Section 1746a - Acquisition workforce educational partnerships(a) ESTABLISHMENT.-The Secretary of Defense, acting through the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, shall establish a program within Defense Acquisition University to-(1) facilitate the engagement of relevant experts, including with the acquisition research activities established under section 4142 of this title, with the faculty of the Defense Acquisition University to assess and modify the curriculum of the Defense Acquisition University, as appropriate, to enhance the capabilities of the Defense Acquisition University to support educational, training, and research activities in support of acquisition missions of the Department of Defense;(2) establish a cross-discipline, peer mentoring program for academic advising and to address critical retention concerns with respect to the acquisition workforce;(3) partner with extramural institutions and military department functional leadership to offer training and on-the-job learning support to all members of the acquisition workforce addressing operational challenges that affect procurement decisionmaking;(4) support the partnerships between the Department of Defense and extramural institutions with missions relating to the training and continuous development of members of the acquisition workforce;(5) accelerate the adoption, appropriate design and customization, and use of flexible acquisition practices by the acquisition workforce by expanding the availability of training and on-the-job learning and guidance on such practices and incorporating such training into the curriculum of the Defense Acquisition University; and(6) support and enhance the capabilities of the faculty of the Defense Acquisition University, and the currency and applicability of the knowledge possessed by such faculty, by-(A) building partnerships between the faculty of the Defense Acquisition University and the director of, and individuals involved with, the activities established under section 4142 of this title;(B) supporting the preparation and drafting of the reports required under subsection (f)(2); and(C) instituting a program under which each member of the faculty of the Defense Acquisition University shall be detailed to an operational acquisition position in a military department or Defense Agency, or to an extramural institution, for not less than six months out of every five year period.(b) SENIOR OFFICIAL.-Not later than 180 days after the enactment of this section, the President of the Defense Acquisition University shall designate a senior official to execute activities under this section.(c) SUPPORT FROM OTHER DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ORGANIZATIONS.-The Secretary of Defense may direct other elements of the Department of Defense to provide personnel, resources, and other support to the program established under this section, as the Secretary determines appropriate.(d) FUNDING.-Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment may use amounts available in the Defense Acquisition Workforce and Development Account (as established under section 1705 of this title) to carry out the requirements of this section.(e) ANNUAL REPORTS.-Not later than September 30, 2022, and annually thereafter, the President of the Defense Acquisition University shall submit to the Secretary of Defense and the congressional defense committees a report describing the activities conducted under this section during the one-year period ending on the date on which such report is submitted.(f) EXEMPTION TO REPORT TERMINATION REQUIREMENTS.-Section 1080(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114-92; 129 Stat. 1000; 10 U.S.C. 111 note), as amended by section 1061(j) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328; 130 Stat. 2405; 10 U.S.C. 111 note), does not apply with respect to the reports required to be submitted to Congress under this section.(g) DEFINITIONS.-In this section:(2) EXTRAMURAL INSTITUTIONS.-The term "extramural institutions" means participants in an activity established under section 4142 of this title, public sector organizations, and nonprofit credentialing organizations.Added Pub. L. 117-81, div. A, title VIII, §801(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1811; amended Pub. L. 116-283, div. A, title XVIII, §1883(b)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4294.EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTThe enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (b), probably means the date of enactment of Pub. L. 117-81, which was approved Dec. 27, 2021.
AMENDMENTS2021-Subsecs. (a)(1), (6)(A), (g)(2). Pub. L. 116-283 substituted "section 4142" for "section 2361a".
STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES
EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2021 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 116-283 effective Jan. 1, 2022, with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see section 1801(d) of Pub. L. 116-283, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.
- Defense Agency
- The term "Defense Agency" means an organizational entity of the Department of Defense-(A) that is established by the Secretary of Defense under section 191 of this title (or under the second sentence of section 125(d) of this title (as in effect before October 1, 1986)) to perform a supply or service activity common to more than one military department (other than such an entity that is designated by the Secretary as a Department of Defense Field Activity); or(B) that is designated by the Secretary of Defense as a Defense Agency.
- acquisition workforce
- The term "acquisition workforce" means the persons serving in acquisition positions within the Department of Defense, as designated pursuant to section 1721(a) of this title.
- congressional defense committees
- The term "congressional defense committees" means-(A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and(B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.