REAUTHORIZATION OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH.

SEC. 219. REAUTHORIZATION OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH. (a) Modification of Program Objectives.—Subsection (b) of section 257 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1995 (Public Law 103-337; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as redesignated by paragraph (1), the following new paragraph (1): “(1) To increase the number of university researchers in eligible States capable of performing science and engineering research responsive to the needs of the Department of Defense.” ; and (3) in paragraph (2), as redesignated by paragraph (1), by inserting “relevant to the mission of the Department of Defense and” after “that is”. (b) Modification of Program Activities.—Subsection (c) of such section is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4); and (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraph (3): “(3) To provide assistance to science and engineering researchers at institutions of higher education in eligible States through collaboration between Department of Defense laboratories and such researchers.” . (c) Modification of Eligibility Criteria for State Participation.—Subsection (d) of such section is amended— (1) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting “in areas relevant to the mission of the Department of Defense” after “programs”; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: “(3) The Under Secretary shall not remove a designation of a State under paragraph (2) because the State exceeds the funding levels specified under subparagraph (A) of such paragraph unless the State has exceeded such funding levels for at least two consecutive years.” . (d) Modification of Coordination Requirement.—Subsection (e) of such section is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking “shall” each place it appears and inserting “may”; and (2) in paragraph (3), by inserting “relevant to the mission of the Department of Defense and” after “Research are”. (e) Modification of Name.— (1) In general.—Such section is amended— (A) in subsections (a) and (e) by striking “Experimental” each place it appears and inserting “Established”; and (B) in the section heading, by striking “experimental” and inserting “established”. (2) Clerical amendment.—Such Act is amended, in the table of contents in section 2(b), by striking the item relating to section 257 and inserting the following new item: “Sec. 257. Defense established program to stimulate competitive research.” . (3) [10 U.S.C. 2358 note] Conforming amendment.—Section 307 of the 1997 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Recovery from Natural Disasters, and for Overseas Peacekeeping Efforts, Including Those in Bosnia (Public Law 105-18) is amended by striking “Experimental” and inserting “Established”.