SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Vet-
erans Affairs Information Technology Reform Act of 
2022’’. 
SEC. 2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS AND AC-
TIVITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 81 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subchapter: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER VI—INFORMATION 
TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES 
‘‘§ 8171. Definitions 
‘‘In this subchapter: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate; and 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives. 
‘‘(2) The term ‘information technology’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 11101 of title 
40. 
‘‘(3)(A) The term ‘information technology 
project’ means a project or program of the Depart-
ment (including a project or program of any element 
of the Department) for, or including, the acquisition 
or implementation of information technology. 
‘‘(B) In cases where the Secretary transmits to 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budg-
et information regarding information technology in-
vestments, which may consist of individual or mul-
tiple projects, the term ‘information technology 
project’ refers to an individual project or program or 
a grouping of multiple projects or programs result-
ing in the acquisition or implementation of discrete 
information technology. 
‘‘(4) The term ‘life cycle costs’ means all direct 
and indirect costs to acquire, implement, operate, 
and maintain information technology, including with 
respect to costs of any element of the Department. 
‘‘(5) The term ‘major information technology 
project’ means an information technology project 
if— 
‘‘(A) the project is designated by the Sec-
retary, the Chief Information Officer of the De-
partment, or the Director of the Office of Man-
agement and Budget as a major information 
technology investment, as defined in section 
11302 of title 40; or
‘‘(B) the dollar value of the project is esti-
mated by the Secretary to exceed— 
‘‘(i) $1,000,000,000 (as adjusted for 
inflation pursuant to section 1908 of title 
41) for the total life cycle costs of the 
project; or 
‘‘(ii) $200,000,000 (as adjusted for 
inflation pursuant to section 1908 of title 
41) annually. 
‘‘(6) The term ‘business owner’ means, with re-
spect to an information technology project, the pro-
gram manager, project manager, or other super-
visory official of the Department responsible for the 
project. 
‘‘§ 8172. Management of major information tech-
nology projects 
‘‘(a) COST, SCHEDULE, AND PERFORMANCE INFOR-
MATION.—(1) The Secretary, acting through the Chief In-
formation Officer of the Department, shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees a report containing 
information on the cost, schedule, and performance of 
each major information technology project that begins 
after the date of the enactment of the Department of Vet-
erans Affairs Information Technology Reform Act of
2022, as generated by the business owner of the project, 
prior to the commencement of such project. 
‘‘(2) Each report submitted under paragraph (1) for 
a project shall include, with respect to such project, the 
following: 
‘‘(A) An estimate of acquisition costs, imple-
mentation costs, and life cycle costs. 
‘‘(B) An intended implementation schedule indi-
cating significant milestones, initial operating capa-
bility, and full operating capability or completion. 
‘‘(C) Key business, functional, and performance 
objectives. 
‘‘(b) BASELINE.—(1) The Secretary shall use the in-
formation on the cost, schedule, and performance of a 
major information technology project included in the re-
port under subsection (a) as the baseline against which 
changes or variances are measured during the life cycle 
of such project. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) annually update the baseline of a major 
information technology project pursuant to sub-
section (c); and 
‘‘(B) include such updated baseline in the docu-
ments providing detailed information on the budget 
for the Department that the Secretary submits to
Congress in conjunction with the President’s budget 
submission pursuant to section 1105 of title 31. 
‘‘(c) CHANGES AND VARIANCES.—(1) Not later than 
60 days after the date on which the Secretary identifies 
a change or variance described in paragraph (2) in the 
cost, schedule, or performance of a major information 
technology project, the Secretary, acting through the Chief 
Information Officer, shall submit to the appropriate con-
gressional committees a notification of such change or 
variance, including a description and explanation for such 
change or variance. 
‘‘(2) A change or variance in the cost, schedule, or 
performance of a major information technology project de-
scribed in this paragraph is— 
‘‘(A) with respect to the acquisition, implemen-
tation, or life cycle cost of the project, or develop-
ment increment therein, a change or variance that is 
10 percent or greater compared to the baseline; 
‘‘(B) with respect to the schedule for a develop-
ment increment or for achieving a significant mile-
stone, initial operating capability, or full operating 
capability, or for the final completion of the project, 
a change or variance that is 180 days or greater 
compared to the baseline; or
‘‘(C) with respect to the performance, an in-
stance where a key business, functional, or perform-
ance objective is not attained, or is not anticipated 
to be attained, in whole or in part. 
‘‘(d) MANAGEMENT.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that each major information technology project is man-
aged by an interdisciplinary team consisting of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(1) A project manager who— 
‘‘(A)(i) is certified in project management 
at level three by— 
‘‘(I) the Department; 
‘‘(II) the Federal Acquisition Institute 
pursuant to section 1201 of title 41; or 
‘‘(III) the Department of Defense 
pursuant to section 1701a of title 10; or 
‘‘(ii) holds an equivalent certification by a 
private sector project management certification 
organization, as determined appropriate by the 
Secretary; and 
‘‘(B) is an employee of the Office of Infor-
mation and Technology of the Department or 
an employee of an element of the Department 
at which the project originates.