[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1634 Engrossed in House (EH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1634

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
    To strengthen accountability for deployment of border security 
   technology at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Border Security Technology 
Accountability Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. BORDER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY ACCOUNTABILITY.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle C of title IV of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section:

``SEC. 434. BORDER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM MANAGEMENT.

    ``(a) Planning Documentation.--For each border security technology 
acquisition program of the Department that is determined to be a major 
acquisition program, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) ensure that each such program has a written 
        acquisition program baseline approved by the relevant 
        acquisition decision authority;
            ``(2) document that each such program is meeting cost, 
        schedule, and performance thresholds as specified in such 
        baseline, in compliance with relevant departmental acquisition 
        policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation; and
            ``(3) have a plan for meeting program implementation 
        objectives by managing contractor performance.
    ``(b) Adherence to Standards.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Under Secretary for Management and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection, shall ensure border security technology acquisition 
program managers who are responsible for carrying out this section 
adhere to relevant internal control standards identified by the 
Comptroller General of the United States. The Commissioner shall 
provide information, as needed, to assist the Under Secretary in 
monitoring proper program management of border security technology 
acquisition programs under this section.
    ``(c) Plan.--The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for 
Management, in coordination with the Under Secretary for Science and 
Technology and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan for 
testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification 
and validation resources, for border security technology so that new 
border security technologies are evaluated through a series of 
assessments, processes, and audits to ensure compliance with relevant 
departmental acquisition policies and the Federal Acquisition 
Regulation, as well as the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars.
    ``(d) Major Acquisition Program Defined.--In this section, the term 
`major acquisition program' means a Department acquisition program that 
is estimated by the Secretary to require an eventual total expenditure 
of at least $300,000,000 (based on fiscal year 2015 constant dollars) 
over its life cycle cost.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 433 the following new item:

``Sec. 434. Border security technology program management.''.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act and the amendments made by this Act. This Act and such 
amendments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise available for 
such purposes.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 27, 2015.

            Attest:

                                                                 Clerk.
114th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 1634

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

    To strengthen accountability for deployment of border security 
   technology at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other 
                               purposes.