[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2066. Mr. GARDNER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by him to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2021 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 E of title V, add the following:

     SEC. ___. PILOT PROGRAMS ON PAYMENT OF STIPENDS TO MEMBERS OF 
                   THE SENIOR RESERVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS WHO 
                   ARE PURSUING A DEGREE IN A SPACE-RELATED FIELD.

       (a) Pilot Programs Authorized.--Each Secretary of a 
     military department may carry out a pilot program to assess 
     the feasibility and advisability of paying a stipend to 
     members of Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (SROTC) 
     programs the under the jurisdiction of such Secretary who are 
     pursuing a degree in a space-related field that includes 
     skills, expertise, or both that are or are anticipated to be 
     critical to current or future missions or operations of the 
     Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of such Secretary.
       (b) Duration.--The duration of any pilot program under this 
     section may not exceed five years.
       (c) Participants.--Participants in a pilot program under 
     this section shall be selected by the Secretary of the 
     military department concerned from among members of Senior 
     Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs under the 
     jurisdiction of such Secretary in such manner, and using such 
     criteria, as such Secretary shall specify for purposes of the 
     pilot program.
       (d) Degrees and Space-related Fields.--In carrying out a 
     pilot program under this section, the Secretary of a military 
     department shall specify the degrees, and space-related 
     fields, pursuit of which will qualify a participant for 
     receipt of a stipend under the pilot program.
       (e) Stipends.--
       (1) Amount.--The amount of the stipend payable to a 
     participant under a pilot program under this section shall be 
     such amount as the Secretary of the military department 
     concerned shall specify for purposes of the pilot program.
       (2) Frequency of payment.--A stipend under a pilot program 
     may be paid on a semester, term, academic year, or other 
     basis, at the election of the Secretary of the military 
     department concerned. A participant may be paid a stipend 
     under the pilot program in more than applicable period.
       (3) Use.--A participant shall use a stipend paid under the 
     pilot program to defray costs in connection with pursuit of a 
     degree in a space-related field or for such other costs or 
     purposes as the Secretary of the military department 
     concerned shall specify for purposes of the pilot program.
       (f) Funding.--Amounts for pilot programs under this section 
     shall be derived from amounts authorized to be appropriated 
     by subsection (g) and allocated in accordance with that 
     subsection.
       (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby 
     authorized to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2021 
     through 2025 for the Department of Defense, $5,000,000 for 
     purposes of carrying out pilot programs authorized by 
     subsection (a) in such fiscal year. The amount so authorized 
     to be appropriated for a fiscal year shall be allocated among 
     the military departments for purposes of carrying out such 
     pilot programs in such fiscal year in such amounts as the 
     Secretary of Defense considers appropriate for purposes of 
     this section.
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