Defense Language Continuing Education Act of 2021
This bill requires the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness within the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish policies and procedures to provide continuing language education to linguists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force who have made the transition from formal training programs to operational and staff assignments.
The office must establish a procedure by which the military branches may reimburse a DOD organization that provides continuing language education.
The office must brief Congress on the implementation of the policies and procedures established by this bill.
To direct the Department of Defense to establish policies and 
  procedures for providing continuing language education to military 
                   linguists, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Defense Language Continuing 
Education Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFENSE LANGUAGE CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
Readiness shall establish policies and procedures to provide, to 
linguists of the covered Armed Forces who have made the transition from 
formal training programs to operational and staff assignments, 
continuing language education to maintain their respective language 
proficiencies.
    (b) Reimbursement Authority.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary, in coordination 
        with the chief of each covered Armed Force, shall establish a 
        procedure by which the covered Armed Force concerned may 
        reimburse an organization of the Department of Defense that 
        provides, to members of such covered Armed Force, continuing 
        language education, described in subsection (a), for the costs 
        of such education.
            (2) Sunset.--The authority under this subsection shall 
        expire on September 30, 2025.
    (c) Briefing.--Not later than July 1, 2022, the Under Secretary 
shall brief the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of 
Representatives on implementation of this section and plans regarding 
continuing language education described in subsection (a).
    (d) Covered Armed Force Defined.--In this section, the term 
``covered Armed Force'' means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, 
or Space Force.
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Defense Language Continuing Education Act of 2021
To direct the Department of Defense to establish policies and procedures for providing continuing language education to military linguists, and for other purposes.
Defense Language Continuing Education Act of 2021
Rep. Bacon, Don