[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 83 (Wednesday, May 25, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3190-S3191]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4143. Mr. MORAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2943, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2017 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title II, add the following:

     SEC. 221. DESIGNATION OF INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS 
                   ADVANCED LABORATORY FOR AIR VEHICLE SUSTAINMENT 
                   FOR APPLIED RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND 
                   EVALUATION ON SUSTAINMENT OF DEFENSE AIR 
                   VEHICLES.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense may, acting 
     through the Office of Research and Engineering of the 
     Department of Defense, designate an appropriate institution 
     of higher education as an Advanced Laboratory for Air Vehicle 
     Sustainment under the University Affiliated Research Center 
     program to carry out applied research, development, test, and 
     evaluation activities for the Department of Defense on the 
     sustainment of defense air vehicles.

[[Page S3191]]

       (b) Requirements for Designation.--An institution of higher 
     education designated pursuant to subsection (a) shall--
       (1) have the capability to respond rapidly to new 
     technology requirements with qualified engineers and 
     technologists; and
       (2) possess unique and leading-edge capabilities in testing 
     and evaluation of full-scale aviation-related structures and 
     materials for support of the sustainment of defense air 
     vehicles.
       (c) Business Case Analysis of UARC Program.--The Secretary 
     shall submit to the congressional defense committees a 
     business case analysis comparing the conduct of applied 
     research, development, test, and evaluation of Department 
     aviation capabilities by institutions of higher education 
     with the conduct of such activities by Department of Defense 
     laboratories. The business case analysis shall include the 
     following:
       (1) An estimate of the cost-savings achieved, and to be 
     achieved, by the Department in using institutions of higher 
     education under the program.
       (2) An assessment of the efficiencies achieved, and to be 
     achieved, by the Department in using institutions of higher 
     education in connection with the Better Buying Power 3.0 
     strategy of the Department to streamline the defense 
     acquisition process.
       (3) A description of the manner in which priorities under 
     the Better Buying Power 3.0 strategy of the Department are 
     achieved by the Department in using institutions of higher 
     education as described in paragraph (2).
       (4) An assessment of the ``should cost'' targets developed 
     by the Office of Research and Engineering for aviation and 
     implemented by each Department laboratory, which assessment 
     addresses whether such targets reduced indirect and overhead 
     expenses when using or subcontracting institutions of higher 
     education.
       (5) Any savings realized through activities under paragraph 
     (4) with using institutions of higher education to achieve 
     ``should cost'' targets.
       (6) The results of a benchmarking analysis conducted by 
     Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering 
     that compares the business models and performance of 
     Department laboratories under the program with the business 
     models and performance of similar laboratories elsewhere in 
     the Government, in academia, and in the private sector.
                                 ______