S.Amdt. 2066

SA 2066. Mr. GARDNER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2021 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 E of title V, add the following:

SEC. ___. PILOT PROGRAMS ON PAYMENT OF STIPENDS TO MEMBERS OF
THE SENIOR RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS WHO
ARE PURSUING A DEGREE IN A SPACE-RELATED FIELD.

(a) Pilot Programs Authorized.--Each Secretary of a
military department may carry out a pilot program to assess
the feasibility and advisability of paying a stipend to
members of Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (SROTC)
programs the under the jurisdiction of such Secretary who are
pursuing a degree in a space-related field that includes
skills, expertise, or both that are or are anticipated to be
critical to current or future missions or operations of the
Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of such Secretary.
(b) Duration.--The duration of any pilot program under this
section may not exceed five years.
(c) Participants.--Participants in a pilot program under
this section shall be selected by the Secretary of the
military department concerned from among members of Senior
Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs under the
jurisdiction of such Secretary in such manner, and using such
criteria, as such Secretary shall specify for purposes of the
pilot program.
(d) Degrees and Space-related Fields.--In carrying out a
pilot program under this section, the Secretary of a military
department shall specify the degrees, and space-related
fields, pursuit of which will qualify a participant for
receipt of a stipend under the pilot program.
(e) Stipends.--
(1) Amount.--The amount of the stipend payable to a
participant under a pilot program under this section shall be
such amount as the Secretary of the military department
concerned shall specify for purposes of the pilot program.
(2) Frequency of payment.--A stipend under a pilot program
may be paid on a semester, term, academic year, or other
basis, at the election of the Secretary of the military
department concerned. A participant may be paid a stipend
under the pilot program in more than applicable period.
(3) Use.--A participant shall use a stipend paid under the
pilot program to defray costs in connection with pursuit of a
degree in a space-related field or for such other costs or
purposes as the Secretary of the military department
concerned shall specify for purposes of the pilot program.
(f) Funding.--Amounts for pilot programs under this section
shall be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated
by subsection (g) and allocated in accordance with that
subsection.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby
authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2021
through 2025 for the Department of Defense, $5,000,000 for
purposes of carrying out pilot programs authorized by
subsection (a) in such fiscal year. The amount so authorized
to be appropriated for a fiscal year shall be allocated among
the military departments for purposes of carrying out such
pilot programs in such fiscal year in such amounts as the
Secretary of Defense considers appropriate for purposes of
this section.
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