S.Amdt. 981

SA 981. Mr. MORAN (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Kaine, Mr.
Tillis, Mr. Heinrich, and Mrs. Gillibrand) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2018 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. __. SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY INNOVATION AND
ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATION.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The ability of the Department of Defense to respond to
national security challenges would benefit by increased
workforce exposure to, and understanding of, modern problem-
solving techniques and innovative methodologies.
(2) Presenting national security problems to universities
and education centers will increase diverse stakeholder
participation in the rapid development of solutions to
national security challenges and improve Department of
Defense recruitment of young technologists and engineers with
critical skill sets, including cyber capabilities.
(3) National security innovation and entrepreneurial
education would provide a unique pathway for veterans,
Federal employees, and military personnel to leverage their
training, experience, and expertise to solve emerging
national security challenges while learning cutting-edge
business innovation methodologies.
(4) The benefits to be derived from supporting national
security innovation and entrepreneurial education programs
include--
(A) enabling veterans and members of the Armed Forces to
apply their battlefield knowledge in a team environment to
develop innovative solutions to some of the United States'
most challenging national security problems;
(B) encouraging students, university faculty, veterans, and
other technologists and engineers to develop new and vital
skill sets to solve real-world national security challenges
while introducing them to public service opportunities; and
(C) providing an alternative pathway for the Department of
Defense to achieve critical agency objectives, such as
acquisition reform and the rapid deployment of new and
essential capabilities to America's warfighters.
(b) Support Authorized.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense may, acting
through the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and
Engineering, support national security innovation and
entrepreneurial education programs.
(2) Elements.--Support under paragraph (1) may include the
following:
(A) Materials to recruit participants, including veterans,
for programs described in paragraph (1).
(B) Model curriculum for such programs.
(C) Training materials for such programs.
(D) Best practices for the conduct of such programs.
(E) Experimental learning opportunities for program
participants to interact with operational forces and better
understand national security challenges.
(F) Exchanges and partnerships with Department of Defense
science and technology activities.
(G) Activities consistent with the Proof of Concept
Commercialization Pilot Program established under section
1603 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2014 (Public Law 113-66; 10 U.S.C. 2359 note).
(c) Consultation.--In carrying out subsection (b), the
Secretary may consult with the heads of such Federal
agencies, universities, and public and private entities
engaged in the development of advanced technologies as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
(d) Authorities.--The Secretary may--
(1) develop and maintain metrics to assess national
security innovation and entrepreneurial education activities
to ensure standards for programs supported under subsection
(b) are consistent and being met; and
(2) ensure that any recipient of an award under the Small
Business Technology Transfer program, the Small Business
Innovation Research program, and science and technology
programs of the Department of Defense has the option to
participate in training under a national security innovation
and entrepreneurial education program supported under
subsection (b).
(e) Participation by Federal Employees and Members of the
Armed Forces.--The Secretary may encourage Federal employees
and members of the Armed Forces to participate in a national
security innovation and entrepreneurial education program
supported under subsection (b) in order to gain exposure to
modern innovation and entrepreneurial methodologies.
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