[Senate Report 117-118]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


                                                     Calendar No. 386
117th Congress      }                           {              Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session         }                           {             117-118

_______________________________________________________________________


 
     HOMELAND SECURITY ACQUISITION PROFESSIONAL CAREER PROGRAM ACT

                               __________

                              R E P O R T

                                 of the

                   COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND

                          GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

                          UNITED STATES SENATE

                              to accompany

                                H.R. 367

             TO AMEND THE HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF 2002 TO
  ESTABLISH AN ACQUISITION PROFESSIONAL CAREER PROGRAM, AND FOR OTHER 
                                PURPOSES

	         [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


                  May 24, 2022.--Ordered to be printed
                  
				________
		

	            U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

29-010 			    WASHINGTON : 2022
                  
                  
                  
                  
                  
        COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

                   GARY C. PETERS, Michigan, Chairman
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware           ROB PORTMAN, Ohio
MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire         RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
KYRSTEN SINEMA, Arizona              RAND PAUL, Kentucky
JACKY ROSEN, Nevada                  JAMES LANKFORD, Oklahoma
ALEX PADILLA, California             MITT ROMNEY, Utah
JON OSSOFF, Georgia                  RICK SCOTT, Florida
                                     JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri

                   David M. Weinberg, Staff Director
                    Zachary I. Schram, Chief Counsel
                  Michelle M. Benecke, Senior Counsel
                Pamela Thiessen, Minority Staff Director
            Sam J. Mulopulos, Minority Deputy Staff Director
       Jeremy H. Hayes, Minority Senior Professional Staff Member
                     Laura W. Kilbride, Chief Clerk







                                                     Calendar No. 386
117th Congress      }                           {              Report
                                 SENATE
 2d Session         }                           {             117-118

======================================================================


     HOMELAND SECURITY ACQUISITION PROFESSIONAL CAREER PROGRAM ACT

                                _______
                                

                  May 24, 2022.--Ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Peters, from the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
                    Affairs, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 367]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs, to which was referred the bill (H.R. 367) to amend the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an acquisition 
professional career program, and for other purposes, having 
considered the same, reports favorably thereon without 
amendment and recommends that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
  I. Purpose and Summary..............................................1
 II. Background and Need for the Legislation..........................2
III. Legislative History..............................................2
 IV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Bill, as Reported.............2
  V. Evaluation of Regulatory Impact..................................3
 VI. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................3
VII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............4

                         I. PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

    H.R. 367, the Homeland Security Acquisition Professional 
Career Program Act, would establish an acquisition career 
development program within DHS. The program would designate the 
relevant occupational series, grades, and number of positions 
eligible for the program; provide specialized training to 
participants; and seek to recruit candidates with military 
service, diverse work experience outside the Federal 
Government, or from institutions of higher education with 
established acquisition specialties and courses of study, 
historically Black colleges and universities, and Hispanic-
serving institutions. The bill requires DHS annually to report 
to Congress on acquisition professional retention rates and 
other aspects of the program.

              II. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

    Each year, DHS spends billions of dollars to acquire goods 
and services to support its many missions.\1\ However, a 2015 
Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that 21 of 
the 22 DHS programs it reviewed faced staffing shortfalls in 
acquisition program offices.\2\ These shortfalls continue to 
this day, and GAO has included DHS's acquisition workforce 
shortage in its most recent ``High Risk Report.''\3\ This bill 
would better enable DHS to recruit and train individuals to 
fill these positions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\Government Accountability Office, DHS Annual Assessment (Jan. 
2021) (https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-21-175.pdf).
    \2\Government Accountability Office, Homeland Security 
Acquisitions: Major Program Assessments Reveal Actions Needed to 
Improve Accountability (Apr. 22, 2015) (https://www.gao.gov/products/
gao-15-171sp).
    \3\Government Accountability Office, Strengthening Department of 
Homeland Security Management Functions (Mar. 2, 2021) (https://
www.gao.gov/highrisk/strengthening-department-
homeland-security-management-functions).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                        III. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    Representative Dina Titus (D-NV-1) introduced H.R. 367, the 
Homeland Security Acquisition Professional Career Program Act, 
on January 19, 2021. The Act was referred to the House 
Committee on Homeland Security. The House of Representatives 
passed the bill under suspension of the rules by voice vote on 
April 20, 2021.
    The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs on April 22, 2021. The 
Committee considered H.R. 367 at a business meeting on July 14, 
2021. The Committee ordered the bill to be reported favorably 
by voice vote en bloc with Senators Peters, Hassan, Rosen, 
Padilla, Ossoff, Portman, Johnson, Lankford, Romney, Scott, and 
Hawley present.

        IV. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE BILL, AS REPORTED

Section 1. Short title

    This section provides that the bill may be cited as the 
``Homeland Security Acquisition Professional Career Program 
Act.''

Section 2. Authorization of the Acquisition Professional Career Program

    Subsection (a) adds a new section, Section 711, to title 
VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 titled ``Acquisition 
Professional Career Program.''\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \4\The change to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 set forth in 
section 2, subsection (a) of the bill was included in the National 
Defense Authorization Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-81, Sec. 6405), which 
became law before this bill was reported out of committee. This change 
in law is now moot and is not reflected in Section VII of this report.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Section 711, subsection (a) establishes an acquisition 
professional career program within DHS.
    Section 711, subsection (b) directs that the program be 
administered by the DHS Under Secretary for Management.
    Section 711, subsection (c) directs the DHS Under Secretary 
for Management to: designate specific acquisition positions 
throughout DHS to be included in the program; establish and 
publish candidate eligibility criteria on the DHS website; 
recruit and hire diverse candidates and veterans. The 
subsection also describes the types of skills and training to 
be included in the program curriculum as developed by the Under 
Secretary.
    Section 711, subsection (d) requires the DHS Secretary to 
submit a report to Congress on the program by December 31, 
2021, and annually thereafter for six years.
    Section 711, subsection (e) defines ``Hispanic-serving 
institution,'' ``historically Black colleges and 
universities,'' and ``institution of higher education.''
    Subsection (b) adds Section 711 to the table of contents of 
the Homeland Security Act of 2002 through a clerical amendment.

                   V. EVALUATION OF REGULATORY IMPACT

    Pursuant to the requirements of paragraph 11(b) of rule 
XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee has 
considered the regulatory impact of this bill and determined 
that the bill will have no regulatory impact within the meaning 
of the rules. The Committee agrees with the Congressional 
Budget Office's statement that the bill contains no 
intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) and would impose no costs 
on state, local, or tribal governments.

             VI. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                 Washington, DC, September 7, 2021.
Hon. Gary C. Peters,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. 
        Senate, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 367, the Homeland 
Security Acquisition Professional Career Program Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Lindsay 
Wylie.
            Sincerely,
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                                                          Director.

    Enclosure.

    
    
    	     [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    

    H.R. 367 would establish a career program for acquisition 
professionals within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 
The program would designate the relevant occupational series, 
grades, and number of positions eligible for the program; 
provide specialized training to participants; and seek to 
attract candidates from different backgrounds to participate. 
The act also would require DHS to annually report to the 
Congress on the participants in the program and the retention 
rates for acquisition professionals.
    DHS is currently carrying out an acquisition professional 
program. Using information about that program, CBO estimates 
that new activities required under the act would not require 
substantial action by the department and would cost less than 
$500,000 annually. In total, CBO estimates that implementing 
H.R. 367 would cost about $2 million over the 2021-2026 period; 
such spending would be subject to the availability of 
appropriated funds.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Lindsay Wylie. 
The estimate was reviewed by Leo Lex, Deputy Director of Budget 
Analysis.

       VII. CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

    The change to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 set forth 
in this bill was included in the National Defense Authorization 
Act of 2022 (Pub. L. 117-81, Sec. 6405), which became law 
before this bill was reported out of committee. This change in 
law is now moot and is not reflected in this section.

                                  [all]