(a) In General.—The Secretary of Defense and the Secretaries of the military departments shall jointly carry out a program to demonstrate methods for the more effective development of technology and management of functions at eligible centers.

(b) Eligible Centers.—For purposes of the program, the eligible centers are—

(1) the science and technology reinvention laboratories, as designated by section 4121(b) of this title;

(2) the test and evaluation centers which are activities specified as part of the Major Range and Test Facility Base in Department of Defense Directive 3200.11 (or any successor document);

(3) the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency;

(4) the Defense Innovation Unit; and

(5) the Strategic Capabilities Office.

(c) Definition of Responsible Officials Concerned.—For purposes of this section, the term "responsible official concerned" means—

(1) the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, with respect to matters concerning the Army;

(2) the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, with respect to matters concerning the Navy and the Marine Corps; or

(3) the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, with respect to matters concerning the Air Force and the Space Force;

(4) the Deputy Secretary of Defense, with respect to matters concerning the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Defense Innovation Unit, and the Strategic Capabilities Office, and any other matters not covered by paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).

(d) Participation in Program.—

(1) In general.—Subject to paragraph (2), the head of each eligible center shall submit to the responsible official concerned a proposal on, and implement, alternative and innovative methods of effective management and operations of eligible centers, rapid project delivery, support, experimentation, prototyping, and partnership with universities and private sector entities—

(A) to generate greater value and efficiencies in research and development activities;

(B) to enable more efficient and effective operations of supporting activities, such as—

(i) facility management, construction, and repair;

(ii) business operations;

(iii) personnel management policies and practices; and

(iv) intramural and public outreach; and

(C) to enable more rapid deployment of warfighter capabilities.

(2) Implementation.—The head of an eligible center shall implement each method proposed under paragraph (1) unless such method is disapproved in writing by the responsible official concerned within 60 days of receiving the proposal from the eligible center.

(e) Waiver Authority for Demonstration and Implementation.—The head of an eligible center may waive any regulation, restriction, requirement, guidance, policy, procedure, or departmental instruction that would affect the implementation of a method proposed under subsection (d)(1), unless such implementation would be prohibited by a provision of a Federal statute or common law.