I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2250 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the management of 

information technology projects and investments of the Department of 

Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2021 

Mr. ROSENDALE (for himself, Mr. MRVAN, and Mr. BANKS) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 

management of information technology projects and investments of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Vet5 erans Affairs Information Technology Reform Act of 

6 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR INFORMATION TECH2 NOLOGY PROJECTS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 81 of title 38, United 

4 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing new subchapter: 

6 ‘‘SUBCHAPTER VI—INFORMATION 

7 TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES 

8 ‘‘§ 8171. Definitions 

9 ‘‘In this subchapter: 

10 ‘‘(1) The term ‘appropriate congressional com11 mittees’ means— 

12 ‘‘(A) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs 

13 of the House of Representatives and the Sen14 ate; and 

15 ‘‘(B) the Subcommittees on Military Con16 struction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agen17 cies of the House of Representatives and the 

18 Senate. 

19 ‘‘(2) The term ‘information technology’ has the 

20 meaning given that term in section 11101 of title 

21 40. 

22 ‘‘(3) The term ‘life cycle costs’ means all direct 

23 and indirect costs to acquire, implement, operate, 

24 and maintain an information technology system. 

25 ‘‘(4) The term ‘major information technology 

26 project’ means a project or program of the DepartVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:16 Jun 21, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2250.IH H2250

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1 ment of Veterans Affairs (including a project or pro2 gram of any element of the Department) for, or in3 cluding, the acquisition or implementation of an in4 formation technology system if— 

5 ‘‘(A) the project or program is des6 ignated— 

7 ‘‘(i) by the Secretary of Veterans Af8 fairs or the Chief Information Officer of 

9 the Department as a major information 

10 technology project; or 

11 ‘‘(ii) by the Director of the Office of 

12 Management and Budget as a major infor13 mation technology investment, as defined 

14 in section 11302 of title 40; 

15 ‘‘(B) the dollar value of the project or pro16 gram is estimated by the Secretary to exceed— 

17 ‘‘(i) $50,000,000 (as adjusted for in18 flation pursuant to section 1908 of title 

19 41) for all project or program costs in a 

20 single fiscal year; 

21 ‘‘(ii) $200,000,000 (as adjusted for 

22 inflation pursuant to section 1908 of title 

23 41) for all project acquisition or implemen24 tation costs for the duration of the project 

25 or program; or 


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1 ‘‘(iii) $500,000,000 (as adjusted for 

2 inflation pursuant to section 1908 of title 

3 41) for the total life cycle costs of the 

4 project or program; or 

5 ‘‘(C) any increment of the project or pro6 gram separately meets the requirements of sub7 paragraphs (A) or (B). 

8 ‘‘§ 8172. Management of major information tech9 nology projects 

10 ‘‘(a) COST, SCHEDULE, AND PERFORMANCE INFOR11 MATION.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not obli12 gate or expend funds for any major information tech13 nology project that begins after the date of the enactment 

14 of this section unless the Secretary, acting through the 

15 Chief Information Officer, submits to the appropriate con16 gressional committees a report containing information on 

17 the cost, schedule, and performance of such project. Each 

18 such report shall include, with respect to such project, the 

19 following: 

20 ‘‘(1) An estimate of acquisition, implementa21 tion, and life cycle costs. 

22 ‘‘(2) An intended implementation schedule indi23 cating significant milestones, initial operating capa24 bility, and full operating capability or completion. 


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1 ‘‘(3) Key business, functional, or performance 

2 objectives. 

3 ‘‘(b) BASELINE.—(1) The Secretary shall use the in4 formation on the cost, schedule, and performance of a 

5 major information technology project included in the re6 port under subsection (a) as the baseline against which 

7 changes or variances are measured during the life cycle 

8 of such project. 

9 ‘‘(2) The Secretary shall— 

10 ‘‘(A) annually update the baseline of a major 

11 information technology project pursuant to sub12 section (c); and 

13 ‘‘(B) include such updated baseline in the docu14 ments providing detailed information on the budget 

15 for the Department that the Secretary submits to 

16 Congress in conjunction with the President’s budget 

17 submission pursuant to section 1105 of title 31. 

18 ‘‘(c) CHANGES AND VARIANCES.—(1) Not later than 

19 60 days after the date on which the Secretary identifies 

20 a change or variance described in paragraph (2) in the 

21 cost, schedule, or performance of a major information 

22 technology project, the Secretary, acting through the Chief 

23 Information Officer, shall submit to the appropriate con24 gressional committees a notification of such change or 


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1 variance, including a description and explanation for such 

2 change or variance. 

3 ‘‘(2) A change or variance in the cost, schedule, or 

4 performance of a major information technology project de5 scribed in this paragraph is— 

6 ‘‘(A) with respect to the acquisition, implemen7 tation, or life cycle cost of the project, or an incre8 ment therein, a change or variance that is 10 per9 cent or greater compared to the baseline; 

10 ‘‘(B) with respect to the schedule for achieving 

11 a significant milestone, initial operating capability, 

12 or final completion of the project, a change or vari13 ance that is 180 days or greater compared to the 

14 baseline; or 

15 ‘‘(C) with respect to the performance, an in16 stance where a key business, functional, or perform17 ance objective is not attained, or is not anticipated 

18 to be attained, in whole or in part. 

19 ‘‘(d) MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary shall ensure 

20 that each major information technology project is man21 aged by an interdisciplinary team including the following: 

22 ‘‘(1) A project manager who is— 

23 ‘‘(A) certified in project management at 

24 level three by the Department or the Depart25 ment of Defense pursuant to section 1701a of 


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1 title 10, or who holds an equivalent certification 

2 by a private sector project management certifi3 cation organization, as determined appropriate 

4 by the Secretary; and 

5 ‘‘(B) an employee of the Office of Informa6 tion and Technology of the Department or an 

7 employee of an element of the Department at 

8 which the project originates. 

9 ‘‘(2) A functional lead who is an employee of 

10 the element of the Department at which the project 

11 originates. 

12 ‘‘(3) A technical lead who is an employee of the 

13 Office of Information and Technology of the Depart14 ment. 

15 ‘‘(4) A contracting officer. 

16 ‘‘(5) Sufficient other project management, func17 tional, technical, and procurement personnel as the 

18 Secretary determines appropriate. 

19 ‘‘§ 8173. Information technology activities of the Fi20 nancial Services Center 

21 ‘‘(a) MANAGEMENT.—Consistent with sections 11302 

22 and 11319 of title 40— 

23 ‘‘(1) the Chief Information Officer of the De24 partment shall— 


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1 ‘‘(A) exercise authority over the manage2 ment, governance, and oversight processes relat3 ing to information technology of the Financial 

4 Services Center of the Department, or such suc5 cessor office; and 

6 ‘‘(B) supervise the information technology 

7 employees and contractors of the Financial 

8 Services Center; and 

9 ‘‘(2) the Director of the Financial Services Cen10 ter of the Department, or the head of such successor 

11 office, may not enter into a contract or other agree12 ment for information technology or information tech13 nology services unless the contract or other agree14 ment has been reviewed and approved by the Chief 

15 Information Officer. 

16 ‘‘(b) OVERSIGHT.—The Chief Information Officer 

17 shall have oversight and operational authority over all in18 formation security practices of the Financial Services Cen19 ter of the Department. 

20 ‘‘§ 8174. Submission of annual reviews of information 

21 technology 

22 ‘‘The Secretary, acting through the Chief Informa23 tion Officer, shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

24 committees each annual review of the information tech25 nology portfolio of the Department conducted pursuant to 


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1 section 11319(d)(3) of title 40. The first such annual re2 view so submitted shall include a copy of each previous 

3 annual review conducted under such section.’’. 

4 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

5 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 

6 at the end the following: 

‘‘SUBCHAPTER VI—INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

‘‘8171. Definitions. 

‘‘8172. Management of major information technology projects. 

‘‘8173. Information technology activities of the Financial Services Center. 

‘‘8174. Submission of annual reviews of information technology.’’. 

7 (c) APPLICATION; REPORT.— 

8 (1) CURRENT AND NEW PROJECTS.—Except as 

9 specifically provided in subsection (a) of section 

10 8172 of title 38, United States Code, as added by 

11 subsection (a) of this section, such section 8172 

12 shall apply with respect to major information tech13 nology projects that begin before, on, or after the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act. 

15 (2) REPORT ON CURRENT PROJECTS.— 

16 (A) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 90 

17 days after the date of the enactment of this 

18 Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 

19 submit to the appropriate congressional com20 mittees a report on each major information 

21 technology project that the Secretary is car22 rying out as of the date of the report. The reVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:16 Jun 21, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2250.IH H2250

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1 port shall contain, with respect to each such 

2 project, information on the cost, schedule, and 

3 performance of such project as described in 

4 subsection (a) of such section 8172. 

5 (B) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection, the 

6 terms ‘‘appropriate congressional committees’’ 

7 and ‘‘major information technology project’’ 

8 have the meanings given those terms in section 

9 8171 of title 38, United States Code, as added 

10 by subsection (a) of this section. 

11 SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT OF SUITABILITY OF CLOUD MIGRA12 TION INVESTMENTS. 

13 (a) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than one year after the 

14 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet15 erans Affairs, acting through the Chief Information Offi16 cer of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall conduct 

17 an assessment, in accordance with guidance from the Of18 fice of Management and Budget, of all information tech19 nology investments of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

20 to determine the suitability of the investments for migra21 tion to a cloud computing service. 

22 (b) CONSISTENT MECHANISM.—The Secretary, act23 ing through the Chief Information Officer, shall establish 

24 a consistent and repeatable mechanism to track savings 

25 and cost avoidances from the— 


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1 (1) migration of information technology invest2 ments to cloud computing services; and 

3 (2) deployment of cloud computing services. 

4 SEC. 4. REPORT ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DASH5 BOARD INFORMATION. 

6 (a) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

7 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through 

8 the Chief Information Officer, shall submit to the appro9 priate congressional committees a report containing— 

10 (1) an explanation of the ratings, rankings, and 

11 risk categorizations used by the Chief Information 

12 Officer pursuant to subparagraph (C) of section 

13 11302(c)(3) of title 40, United States Code, with re14 spect to the information technology dashboard of the 

15 Office of Management and Budget developed under 

16 such section; and 

17 (2) copies of supporting or explanatory informa18 tion provided by the Chief Information Officer to the 

19 Office of Management and Budget with respect to 

20 submissions by the Chief Information Officer to the 

21 information technology dashboard for the fiscal year 

22 in which the report is submitted (other than infor23 mation not otherwise made public pursuant to such 

24 section). 


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1 (b) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES

2 DEFINED.—In section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres3 sional committees’’ means— 

4 (1) the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the 

5 House of Representatives and the Senate; and 

6 (2) the Subcommittees on Military Construc7 tion, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies of the 

8 House of Representatives and the Senate. 

Æ 


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