[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 50 (Thursday, April 7, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2272-S2273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Mr. Akaka, Mrs. McCaskill, and Mr. 
        Brown of Massachusetts):
  S. 762. A bill to improve the Federal Acquisition Institute; to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 762

       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 ``Federal Acquisition 
     Institute Improvement Act of 2011''.

     SEC. 2. ACQUISITION WORKFORCE IMPROVEMENTS.

       (a) Workforce Improvements.--Section 1704(b) of title 41, 
     United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by inserting after the first sentence the following: 
     ``The Associate Administrator shall be chosen on the basis of 
     demonstrated knowledge and expertise in acquisition, human 
     capital, and management.'';
       (2) by striking ``The Associate Administrator for 
     Acquisition Workforce Programs shall be located in the 
     Federal Acquisition Institute (or its successor).'' and 
     inserting ``The Associate Administrator shall be located in 
     the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.'';
       (3) in paragraph (4), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
     semicolon;
       (4) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (6); and
       (5) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(5) implementing workforce programs under subsections (f) 
     through (k) of section 1703 of this title; and''.
       (b) Federal Acquisition Institute.--
       (1) In general.--Division B of title 41, United States 
     Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 11 the following 
     new chapter:

              ``CHAPTER 12--FEDERAL ACQUISITION INSTITUTE

``Sec.
``1201. Federal Acquisition Institute.

     ``Sec. 1201. Federal Acquisition Institute

       ``(a) In General.--There is established a Federal 
     Acquisition Institute (FAI) in order to--
       ``(1) foster and promote the development of a professional 
     acquisition workforce government-wide;
       ``(2) promote and coordinate government-wide research and 
     studies to improve the procurement process and the laws, 
     policies, methods, regulations, procedures, and forms 
     relating to acquisition by the executive agencies;
       ``(3) collect data and analyze acquisition workforce data 
     from the Office of Personnel Management, the heads of 
     executive agencies, and, through periodic surveys, from 
     individual employees;
       ``(4) periodically analyze acquisition career fields to 
     identify critical competencies, duties, tasks, and related 
     academic prerequisites, skills, and knowledge;
       ``(5) coordinate and assist agencies in identifying and 
     recruiting highly qualified candidates for acquisition 
     fields;
       ``(6) develop instructional materials for acquisition 
     personnel in coordination with private and public acquisition 
     colleges and training facilities;
       ``(7) evaluate the effectiveness of training and career 
     development programs for acquisition personnel;
       ``(8) promote the establishment and utilization of academic 
     programs by colleges and universities in acquisition fields;
       ``(9) facilitate, to the extent requested by agencies, 
     interagency intern and training programs;
       ``(10) collaborate with other civilian agency acquisition 
     training programs to leverage training supporting all members 
     of the civilian agency acquisition workforce;
       ``(11) assist civilian agencies with their acquisition 
     human capital planning efforts; and
       ``(12) perform other career management or research 
     functions as directed by the Administrator.
       ``(b) Budget Resources and Authority.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Administrator for Federal 
     Procurement Policy shall recommend to the Administrator of 
     the General Services Administration sufficient budget 
     resources and authority for the Federal Acquisition Institute 
     to support government-wide training standards and 
     certification requirements necessary to enhance the mobility 
     and career opportunities of the Federal acquisition 
     workforce.
       ``(2) Acquisition workforce training fund.--Subject to the 
     availability of funds, the Administer of General Services 
     shall provide the Federal Acquisition Institute with

[[Page S2273]]

     amounts from the acquisition workforce training fund 
     established under section 1703(i) of this title sufficient to 
     meet the annual budget for the Federal Acquisition Institute 
     requested by the Administrator for Federal Procurement 
     Policy.
       ``(c) Federal Acquisition Institute Board of Directors.--
       ``(1) Reporting to administrator.--The Federal Acquisition 
     Institute shall report through its Board of Directors 
     directly to the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy.
       ``(2) Composition.--The Board shall be composed of not more 
     than 8 individuals from the Federal Government representing a 
     mix of acquisition functional areas, all of whom shall be 
     appointed by the Administrator.
       ``(3) Duties.--The Board shall provide general direction to 
     the Federal Acquisition Institute to ensure that the 
     Institute--
       ``(A) meets its statutory requirements;
       ``(B) meets the needs of the Federal acquisition workforce;
       ``(C) implements appropriate programs;
       ``(D) coordinates with appropriate organizations and groups 
     that have an impact on the Federal acquisition workforce;
       ``(E) develops and implements plans to meet future 
     challenges of the Federal acquisition workforce; and
       ``(F) works closely with the Defense Acquisition 
     University.
       ``(4) Recommendations.--The Board shall make 
     recommendations to the Administrator regarding the 
     development and execution of the annual budget of the Federal 
     Acquisition Institute.
       ``(d) Director.--The Director of the Federal Acquisition 
     Institute shall be appointed by, and report directly to, the 
     Administrator.
       ``(e) Annual Report.--The Administrator shall submit to the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and 
     the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the 
     Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives 
     an annual report on the projected budget needs and expense 
     plans of the Federal Acquisition Institute to fulfill its 
     mandate.''.
       (2) Conforming amendment.--Section 1122(a)(5) of such title 
     is amended to read as follows:
       ``(5) providing for and directing the activities of the 
     Federal Acquisition Institute established under section 1201 
     of this title, including recommending to the Administrator of 
     General Services a sufficient budget for such activities.''.
       (c) Government-wide Training Standards and Certification.--
     Section 1703 of title 41, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (c)(2)--
       (A) by striking ``The Administrator shall'' and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(A) In general.--The Administrator shall''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(B) Government-wide training standards and 
     certification.--The Administrator, acting through the Federal 
     Acquisition Institute, shall provide and update government-
     wide training standards and certification requirements, 
     including--
       ``(i) developing and modifying acquisition certification 
     programs;
       ``(ii) ensuring quality assurance for agency implementation 
     of government-wide training and certification standards;
       ``(iii) analyzing the acquisition training curriculum to 
     ascertain if all certification competencies are covered or if 
     adjustments are necessary;
       ``(iv) developing career path information for certified 
     professionals to encourage retention in government positions;
       ``(v) coordinating with the Office of Personnel Management 
     for human capital efforts; and
       ``(vi) managing rotation assignments to support 
     opportunities to apply skills included in certification.''; 
     and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(l) Acquisition Internship and Training Programs.--All 
     Federal civilian agency acquisition internship or acquisition 
     training programs shall follow guidelines provided by the 
     Office of Federal Procurement Policy to ensure consistent 
     training standards necessary to develop uniform core 
     competencies throughout the Federal Government.''.
       (d) Expanded Scope of Acquisition Workforce Training 
     Fund.--Section 1703(i) of such title is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``to support the training 
     of the acquisition workforce of the executive agencies'' and 
     inserting ``to support the activities set forth in section 
     1201(a) of this title''; and
       (2) in paragraph (6), by striking ``ensure that amounts 
     collected for training under this subsection are not used for 
     a purpose other than the purpose specified in paragraph (2)'' 
     and inserting ``ensure that amounts collected under this 
     section are not used for a purpose other than the activities 
     set forth in section 1201(a) of this title''.
       (e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section, or the 
     amendments made by this section, shall be construed to 
     preclude the Secretary of Defense from establishing 
     acquisition workforce policies, procedures, training 
     standards, and certification requirements for acquisition 
     positions in the Department of Defense, as provided in 
     chapter 87 of title 10, United States Code.
                                 ______