[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 31, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H790-H791]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DHS ACQUISITION DOCUMENTATION INTEGRITY ACT OF 2017
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 347) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to provide for
requirements relating to documentation for major acquisition programs,
and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 347
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 ``DHS Acquisition
Documentation Integrity Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ACQUISITION
DOCUMENTATION.
(a) In General.--Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (6 U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end
the following new section:
``SEC. 708. ACQUISITION DOCUMENTATION.
``(a) In General.--For each major acquisition program, the
Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Management,
shall require the head of a relevant component or office to--
``(1) maintain acquisition documentation that is complete,
accurate, timely, and valid, and that includes, at a
minimum--
``(A) operational requirements that are validated
consistent with departmental policy and changes to such
requirements, as appropriate;
``(B) a complete lifecycle cost estimate with supporting
documentation;
``(C) verification of such lifecycle cost estimate against
independent cost estimates, and reconciliation of any
differences;
``(D) a cost-benefit analysis with supporting
documentation; and
``(E) a schedule, including, as appropriate, an integrated
master schedule;
``(2) prepare cost estimates and schedules for major
acquisition programs, as required under subparagraphs (B) and
(E), in a manner consistent with best practices as identified
by the Comptroller General of the United States; and
``(3) submit certain acquisition documentation to the
Secretary to produce an annual comprehensive report on the
status of departmental acquisitions for submission to
Congress.
``(b) Waiver.--On a case-by-case basis with respect to any
major acquisition program under this section, the Secretary
may waive the requirement under paragraph (3) of subsection
(a) for a fiscal year if either--
``(1) such program has not--
``(A) entered the full rate production phase in the
acquisition lifecycle;
``(B) had a reasonable cost estimate established; and
``(C) had a system configuration defined fully; or
``(2) such program does not meet the definition of capital
asset, as such term is defined by the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget.
``(c) Congressional Oversight.--At the same time the
President's budget is submitted for a fiscal year under
section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, the
Secretary shall make information available, as applicable, to
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate regarding the requirement
described in subsection (a) in the prior fiscal year that
includes the following specific information regarding each
major acquisition program for which the Secretary has issued
a waiver under subsection (b):
``(1) The grounds for granting a waiver for such program.
``(2) The projected cost of such program.
``(3) The proportion of a component's or office's annual
acquisition budget attributed to such program, as available.
``(4) Information on the significance of such program with
respect to the component's or office's operations and
execution of its mission.
``(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 2017 constant dollars)
over its lifecycle cost.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101 et
seq.) is amended by adding after the item related to section
707 the following new item:
``Sec. 708. Acquisition documentation.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) and the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs.
Watson Coleman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have
5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and
to include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 347, the Department of Homeland Security
Acquisition Documentation Integrity Act. This legislation requires the
Department of Homeland Security to improve the management of its major
purchases of systems to secure the border, better screen travelers,
protect our shores, and other vital missions.
Too often, the DHS has failed to document what these programs will
cost, when they will be complete, and what they actually will deliver.
It is unacceptable to spend billions of taxpayer dollars and not
document this very basic but important information. H.R. 347 will help
our committee and congressional watchdogs hold the Department
accountable and ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent in both an
efficient and effective manner. Safeguarding Americans' hard-earned tax
dollars is why our constituents sent us here in the first place.
I commend Ranking Member Watson Coleman for her leadership on this
issue, and I ask all Members to join me in supporting this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 347, the DHS Acquisition Documentation
Integrity Act of 2017.
I reintroduced H.R. 347, a measure that the House unanimously
approved on February 23, 2016, to ensure that the progress that the
Department of Homeland Security has made with respect to how it manages
acquisitions continues.
H.R. 347 requires complete, accurate, timely, and valid documentation
to be maintained for each of the Department's major acquisition
programs, which is defined as one with a life cycle cost estimate of
$300 million or more. The required documentation includes information
regarding operational requirements, a complete life cycle cost
estimate, a cost-benefit analysis, and a schedule.
Under this legislation, the DHS component heads would also be
required to submit certain documentation to the DHS Secretary for
inclusion in an annual status report on the Department's acquisitions.
While there have been improvements to acquisitions management under
former Secretary Jeh Johnson, the Department has struggled when it
comes to delivering a specific program on time and at an established
cost.
Most of the DHS' major acquisition programs continue to cost more
than expected, take longer to deploy than planned, or deliver less
capability than promised. For example, the DHS' efforts to deliver a
Department-wide human resources IT system--HR-IT--have spanned almost
14 years and have cost millions of dollars with little to show for it.
As can be seen with the case of HR-IT, anything less than up-to-date
acquisition documentation increases the odds of cost and schedule
overruns, risks delayed delivery of critical capabilities, and depletes
resources needed to address future requirements.
As such, H.R. 347 codifies ``best practices'' already embodied in the
DHS' acquisition policy and necessary for the success of the DHS'
mission. H.R. 347 requires the DHS Secretary, through the Under
Secretary for Management, to require components to maintain specific
types of acquisition documentation.
Representatives McCaul and Thompson, the chairman and ranking member
of our committee, and Representative Perry, the chairman of the
Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, cosponsored this
legislation, which reflects a strong commitment to bolstering the
effectiveness of the DHS' acquisition programs in a bipartisan fashion.
I urge the passage of H.R. 347, a bill that will help ensure that the
DHS is a good steward of taxpayer dollars and can provide the DHS'
operators in the field with the tools they need to protect the American
people.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1545
Mr. PERRY. Mr. Speaker, I, once again, commend my good friend and
[[Page H791]]
colleague from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) on her hard work in
offering this viable and meaningful solution.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 347.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 347.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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