[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S2721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 611. Mr. WARNER 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 II, insert the following:
SEC. 2__. SUBCONTRACTING GOALS FOR MINORITY INSTITUTIONS.
(a) In General.--Subchapter III of chapter 303 of title 10,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``Sec. 4127. Subcontracting goals for minority institutions
``(a) Establishment.--(1) The Secretary of Defense shall
annually establish a department-wide goal for contracts
awarded to Department of Defense Federally Funded Research
and Development Centers or University Affiliated Research
Centers that aims to increase partnerships so as to develop
the capacity of minority institutions to address the research
and development needs of the Department.
``(2) Each department-wide goal established pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall provide for achieving the goal through
subcontracts with one or more minority institutions, such
that a subcontract to a contract described in paragraph (1)
shall be for a total percentage amount (to be determined by
the Secretary) of the total value of the contract, but not
less than 5 percent of the total value of the contract.
``(b) Annual Reports.--(1) Not less frequently than once
each year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on
the goal most recently established under subsection (a).
``(2) Each report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall
include, for the goal and period covered by the report, the
following:
``(A) The extent of participation by minority institutions.
``(B) Whether the Department of Defense has achieved the
goal.
``(C) If the Department has failed to achieve the goal, a
justification for such failure and a remediation plan.
``(c) Definition of Minority Institution.--In this section,
the term `minority institution' means--
``(1) a part B institution (as such term is defined in
section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1061(2))); or
``(2) any other institution of higher education (as such
term is defined in section 101 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1001))
at which not less than 50 percent of the total student
enrollment consists of students from ethnic groups that are
underrepresented in the fields of science and engineering.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the
beginning of chapter 303 of such title is amended by
inserting after the item relating to section 4126 the
following new item:
``4127. Subcontracting goals for minority institutions.''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1)
shall--
(1) take effect on October 1, 2026; and
(2) apply with respect to funds that are awarded by the
Department of Defense on or after such date.
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