STUDY AND REPORT ON REFORM OF DEFENSE TRAVEL SYSTEM.

SEC. 943. STUDY AND REPORT ON REFORM OF DEFENSE TRAVEL SYSTEM.(a) Independent Study of System.—(1) Study required.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees the results and recommendations of an independent study of the Defense Travel System conducted to determine the most cost-effect method of meeting Department of Defense travel requirements. The study shall be conducted by an entity outside the Department of Defense.(2) Elements of study.—At a minimum, the study required by this subsection shall address the following:(A) The feasibility of separating the financial infrastructure of the Defense Travel System, including voucher processing, accounting, disbursing, debt collection, management accountability, and archival functions, from the travel reservation process.(B) The feasibility of converting the travel reservation process to a fee-for-services system or authorizing the use of multiple travel reservation processes, all of which processes would use the financial infrastructure of the Defense Travel System.(C) The feasibility of making the use of the financial infrastructure of the Defense Travel System mandatory for all Department of Defense travel transactions.120 STAT. 2366(b) Implementation Plans.—Not later than 60 days after the Secretary of Defense receives the independent study required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report describing the actions, if any, that the Secretary intends to take to implement the recommendations contained in the study. If the Secretary does not intend to implement any of the recommendations, the Secretary shall explain the basis for this decision.(c) Conditions on New Contract or Expenditures for Defense Travel System.—Except to continue operations to provide current services and to perform the functions described in paragraphs (1) through (3), the Secretary of Defense may not initiate a new contract for the Defense Travel System or expend funds for the Defense Travel System until each of the following occurs:(1) The Secretary submits the report required by subsection (b).(2) The Secretary develops firm, fixed requirements for the Defense Travel System.(3) The Secretary develops a schedule to phase out the legacy travel systems made redundant by implementation of the Defense Travel System.