PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Allows the Secretary of Defense to set higher basic pay for certain acquisition and technology jobs so the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the military departments can hire and keep top experts who run big, expensive technology programs. Jobs must need extremely high skill in a scientific, technical, professional, or acquisition-management area and must be key to an important acquisition or technology project. For jobs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment must approve. For jobs in a military department, the service acquisition executive must approve. Pay can be set up to 150 percent of the basic pay for Executive Schedule, Level I with those approvals. Any pay above 150 percent needs the Secretary of Defense’s approval. The higher-pay authority can only be used when needed to recruit or keep unusually well-qualified people. At one time it cannot cover more than five positions total in Defense Agencies and DoD Field Activities, more than five positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, or more than five positions in each military department. It may only be used for jobs with terms shorter than five years.

Title 10, §1701b

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In General.—

The Secretary of Defense may carry out a program using the pay authority specified in subsection (d) to fix the rate of basic pay for positions described in subsection (c) in order to assist the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the military departments in attracting and retaining high-quality acquisition and technology experts in positions responsible for managing and developing complex, high-cost, technological acquisition efforts of the Department of Defense.

(b)Approval Required.—

The program may be carried out only with approval as follows:

(1)Approval of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in the case of positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

(2)Approval of the service acquisition executive of the military department concerned, in the case of positions in a military department.

(c)Positions.—

The positions described in this subsection are positions that—

(1)require expertise of an extremely high level in a scientific, technical, professional, or acquisition management field; and

(2)are critical to the successful accomplishment of an important acquisition or technology development mission.

(d)Rate of Basic Pay.—

The pay authority specified in this subsection is authority as follows:

(1)Authority to fix the rate of basic pay for a position at a rate not to exceed 150 percent of the rate of basic pay payable for level I of the Executive Schedule, upon the approval of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment or the service acquisition executive concerned, as applicable.

(2)Authority to fix the rate of basic pay for a position at a rate in excess of 150 percent of the rate of basic pay payable for level I of the Executive Schedule, upon the approval of the Secretary of Defense.

(e)Limitations.—

(1)In general.—

The authority in subsection (a) may be used only to the extent necessary to competitively recruit or retain individuals exceptionally well qualified for positions described in subsection (c).

(2)Number of positions.—

The authority in subsection (a) may not be used at any one time with respect to—

(A)more than five positions, in total, in Department of Defense Field Activities and Defense Agencies;

(B)more than five positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense; and

(C)more than five positions in each military department.

(3)Term of positions.—

The authority in subsection (a) may be used only for positions having terms less than five years.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Level I of the Executive Schedule, referred to in subsec. (d), is set out in section 5312 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 117–263 amended par. (2) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The authority in subsection (a) may not be used with respect to more than five positions in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and more than five positions in each military department at any one time.”

§1701b Enhanced Pay Authority for Certain Acquisition and Technology Positions