USDA Year 2000 Compliance Enhancement Act

Summary: USDA Year 2000 Compliance Enhancement Act - Establishes the position of Chief Information Officer within the Department of Agriculture. States that such Officer shall:  (1) serve as vice-chairperson of the Executive Information Technology Review Board or other Department information-acquisition related body; and (2) design and implement an information technology architecture for the Department. 
Provides for the transfer of specified funds from Department offices and agencies to the Officer to:  (1) carry out certain responsibilities and information acquisition and implementation activities; and (2) meet "year 2000" systems requirements. 
Establishes within the Office of the Chief Information Officer the position of deputy information officer (to be appointed by the Officer) to serve as liaison between the Officer and Department offices and agencies. 
Requires an annual compliance report by the Comptroller General of the United States.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``USDA Year 2000 
Compliance Enhancement Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Purpose and findings.
Sec. 4. Position of Chief Information Officer, Department of 
                            Agriculture.
Sec. 5. Responsibilities of Chief Information Officer with regard to 
                            information technology architecture.
Sec. 6. Availability of agency information system funds.
Sec. 7. Authority of Chief Information Officer over information 
                            technology personnel.
Sec. 8. Annual Comptroller General report on compliance.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Chief information officer.--The term ``Chief 
        Information Officer'' means the individual appointed by the 
        Secretary of Agriculture under section 3506(a)(2)(A) of title 
        44, United States Code, to serve as Chief Information Officer 
        of the Department of Agriculture.
            (2) Information technology.--The term ``information 
        technology'' has the meaning given that term in section 5002(3) 
        of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 (40 U.S.C. 1401(3)).
            (3) Information resources.--The term ``information 
        resources'' has the meaning given that term in section 3502(6) 
        of title 44, United States Code.
            (4) Information resources management.--The term 
        ``information resources management'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 3502(7) of title 44, United States Code.
            (5) Information system.--The term ``information system'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 3502(8) of title 44, 
        United States Code.
            (6) Information technology architecture.--The term 
        ``information technology architecture'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 5125(d) of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 
        (40 U.S.C. 1425(d)).
            (7) Office or agency.--The terms ``office or agency'' and 
        ``offices and agencies'' mean each current or future--
                    (A) national, regional, county, or local office or 
                agency of the Department;
                    (B) county committee established under section 
                8(b)(5) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment 
                Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)(5)); and
                    (C) State committee, State office, or field service 
                center of the Farm Service Agency.
            (8) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the United 
        States Department of Agriculture.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS.

    (a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to facilitate the 
continued successful administration of Department of Agriculture farm 
policies and programs through the creation of a centralized office in 
the Department to oversee the use of information resources within the 
Department.
    (b) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) American agriculture relies on the Department for the 
        administration of a number of policies and programs essential 
        to the success and vitality of agricultural producers and rural 
        communities in the United States;
            (2) the successful administration of these policies and 
        programs depends upon the ability of the Department to use 
        information resources in as efficient and effective manner as 
        is technologically feasible;
            (3) in order to successfully administer these important 
        farm policies and programs the Department relies on a number of 
        information resources that require comprehensive and 
        Department-wide overview and control in order to avoid needless 
        duplication and misuse of resources;
            (4) agricultural production, marketing, the distribution of 
        commodities, and the extension of farm credit and security are 
        particularly reliant upon the successful use of information 
        resources within the Department;
            (5) the failure of the Department to meet the requirement 
        of the Office of Management and Budget that all Department 
        mission critical systems be year 2000 compliant would have an 
        adverse impact on the Department's farm policies and programs 
        and American agricultural producers; and
            (6) in order to better ensure the continued success and 
        vitality of agricultural producers and rural communities it is 
        necessary that within the Department measures are taken to 
        coordinate and centrally plan the use of the information 
        resources of the Department.

SEC. 4. POSITION OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF 
              AGRICULTURE.

    (a) Position in Department.--In order to ensure that information 
resources within the Department are directed with the greatest 
efficiency towards the administration of farm policies and programs as 
authorized by law, the Chief Information Officer of the Department--
            (1) shall report directly to the Secretary of Agriculture; 
        and
            (2) shall not be under the direction or control of the 
        Deputy Secretary of Agriculture or other official or employee 
        of the Department.
    (b) Position on Executive Information Technology Investment Review 
Board.--The Chief Information Officer shall serve as vice-chairperson 
of the Executive Information Technology Investment Review Board of the 
Department or any other entity established by the Secretary of 
Agriculture to review and approve the acquisition of information 
technology by offices and agencies of the Department.

SEC. 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER WITH REGARD TO 
              INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURE.

    (a) In General.--The Chief Information Officer shall have the 
authority and responsibility for ensuring that the information 
technology architecture of the Department, and any office or agency of 
the Department, is based on the strategic business plans, information 
resources, goals of information resources management, and core business 
process methodology of the Department in order to ensure the successful 
implementation of farm policies and programs administered by the 
Department as required by law.
    (b) Design and Implementation.--The Chief Information Officer shall 
be responsible for the design and implementation of an information 
technology architecture for the Department that ensures that--
            (1) the information system of each office or agency of the 
        Department maximizes--
                    (A) the effectiveness and efficiency of mission 
                delivery and information resources management;
                    (B) quality per dollar expended; and
                    (C) the efficiency and coordination of information 
                technology management among offices and agencies of the 
                Department, including the exchange of information 
                between field service centers and other offices and 
                agencies of the Department;
            (2) the planning for, and the lease or purchase of, 
        information resources of each office or agency of the 
        Department most efficiently satisfies the needs of the office 
        or agency in terms of the customers served, program 
        characteristics, and employees affected by the system; and
            (3) the information system of each office or agency of the 
        Department is designed and managed to coordinate or consolidate 
        similar functions of the missions, and offices or agencies of 
        the Department, on a Department-wide basis.
    (c) Ensuring Compliance With Resulting Architecture.--The Chief 
Information Officer shall be responsible for the development, 
acquisition, procurement, and implementation of information resources 
by an office or agency of the Department in a manner that--
            (1) is consistent with the information technology 
        architecture designed under subsection (b); and
            (2) results in the best use of resources of the office or 
        agency for information technology.

SEC. 6. AVAILABILITY OF AGENCY INFORMATION SYSTEM FUNDS.

    (a) Transfer.--Each office and agency of the Department shall 
transfer to the control of the Chief Information Officer an amount of 
funds each fiscal year equal to four percent of the estimated 
expenditures to be made by that office or agency for equipment and 
software for the information system of that office or agency for a 
fiscal year (other than expenditures for intra-government payments). 
The Secretary of Agriculture shall determine the actual amount to be 
transferred by an office or agency of the Department.
    (b) Availability of Funds.--Funds transferred under subsection (a) 
shall remain available until expended.
    (c) Use of Funds.--Funds transferred under subsection (a) may be 
used by the Chief Information Officer only--
            (1) to carry out the responsibilities of the Chief 
        Information Officer under this Act, section 5125 of the 
        Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 (40 U.S.C. 1425), and section 
        3506(a)(2) of title 44, United States Code;
            (2) to assist in the development, acquisition, procurement, 
        or implementation of information resources by more than one 
        office or agency of the Department in order to ensure the 
        creation of a Department-wide single information system; and
            (3) to meet the requirement of the Office and Management 
        and Budget to make all mission critical systems year 2000 
        compliant.

SEC. 7. AUTHORITY OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER OVER INFORMATION 
              TECHNOLOGY PERSONNEL.

    (a) Deputy Information Officers.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established within the Office 
        of the Chief Information Officer the position of deputy 
        information officer who shall be appointed by the Chief 
        Information Officer and serve as a liaison between the Chief 
        Information Officer and each office or agency of the 
        Department. The separate position of chief information officer 
        of an office or agency of the Department is hereby abolished.
            (2) Succession.--A person who is serving as a chief 
        information officer of an office or agency of the Department on 
        the date of the enactment of this Act shall serve as a deputy 
        information officer in the Office of the Chief Information 
        Officer until such time as a successor (if any) is appointed by 
        the Chief Information Officer.
    (b) Managers of Major Information Technology Projects.--The 
assignment of an employee of the Department to serve as manager of a 
major information technology program or project (as defined by the 
Chief Information Officer) of an office or agency of the Department, 
and continuation of the assignment, shall be subject to the approval of 
the Chief Information Officer. The Chief Information Officer shall 
provide input into the performance review of any person so assigned.
    (c) Detail and Assignment of Personnel.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, an employee of the Department may be detailed or 
assigned to the Office of the Chief Information Officer for a period of 
more than 30 days without reimbursement to the employee's employing 
agency or office.
    (d) Information Technology Procurement Officers.--Procurement 
officers in the Department who are responsible for the procurement of 
information technology shall serve under the direction and control of 
the Chief Information Officer.

SEC. 9. ANNUAL COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON COMPLIANCE.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than January 15 of each year, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee 
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report evaluating 
the compliance by the Chief Information Officer and the Department with 
this Act. The Comptroller General shall conduct the evaluation in a 
manner which will permit an assessment of the effect of the 
Department's compliance or lack thereof on the administration of farm 
policies and programs carried out by the Department as required by law.
    (b) Contents of Report.--Each report under subsection (a) shall 
include the following:
            (1) An ongoing review and compilation of spending by the 
        Department on information resources which will permit an 
        assessment of the compliance with section 6(a) by offices and 
        agencies of the Department.
            (2) An ongoing review and compilation of spending by the 
        Department on information resources which will permit an 
        assessment of the Chief Information Officer's compliance with 
        section 6(c).
            (3) An ongoing assessment and evaluation of the Chief 
        Information Officer's performance of duties under this Act.
            (4) An ongoing review and evaluation of the Department's 
        success in creating a Department-wide single information 
        system, as described in section 6(c)(2), and in complying with 
        the requirement of the Office of Management and Budget to make 
        all mission critical systems year 2000 compliant, as required 
        under section 6(c)(3).
    (c) Evaluation and Recommendations.--In addition to the 
requirements of subsection (b), the Comptroller General may include in 
a report under subsection (a) such other recommendations and 
evaluations as the Comptroller General considers appropriate.