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

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. 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 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Strategic sourcing The term strategic sourcing (2) Improper payment The term improper payment 31 U.S.C. 3321 3. Office of Federal Charge Card Analytics and Review (a) Establishment The Administrator of General Services shall establish an Office of Federal Charge Card Analytics and Review for improving the use and oversight of purchase and travel card transactions by Federal agencies and programs, including for the general purposes of— (1) identifying, preventing, and recovering improper payments (including fraud), and identifying and preventing other inappropriate use of purchase and travel cards that do not conform with Federal or agency purchase laws, policies, rules, or best practices; and (2) determining opportunities for strategic sourcing. (b) Duties The Office shall carry out the following duties: (1) Interagency Review for Improper Payments and Strategic Sourcing The review of purchase and travel card transaction data of all Federal agencies for the purposes described in subsection (a). The review shall include transactions for individual Federal agencies as well as across multiple Federal agencies and programs. Findings of potential improper payments (including fraud), opportunities for strategic sourcing, or issues of interest shall be communicated to the appropriate agency officials. The office may, as appropriate, use existing General Services Administration databases of purchase and travel card transaction for the interagency review. This analysis by the Office shall not end the requirement for individual agency oversight as described in the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 ( Public Law 112–194 (2) Analytics library The establishment of a library of analytics tools and data sources for use by all Federal agencies (including inspectors general) for the purposes described in subsection (a). 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 agency heads, and the interagency task force 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 merchants and communicate that information to the appropriate level of administration within the agencies; (2) ensure that appropriate officials at Federal agencies review the reports issued by charge card-issuing contractors of potential fraudulent or otherwise inappropriate activity, including the suspension of purchase and travel card accounts, travel card activity outside of the official government travel location, transactions that occur with high risk merchant, and suspicious levels of cash withdrawals; (3) provide for the appropriate sharing of information related to potential fraudulent transactions, fraud schemes, and high risk merchants with the Office of Federal Charge Card Analytics and Review established under section 3 and the appropriate officials in Federal agencies; and (4) other requirements determined appropriate by the Director for the purposes of carrying out this Act. 5. Interagency task force (a) Establishment The Administrator of General Services and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall establish and co-chair an interagency task force 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 contractors; (2) include the review of purchase and travel card transaction data of all Federal agencies for the purpose of determining strategic sourcing opportunities; and (3) include other best practices as determined by the Administrator and Director. (c) Meetings The interagency task force 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 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 investigatory efforts have reduced, or contributed to the reduction of, improper payments or improved strategic sourcing. (b) Agency reports 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 December 8, 2015 Reported without amendment

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) "questionable transaction" as a charge card transaction that, from initial card data, appears to be high risk and that may be improper; and (2) "strategic sourcing" 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.