Department of Defense Fellowship Program for Military Spouses

Subchapter I of chapter 88 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1784a the following new section: 1784b. Department of Defense Fellowship Program for Military Spouses (a) Establishment Not later than April 1, 2028, the Secretary of Defense shall establish a fellowship program for military spouses, to be known as the Department of Defense Military Spouse Fellowship Program (in this section referred to as the Program), to enhance career opportunities for military spouses and to support the readiness of military families. (b) Fellowships (1) In general Under the Program, a component of the Department of Defense selected by the Secretary under subsection (c)(1) shall provide to fellowships to military spouses. (2) Term and conditions A fellowship under the Program— (A) shall be for a term of not less than 12 months and not more than 24 months; (B) may be full time or part time, with a preference for full time; and (C) may be an in-person or remote position. (3) Compensation A fellow under the Program shall be compensated at a rate of pay under the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5 appropriate to the role of the fellow. (c) Administration In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall— (1) select components of the Department of Defense to participate in the Program based on strategic workforce planning and demonstrated need; (2) ensure that fellowships offered by components of the Department of Defense selected under paragraph (1) are available across a range of grade levels and provide for a wide array of career fields and experiences; and (3) ensure that the Program has the funding and other resources to provide for not less than 500 full-time equivalent fellowships each year. (d) Responsibilities of participating components (1) In general A component of the Department of Defense selected under subsection (c)(1) to participate in the Program shall be responsible for— (A) providing a meaningful fellowship experience to fellows in the component, including through the provision of professional development and mentorship opportunities; (B) documenting the performance of fellows during the terms of their fellowships; and (C) subject to paragraph (2), making every effort to identify permanent positions within the component to which a fellow may be non-competitively converted at the end of the term of the fellowship. (2) Conversion to permanent positions The conversion under paragraph (1)(C) of a fellowship under the Program to a permanent position shall be contingent upon the performance of the fellow, the availability of a permanent position, and the availability of funding. (e) Military spouse defined In this section, the term military spouse means any individual who is married (within the meaning of section 7703 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), as of the first date on which the individual is employed by a component of the Department of Defense under this section, to a member of the uniformed services serving on active duty..