[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2573 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2573

   To coordinate and facilitate the development by the Department of 
Defense of directed energy technologies, systems, and weapons, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2000

 Mr. Domenici introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To coordinate and facilitate the development by the Department of 
Defense of directed energy technologies, systems, and weapons, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Directed Energy Coordination and 
Consolidation Act of 2000''.

SEC. 2. COORDINATION AND FACILITATION OF DEVELOPMENT OF DIRECTED ENERGY 
              TECHNOLOGIES, SYSTEMS, AND WEAPONS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Directed energy systems are available to address many 
        current challenges with respect to military weapons, including 
        offensive weapons and defensive weapons.
            (2) Directed energy weapons offer the potential to maintain 
        an asymmetrical technological edge over adversaries of the 
        United States for the foreseeable future.
            (3) It is in the national interest that funding for 
        directed energy science and technology programs be increased in 
        order to support priority acquisition programs and to develop 
        new technologies for future applications.
            (4) It is in the national interest that the level of 
        funding for directed energy science and technology programs 
        correspond to the level of funding for such large-scale 
        demonstration programs in order to ensure the growth of 
        directed energy science and technology programs and to ensure 
        the successful development of other weapons systems utilizing 
        directed energy systems.
            (5) The industrial base for several critical directed 
        energy technologies is in fragile condition and lacks 
        appropriate incentives to make the large-scale investments that 
        are necessary to address current and anticipated Department of 
        Defense requirements for such technologies.
            (6) It is in the national interest that the Department of 
        Defense utilize and expand upon directed energy research 
        currently being conducted by the Department of Energy, other 
        Federal agencies, the private sector, and academia.
            (7) It is increasingly difficult for the Federal Government 
        to recruit and retain personnel with skills critical to 
        directed energy technology development.
            (8) The implementation of the recommendations contained in 
        the High Energy Laser Master Plan of the Department of Defense 
        will address these critical issues and is in the national 
        interest.
            (9) Implementation of the management structure outlined in 
        the Master Plan will facilitate the development of 
        revolutionary capabilities in directed energy weapons by 
        achieving a coordinated and focused investment strategy under a 
        new management structure featuring a joint technology office 
        with senior-level oversight provided by a technology council 
        and a board of directors.
    (b) Coordination and Oversight Under High Energy Laser Master 
Plan.--(1) Subchapter II of Chapter 8 of title 10, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 204. Joint Technology Office
    ``(a) Establishment.--(1) There is in the Department of Defense a 
Joint Technology Office (in this section referred to as the `Office').
    ``(2) The Office shall be part of the National Directed Energy 
Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.
    ``(3) The Office shall be under the authority, direction, and 
control of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Science and 
Technology.
    ``(b) Staff.--(1) The head of the Office shall be a civilian 
employee of the Department of Defense in the Senior Executive Service 
who is designated by the Secretary of Defense for that purpose. The 
head of the Office shall be known as the `Director of the Joint 
Technology Office'.
    ``(2) The Secretary of Defense shall provide the Office such 
civilian and military personnel and other resources as are necessary to 
permit the Office to carry out its duties under this section.
    ``(c) Duties.--The duties of the Office shall be to--
            ``(1) develop and oversee the management of a Department of 
        Defense-wide program of science and technology relating to 
        directed energy technologies, systems, and weapons;
            ``(2) serve as a point of coordination for initiatives for 
        science and technology relating to directed energy 
        technologies, systems, and weapons from throughout the 
        Department of Defense;
            ``(3) develop and manage a program (to be known as the 
        `National Directed Energy Technology Alliance') to foster the 
        exchange of information and cooperative activities on directed 
        energy technologies, systems, and weapons between and among the 
        Department of Defense, other Federal agencies, institutions of 
        higher education, and the private sector; and
            ``(4) carry out such other activities relating to directed 
        energy technologies, systems, and weapons as the Deputy Under 
        Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology considers 
        appropriate.
    ``(d) Coordination Within Department of Defense.--(1) The Director 
of the Office shall assign to appropriate personnel of the Office the 
performance of liaison functions with the other Defense Agencies and 
with the military departments.
    ``(2) The head of each military department and Defense Agency 
having an interest in the activities of the Office shall assign 
personnel of such department or Defense Agency to assist the Office in 
carrying out its duties. In providing such assistance, such personnel 
shall be known collectively as `Technology Area Working Groups'.
    ``(e) Technology Council.--(1) There is established in the 
Department of Defense a council to be known as the `Technology Council' 
(in this section referred to as the `Council').
    ``(2) The Council shall be composed of 7 members as follows:
            ``(A) The Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Science and 
        Technology, who shall be chairperson of the Council.
            ``(B) The senior science and technology executive of the 
        Department of the Army.
            ``(C) The senior science and technology executive of the 
        Department of the Navy.
            ``(D) The senior science and technology executive of the 
        Department of the Air Force.
            ``(E) The senior science and technology executive of the 
        Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
            ``(F) The senior science and technology executive of the 
        Ballistic Missile Defense Organization.
            ``(G) The senior science and technology executive of the 
        Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
    ``(3) The duties of the Council shall be--
            ``(A) to review and recommend priorities among programs, 
        projects, and activities proposed and evaluated by the Office 
        under this section;
            ``(B) to make recommendations to the Board regarding 
        funding for such programs, projects, and activities; and
            ``(C) to otherwise review and oversee the activities of the 
        Office under this section.
    ``(f) Technology Board of Directors.--(1) There is established in 
the Department of Defense a board to be known as the `Technology Board 
of Directors' (in this section referred to as the `Board').
    ``(2) The Board shall be composed of 8 members as follows:
            ``(A) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and 
        Technology, who shall serve as chairperson of the Board.
            ``(B) The Director of Defense Research and Engineering, who 
        shall serve as vice-chairperson of the Board.
            ``(C) The senior acquisition executive of the Department of 
        the Army.
            ``(D) The senior acquisition executive of the Department of 
        the Navy.
            ``(E) The senior acquisition executive of the Department of 
        the Air Force.
            ``(F) The Director of the Defense Advanced Research 
        Projects Agency.
            ``(G) The Director of the Ballistic Missile Defense 
        Organization.
            ``(H) The Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
    ``(3) The duties of the Board shall be--
            ``(A) to review and make funding recommendations regarding 
        the programs, projects, and activities proposed and evaluated 
        by the Office under this section; and
            ``(B) to otherwise review and oversee the activities of the 
        Office under this section.''.
    (2) The table of sections at the beginning of subchapter II of 
chapter 8 of such title is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:

``204. Joint Technology Office.''.
    (3) The Secretary of Defense shall locate the Joint Technology 
Office under section 204 of title 10, United States Code (as added by 
this subsection), at the National Directed Energy Center at Kirtland 
Air Force Base, New Mexico, not later than January 1, 2001.
    (c) Technology Area Working Groups Under High Energy Laser Master 
Plan.--(1) The Secretary of Defense shall provide for the 
implementation of the portion of the High Energy Laser Master Plan 
relating to technology area working groups.
    (2) In carrying out activities under this subsection, the Secretary 
of Defense shall require the Secretary of the military department 
concerned to provide within such department, with such department 
acting as lead agent, technology area working groups as follows:
            (A) Within the Department of the Army--
                    (i) a technology area working group on solid state 
                lasers; and
                    (ii) a technology area working group on advanced 
                technology.
            (B) Within the Department of the Navy, a technology area 
        working group on free electron lasers.
            (C) Within the Department of the Air Force--
                    (i) a technology area working group on chemical 
                lasers;
                    (ii) a technology area working group on beam 
                control;
                    (iii) a technology area working group on lethality/
                vulnerability; and
                    (iv) a technology area working group on high power 
                microwaves.
    (d) Enhancement of Industrial Base.--(1) The Secretary of Defense 
shall develop and undertake initiatives, including investment 
initiatives, for purposes of enhancing the industrial base for directed 
energy technologies and systems.
    (2) Initiatives under paragraph (1) shall be designed to--
            (A) stimulate the development by institutions of higher 
        education and the private sector of promising directed energy 
        technologies and systems; and
            (B) stimulate the development of a workforce skilled in 
        such technologies and systems.
    (3) Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by subsection (h), 
$20,000,000 shall be available for the initiation of development of the 
Advanced Tactical Laser (L) under the direction of the Joint Non-Lethal 
Weapons Directorate.
    (e) Enhancement of Test and Evaluation Capabilities.--(1) The 
Secretary of Defense shall evaluate and implement proposals for 
modernizing the High Energy Laser Test Facility at White Sands Missile 
Range, New Mexico, in order to enhance the test and 
evaluation capabilities of the Department of Defense with respect to 
directed energy weapons.
    (2) Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made 
available to the Department of Defense for each of fiscal years 2001 
and 2002, not more than $2,000,000 shall be made available in each such 
fiscal year for purposes of the deployment and test at the High Energy 
Laser Test Facility at White Sands Missile Range of free electron laser 
technologies under development at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New 
Mexico.
    (f) Cooperative Programs and Activities.--(1) The Secretary of 
Defense shall evaluate the feasibility and advisability of entering 
into cooperative programs or activities with other Federal agencies, 
institutions of higher education, and the private sector, including the 
national laboratories of the Department of Energy, for the purpose of 
enhancing the programs, projects, and activities of the Department of 
Defense relating to directed energy technologies, systems, and weapons.
    (2) The Secretary shall enter into any cooperative program or 
activity determined under the evaluation under paragraph (1) to be 
feasible and advisable for the purpose set forth in that paragraph.
    (3) Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated by subsection (h), 
$50,000,000 shall be available for cooperative programs and activities 
entered into under paragraph (2).
    (g) Participation of Joint Technology Council in Activities.--The 
Secretary of Defense shall, to the maximum extent practicable, carry 
out activities under subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f), through the 
Joint Technology Council established pursuant to section 204 of title 
10, United States Code (as added by subsection (b) of this section).
    (h) Funding for Fiscal Year 2001.--(1)(A) There is hereby 
authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense for fiscal 
year 2001, $150,000,000 for science and technology activities relating 
to directed energy technologies, systems, and weapons.
    (B) Amounts authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2001 by 
subparagraph (A) are in addition to any other amounts authorized to be 
appropriated for such fiscal year for the activities referred to in 
that subparagraph.
    (2) The Director of the Joint Technology Office established 
pursuant to section 204 of title 10, United States Code, shall allocate 
amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations in 
paragraph (1) among appropriate program elements of the Department of 
Defense in accordance with such procedures as the Director shall 
establish.
    (3) In establishing procedures for purposes of the allocation of 
funds under paragraph (2), the Director shall provide for the 
competitive selection of programs, projects, and activities to be the 
recipients of such funds.
    (i) Directed Energy Defined.--In this section, the term ``directed 
energy'', with respect to technologies, systems, or weapons means 
technologies, systems, or weapons that provide for the directed 
transmission of energies across the energy and frequency spectrum, 
including high energy lasers and high power microwaves.
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