respond rapidly to new
technology requirements with qualified engineers and
technologists; and
(2) possess unique and leading-edge capabilities in testing
and evaluation of full-scale aviation-related structures and
materials for support of the sustainment of defense air
vehicles.
(c) Business Case Analysis of UARC Program.--The Secretary
shall submit to the congressional defense committees a
business case analysis comparing the conduct of applied
research, development, test, and evaluation of Department
aviation capabilities by institutions of higher education
with the conduct of such activities by Department of Defense
laboratories. The business case analysis shall include the
following:
(1) An estimate of the cost-savings achieved, and to be
achieved, by the Department in using institutions of higher
education under the program.
(2) An assessment of the efficiencies achieved, and to be
achieved, by the Department in using institutions of higher
education in connection with the Better Buying Power 3.0
strategy of the Department to streamline the defense
acquisition process.
(3) A description of the manner in which priorities under
the Better Buying Power 3.0 strategy of the Department are
achieved by the Department in using institutions of higher
education as described in paragraph (2).
(4) An assessment of the ``should cost'' targets developed
by the Office of Research and Engineering for aviation and
implemented by each Department laboratory, which assessment
addresses whether such targets reduced indirect and overhead
expenses when using or subcontracting institutions of higher
education.
(5) Any savings realized through activities under paragraph
(4) with using institutions of higher education to achieve
``should cost'' targets.
(6) The results of a benchmarking analysis conducted by
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering
that compares the business models and performance of
Department laboratories under the program with the business
models and performance of similar laboratories elsewhere in
the Government, in academia, and in the private sector.
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