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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2001 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2001

  To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the management of 
  information technology within the Department of Veterans Affairs by 
providing for the Chief Information Officer of that Department to have 
authority over resources, budget, and personnel related to the support 
      function of information technology, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 10, 2005

   Mr. Thune introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the management of 
  information technology within the Department of Veterans Affairs by 
providing for the Chief Information Officer of that Department to have 
authority over resources, budget, and personnel related to the support 
      function of information technology, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Department of Veterans Affairs 
Information Technology Management Improvement Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 
              AFFAIRS.

    (a) Resources, Budget, and Personnel Authority of Chief Information 
Officer.--Section 310 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(c) To support the economical, efficient, and effective execution 
of the information technology objectives, policies, and plans of the 
Department in support of Department goals, the Secretary shall ensure 
that the Chief Information Officer has the authority and control 
necessary for the development, approval, implementation, integration, 
and oversight of policies, procedures, processes, activities, and 
systems of the Department relating to the management of information 
technology for the Department, including the management of all related 
mission applications, information resources, personnel, and 
infrastructure.
    ``(d)(1) The Secretary, acting through the Chief Information 
Officer, shall develop, implement, and maintain a process for the 
selection and oversight of information technology for the Department.
    ``(2) As components of the development of the process required by 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall develop for the Department--
            ``(A) an information technology strategic plan that 
        includes performance measurements; and
            ``(B) an integrated enterprise architecture.
    ``(3) The information technology strategic plan shall set forth a 
multiyear plan for the use of information technology and related 
resources to support the accomplishment of the Department's mission.
    ``(4) The Chief Information Officer shall review and update the 
information technology strategic plan and the integrated enterprise 
architecture on an ongoing basis to maintain the currency of the plan 
and the currency of the enterprise architecture with technological 
changes and changing mission needs of the Department.
    ``(e)(1) Funds may be obligated for information technology for the 
Department only in accordance with the process implemented under 
subsection (d), as otherwise specifically authorized or delegated by 
the Chief Information Officer, or as otherwise directed by the 
Secretary.
    ``(2)(A) Amounts appropriated for the Department for any fiscal 
year that are available for information technology shall be allocated 
within the Department, consistent with the provisions of appropriations 
Acts, in such manner as may be specified by, or approved by, the Chief 
Information Officer.
    ``(B) If for any fiscal year amounts referred to in subparagraph 
(A) that are available for the Veterans Health Administration (or are 
otherwise available for functions relating to medical care) are to be 
allocated under subparagraph (A) in a manner that is inconsistent with 
the allocation method known as the Veterans Equitable Resource 
Allocation, such allocation may be made only with the approval of the 
Secretary and after the Under Secretary for Health is notified.
    ``(3) When the budget for any fiscal year is submitted by the 
President to Congress under section 1105 of title 31, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report that identifies amounts requested for 
information technology for the Department. The report shall set forth 
those amounts both for each Administration within the Department and 
for the Department in the aggregate and shall identify, for each such 
amount, how that amount is aligned with and supports the information 
technology strategic plan under subsection (d), as then in effect.
    ``(f)(1) The Chief Information Officer shall select the Chief 
Information Officer for each of the Veterans Health Administration, the 
Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery 
Administration. Any such selection may only be made after consultation 
with the Under Secretary with responsibility for the Administration for 
which the selection is to be made.
    ``(2) Each Administration Chief Information Officer selected under 
paragraph (1)--
            ``(A) shall be designated as a Department Deputy Chief 
        Information Officer; and
            ``(B) shall report to the Department Chief Information 
        Officer.
    ``(3) The Department Deputy Chief Information Officers are 
responsible for implementing in their respective Administrations, as 
directed by the Department Chief Information Officer, the information 
technology strategic plan and the integrated enterprise architecture 
developed for the Department by the Department Chief Information 
Officer pursuant to subsection (d)(2).
    ``(4) To accomplish the policies, programmatic goals, information 
technology system acquisitions, and alignments prescribed, authorized, 
or directed by the Department Chief Information Officer, each 
Department Deputy Chief Information Officer shall maintain, for their 
respective Administrations, operational control of all information 
technology system assets and personnel necessary, including direct 
management of the Administration's software and applications 
development activities.
    ``(5) The Department Deputy Chief Information Officers--
            ``(A) shall be the principal advocate for the information 
        technology needs of their respective Administrations; and
            ``(B) shall assure, by coordinating with the Department 
        Chief Information Officer, that the business and mission needs 
        of their respective Administrations are met by considering 
        requirements at all levels.
    ``(g)(1) The Secretary shall ensure that the annual report 
submitted by the Secretary pursuant to section 11313 of title 40 
includes an identification of any obligation approved by the Chief 
Information Officer under subsection (e)(1), including the date, 
amount, and purpose of such obligation.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' 
Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives an annual report, 
not later than March 1 of each year (beginning in 2009), providing the 
Secretary's assessment of the implementation during the year covered by 
the report of the provisions of subsections (c), (d), and (e). Each 
such report shall include--
            ``(A) the assessment of the Secretary as to increased 
        efficiency within the Department of information technology 
        acquisition processes, management, responsibility, and 
        accountability as a result of those provisions; and
            ``(B) estimated cost savings to the Department as a result 
        of those provisions.
    ``(h) In this section, the term `information technology' has the 
meaning given that term in paragraph (6) of section 11101 of title 
40.''.
    (b) Reports to Congress on Implementation.--
            (1) Periodic progress reports.--
                    (A) Reports required.--The Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs shall submit to Congress progress reports on 
                the implementation of subsections (c), (d), and (e), of 
                section 310 of title 38, United States Code, as added 
                by subsection (a).
                    (B) Time for progress reports.--A report under 
                subparagraph (A) shall be submitted as expeditiously as 
                feasible after the end of the 60-day period, the 90-day 
                period, and the 180-day period beginning on the date of 
                the enactment of this Act.
                    (C) Matter to be included.--Each report under this 
                paragraph shall set out the progress to date on the 
                implementation of the provisions specified in 
                subparagraph (A).
            (2) Interim reports.--After the completion of the first 12 
        months, and after the completion of the first 18 months, of the 
        implementation of the provisions specified in paragraph (1)(A), 
        the Secretary shall submit to Congress an interim report on the 
        operation of those provisions to that date. Each such report 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) The assessment of the Secretary as to increased 
                efficiency within the Department of Veterans Affairs of 
                information technology acquisition processes, 
                management, responsibility, and accountability.
                    (B) Estimated cost savings to the Department as a 
                result of those provisions.
            (3) Final implementation report.--Not later than January 1, 
        2008, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a final report on 
        the implementation of the provisions specified in paragraph 
        (1)(A). The Secretary shall include in that report the matters 
        specified in paragraph (2) and the Secretary's recommendation 
        for any modifications to information technology management 
        within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
                                 <all>
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