[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1864 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1864

    To direct the Secretary of Defense to designate a single senior 
  official of the Department of Defense to procure wideband satellite 
communications necessary to meet the requirements of the Department of 
                    Defense, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 16, 2015

 Mr. Bridenstine (for himself, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Rogers of Alabama) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Defense to designate a single senior 
  official of the Department of Defense to procure wideband satellite 
communications necessary to meet the requirements of the Department of 
                    Defense, 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. PROCUREMENT OF WIDEBAND SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS.

    (a) Acquisition Agent.--Except as provided by subsection (b)(1), 
not later than September 30, 2016, the Secretary of Defense shall 
designate a single senior official of the Department of Defense to 
procure wideband satellite communications necessary to meet the 
requirements of the Department of Defense for such communications, 
including with respect to military and commercial satellite 
communications.
    (b) Exception.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), an 
        official described in paragraph (2) may carry out the 
        procurement of commercial wideband satellite communications if 
        the official determines that such procurement is required to 
        meet an urgent need.
            (2) Official described.--An official described in this 
        paragraph is any of the following:
                    (A) A Secretary of a military department.
                    (B) The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, 
                Technology, and Logistics.
                    (C) The Chief Information Officer of the Department 
                of Defense.
                    (D) A commander of a combatant command.
            (3) Annual reports.--Not later than March 1, 2017, and each 
        year thereafter through 2021, the Secretary of Defense shall 
        submit to the congressional defense committees (as defined in 
        section 101(a)(16) of title 10, United States Code) a report on 
        procurement carried out under paragraph (1) during the year 
        prior to the submission of the report, including--
                    (A) a brief description of the urgent need 
                fulfilled by each such procurement;
                    (B) the date and length of the contract of each 
                such procurement; and
                    (C) the value of each such contract.
    (c) Plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional 
defense committees a plan for the Secretary to meet the requirements of 
the Department of Defense for satellite communications, including with 
respect to--
            (1) the roles and responsibilities of officials of the 
        Department; and
            (2) carrying out subsections (a) and (b).
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