House NDAA cuts diversity programs

Also hits telework

      The House version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (HR 2670) reduces many diversity and inclusion programs and targets telework options at the Defense Dept.

      The House Armed Services Committee approved $842 billion in discretionary funding for DOD, the same as President Joe Biden’s request. More details recently became available with release of the full text of the bill.

      The NDAA would:

• Section 904 would eliminate the position of DOD Chief Diversity Officer;
• Section 364 would set a maximum salary of $92,000 a year to any DOD employee carrying out diversity or inclusion initiatives;
• Section 596 would eliminate all fiscal 2024 funds for the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and would terminate the committee on Sept. 19, 2024;
• Section 566 would prohibit the use of federal funds to provide training promoting critical race theory;
• Section 595 would ban “drag shows and drag queen story hour”; and
• Section 1120 would require the Secretary of Defense to assess and validate staffing needs of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

      The House NDAA also addresses telework by DOD employees, asking for audits to validate the use of teleworking and to ensure workers are receiving the correct locality pay. Teleworkers are supposed to be paid at the home-based locality rate. The home-based rates are generally lower than headquarters-based rates.

      While the DOD diversity and inclusion initiatives target employees and the military, some provisions also may affect federal contractors. The same is true for the teleworking provisions.

More information:
Bill text: https://tinyurl.com/3bd92jph
July 7 edition article on House NDAA small business contracting provisions: Click here

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