[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 46 (Monday, April 25, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
           FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERS

 Mr. SASSER. Mr. President, I am pleased to be an original 
cosponsor of legislation, S. 2040, which will allow employees at 
federally funded research and development centers to use the 
Intergovernmental Personnel Act to be placed in Federal agencies. It 
will also allow personnel in Federal agencies to work at these research 
and development centers under certain circumstances.
  For about 10 years now, the Oak Ridge complex has been at a 
disadvantage because its employees have been ineligible to use the 
Intergovernmental Personnel Act. While employees at the Department of 
Energy, for instance, have been able under the Intergovernmental 
Personnel Act to be placed at other Federal agencies, Oak Ridge 
employees have been unable to take advantage of this mechanism. Not 
only is this unfair to those Oak Ridge employees to be denied rewarding 
career opportunities, it also deprives the other agencies of the 
expertise of many brilliant and talented individuals.
  This can become a matter of great consequence. For example, an 
employee at Oak Ridge National Laboratory [ORNL] may have unique 
capabilities--capabilities that are perhaps important to preserving the 
national security--and the Department of Defense may have a great need 
for such capabilities. But, unfortunately, unless this legislation is 
enacted, the ORNL employee would not be permitted to serve at the 
Department of Defense.
  While Oak Ridge was among the first to be affected by this 
constraint, employees at other research facilities may soon be subject 
to the same restriction. Sandia National Laboratories will be prevented 
from using the Intergovernmental Personnel Act beginning this fall if 
no action is taken.
  There is no logical reason for the current situation. It is 
apparently the unintended result of some contract management reform at 
the Department of Energy. I hope that my colleagues will give this 
legislative remedy prompt consideration, and I look forward to working 
with them toward its enactment in the near future.

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