[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2650-S2651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 517. Mr. KENNEDY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2024 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 appropriate place in title XI, insert the following:

     SEC. __. OPTIMIZING THE CIVILIAN WORKFORCE OF THE DEPARTMENT 
                   OF DEFENSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:

[[Page S2651]]

       (1) The civilian workforce of the Department of Defense 
     makes valuable contributions to overall mission success, but 
     its cost is growing at an unsustainable rate.
       (2) Between fiscal years 2018 and 2022, expenditures for 
     pay for civilian employees of the Department grew by 
     approximately $15,000,000,000, and in fiscal year 2022, such 
     expenditures exceeded $101,000,000,000.
       (3) With the maturation of commercial technologies such as 
     robotic process automation and artificial intelligence, costs 
     can be significantly reduced and manual processes across the 
     Department could be eliminated.
       (4) The Department's adherence to legacy systems, 
     processes, and practices in its business operations creates 
     an inefficient application of manpower, squanders resources 
     that could be applied to increase operational readiness, and 
     is detrimental to the efforts of the Department to recruit 
     and retain top talent.
       (5) Optimizing the civilian workforce of the Department is 
     critical to meeting current and future threats in a fiscally 
     prudent manner.
       (b) Reduction of Funds for the Department of Defense 
     Civilian Workforce.--
       (1) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Department of Defense for pay for 
     civilian employees of the Department for fiscal year 2024 
     such sums as are necessary to optimize the civilian workforce 
     while reducing costs through the use of relevant 
     technologies.
       (2) Exclusion from reductions.--Of amounts authorized to be 
     appropriated under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Defense 
     shall make available for civilian positions in the Department 
     of Defense supporting shipyard, depot, health care, sexual 
     assault response, and acquisition duties not less than the 
     amounts available for such positions during fiscal year 2023.
       (c) Budget Justification Materials for Department of 
     Defense Civilian Workforce.--
       (1) Pay exhibit.--The Secretary of Defense shall--
       (A) in consultation with the Committee on Appropriations of 
     the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
     of Representatives, develop a comprehensive and consolidated 
     budget exhibit outlining the costs of pay for civilian 
     employees of the Department of Defense; and
       (B) include the exhibit in the budget justification 
     materials submitted to Congress in support of the budget of 
     the Department for fiscal year 2025 (as submitted with the 
     budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31, 
     United States Code).
       (2) Other information.--In the budget justification 
     materials described in paragraph (1)(B) for fiscal year 2025 
     and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of Defense 
     shall identify mission changes, areas of technology 
     implementation, and business process improvements that will 
     optimize the size, structure, and composition of the civilian 
     workforce of the Department of Defense and the allocation of 
     manpower of the Department compared to requirements of the 
     Department.
       (d) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall 
     submit to the congressional defense committees a report that 
     includes the following:
       (A) A reassessment of total force manpower resources 
     compared to core missions, tasks, and functions, including a 
     mapping of missions to originating statute or policy of the 
     Department of Defense.
       (B) A plan with specific goals and metrics for measuring 
     the adoption of technologies relevant to the civilian 
     workforce of the Department, such as automation and 
     artificial intelligence, and business process improvements 
     across the Department.
       (C) A timeline for implementation of the goals included 
     under subparagraph (B).
       (D) A forecast of manpower savings as a result of efforts 
     to achieve those goals across the future years defense 
     program.
       (E) An identification of any additional resources or 
     authorities necessary to achieve those goals.
       (2) Limitation.--None of the funds authorized to be 
     appropriated for the civilian workforce for the Department of 
     Defense for fiscal year 2024 or any fiscal year thereafter 
     may be obligated or expended to establish or operate a 
     Department of Defense Civilian Workforce Incentive Fund until 
     30 days after the date on which the report required by 
     paragraph (1) is submitted under such paragraph.
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