{
  "id": "ACQ-27",
  "category": "Research workforce",
  "capability": "Offer enhanced pay for critical laboratory technology positions",
  "summary": "Set elevated basic pay for narrowly defined high-end STRL research/technology and acquisition experts to recruit or retain exceptional personnel.",
  "legal_basis": [
    {
      "citation": "10 U.S.C. §4094",
      "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section4094&num=0&edition=prelim",
      "kind": "statute",
      "note": "Primary statutory text; primary GovInfo baseline and amendment audit identified in research narrative."
    }
  ],
  "authority_holder": "Secretary of Defense program; Service acquisition executive or military-department Secretary approves applicable pay",
  "actor_chain": {
    "planner": [
      "Laboratory director"
    ],
    "resource_owner": [
      "Military-department/laboratory personnel budget"
    ],
    "approver": [
      "Service acquisition executive; Service Secretary for pay above 150% of Executive Schedule Level I"
    ],
    "executor": [
      "Laboratory HR/appointing officials"
    ],
    "partners": [
      "USD(R&E) for approved transfer of allocations among Services"
    ]
  },
  "actor_sources": [
    {
      "title": "10 U.S.C. §4094 — statutory actor assignment",
      "url": "https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section4094&num=0&edition=prelim"
    }
  ],
  "requirements": [
    "Extremely high expertise and critical research/technology mission; use only to recruit/retain exceptionally qualified person."
  ],
  "limits": [
    "Normally not more than 5 positions per military department, with statutory allocation-transfer option.",
    "Position term less than 5 years."
  ],
  "funding": [
    "Available personnel appropriations; service approval of program and compensation."
  ],
  "coordination_path": "Lab critical-role case → Service acquisition executive approval → Secretary if pay threshold exceeded → funded appointment.",
  "availability": "Express statutory pathway; award-specific appropriations, available balances, delegations, implementation and approvals not independently verified.",
  "confidence": "High on express authority and cited conditions; execution assignment is illustrative unless statute expressly names it.",
  "currentness": "GovInfo 2024 Code (includes FY2025 NDAA, P.L. 118-159) read in full for cited provision; targeted FY2026 NDAA P.L. 119-60 amendment/repeal sweep. No claim of complete legislative currency through 2026-10-02; remaining 2026 delta needs counsel validation.",
  "family": "Workforce and expertise",
  "mechanisms": [
    "Other statutory tools"
  ],
  "goal_ids": [
    "develop-technology"
  ],
  "office_links": [
    {
      "office_id": "usd-research-engineering",
      "role": "partners",
      "label": "USD(R&E) for approved transfer of allocations among Services"
    }
  ]
}