S.Amdt. 4454

SA 4454. Mr. HEINRICH 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:

Strike section 1123 and insert the following:

SEC. 1123. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY FOR SCIENTIFIC, ENGINEERING,
AND OTHER POSITIONS FOR TEST AND EVALUATION
FACILITIES OF THE MAJOR RANGE AND TEST FACILITY
BASE.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense may, acting
through the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation and
the Directors of the test and evaluation facilities of the
Major Range and Test Facility Base of the Department of
Defense, appoint qualified candidates possessing a college
degree to scientific, engineering, technical, and key support
positions within the Office of the Director of Operational
Test and Evaluation and the test and evaluation facilities of
the Major Range and Test Facility Base without regard to the
provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of title 5, United
States Code, other than sections 3303 and 3328 of such title.
(b) Limitation on Number.--
(1) In general.--Authority under this section may not, in
any calendar year and with respect to the Office of the
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation or any test and
evaluation facility, be exercised with respect to a number of
candidates greater than the number equal to 5 percent of the
total number of positions described in subsection (a) within
the Office or such facility that are filled as of the close
of the fiscal year last ending before the start of such
calendar year.
(2) Nature of appointment.--For purposes of this
subsection, any candidate appointed to a position under this
section shall be treated as appointed on a full-time
equivalent basis.
(c) Termination.--The authority to make appointments under
this section shall not be available after December 31, 2021.
(d) Major Range and Test Facility Base Defined.--In this
section, the term ``Major Range and Test Facility Base''
means the test and evaluation facilities that are designated
by the Secretary as facilities and resources comprising the
Major Range and Test Facility Base of the Department.
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