Saving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2015

Summary: Saving Federal Dollars Through Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2015 (Sec. 3) This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop a strategy to expand the use of data analytics in managing government purchase and travel charge card programs for the purpose of:   identifying examples or patterns of questionable transactions and developing enhanced tools and methods for agency use in identifying questionable purchase and travel card transactions and in recovering improper payments made with purchase and travel cards;   identifying potential opportunities for agencies to further leverage administrative process streamlining and cost reduction from purchase and travel card use;   developing a set of purchase and travel card metrics and benchmarks for high risk activities, which shall assist agencies in identifying potential emphasis areas for their purchase and travel card management and oversight activities; and   developing a plan to create a library of analytics tools and data sources for use by federal agencies.  The bill defines: (1) &quot;questionable transaction&quot; as a charge card transaction that, from initial card data, appears to be high risk and that may be improper; and (2) &quot;strategic sourcing&quot; as analyzing and modifying a federal agency's spending patterns to better leverage its purchasing power, reduce costs, and improve overall performance. (Sec. 4) The OMB must issue guidance on improving information sharing by government agencies, including by: (1) requiring relevant officials at federal agencies to identify high-risk activities and communicate that information to the appropriate management levels within the agencies; (2) requiring that appropriate officials at federal agencies review the reports issued by charge card-issuing banks on questionable transaction activity, including transactions that occur with high risk activities, and suspicious timing or amounts of cash withdrawals or advances; and (3) providing for the appropriate sharing of information related to potential questionable transactions, fraud schemes, and high risk activities with GSA's Office of Charge Card Management and the appropriate federal agency officials.  (Sec. 5) The GSA and the OMB must establish a purchase and travel charge card data management group to develop and share best practices, which shall: (1) cover rules, edits, and task order or contract modifications related to charge card-issuing banks; and (2) include the review of accounts payable information and purchase and travel card transaction data of agencies for the purpose of identifying potential strategic sourcing and other additional opportunities for which the charge cards or related payment products could be used as a payment method. (Sec. 6) The GSA shall report to Congress on this Act's implementation, including the metrics used in determining whether the analytic and benchmarking efforts have reduced, or contributed to the reduction of, questionable or improper payments as well as improved utilization of card-based payment products. Each executive agency that issues and uses purchase cards and convenience checks shall report to the OMB on activities to implement this Act. The OMB shall submit to Congress a consolidated report of agency activities to implement this Act. The GSA shall report to Congress identifying and exploring further potential savings opportunities for government agencies under the federal charge card programs.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Saving Federal Dollars Through 
Better Use of Government Purchase and Travel Cards Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Improper payment.--The term ``improper payment'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Improper 
        Payments Information Act of 2002 (31 U.S.C. 3321 note).
            (2) Questionable transaction.--The term ``questionable 
        transaction'' means a charge card transaction that from initial 
        card data appears to be high risk and may therefore be improper 
        due to non-compliance with applicable law, regulation or 
        policy.
            (3) Strategic sourcing.--The term ``strategic sourcing'' 
        means analyzing and modifying a Federal agency's spending 
        patterns to better leverage its purchasing power, reduce costs, 
        and improve overall performance.

SEC. 3. EXPANDED USE OF DATA ANALYTICS.

    (a) Strategy.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget, in consultation with the Administrator for General Services, 
shall develop a strategy to expand the use of data analytics in 
managing government purchase and travel charge card programs. These 
analytics may employ existing General Services Administration 
capabilities, and may be in conjunction with agencies' capabilities, 
for the purpose of--
            (1) identifying examples or patterns of questionable 
        transactions and developing enhanced tools and methods for 
        agency use in--
                    (A) identifying questionable purchase and travel 
                card transactions; and
                    (B) recovering improper payments made with purchase 
                and travel cards;
            (2) identifying potential opportunities for agencies to 
        further leverage administrative process streamlining and cost 
        reduction from purchase and travel card use, including 
        additional agency opportunities for card-based strategic 
        sourcing;
            (3) developing a set of purchase and travel card metrics 
        and benchmarks for high risk activities, which shall assist 
        agencies in identifying potential emphasis areas for their 
        purchase and travel card management and oversight activities, 
        including those required by the Government Charge Card Abuse 
        Prevention Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-194); and
            (4) developing a plan, which may be based on existing 
        capabilities, to create a library of analytics tools and data 
        sources for use by Federal agencies (including inspectors 
        general of those agencies).

SEC. 4. GUIDANCE ON IMPROVING INFORMATION SHARING TO CURB IMPROPER 
              PAYMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget, in consultation with the Administrator of General Services and 
the interagency charge card data management group established under 
section 5, shall issue guidance on improving information sharing by 
government agencies (including inspectors general) for the purposes of 
section 3(a)(1).
    (b) Elements.--The guidance issued under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) require relevant officials at Federal agencies to 
        identify high-risk activities and communicate that information 
        to the appropriate management levels within the agencies;
            (2) require that appropriate officials at Federal agencies 
        review the reports issued by charge card-issuing banks on 
        questionable transaction activity (such as purchase and travel 
        card pre-suspension and suspension reports, delinquency 
        reports, and exception reports), including transactions that 
        occur with high risk activities, and suspicious timing or 
        amounts of cash withdrawals or advances;
            (3) provide for the appropriate sharing of information 
        related to potential questionable transactions, fraud schemes, 
        and high risk activities with General Services Administration 
        Office of Charge Card Management and the appropriate officials 
        in Federal agencies; and
            (4) include other requirements determined appropriate by 
        the Director for the purposes of carrying out this Act.

SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY CHARGE CARD DATA MANAGEMENT GROUP.

    (a) Establishment.--The Administrator of General Services and the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall establish a 
purchase and travel charge card data management group to develop and 
share best practices for the purposes described in section 3(a).
    (b) Elements.--The best practices developed under subsection (a) 
shall--
            (1) cover rules, edits, and task order or contract 
        modifications related to charge card-issuing banks;
            (2) include the review of accounts payable information and 
        purchase and travel card transaction data of agencies for the 
        purpose of identifying potential strategic sourcing and other 
        additional opportunities (such as recurring payments, utility 
        payments, and grant payments) for which the charge cards or 
        related payment products could be used as a payment method; and
            (3) include other best practices as determined by the 
        Administrator and Director.
    (c) Membership.--The purchase and travel charge card data 
management group shall meet regularly as determined by the co-chairs, 
for a duration of three years, and include those agencies as described 
in section 2 of the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 
(Public Law 112-194) and others identified by the Administrator and 
Director.

SEC. 6. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) General Services Administration Report.--Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator for 
General Services shall submit a report to Congress on the 
implementation of this Act, including the metrics used in determining 
whether the analytic and benchmarking efforts have reduced, or 
contributed to the reduction of, questionable or improper payments as 
well as improved utilization of card-based payment products.
    (b) Agency Reports and Consolidated Report to Congress.--Not later 
than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of 
each Federal agency described in section 2 of the Government Charge 
Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-194) shall submit a 
report to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget on that 
agency's activities to implement this Act.
    (c) Office of Management and Budget Report to Congress.--The 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit to 
Congress a consolidated report of agency activities to implement this 
Act, which may be included as part of another report submitted to 
Congress by the Director.
    (d) Report on Additional Savings Opportunities.--Not later than one 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 
General Services shall submit a report to Congress identifying and 
exploring further potential savings opportunities for government 
agencies under the Federal charge card programs. This report may be 
combined with the report required under subsection (a).

            Passed the Senate December 16, 2015.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
114th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                S. 1616

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

 To provide for the identification and prevention of improper payments 
and the identification of strategic sourcing opportunities by reviewing 
         and analyzing the use of Federal agency charge cards.