[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4149-S4150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2391. Mr. SULLIVAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
to amendment SA 2301 proposed by Mr. Inhofe 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
[[Page S4150]]
year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:
At the end of subtitle C of title V, insert the following:
SEC. 520. REPORTS ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE ARMED
FORCES.
(a) Report on Findings of Defense Board on Diversity and
Inclusion in the Military.--
(1) In general.--Upon the completion by the Defense Board
on Diversity and Inclusion in the Military of its report on
actionable recommendations to increase racial diversity and
ensure equal opportunity across all grades of the Armed
Forces, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of
Representatives a report on the report of the Defense Board,
including the findings and recommendations of the Defense
Board.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) A comprehensive description of the findings and
recommendations of the Defense Board in its report referred
to in paragraph (1).
(B) A comprehensive description of any actionable
recommendations of the Defense Board in its report.
(C) A description of the actions proposed to be undertaken
by the Secretary in connection with such recommendations, and
a timeline for implementation of such actions.
(D) A description of the resources used by the Defense
Board for its report, and a description and assessment of any
shortfalls in such resources for purposes of the Defense
Board.
(b) Report on Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and
Inclusion in the Armed Forces.--
(1) In general.--At the same time the Secretary of Defense
submits the report required by subsection (a), the Secretary
shall also submit to the Committee on Armed Services of the
Senate and the House of Representatives a report on the
Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion in the
Armed Forces.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) The mission statement or purpose of the Advisory
Committee, and any proposed objectives and goals of the
Advisory Committee
(B) A description of current members of the Advisory
Committee and the criteria used for selecting members.
(C) A description of the duties and scope of activities of
the Advisory Committee.
(D) The reporting structure of the Advisory Committee.
(E) An estimate of the annual operating costs and staff
years of the Advisory Committee.
(F) An estimate of the number and frequency of meetings of
the Advisory Committee.
(G) Any subcommittees, established or proposed, that would
support the Advisory Committee.
(H) Such recommendations for legislative or administrative
action as the Secretary considers appropriate to extend the
term of the Advisory Committee beyond the proposed
termination date of the Advisory Committee.
(c) Report on Current Diversity and Inclusion in the Armed
Forces.--
(1) In general.--At the same time the Secretary of Defense
submits the reports required by subsections (a) and (b), the
Secretary shall also submit to the Committee on Armed
Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a
report on current diversity and inclusion in the Armed
Forces.
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include the following:
(A) An identification of the current racial, ethnic, and
sex composition of each Armed Force generally.
(B) An identification of the current racial, ethnic, and
sex composition of each Armed Force by grade.
(C) A comparison of the participation rates of minority
populations in officer grades, warrant officer grades, and
enlisted member grades in each Armed Force with the
percentage of such populations among the general population.
(D) A comparison of the participation rates of minority
populations in each career field in each Armed Force with the
percentage of such populations among the general population.
(E) A comparison among the Armed Forces of the percentage
of minority populations in each officer grade above grade O-
4.
(F) A comparison among the Armed Forces of the percentage
of minority populations in each enlisted grade above grade E-
6.
(G) A description and assessment of barriers to minority
participation in the Armed Forces in connection with
accession, assessment, and training.
(d) Sense of Senate on Defense Advisory Committee on
Diversity and Inclusion in the Armed Forces.--It is the sense
of the Senate that the Defense Advisory Committee on
Diversity and Inclusion in the Armed Forces--
(1) should consist of diverse group of individuals,
including--
(A) a general or flag officer from each regular component
of the Armed Forces;
(B) a retired general or flag officer from not fewer than
two of the Armed Forces;
(C) a regular officer of the Armed Forces in a grade O-5 or
lower;
(D) a regular enlisted member of the Armed Forces in a
grade E-7 or higher;
(E) a regular enlisted member of the Armed Forces in a
grade E-6 or lower;
(F) a member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces in
any grade;
(G) a member of the Department of Defense civilian
workforce;
(H) an member of the academic community with expertise in
diversity studies; and
(I) an individual with appropriate expertise in diversity
and inclusion;
(2) should include individuals from a variety of military
career paths, including--
(A) aviation;
(B) special operations;
(C) intelligence;
(D) cyber;
(E) space; and
(F) surface warfare;
(3) should have a membership such that not fewer than 20
percent of members possess--
(A) a firm understanding of the role of mentorship and best
practices in finding and utilizing mentors;
(B) experience and expertise in change of culture of large
organizations; or
(C) experience and expertise in implementation science; and
(4) should focus on objectives that address--
(A) barriers to promotion within the Armed Forces,
including development of recommendations on mechanisms to
enhance and increase racial diversity and ensure equal
opportunity across all grades in the Armed Forces;
(B) participation of minority officers and senior
noncommissioned officers in the Armed Forces, including
development of recommendations on mechanisms to enhance and
increase such participation;
(C) recruitment of minority candidates for innovative pre-
service programs in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training
Corps (JROTC), Senior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
(SROTC), and military service academies, including programs
in connection with flight instruction, special operations,
and national security, including development of
recommendations on mechanisms to enhance and increase such
recruitment;
(D) retention of minority individuals in senior leadership
and mentorship positions in the Armed Forces, including
development of recommendations on mechanisms to enhance and
increase such retention; and
(E) achievement of cultural and ethnic diversity in
recruitment for the Armed Forces, including development of
recommendations on mechanisms to enhance and increase such
diversity in recruitment.
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