[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 135 (Thursday, July 30, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4648-S4650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REFORM ACT OF 
                                  2019

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 423, S. 2336.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 2336) to improve the management of information 
     technology projects and investments of the Department of 
     Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered 
read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 2336) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows

                                S. 2336

       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 Veterans 
     Affairs Information Technology Reform Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS.

       (a) Update of Review Process and Information Technology 
     Dashboard Chief Information Officer Ratings.--

[[Page S4649]]

       (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
     shall update the review process for information technology 
     projects of the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that 
     active risks are factored into the Information Technology 
     Dashboard Chief Information Officer ratings.
       (2) Review by comptroller general of the united states.--
     Not later than one year after the date on which the Secretary 
     completes updating the review process under paragraph (1), 
     the Comptroller General of the United States shall complete a 
     review such process.
       (b) Annual Report on Project Budget Discrepancies.--
       (1) In general.--Each fiscal year, not later than 120 days 
     after the end of the previous fiscal year, the Secretary 
     shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a report on covered information technology 
     projects of the Department with respect to which the amounts 
     that were obligated and the amounts expended by the 
     Department in that fiscal year were, in aggregate, 10 percent 
     or more greater or less than the amount budgeted for the 
     project in that fiscal year.
       (2) Covered information technology projects.--For purposes 
     of this subsection, a covered information technology project 
     of the Department is an information technology project of the 
     Department for which the Secretary estimates the Department 
     will expend or obligate $25,000,000 or more for development 
     and sustainment over a three-year lifecycle.
       (3) Mitigation plans.--Each report submitted under 
     paragraph (1) shall include, for each project described in 
     the report, a plan to rectify the budget discrepancy and 
     improve the accuracy of the budget formulation process of the 
     Department.

     SEC. 3. PLAN FOR EXPENDITURES RELATING TO DEPARTMENT OF 
                   VETERANS AFFAIRS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
                   PROJECTS AND INVESTMENTS.

       (a) Plan Required.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a plan for 
     expenditures of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating 
     to large information technology projects and investments.
       (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
     shall include the following:
       (A) Identification of each information technology project 
     and investment planned by the Secretary for which the 
     Secretary estimates the Department will expend or obligate 
     $25,000,000 or more for development and sustainment over a 
     three-year lifecycle.
       (B) For each such project and investment, a description 
     of--
       (i) the functional and performance capabilities to be 
     delivered and the mission benefits to be realized;
       (ii) the estimated lifecycle cost, including estimates for 
     development as well as maintenance and operations; and
       (iii) key milestones to be met.
       (C) Demonstration that each project and investment is--
       (i) consistent with the Information Technology 
     Modernization Plan of the Department, or successor plan;
       (ii) being managed in accordance with applicable lifecycle 
     management policies and guidance; and
       (iii) subject to applicable planning and investment control 
     requirements of the Department.
       (D) A statement as to whether the plan has been reviewed by 
     the Comptroller General of the United States.
       (b) Definition of Appropriate Committees of Congress.--In 
     this section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

     SEC. 4. BUDGET JUSTIFICATION FOR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that 
     whenever the budget justification materials are submitted to 
     Congress in support of the Department of Veterans Affairs 
     budget for a fiscal year (as submitted with the budget of the 
     President for such fiscal year under section 1105(a) of title 
     31, United States Code), such budget justification materials 
     include a specific accounting, including life cycle costs, of 
     all funds requested for the information technology programs 
     of the Department.

     SEC. 5. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS COMPLIANCE WITH OFFICE 
                   OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET DATA CENTER 
                   OPTIMIZATION INITIATIVE.

       (a) Requirement.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
     ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs complies with 
     all applicable requirements of the Data Center Optimization 
     Initiative (DCOI) of the Office of Management and Budget, 
     including by--
       (1) fully identifying the data center inventory of the 
     Department; and
       (2) meeting any targets assigned by the Director of the 
     Office of Management and Budget pursuant to such initiative 
     regarding data center closures, optimization savings, and 
     optimization metrics.
       (b) Plan for Compliance.--Not later than 90 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
     to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of 
     Representatives a plan to fully comply with the requirements 
     described in subsection (a).
       (c) Annual Report.--Not later than March 31, 2020, and in 
     March of each year thereafter until the date on which the 
     Director of the Office of Management and Budget determines 
     that the Department is in full compliance with the 
     requirements of the initiative referred to in subsection (a), 
     the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' 
     Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs 
     of the House of Representatives a report on the progress of 
     the Secretary in carrying out the plan submitted under 
     subsection (b).

     SEC. 6. ANNUAL LIST OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
                   INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS.

       (a) Annual List.--Not less frequently than once each year, 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress a comprehensive, 
     prioritized list of all information technology projects being 
     funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, disaggregated 
     by business line or portfolio division.
       (b) Definition of Appropriate Committees of Congress.--In 
     this section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

     SEC. 7. ASSESSMENT OF SUITABILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS FOR 
                   MIGRATION TO CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICE.

       (a) Assessment Required.--Not later than one year after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs, acting through the Chief Information Officer of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, shall complete an assessment, 
     in accordance with guidance from the Office of Management and 
     Budget, of all information technology investments of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs to determine the suitability 
     of the investments for migration to a cloud computing 
     service.
       (b) Mechanism To Track Savings.--The Secretary shall create 
     a consistent and repeatable mechanism to track savings and 
     cost avoidances from--
       (1) migration of information technology investments to 
     cloud computing services; and
       (2) deployment of cloud computing services.
       (c) Report on Spending.--Not later than 180 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting 
     through the Chief, shall submit to the appropriate committees 
     of Congress a report on spending by the Department on 
     information technology investments, disaggregated by 
     information technology investment.
       (d) Definition of Appropriate Committees of Congress.--In 
     this section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives.

     SEC. 8. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
                   MANAGEMENT POLICIES WITH RESPECT TO ROLE OF 
                   CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER.

       The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that the 
     information technology management policies of the Department 
     of Veterans Affairs address the role of the Chief Information 
     Officer of the Department with respect to the following key 
     responsibilities:
       (1) Information technology strategic planning.
       (2) Information technology workforce.
       (3) Information technology planning, programming, and 
     budgeting.
       (4) Information technology investment management.
       (5) Innovations and emerging technologies.

     SEC. 9. CONTINUOUS MONITORING STRATEGY TO IMPROVE INFORMATION 
                   SECURITY PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS.

       In order to improve information security programs of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Veterans 
     Affairs shall develop a continuous monitoring strategy that 
     addresses the following:
       (1) Organization-defined metrics.
       (2) Frequency of monitoring metrics.
       (3) Ongoing status monitoring of metrics.
       (4) Reporting of security status.

     SEC. 10. REVISION OF PROCESSES OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
                   AFFAIRS OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY 
                   RELATING TO RISK MANAGEMENT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
     acting through the Chief Information Officer of the 
     Department of Veterans Affairs, shall revise the processes of 
     the Office of Information and Technology of the Department 
     relating to risk management to include the following:

[[Page S4650]]

       (1) Determining costs and benefits of implementing the risk 
     mitigation plan for each risk.
       (2) Collecting performance measures on risk handling 
     activities.
       (b) Review by Comptroller General of the United States.--
     Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     complete a review of the processes revised pursuant to 
     subsection (a).

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