§ 1599d. Professional accounting positions: authority to prescribe certification and credential standards
(a)
Authority To Prescribe Professional Certification Standards.—
The Secretary of Defense may prescribe professional certification and credential standards for professional accounting positions within the Department of Defense. Any such standard shall be prescribed as a Department of Defense regulation.
(b)
Waiver Authority.—
The Secretary may waive any standard prescribed under subsection (a) whenever the Secretary determines such a waiver to be appropriate.
(c)
Applicability.—
A standard prescribed under subsection (a) shall not apply to any person employed by the Department of Defense before the standard is prescribed.
(d)
Report.—
The Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report on the Secretary’s plans to provide training to appropriate Department of Defense personnel to meet any new professional and credential standards prescribed under subsection (a). Such report shall be prepared in conjunction with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management. Such a report shall be submitted not later than one year after the effective date of any regulations, or any revision to regulations, prescribed pursuant to subsection (a).
(e)
Definition.—
In this section, the term “professional accounting position” means a position or group of positions in the 0505, 0510, 0511, or equivalent series that involves professional accounting work.