Overview
Title
To require congressional notice of the cancellation or termination of contracts by the Department of Defense involving certain numbers of employees of contractors, and for other purposes.
ELI5 AI
H.R. 8417 is like a rule that says the U.S. military has to tell a group called Congress if they stop working with a company and that makes a lot of people lose their jobs, especially if it happens in places far away from big cities. But, if it's really important for keeping the country safe, they can keep it a secret for a little while.
Summary AI
H.R. 8417, titled the “Rural Installation Job Protection Act,” requires the Department of Defense to notify Congress at least 30 days before canceling or terminating contracts that would reduce the employment of a significant number of contractor employees at military installations, especially those located in remote or isolated areas. Specifically, the bill applies when the job reduction involves at least 50 employees at remote or isolated installations or 100 employees at any location. The Secretary of Defense can waive this requirement if deemed necessary for national security but must then notify Congress within one week after the contract's cancellation or termination.
Published
Keywords AI
Sources
Bill Statistics
Size
Language
Complexity
AnalysisAI
Overview of the Bill
The proposed legislation, known as the "Rural Installation Job Protection Act," aims to ensure that Congress is notified about the cancellation or termination of Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, especially when such actions could lead to significant job losses. Specifically, the bill mandates that if the DoD plans to cancel or terminate a contract affecting 50 or more employees at remote or isolated installations, or 100 or more contractor employees in total, the Secretary of Defense must notify Congress at least 30 days in advance. However, the bill includes a provision allowing for a waiver of this requirement in the interest of national security, though a subsequent notice must still be provided within a week of the cancellation or termination.
Significant Issues
Several critical issues arise from the bill's contents:
National Security Waiver: The broad discretion given to the Secretary of Defense to waive the notification requirement on grounds of national security is concerning. The ambiguity surrounding what constitutes the "interest of national security" could potentially lead to exploitation and a reduction in the transparency of processes intended for Congress's oversight.
Employee Thresholds: The bill sets specific thresholds—50 employees for remote installations and 100 for total employees affected. These benchmarks may not adequately capture the economic impact on smaller communities. Job losses below these thresholds could still have significant local effects that the bill might overlook.
Definition of Remote Installations: The term "remote or isolated installation" relies on external criteria from other legislation. This reliance introduces potential ambiguity and may result in inconsistencies, especially if those determining criteria change over time.
Delayed Reporting: The provision allowing the DoD a one-week grace period post-cancellation to notify Congress, when invoking the national security waiver, delays congressional awareness and could hinder timely interventions.
Contractor Employee Definition: The definition of "remote or isolated installation contractor employee" is narrowly constructed, potentially excluding some contractors residing near but outside the specified area, thus not fully accounting for all impacted workers.
Impacts on the Broader Public
The bill, if enacted, is designed to enhance oversight of the DoD's contract termination procedures, potentially preserving jobs in vulnerable areas. However, the discretion allowed for national security may limit these benefits if not appropriately managed. Regions dependent on these contracts could face economic instability due to job losses that don't meet the established thresholds or due to delays in congressional response.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Military Communities: For communities centered around remote military installations, the bill could provide a protective mechanism against abrupt job losses, fostering economic stability. However, if the criteria remain broad or the thresholds are unmet, these communities might not reap the bill's intended benefits.
Congress: The legislative branch may gain greater oversight capabilities, provided the national security waiver is not overused. This oversight could enable more informed decision-making and potentially prompt legislative action to mitigate job loss impacts.
Department of Defense: While this bill introduces additional procedural steps for the DoD, it offers a balance by still permitting action under pressing national security concerns. However, it necessitates an accountable process, which might limit rapid decision-making without subsequent reporting.
Conclusion
Overall, the "Rural Installation Job Protection Act" seeks to bolster job protection at vulnerable military installations by instituting a congressional notification system for significant contract cancellations or terminations. Nonetheless, its effectiveness will heavily depend on how ambiguities in terms and thresholds are resolved and how judiciously the national security waiver is used. Without careful implementation, the bill could miss critical opportunities to shield communities reliant on military contracts from economic disruption.
Issues
The broad discretion given to the Secretary of Defense to waive the notification requirement for national security reasons under Section 2(b) could lead to exploitation without sufficient oversight. The term 'interest of national security' is broad and susceptible to varied interpretations, potentially reducing transparency and accountability in congressional oversight.
The bill specifies employee thresholds (50 remote or isolated installation contractor employees or 100 employees in total) that might not adequately capture significant economic impacts in smaller or localized economies. This threshold could overlook substantial local economic and employment consequences, exposing smaller communities to unmitigated risks (Section 2(a)).
The term 'remote or isolated installation' depends on a determination by the Secretary based on a policy from other legislation. This reliance on external criteria could cause ambiguity, especially if those criteria are subject to future changes, limiting transparency and consistent application (Section 2(c)(2)).
There is a delay in communication to Congress due to the waiver provision, as it allows notification to be postponed until one week after the cancellation or termination has occurred. This delay might impair Congress's ability to respond promptly to mitigate impacts effectively (Section 2(b)(2)).
The term 'remote or isolated installation contractor employee' could be narrowly interpreted, potentially excluding contractors living just outside the defined geographic area but still greatly affected by job losses. This interpretation might result in inadequate representation of the real impact on local communities (Section 2(c)(3)).
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the act states that it can be officially referred to as the “Rural Installation Job Protection Act.”
2. Notice of contract cancellation or termination relating to remote or isolated installations Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section requires the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress at least 30 days before canceling or terminating a contract that will result in significant job losses at remote or isolated military installations, unless a national security waiver is granted. If a waiver is used, the Secretary must still provide notice within a week after the cancellation or termination.
4705. Notice of contract cancellation or termination relating to remote or isolated installations Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section requires the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress at least 30 days before canceling or ending a contract if it would result in 50 or more job losses at remote military installations, or 100 or more job losses at any location, unless the cancellation is necessary for national security, in which case notice is due within a week after the action. Definitions are provided for key terms such as "military installation," "remote or isolated installation," and "remote or isolated installation contractor employee."