[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15756-15757]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                DHS AUDIT REQUIREMENT TARGET ACT OF 2012

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 535, S. 1998.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1998) to obtain an unqualified audit opinion, 
     and improve financial accountability and management at the 
     Department of Homeland Security.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs, with an amendment to strike all after the 
enacting clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Audit Requirement Target 
     Act of 2012'' or the ``DART Act''.

     SEC. 2. IMPROVING FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND MANAGEMENT.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section--
       (1) the term ``Department'' means the Department of 
     Homeland Security;
       (2) the term ``financial management systems'' has the 
     meaning given that term under section 806 of the Federal 
     Financial Management Improvement Act of 1996 (31 U.S.C. 3512 
     note);
       (3) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security; and
       (4) the term ``unqualified opinion'' mean an unqualified 
     opinion within the meaning given that term under generally 
     accepted auditing standards.
       (b) Reaching an Unqualified Audit Opinion.--In order to 
     ensure compliance with the Department of Homeland Security 
     Financial Accountability Act (Public Law 108-330; 118 Stat. 
     1275) and the amendments made by that Act, the Secretary 
     shall take the necessary steps to ensure that the full set of 
     consolidated financial statements of the Department for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and each fiscal year 
     thereafter, are ready in a timely manner and in preparation 
     for an audit as part of preparing the performance and 
     accountability reports required under section 3516(f) of 
     title 31, United States Code, (including submitting the 
     reports not later than November 15, 2013, and each year 
     thereafter) in order to obtain an unqualified opinion on the 
     full set of financial statements for the fiscal year.
       (c) Report to Congress on Progress of Meeting Audit 
     Requirements.--In order to ensure progress in implementing 
     the Department of Homeland Security Financial Accountability 
     Act (Public Law 108-330; 118 Stat. 1275), and the amendments 
     made by that Act, during the period beginning on the date of 
     enactment of this Act and ending on the date on which an 
     unqualified opinion described in subsection (b) is submitted, 
     each report submitted by the Chief Financial Officer of the 
     Department under section 902(a)(6) of title 31, United States 
     Code, shall include a plan--
       (1) to obtain an unqualified opinion on the full set of 
     financial statements, which shall discuss plans and resources 
     needed to meet the deadlines under subsection (b);
       (2) that addresses how the Department will eliminate 
     material weaknesses and significant deficiencies in internal 
     controls over financial reporting and provides deadlines for 
     the elimination of such weaknesses and deficiencies; and
       (3) to modernize the financial management systems of the 
     Department, including timelines, goals, alternatives, and 
     costs of the plan, which shall include consideration of 
     alternative approaches, including modernizing the existing 
     financial management systems and associated financial 
     controls of the Department and establishing new financial 
     management systems and associated financial controls.

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
substitute amendment be agreed to, the bill, as

[[Page 15757]]

amended, be read a third time and passed, the motions to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any 
statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
  The bill (S. 1998), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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