Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2015

To strengthen accountability for deployment of border security technology at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2015 2. Border security technology accountability (a) In general Subtitle C of title IV of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 ( 6 U.S.C. 231 et seq. 434. Border security technology program management (a) Planning documentation For each border security technology acquisition program of the Department that is determined to be a major acquisition program, the Secretary shall— (1) ensure that each such program has a written acquisition program baseline approved by the relevant acquisition decision authority; (2) document that each such program is meeting cost, schedule, and performance thresholds as specified in such baseline, in compliance with relevant departmental acquisition policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation; and (3) have a plan for meeting program implementation objectives by managing contractor performance. (b) Adherence to standards The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Management and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall ensure border security technology acquisition program managers who are responsible for carrying out this section adhere to relevant internal control standards identified by the Comptroller General of the United States. The Commissioner shall provide information, as needed, to assist the Under Secretary in monitoring proper program management of border security technology acquisition programs under this section. (c) Plan The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification and validation resources, for border security technology so that new border security technologies are evaluated through a series of assessments, processes, and audits to ensure compliance with relevant departmental acquisition policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, as well as the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars. (d) Major acquisition program defined In this section, the term major acquisition program . (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 433 the following new item: Sec. 434. Border security technology program management. . 3. Prohibition on additional authorization of appropriations No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act. This Act and such amendments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise available for such purposes. July 27, 2015 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) ensure that each border security technology acquisition program that is determined to be a major acquisition program has an acquisition program baseline approved by the relevant acquisition decision authority; (2) document that each such program is meeting the cost, schedule, and performance thresholds specified in such baseline in compliance with relevant departmental acquisition policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation; and (3) have a plan for each such program to meet program implementation objectives by managing contractor performance. Directs: (1) the Under Secretary for Management and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to ensure that border security technology acquisition program managers adhere to relevant internal control standards identified by the Comptroller General, and (2) the Commissioner to provide information to assist the Under Secretary in monitoring proper program management of such acquisition programs. Requires the Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and the Commissioner, to submit a plan for testing and evaluation, as well as the use of independent verification and validation resources, for border security technology so that new border security technologies are evaluated through a series of assessments, processes, and audits to ensure compliance with relevant departmental acquisition policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, as well as the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars. Defines "major acquisition program" to mean a DHS acquisition program that is estimated by DHS to require an eventual total expenditure of at least $300 million over its life cycle cost.