H. R. 2142—9 
Federal Government is operating, with appropriate notification 
of Congress. 
‘‘(3) When developing or making adjustments to Federal 
Government priority goals, the Director of the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget shall consult periodically with the Congress, 
including obtaining majority and minority views from— 
‘‘(A) the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate 
and the House of Representatives; 
‘‘(B) the Committees on the Budget of the Senate and 
the House of Representatives; 
‘‘(C) the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate; 
‘‘(D) the Committee on Oversight and Government 
Reform of the House of Representatives; 
‘‘(E) the Committee on Finance of the Senate; 
‘‘(F) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House 
of Representatives; and 
‘‘(G) any other committees as determined appropriate; 
‘‘(4) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
shall consult with the appropriate committees of Congress at 
least once every 2 years. 
‘‘(5) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
shall make information about the Federal Government priority 
goals available on the website described under section 1122 
of this title. 
‘‘(6) The Federal Government performance plan required 
under section 1115(a) of this title shall be consistent with 
the Federal Government priority goals. 
‘‘(b) AGENCY PRIORITY GOALS.— 
‘‘(1) Every 2 years, the head of each agency listed in section 
901(b) of this title, or as otherwise determined by the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget, shall identify agency 
priority goals from among the performance goals of the agency. 
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall 
determine the total number of agency priority goals across 
the Government, and the number to be developed by each 
agency. The agency priority goals shall— 
‘‘(A) reflect the highest priorities of the agency, as 
determined by the head of the agency and informed by 
the Federal Government priority goals provided under sub-
section (a) and the consultations with Congress and other 
interested parties required by section 306(d) of title 5; 
‘‘(B) have ambitious targets that can be achieved within 
a 2-year period; 
‘‘(C) have a clearly identified agency official, known 
as a goal leader, who is responsible for the achievement 
of each agency priority goal; 
‘‘(D) have interim quarterly targets for performance 
indicators if more frequent updates of actual performance 
provides data of significant value to the Government, Con-
gress, or program partners at a reasonable level of adminis-
trative burden; and 
‘‘(E) have clearly defined quarterly milestones. 
‘‘(2) If an agency priority goal includes any program activity 
or information that is specifically authorized under criteria 
established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the 
interest of national defense or foreign policy and is properly
H. R. 2142—10 
classified pursuant to such Executive order, the head of the 
agency shall make such information available in the classified 
appendix provided under section 1115(e). 
‘‘(c) The functions and activities of this section shall be consid-
ered to be inherently governmental functions. The development 
of Federal Government and agency priority goals shall be performed 
only by Federal employees.’’. 
SEC. 6. QUARTERLY PRIORITY PROGRESS REVIEWS AND USE OF 
PERFORMANCE INFORMATION. 
Chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
adding after section 1120 (as added by section 5 of this Act) the 
following: 
‘‘§ 1121. Quarterly priority progress reviews and use of 
performance information 
‘‘(a) USE OF PERFORMANCE INFORMATION TO ACHIEVE FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT
PRIORITY
GOALS.—Not less than quarterly, the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, with the support 
of the Performance Improvement Council, shall— 
‘‘(1) for each Federal Government priority goal required 
by section 1120(a) of this title, review with the appropriate 
lead Government official the progress achieved during the most 
recent quarter, overall trend data, and the likelihood of meeting 
the planned level of performance; 
‘‘(2) include in such reviews officials from the agencies, 
organizations, and program activities that contribute to the 
accomplishment of each Federal Government priority goal; 
‘‘(3) assess whether agencies, organizations, program activi-
ties, regulations, tax expenditures, policies, and other activities 
are contributing as planned to each Federal Government pri-
ority goal; 
‘‘(4) categorize the Federal Government priority goals by 
risk of not achieving the planned level of performance; and 
‘‘(5) for the Federal Government priority goals at greatest 
risk of not meeting the planned level of performance, identify 
prospects 
and 
strategies 
for 
performance 
improvement, 
including any needed changes to agencies, organizations, pro-
gram activities, regulations, tax expenditures, policies or other 
activities. 
‘‘(b) AGENCY USE OF PERFORMANCE INFORMATION TO ACHIEVE 
AGENCY PRIORITY GOALS.—Not less than quarterly, at each agency 
required to develop agency priority goals required by section 1120(b) 
of this title, the head of the agency and Chief Operating Officer, 
with the support of the agency Performance Improvement Officer, 
shall— 
‘‘(1) for each agency priority goal, review with the appro-
priate goal leader the progress achieved during the most recent 
quarter, overall trend data, and the likelihood of meeting the 
planned level of performance; 
‘‘(2) coordinate with relevant personnel within and outside 
the agency who contribute to the accomplishment of each 
agency priority goal; 
‘‘(3) assess whether relevant organizations, program activi-
ties, regulations, policies, and other activities are contributing 
as planned to the agency priority goals;
H. R. 2142—11 
‘‘(4) categorize agency priority goals by risk of not achieving 
the planned level of performance; and 
‘‘(5) for agency priority goals at greatest risk of not meeting 
the planned level of performance, identify prospects and strate-
gies for performance improvement, including any needed 
changes to agency program activities, regulations, policies, or 
other activities.’’. 
SEC. 7. TRANSPARENCY OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, PRI-
ORITY GOALS, AND RESULTS. 
Chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
adding after section 1121 (as added by section 6 of this Act) the 
following: 
‘‘§ 1122. Transparency of programs, priority goals, and results 
‘‘(a) TRANSPARENCY OF AGENCY PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than October 1, 2012, the 
Office of Management and Budget shall— 
‘‘(A) ensure the effective operation of a single website; 
‘‘(B) at a minimum, update the website on a quarterly 
basis; and 
‘‘(C) include on the website information about each 
program identified by the agencies. 
‘‘(2) INFORMATION.—Information for each program described 
under paragraph (1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) an identification of how the agency defines the 
term ‘program’, consistent with guidance provided by the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, including 
the program activities that are aggregated, disaggregated, 
or consolidated to be considered a program by the agency; 
‘‘(B) a description of the purposes of the program and 
the contribution of the program to the mission and goals 
of the agency; and 
‘‘(C) an identification of funding for the current fiscal 
year and previous 2 fiscal years. 
‘‘(b) 
TRANSPARENCY
OF
AGENCY
PRIORITY
GOALS
AND 
RESULTS.—The head of each agency required to develop agency 
priority goals shall make information about each agency priority 
goal available to the Office of Management and Budget for publica-
tion on the website, with the exception of any information covered 
by section 1120(b)(2) of this title. In addition to an identification 
of each agency priority goal, the website shall also consolidate 
information about each agency priority goal, including— 
‘‘(1) a description of how the agency incorporated any views 
and suggestions obtained through congressional consultations 
about the agency priority goal; 
‘‘(2) an identification of key factors external to the agency 
and beyond its control that could significantly affect the 
achievement of the agency priority goal; 
‘‘(3) a description of how each agency priority goal will 
be achieved, including— 
‘‘(A) the strategies and resources required to meet the 
priority goal; 
‘‘(B) clearly defined milestones; 
‘‘(C) the organizations, program activities, regulations, 
policies, and other activities that contribute to each goal, 
both within and external to the agency;
H. R. 2142—12 
‘‘(D) how the agency is working with other agencies 
to achieve the goal; and 
‘‘(E) an identification of the agency official responsible 
for achieving the priority goal; 
‘‘(4) the performance indicators to be used in measuring 
or assessing progress; 
‘‘(5) a description of how the agency ensures the accuracy 
and reliability of the data used to measure progress towards 
the priority goal, including an identification of— 
‘‘(A) the means used to verify and validate measured 
values; 
‘‘(B) the sources for the data; 
‘‘(C) the level of accuracy required for the intended 
use of the data; 
‘‘(D) any limitations to the data at the required level 
of accuracy; and 
‘‘(E) how the agency has compensated for such limita-
tions if needed to reach the required level of accuracy; 
‘‘(6) the results achieved during the most recent quarter 
and overall trend data compared to the planned level of 
performance; 
‘‘(7) an assessment of whether relevant organizations, pro-
gram activities, regulations, policies, and other activities are 
contributing as planned; 
‘‘(8) an identification of the agency priority goals at risk 
of not achieving the planned level of performance; and 
‘‘(9) any prospects or strategies for performance improve-
ment. 
‘‘(c) TRANSPARENCY OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRIORITY GOALS 
AND RESULTS.—The Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget shall also make available on the website— 
‘‘(1) a brief description of each of the Federal Government 
priority goals required by section 1120(a) of this title; 
‘‘(2) a description of how the Federal Government priority 
goals incorporate views and suggestions obtained through 
congressional consultations; 
‘‘(3) the Federal Government performance goals and 
performance indicators associated with each Federal Govern-
ment priority goal as required by section 1115(a) of this title; 
‘‘(4) an identification of the lead Government official for 
each Federal Government performance goal; 
‘‘(5) the results achieved during the most recent quarter 
and overall trend data compared to the planned level of 
performance; 
‘‘(6) an identification of the agencies, organizations, pro-
gram activities, regulations, tax expenditures, policies, and 
other activities that contribute to each Federal Government 
priority goal; 
‘‘(7) an assessment of whether relevant agencies, organiza-
tions, program activities, regulations, tax expenditures, policies, 
and other activities are contributing as planned; 
‘‘(8) an identification of the Federal Government priority 
goals at risk of not achieving the planned level of performance; 
and 
‘‘(9) any prospects or strategies for performance improve-
ment.
H. R. 2142—13 
‘‘(d) INFORMATION ON WEBSITE.—The information made avail-
able on the website under this section shall be readily accessible 
and easily found on the Internet by the public and members and 
committees of Congress. Such information shall also be presented 
in a searchable, machine-readable format. The Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget shall issue guidance to ensure that 
such information is provided in a way that presents a coherent 
picture of all Federal programs, and the performance of the Federal 
Government as well as individual agencies.’’. 
SEC. 8. AGENCY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS. 
Chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
adding after section 1122 (as added by section 7 of this Act) the 
following: 
‘‘§ 1123. Chief Operating Officers 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—At each agency, the deputy head of 
agency, or equivalent, shall be the Chief Operating Officer of the 
agency. 
‘‘(b) FUNCTION.—Each Chief Operating Officer shall be respon-
sible for improving the management and performance of the agency, 
and shall— 
‘‘(1) provide overall organization management to improve 
agency performance and achieve the mission and goals of the 
agency through the use of strategic and performance planning, 
measurement, analysis, regular assessment of progress, and 
use of performance information to improve the results achieved; 
‘‘(2) advise and assist the head of agency in carrying out 
the requirements of sections 1115 through 1122 of this title 
and section 306 of title 5; 
‘‘(3) oversee agency-specific efforts to improve management 
functions within the agency and across Government; and 
‘‘(4) coordinate and collaborate with relevant personnel 
within and external to the agency who have a significant role 
in contributing to and achieving the mission and goals of the 
agency, such as the Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Cap-
ital Officer, Chief Acquisition Officer/Senior Procurement 
Executive, Chief Information Officer, and other line of business 
chiefs at the agency.’’. 
SEC. 9. AGENCY PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT OFFICERS AND THE 
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT COUNCIL. 
Chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
adding after section 1123 (as added by section 8 of this Act) the 
following: 
‘‘§ 1124. Performance Improvement Officers and the Perform-
ance Improvement Council 
‘‘(a) PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT OFFICERS.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—At each agency, the head of the 
agency, in consultation with the agency Chief Operating Officer, 
shall designate a senior executive of the agency as the agency 
Performance Improvement Officer. 
‘‘(2) FUNCTION.—Each Performance Improvement Officer 
shall report directly to the Chief Operating Officer. Subject 
to the direction of the Chief Operating Officer, each Perform-
ance Improvement Officer shall—
H. R. 2142—15 
use of performance information requirements related to 
the Federal Government priority goals provided under sec-
tions 1115, 1120, 1121, and 1122 of this title; 
‘‘(D) work to resolve specific Governmentwide or cross-
cutting performance issues, as necessary; 
‘‘(E) facilitate the exchange among agencies of practices 
that have led to performance improvements within specific 
programs, agencies, or across agencies; 
‘‘(F) coordinate with other interagency management 
councils; 
‘‘(G) seek advice and information as appropriate from 
nonmember agencies, particularly smaller agencies; 
‘‘(H) consider the performance improvement experi-
ences of corporations, nonprofit organizations, foreign, 
State, and local governments, Government employees, 
public sector unions, and customers of Government serv-
ices; 
‘‘(I) receive such assistance, information and advice 
from agencies as the Council may request, which agencies 
shall provide to the extent permitted by law; and 
‘‘(J) develop and submit to the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget, or when appropriate to the 
President through the Director of the Office of Management 
and Budget, at times and in such formats as the chair-
person may specify, recommendations to streamline and 
improve performance management policies and require-
ments. 
‘‘(3) SUPPORT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of General Serv-
ices shall provide administrative and other support for 
the Council to implement this section. 
‘‘(B) PERSONNEL.—The heads of agencies with Perform-
ance Improvement Officers serving on the Council shall, 
as appropriate and to the extent permitted by law, provide 
at the request of the chairperson of the Performance 
Improvement Council up to 2 personnel authorizations to 
serve at the direction of the chairperson.’’. 
SEC. 10. FORMAT OF PERFORMANCE PLANS AND REPORTS. 
(a) SEARCHABLE, MACHINE-READABLE PLANS AND REPORTS.— 
For fiscal year 2012 and each fiscal year thereafter, each agency 
required to produce strategic plans, performance plans, and 
performance updates in accordance with the amendments made 
by this Act shall— 
(1) not incur expenses for the printing of strategic plans, 
performance plans, and performance reports for release external 
to the agency, except when providing such documents to the 
Congress; 
(2) produce such plans and reports in searchable, machine- 
readable formats; and 
(3) make such plans and reports available on the website 
described under section 1122 of title 31, United States Code. 
(b) WEB-BASED PERFORMANCE PLANNING AND REPORTING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than June 1, 2012, the Director 
of the Office of Management and Budget shall issue guidance 
to agencies to provide concise and timely performance informa-
tion for publication on the website described under section
H. R. 2142—16 
1122 of title 31, United States Code, including, at a minimum, 
all requirements of sections 1115 and 1116 of title 31, United 
States Code, except for section 1115(e). 
(2) HIGH-PRIORITY GOALS.—For agencies required to develop 
agency priority goals under section 1120(b) of title 31, United 
States Code, the performance information required under this 
section shall be merged with the existing information required 
under section 1122 of title 31, United States Code. 
(3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing guidance under this 
subsection, the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget shall take into consideration the experiences of agencies 
in making consolidated performance planning and reporting 
information available on the website as required under section 
1122 of title 31, United States Code. 
SEC. 
11. 
REDUCING 
DUPLICATIVE 
AND 
OUTDATED 
AGENCY 
REPORTING. 
(a) BUDGET CONTENTS.—Section 1105(a) of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended— 
(1) by redesignating second paragraph (33) as paragraph 
(35); and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(37) the list of plans and reports, as provided for under 
section 1125, that agencies identified for elimination or consoli-
dation because the plans and reports are determined outdated 
or duplicative of other required plans and reports.’’. 
(b) ELIMINATION
OF
UNNECESSARY
AGENCY
REPORTING.— 
Chapter 11 of title 31, United States Code, is further amended 
by adding after section 1124 (as added by section 9 of this Act) 
the following: 
‘‘§ 1125. Elimination of unnecessary agency reporting 
‘‘(a) AGENCY
IDENTIFICATION
OF
UNNECESSARY
REPORTS.— 
Annually, based on guidance provided by the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget, the Chief Operating Officer at each 
agency shall— 
‘‘(1) compile a list that identifies all plans and reports 
the agency produces for Congress, in accordance with statutory 
requirements or as directed in congressional reports; 
‘‘(2) analyze the list compiled under paragraph (1), identify 
which plans and reports are outdated or duplicative of other 
required plans and reports, and refine the list to include only 
the plans and reports identified to be outdated or duplicative; 
‘‘(3) consult with the congressional committees that receive 
the plans and reports identified under paragraph (2) to deter-
mine whether those plans and reports are no longer useful 
to the committees and could be eliminated or consolidated 
with other plans and reports; and 
‘‘(4) provide a total count of plans and reports compiled 
under paragraph (1) and the list of outdated and duplicative 
reports identified under paragraph (2) to the Director of the 
Office of Management and Budget. 
‘‘(b) PLANS AND REPORTS.— 
‘‘(1) FIRST YEAR.—During the first year of implementation 
of this section, the list of plans and reports identified by each 
agency as outdated or duplicative shall be not less than 10
H. R. 2142—17 
percent of all plans and reports identified under subsection 
(a)(1). 
‘‘(2) SUBSEQUENT YEARS.—In each year following the first 
year described under paragraph (1), the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget shall determine the minimum per-
cent of plans and reports to be identified as outdated or duplica-
tive on each list of plans and reports. 
‘‘(c) REQUEST FOR ELIMINATION OF UNNECESSARY REPORTS.— 
In addition to including the list of plans and reports determined 
to be outdated or duplicative by each agency in the budget of 
the United States Government, as provided by section 1105(a)(37), 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budget may concur-
rently submit to Congress legislation to eliminate or consolidate 
such plans and reports.’’. 
SEC. 12. PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES. 
(a) PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES.— 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, in consultation 
with the Performance Improvement Council, shall identify the key 
skills and competencies needed by Federal Government personnel 
for developing goals, evaluating programs, and analyzing and using 
performance information for the purpose of improving Government 
efficiency and effectiveness. 
(b) POSITION CLASSIFICATIONS.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, based on the identifications 
under subsection (a), the Director of the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment shall incorporate, as appropriate, such key skills and com-
petencies into relevant position classifications. 
(c) INCORPORATION INTO EXISTING AGENCY TRAINING.—Not later 
than 2 years after the enactment of this Act, the Director of the 
Office of Personnel Management shall work with each agency, as 
defined under section 306(f) of title 5, United States Code, to 
incorporate the key skills identified under subsection (a) into 
training for relevant employees at each agency. 
SEC. 13. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
(a) The table of contents for chapter 3 of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by striking the item relating to section 306 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘306. Agency strategic plans.’’. 
(b) The table of contents for chapter 11 of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended by striking the items relating to section 
1115 and 1116 and inserting the following: 
‘‘1115. Federal Government and agency performance plans. 
‘‘1116. Agency performance reporting.’’. 
(c) The table of contents for chapter 11 of title 31, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘1120. Federal Government and agency priority goals. 
‘‘1121. Quarterly priority progress reviews and use of performance information. 
‘‘1122. Transparency of programs, priority goals, and results. 
‘‘1123. Chief Operating Officers. 
‘‘1124. Performance Improvement Officers and the Performance Improvement Coun-
cil. 
‘‘1125. Elimination of unnecessary agency reporting.’’.
H. R. 2142—18 
SEC. 14. IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT. 
(a) INTERIM PLANNING AND REPORTING.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Office of Management 
and Budget shall coordinate with agencies to develop interim 
Federal Government priority goals and submit interim Federal 
Government performance plans consistent with the require-
ments of this Act beginning with the submission of the fiscal 
year 2013 Budget of the United States Government. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—Each agency shall— 
(A) not later than February 6, 2012, make adjustments 
to its strategic plan to make the plan consistent with 
the requirements of this Act; 
(B) prepare and submit performance plans consistent 
with the requirements of this Act, including the identifica-
tion of agency priority goals, beginning with the perform-
ance plan for fiscal year 2013; and 
(C) make performance reporting updates consistent 
with the requirements of this Act beginning in fiscal year 
2012. 
(3) QUARTERLY REVIEWS.—The quarterly priority progress 
reviews required under this Act shall begin— 
(A) with the first full quarter beginning on or after 
the date of enactment of this Act for agencies based on 
the agency priority goals contained in the Analytical 
Perspectives volume of the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget of 
the United States Government; and 
(B) with the quarter ending June 30, 2012 for the 
interim Federal Government priority goals. 
(b) GUIDANCE.—The Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget shall prepare guidance for agencies in carrying out the 
interim planning and reporting activities required under subsection 
(a), in addition to other guidance as required for implementation 
of this Act. 
SEC. 15. CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT AND LEGISLATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed as 
limiting the ability of Congress to establish, amend, suspend, or 
annul a goal of the Federal Government or an agency. 
(b) GAO REVIEWS.— 
(1) INTERIM PLANNING AND REPORTING EVALUATION.—Not 
later than June 30, 2013, the Comptroller General shall submit 
a report to Congress that includes— 
(A) an evaluation of the implementation of the interim 
planning and reporting activities conducted under section 
14 of this Act; and 
(B) any recommendations for improving implementa-
tion of this Act as determined appropriate. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION EVALUATIONS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Comptroller General shall 
evaluate the implementation of this Act subsequent to the 
interim planning and reporting activities evaluated in the 
report submitted to Congress under paragraph (1). 
(B) AGENCY IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(i) EVALUATIONS.—The Comptroller General shall 
evaluate how implementation of this Act is affecting 
performance management at the agencies described 
in section 901(b) of title 31, United States Code,