FY2021 NDAA, Division A, Title II, Section 248 ("Pilot program on self-directed training in advanced technologies")

Enacted 2021-01-01 | Official source

Summary

Instructs the Secretary of Defense to offer online courses related to advanced technologies for civilian employees of the Department of Defense and members of the Armed Forces.

Key facts

🏛️ This document has been enacted by the United States Congress. For authoritative text and metadata, visit the official source.

🎯 This document primarily applies to the government, rather than the private sector.

📜 This document's name is William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, Division A, Title II, Section 248 ("Pilot program on self-directed training in advanced technologies"). AGORA also tracks this document under the name FY2021 NDAA, Division A, Title II, Section 248 ("Pilot program on self-directed training in advanced technologies"). It is part of FY2021 NDAA.

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Themes AI risks, applications, governance strategies, and other themes addressed in AGORA documents.

Governance strategies (3)

AI application areas (1)

Government: military and public safety

Full text

This is an unofficial copy. The document has been archived and reformatted in plaintext for AGORA. Footnotes, tables, and similar material may be omitted. For the official text, visit the original source.

SEC. 248. PILOT PROGRAM ON SELF-DIRECTED TRAINING IN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES. (a) ONLINE COURSES.—The Secretary of Defense shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary makes available a list of approved online courses relating to advanced technologies that may be taken by civilian employees of the Department of Defense and members of the Armed Forces on a voluntary basis while not engaged in the performance of their duties. (b) PROCEDURES.—The Secretary shall establish procedures for the development, selection, approval, adoption, and evaluation of online courses under subsection (a) to ensure that such courses are supportive of the goals of this section and overall goals for the training and education of the civilian and military workforce of the Department of Defense.

(c) DOCUMENTATION OF COMPLETION.—The Secretary of Defense shall develop and implement a system— (1) to confirm whether a civilian employee of the Department of Defense or member of the Armed Forces has completed an online course approved by the Secretary under subsection (a); and (2) to document the completion of such course by such employee or member. (d) INCENTIVES.—The Secretary of Defense shall develop and implement incentives to encourage civilian employees of the Department of Defense and members of the Armed Forces to complete online courses approved by the Secretary under subsection (a).

(e) METRICS.—The Secretary of Defense shall develop metrics to evaluate whether, and to what extent, the pilot program under this section improves the ability of participants— (1) to perform job-related functions; and (2) to execute relevant missions of the Department of Defense. (f) ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘advanced technologies’’ means technologies that the Secretary of Defense determines to be in high-demand within the Department of Defense and to which significant research and development efforts are devoted, including technologies such as artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning, fifth-generation telecommunications technology, and biotechnology. (g) DEADLINE.—The Secretary of Defense shall carry out the activities described in subsections (a) through (e) not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (h) SUNSET.—This section shall terminate on October 1, 2024.