[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 22, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H2307-H2308]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ACQUISITION INNOVATION ACT

  Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1365) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require 
certain acquisition innovation, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1365

       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 ``Department of Homeland 
     Security Acquisition Innovation Act''.

     SEC. 2. ACQUISITION INNOVATION.

       (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. 710. ACQUISITION INNOVATION.

       ``The Under Secretary for Management may--
       ``(1) designate an individual within the Department to 
     manage acquisition innovation efforts of the Department;
       ``(2) test emerging acquisition best practices to carrying 
     out acquisitions, consistent with the Federal Acquisition 
     Regulation and Department acquisition management directives, 
     as appropriate;
       ``(3) develop and distribute best practices and lessons 
     learned regarding acquisition innovation throughout the 
     Department;
       ``(4) establish metrics to measure the effectiveness of 
     acquisition innovation efforts with respect to cost, 
     operational efficiency of the acquisition program (including 
     timeframe for executing contracts), and collaboration with 
     the private sector, including small businesses; and
       ``(5) determine impacts of acquisition innovation efforts 
     on the private sector by--
       ``(A) engaging with the private sector, including small 
     businesses, to provide information and obtain feedback on 
     procurement practices and acquisition innovation efforts of 
     the Department;
       ``(B) obtaining feedback from the private sector on the 
     impact of acquisition innovation efforts of the Department; 
     and
       ``(C) incorporating such feedback, as appropriate, into 
     future acquisition innovation efforts of the Department.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 
     1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by 
     inserting after the item relating to section 709 the 
     following new item:

``Sec. 710. Acquisition innovation.''.
       (c) Information.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
     which the Secretary of Homeland Security submits the annual 
     budget justification for the Department of Homeland Security 
     for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022, the Secretary 
     shall, if appropriate, provide information to the Committee 
     on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 
     the Senate on the activities undertaken in the previous 
     fiscal year in furtherance of section 710 of the Homeland 
     Security Act, as added by subsection (a) of this Act, on the 
     following:
       (1) Emerging acquisition best practices that were tested 
     within the Department during such year.
       (2) Efforts to distribute best practices and lessons 
     learned within the Department, including through web-based 
     seminars, training, and forums, during such year.
       (3) Utilization by components throughout the Department of 
     best practices distributed by the Under Secretary of 
     Management pursuant to paragraph (3) of such section 710.
       (4) Performance as measured by the metrics established 
     under paragraph (4) of such section 710.
       (5) Outcomes of efforts to distribute best practices and 
     lessons learned within the Department, including through web-
     based seminars, training, and forums.
       (6) Any impacts of the utilization of innovative 
     acquisition mechanisms by the Department on the private 
     sector, including small businesses.
       (7) The criteria used to identify specific acquisition 
     programs or activities to be included in acquisition 
     innovation efforts and the outcomes of such programs or 
     activities.
       (8) Recommendations, as necessary, to enhance acquisition 
     innovation in the Department.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Donovan) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1365, the Department of 
Homeland Security Acquisition Innovation Act.
  The bill allows DHS to designate a senior official to manage 
acquisition innovation efforts; test, develop, and distribute 
acquisition best practices throughout the Department; and establish 
performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts. 
Republican amendments at the committee markup strengthened the 
underlying bill by encouraging DHS to obtain feedback from the private 
sector and incorporate this feedback into future efforts.
  As we have seen from numerous watchdog reports, the Federal 
Government's acquisition and contracting process is broken, cumbersome, 
and bureaucratic. DHS must continue to innovate to ensure the private 
sector can best support our critical homeland security needs. The 
Department has recently taken positive steps in using new contracting 
tools and collaborating with industry. This legislation supports those 
efforts and encourages their continued use.
  I commend Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee Ranking 
Member Correa for all of his hard work on this legislation.
  I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 1365, the Department of Homeland Security 
Acquisition Innovation Act.
  When the Department of Homeland Security was established in 2002, it 
was understood that the mission of safeguarding the American people 
would be

[[Page H2308]]

a complex one. Today, 15 years later, the ever-changing nature of the 
terrorist threat and its landscape has demanded that DHS be more 
innovative. In the past 3 years, the Department has actively worked to 
carry out its procurement process in new and innovative ways.
  The Acquisition Innovations in Motion program, launched in 2015, is a 
framework for coordinated industry engagement in which opportunities, 
challenges, and strategies are discussed to identify acquisition 
solutions and foster greater efficiency and effectiveness.
  A key component of this program is a Procurement Innovation Lab 
called PIL. PIL is a virtual testing environment that experiments with 
innovative techniques to assess whether they can be effectively 
integrated into DHS' procurement process. To date, PIL is credited with 
reducing award times, the integration of existing flexibilities that 
are in use in other portions of the Federal Government, and improved 
acquisition training.
  Results, case studies, and lessons learned from the PIL process are 
regularly shared throughout DHS through webinars and the internal web 
portal. These activities facilitate a continuous learning culture that 
enhances the DHS mission of support.
  I introduced this bill, H.R. 1365, to institutionalize DHS' 
acquisition innovation efforts by authorizing such activity by the 
Under Secretary of Management. Specifically, my legislation authorizes 
robust testing, development, and distribution of best practices and 
acquisitions throughout the Department, as well as performance metrics 
to measure the effectiveness of such efforts.
  Enactment of this bill will help ensure that this successful 
acquisition management technique continues. This bill was unanimously 
approved by the Committee on Homeland Security earlier this month.
  Mr. Speaker, DHS' approach to acquisitions not only accommodates the 
Department's unique mission, but it supports our responsibility to the 
management of taxpayer dollars.
  This bill codifies a pathway to developing and implementing 
innovative approaches that serve the Department's acquisition 
challenges through collaboration and efficiency. To that end, it is 
vital that DHS continue to drive towards a more effective procurement 
process in support of its vital mission.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 1365, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 1365, as amended.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the cost estimate on 
H.R. 1365:

                                                   March 22, 2017.
     Hon. Michael McCaul,
     Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
     prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1365, the 
     Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Innovation Act.
       If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
     pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark 
     Grabowicz.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Keith Hall.
       Enclosure.

                               H.R. 1365


       Department of Homeland Security Acquisition Innovation Act

  As ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on 
                             March 8, 2017

       H.R. 1365 would authorize the Department of Homeland 
     Security (DHS) to promote the use of innovation in its 
     acquisition programs. The legislation would direct DHS to 
     provide information annually to the Congress on activities 
     related to innovative acquisition practices. Based on 
     information from DHS, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 
     1365 would cost less than $500,000 annually; such spending 
     would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
       Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending 
     or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not 
     apply. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 1365 would not 
     increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of 
     the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028.
       H.R. 1365 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
     mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
     would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
     governments.
       The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. 
     The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy 
     Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland 
Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 1365, the ``Department of 
Homeland Security Acquisition Innovation Act'' which authorizes the DHS 
to expand the use of acquisition innovation.
  This bipartisan bill will guarantee new acquisition methods and 
practices are considered to ensure taxpayers get the most for their 
money.
  This bill would permit DHS's undersecretary for management to:
  1. Designate an official to manage acquisition innovation;
  2. Test and develop best practices that are consistent with 
acquisition rules and directives;
  3. Measure how innovation in acquisition processes have affected 
cost, operational efficiency, the timeframe for executing contracts, 
and collaboration with small businesses and other private-sector 
companies; and
  4. Obtain and incorporate feedback from the private sector.
  From fiscal 2018 through 2022, DHS would provide Congress with 
information on acquisition innovation activities during the previous 
fiscal year, including:
  1. Best practices that were tested, used and distributed, including 
through web-based seminars, trainings and forums;
  2. Effects on the private sector, including small businesses;
  3. Criteria to indemnify acquisition programs that would be 
appropriate for innovation; and
  4. Recommendations for enhancing innovation at DHS.
  Innovation is the American way and this bill makes sure the 
Department of Homeland Security finds new ways to do its job 
effectively and efficiently.
  At the Tenth Annual Border Security Expo in Texas, officials from the 
Department of Homeland Security observed some of the latest innovations 
that can help to protect our border. This included 3D holographic 
images, portable biometric testing kits, and underground seismic signal 
detectors.
  In Texas, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents deter, detect, 
and interdict smuggling along the Texas/Mexico border through the 
deployment of an integrated network of detection and communication 
technologies.
  In 2016, the Texas of Department of Public Safety provided direct 
assistance to U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the arrest of over 
37,000 criminals deemed a high threat risk.
  Frontline personnel securing our borders, protecting our airports, 
and defending our shores must have the tools to successfully accomplish 
their mission.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1365.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1365, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. DONOVAN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________