IIB 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 367 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 22, 2021 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs 

AN ACT 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish 

an acquisition professional career program, 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Homeland Security 

3 Acquisition Professional Career Program Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF THE ACQUISITION PROFES5 SIONAL CAREER PROGRAM. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Title VII of the Homeland Secu7 rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by 

8 adding at the end the following new section: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 711. ACQUISITION PROFESSIONAL CAREER PRO10 GRAM. 

11 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

12 Department an acquisition professional career program to 

13 develop a cadre of acquisition professionals within the De14 partment. 

15 ‘‘(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Under Secretary for 

16 Management shall administer the acquisition professional 

17 career program established pursuant to subsection (a). 

18 ‘‘(c) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—The Under Sec19 retary for Management shall carry out the following with 

20 respect to the acquisition professional career program. 

21 ‘‘(1) Designate the occupational series, grades, 

22 and number of acquisition positions throughout the 

23 Department to be included in the program and man24 age centrally such positions. 


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1 ‘‘(2) Establish and publish on the Department’s 

2 website eligibility criteria for candidates to partici3 pate in the program. 

4 ‘‘(3) Carry out recruitment efforts to attract 

5 candidates— 

6 ‘‘(A) from institutions of higher education, 

7 including such institutions with established ac8 quisition specialties and courses of study, his9 torically Black colleges and universities, and 

10 Hispanic-serving institutions; 

11 ‘‘(B) with diverse work experience outside 

12 of the Federal Government; or 

13 ‘‘(C) with military service. 

14 ‘‘(4) Hire eligible candidates for designated po15 sitions under the program. 

16 ‘‘(5) Develop a structured program comprised 

17 of acquisition training, on-the-job experience, De18 partment-wide rotations, mentorship, shadowing, 

19 and other career development opportunities for pro20 gram participants. 

21 ‘‘(6) Provide, beyond required training estab22 lished for program participants, additional special23 ized acquisition training, including small business 

24 contracting and innovative acquisition techniques 

25 training. 


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1 ‘‘(d) REPORTS.—Not later than December 31, 2021, 

2 and annually thereafter through 2027, the Secretary shall 

3 submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the 

4 House of Representatives and the Committee on Home5 land Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a 

6 report on the acquisition professional career program. 

7 Each such report shall include the following information: 

8 ‘‘(1) The number of candidates approved for 

9 the program. 

10 ‘‘(2) The number of candidates who commenced 

11 participation in the program, including generalized 

12 information on such candidates’ backgrounds with 

13 respect to education and prior work experience, but 

14 not including personally identifiable information. 

15 ‘‘(3) A breakdown of the number of partici16 pants hired under the program by type of acquisition 

17 position. 

18 ‘‘(4) A list of Department components and of19 fices that participated in the program and informa20 tion regarding length of time of each program par21 ticipant in each rotation at such components or of22 fices. 

23 ‘‘(5) Program attrition rates and post-program 

24 graduation retention data, including information on 


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1 how such data compare to the prior year’s data, as 

2 available. 

3 ‘‘(6) The Department’s recruiting efforts for 

4 the program. 

5 ‘‘(7) The Department’s efforts to promote re6 tention of program participants. 

7 ‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 ‘‘(1) HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The 

9 term ‘Hispanic-serving institution’ has the meaning 

10 given such term in section 502 of the Higher Edu11 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a). 

12 ‘‘(2) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND

13 UNIVERSITIES.—The term ‘historically Black col14 leges and universities’ has the meaning given the 

15 term ‘part B institution’ in section 322(2) of Higher 

16 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)). 

17 ‘‘(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 

18 The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 

19 meaning given such term in section 101 of the High20 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).’’. 

21 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

22 in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 


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1 amended by inserting after the item relating to section 

2 710 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 711. Acquisition professional career program.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives April 20, 2021. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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