Sec. 1616. ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

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## SEC. 1616 ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY SPACE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ###

(a)Findings Congress finds the following: ####

(1)National security space capabilities are a vital element of the national defense of the United States. ####

(2)The advantages of the United States in national security space are now threatened to an unprecedented degree by growing and serious counterspace capabilities of potential foreign adversaries, and the space advantages of the United States must be protected. ####

(3)The Department of Defense has recognized the threat and has taken initial steps necessary to defend space, however the organization and management may not be strategically postured to fully address this changed domain of operations over the long term. ####

(4)The defense of space is currently a priority for the leaders of the Department, however the space mission is managed within competing priorities of each of the Armed Forces. ####

(5)Space elements provide critical capabilities to all of the Armed Forces in the joint fight, however the disparate activities throughout the Department have no single leader that is empowered to make decisions affecting the space forces of the Department. ###

(b)Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that, to modernize and fully address the growing threat to the national security space advantage of the United States, the Secretary of Defense must evaluate the range of options and take further action to strengthen the leadership, management, and organization of the national security space activities of the Department of Defense, including with respect to— ####

(1)unifying, integrating, and de-conflicting activities to provide for stronger prioritization, accountability, coherency, focus, strategy, and integration of the joint space program of the Department; ####

(2)streamlining decision-making, limiting unnecessary bureaucracy, and empowering the appropriate level of authority, while enabling effective oversight; ####

(3)maintaining the involvement of each of the Armed Forces and adapting the culture and improving the capabilities of the workforce to ensure the workforce has the appropriate training, experience, and tools to accomplish the mission; and ####

(4)reviewing authorities and preparing for a conflict that could extend to space. ###

(c)Recommendations Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall each separately submit to the appropriate congressional committees recommendations to— ####

(1)in accordance with subsection (b), strengthen the leadership, management, and organization of the Department of Defense with respect to the national security space activities of the Department; and ####

(2)address the findings covered in the report of the Comptroller General of the United States numbered GAO-16-592R regarding space acquisition and oversight of the Department of Defense. ###

(d)Appropriate Congressional Committees In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means the following: ####

(1)The congressional defense committees. ####

(2)The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.