[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 130 (Monday, July 26, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3880-H3881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT REFORM ACT

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2617) to amend section 1115 of title 31, United States Code, 
to amend the description of how performance goals are achieved, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2617

       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 ``Performance Enhancement 
     Reform Act''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENT.

       Section 1115 of title 31, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by amending subsection (b)(5) to read as follows:
       ``(5) provide a description of how the performance goals 
     are to be achieved, including--
       ``(A) the human capital, training, data and evidence, 
     information technology, and skill sets required to meet the 
     performance goals;
       ``(B) the technology modernization investments, system 
     upgrades, staff technology skills and expertise, stakeholder 
     input and feedback, and other resources and strategies needed 
     and required to meet the performance goals;
       ``(C) clearly defined milestones;
       ``(D) an identification of the organizations, program 
     activities, regulations, policies, operational processes, and 
     other activities that contribute to each performance goal, 
     both within and external to the agency;
       ``(E) a description of how the agency is working with other 
     agencies and the organizations identified in subparagraph (D) 
     to measure and achieve its performance goals as well as 
     relevant Federal Government performance goals; and
       ``(F) an identification of the agency officials responsible 
     for the achievement of each performance goal, who shall be 
     known as goal leaders;''; and
       (2) by amending subsection (g) to read as follows:
       ``(g) Preparation of Performance Plan.--The Chief 
     Performance Improvement Office (or the functional equivalent) 
     shall collaborate with the Chief Human Capital Officer (or 
     the functional equivalent), the Chief Information Officer (or 
     the functional equivalent), the Chief Data Officer (or the 
     functional equivalent), and the Chief Financial Officer (or 
     the functional equivalent) to prepare that portion of the 
     annual performance plan described under subsection (b)(5).''.

     SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

       The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 
     complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010, shall 
     be determined by reference to the latest statement titled 
     ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, 
     submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the 
     Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such 
     statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Keller) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
insert extraneous material on H.R. 2617.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Performance Enhancement Reform Act, introduced by 
Government Operations subcommittee chair Gerry Connolly and Ranking 
Member Jody Hice, builds on the Government Performance and Reform Act 
of 1993. That law requires Federal agencies to develop 5-year strategic 
plans and annual performance plans and reports.
  The law was updated in 2010 to require greater involvement by the 
Office of Management and Budget to incorporate governmentwide priority 
goals and to improve accountability by requiring agencies to publish 
these plans and reports online.
  The Performance Enhancement Reform Act would require the development 
of a more comprehensive annual performance plan through collaboration 
between senior agency leaders, including chief human capital officers, 
chief performance officers, chief information officers, and the chief 
financial officer.
  The bill would also require agency performance plans to include 
descriptions of any skill set the agency needs to meet its performance 
goals. This would be an important reform to identify any gaps in 
expertise or resources an agency must address to accomplish its goals.
  This commonsense, bipartisan measure will enhance agency management 
and strengthen the focus on achieving the agencies' missions.

[[Page H3881]]

  I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 2617, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Performance Enhancement Reform Act would require 
proper agency collaboration with annual agency performance planning.
  This bill directly addresses a problem where Federal agency 
technology and data resources sometimes struggle to support agency 
operational workflow and programmatic goals.
  It recognizes the reality that agency leadership must directly 
involve their technology and data leaders in strategic planning.
  Under the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and the 
Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010, Federal 
agencies are required to create annual performance plans.
  The Performance Enhancement Reform Act puts the agency chief 
performance improvement officers in charge of coordinating the annual 
agency performance goals.
  The bill will also make sure that the agency's performance planning 
process considers the resources necessary to support operations and 
achieve mission success.
  Such resources include information technology capabilities, 
supporting data assets, and human workforce capacity and skills.
  It also directly ensures that during this annual planning, the agency 
chief information officers, chief data officers, and chief financial 
officers are consulted on whether the performance goals are realistic 
and proper resources exist.
  I want to recognize my colleagues, Mr. Connolly and Mr. Hice, for 
their work crafting this smart legislation in the House Oversight 
Committee.
  Agencies should be committing to goals that have a real chance of 
succeeding, and this legislation requires the proper coordination to 
make that happen.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).
  Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from District of 
Columbia, and I thank Mr. Keller, the Republican manager, for his kind 
words and his support.
  Current law requires Federal agencies to develop a performance plan 
every year that defines the agency's mission, summarizes strategic 
goals and objectives, and identifies strategies to achieve them.
  Agencies use that plan to align resources and guide decision-making 
to accomplish priorities and improve outcomes.
  These performance plans should support planning across organizational 
operating units and describe how agency components are working together 
toward common results that serve the public.
  They should inform agency decision-making about the need for major 
new acquisitions, strategic human capital planning, evaluations, and 
other evidence-building and evidence-capacity building investments.
  Moreover, the performance plans can also stimulate innovation to 
advance agency goals.
  With such a broad and robust purpose, these plans should be prepared 
collaboratively by agency leadership using the best available data and 
evidence to form a strong foundation from which to execute agency 
missions.
  Current law, however, requires only the chief human capital officer 
to contribute to the creation of this performance plan. Current law 
does not require agencies to incorporate data and evidence or 
information technology solutions into their performance plans. In the 
21st century.
  These narrow requirements overlook the invaluable expertise of key 
stakeholders and crucial resources in the formation of agency plans and 
exclude a critical area of agency planning.
  For example, chief information officers must identify and plan for an 
agency's IT needs.
  IT is critical to mission delivery at every agency. Missions are 
threatened by outdated legacy systems, software, and hardware, to say 
nothing of their being cyber insecure.
  CIOs deserve a seat at the table to engage in performance planning 
that drives meaningful IT modernization so agencies can provide the 
critical services upon which the American public relies. The pandemic 
has certainly made that clear.
  Current law exacerbates the lack of collaboration that plagues 
leadership in many Federal agencies and stymies successful IT 
modernization.
  The Performance Enhancement Reform Act requires agencies to integrate 
IT modernization and evidence metrics more effectively into their 
performance plans and gives the CIO a seat at the table.
  The bill requires agency performance plans to include descriptions of 
human capital, training, data and evidence, IT, and skill sets needed 
for the agency to meet its performance goals.
  Finally, the bill requires performance plans to include descriptions 
of technology modernization investments, system upgrades, staff 
technology skills and expertise needed, stakeholder input and feedback, 
and other resources and strategies.
  As the distinguished gentlewoman from the District of Columbia 
mentioned in her opening remarks, this is a bipartisan bill. My ranking 
member, Mr. Hice from Georgia, collaborated with us fully in trying to 
get to this point.
  This is a good government measure. I certainly commend it to all of 
our colleagues. If we approve this, we will take a giant leap forward 
in trying to modernize performance planning for every Federal agency to 
serve the American public better.
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am 
prepared to close.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill would ensure the creation of more realistic 
capability- and resource-based agency performance goals.
  I urge my colleagues to support this smart government reform bill, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2617, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2617, 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.
  Mrs. GREENE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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