I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1577 

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

of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 6, 2019 

Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mrs. HARTZLER, and Mr. BERGMAN) 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 

procurement practices 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 ‘‘VA Procurement Effi5 ciency and Transparency Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INFORMATION ON COST OR PRICE SAVINGS FROM 

7 COMPETITION. 

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

9 States Code, is amended by inserting after section 8128 

10 the following new section: 


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1 ‘‘§ 8129. Information on cost or price savings from 

2 competition 

3 ‘‘(a) RECORDING OF INFORMATION.—With respect to 

4 any contract awarded by the Secretary that is reported 

5 in the Federal Procurement Data System described in sec6 tion 1122(a)(4)(A) of title 41, United States Code, or any 

7 successor system, the Secretary shall record information 

8 on the amount of any cost or price savings realized by 

9 using competitive procedures in awarding such contract. 

10 ‘‘(b) PLACEMENT OF RECORDS.—The Secretary shall 

11 place recorded information under subsection (a) as follows: 

12 ‘‘(1) With respect to contracts recorded in the 

13 Electronic Contract Management System, or any 

14 successor system, in such system. 

15 ‘‘(2) With respect to contracts not covered by 

16 paragraph (1), in a location determined appropriate 

17 by the Secretary. 

18 ‘‘(c) CALCULATION OF COST SAVINGS.—(1) In car19 rying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall calculate the 

20 amount of cost or price savings realized by using competi21 tive procedures in awarding a contract by— 

22 ‘‘(A) subtracting the total value of the selected 

23 offer or quote from the average of the total values 

24 of all offers or quotes evaluated; or 


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1 ‘‘(B) subtracting the total value of the selected 

2 offer or quote from the total value of the median 

3 offer or quote evaluated. 

4 ‘‘(2) If the difference calculated pursuant to para5 graph (1) is negative, the Secretary shall record such dif6 ference as zero. 

7 ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall make calculations under 

8 paragraph (1) with respect to a contract— 

9 ‘‘(A) at the time at which the Secretary obli10 gates amounts under such contract; or 

11 ‘‘(B) if such contract contains options, at the 

12 time at which the option is exercised.’’. 

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

14 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 

15 after the item relating to section 8128 the following new 

16 item: 

‘‘8129. Information on cost or price savings from competition.’’. 

17 SEC. 3. USE OF STANDARDIZED PROCUREMENT TEM18 PLATES. 

19 To the extent practicable, the Secretary of Veterans 

20 Affairs shall make available and use on a Department21 wide basis the standardized procurement templates used 

22 by the Central Office of the Department, the Veterans 

23 Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administra24 tion, and the National Cemetery Administration. In carVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:16 Mar 20, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1577.IH H1577

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1 rying out this section, the Secretary may customize such 

2 templates to address particular procurement situations. 

Æ 


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