II 111th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1387 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 25, 2009 Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Chambliss) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence A BILL To enable the Director of National Intelligence to transfer full-time equivalent positions to elements of the intelligence community to replace employees who are temporarily absent to participate in foreign language training, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Intelligence Critical Language Training Improvement Act.

2.

Findings

Congress makes the following findings: (1)In 2009, eight years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the intelligence community continues to lack an adequate supply of personnel trained in critical foreign languages. (2)A number of elements of the intelligence community are attempting to address that lack of supply by recruiting applicants who can speak, read, and understand critical foreign languages. (3)Leaders in the intelligence community have recognized that improved recruiting practices are only a partial solution and that improved language training for current intelligence community employees is also necessary. (4)While language education and instruction provides long-term benefits for both intelligence agencies and individual employees, it has short-term costs for supervisors whose staff are absent due to language training and could provide supervisors with an incentive to resist allowing individual employees to pursue language training. (5)If the head of an element of the intelligence community was able to increase the number of personnel at that element during the period that an employee is participating in language training, that element would not have to sacrifice short-term priorities to address language training needs. (6)The Director of National Intelligence is uniquely situated to evaluate language training needs across the intelligence community and assess whether that training would be enhanced if elements of the intelligence community were given temporary additional personnel authorizations. (7)The intelligence community has a difficult time finding, training, and providing security clearances to native foreign language speakers who are able to serve as translators and it would be beneficial if all elements of the intelligence community were able to harness the capabilities of these individuals. (8)The Director of National Intelligence is uniquely situated to identify translators within the intelligence community and provide for their temporary transfer from one element of the intelligence community to another element.

3.

Temporary personnel authorizations

(a)

Authorized additional FTEs

In addition to the number of full-time equivalent positions authorized for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence for a fiscal year, there is authorized for such Office for each fiscal year an additional 50 full-time equivalent positions that may be utilized only for the purposes described in subsection (b). (b)

Purposes

The Director of National Intelligence may use a full-time equivalent position authorized under subsection (a) only for the purposes of providing a temporary transfer of personnel made pursuant to the authority in section 102A(e)(2) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 403–1(e)(2)) to an element of the intelligence community to enable such element to increase its total authorized number of personnel, on a temporary basis— (1)during a period in which a permanent employee of such element is absent to participate in foreign language training; or (2)to accept a permanent employee of another element of the intelligence community to provide translation services a temporary basis. (c)

Inapplicability of other law

Subparagraph (B) of section 102A(e)(2) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 403–1(e)(2)) shall not apply to a transfer of personnel authorizations made under this section.