Deputy Secretary or Under Secretary for Manage-
ment to— 
‘‘(A) ensure compliance with Federal law, 
the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and De-
partment acquisition management directives; 
‘‘(B) review (including approving, pausing, 
modifying, or canceling) an acquisition program 
through the life cycle of such program; 
‘‘(C) ensure that acquisition program man-
agers have the resources necessary to success-
fully execute an approved acquisition program; 
‘‘(D) ensure good acquisition program 
management of cost, schedule, risk, and system 
performance of the acquisition program at 
issue, including assessing acquisition program 
baseline breaches and directing any corrective 
action for such breaches; and 
‘‘(E) ensure that acquisition program man-
agers, on an ongoing basis, monitor cost, sched-
ule, and performance against established base-
lines and use tools to assess risks to an acquisi-
tion program at all phases of the life cycle of 
such program to avoid and mitigate acquisition 
program baseline breaches.
‘‘(3) ACQUISITION DECISION EVENT.—The term 
‘acquisition decision event’, with respect to an acqui-
sition program, means a predetermined point within 
each of the acquisition phases at which the acquisi-
tion decision authority determines whether such ac-
quisition program shall proceed to the next acquisi-
tion phase. 
‘‘(4) ACQUISITION PROGRAM.—The term ‘acqui-
sition program’ means the process by which the De-
partment acquires, with any appropriated amounts 
or fee funding, by contract for purchase or lease, 
property or services (including construction) that 
support the missions and goals of the Department. 
‘‘(5) ACQUISITION
PROGRAM
BASELINE.—The 
term ‘acquisition program baseline’, with respect to 
an acquisition program, means a summary of the 
cost, schedule, and performance parameters, ex-
pressed in standard, measurable, quantitative terms, 
which must be met in order to accomplish the goals 
of such program. 
‘‘(6) BEST PRACTICES.—The term ‘best prac-
tices’, with respect to acquisition, means a knowl-
edge-based approach to capability development that 
includes the following: 
‘‘(A) Identifying and validating needs.
‘‘(B) Assessing alternatives to select the 
most appropriate solution. 
‘‘(C) Clearly establishing well-defined re-
quirements. 
‘‘(D) Developing realistic cost assessments 
and schedules. 
‘‘(E) Securing stable funding that matches 
resources to requirements. 
‘‘(F) Demonstrating technology, design, 
and manufacturing maturity. 
‘‘(G) Using milestones and exit criteria or 
specific 
accomplishments 
that 
demonstrate 
progress. 
‘‘(H) Adopting and executing standardized 
processes with known success across programs. 
‘‘(I) Establishing an adequate workforce 
that is qualified and sufficient to perform nec-
essary functions. 
‘‘(J) Integrating the capabilities described 
in subparagraphs (A) through (I) into the De-
partment’s mission and business operations. 
‘‘(7) BREACH.—The term ‘breach’, with respect 
to a major acquisition program, means a failure to 
meet any cost, schedule, or performance threshold
specified in the most recently approved acquisition 
program baseline. 
‘‘(8) CONGRESSIONAL
HOMELAND
SECURITY 
COMMITTEES.—The term ‘congressional homeland 
security committees’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Homeland Security 
of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and Govern-
mental Affairs of the Senate; and 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the Senate. 
‘‘(9) COMPONENT ACQUISITION EXECUTIVE.— 
The term ‘Component Acquisition Executive’ means 
the senior acquisition official within a component 
who is designated in writing by the Under Secretary 
for Management, in consultation with the component 
head, with authority and responsibility for leading a 
process and staff to provide acquisition and program 
management oversight, policy, and guidance to en-
sure that statutory, regulatory, and higher level pol-
icy requirements are fulfilled, including compliance 
with Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regula-
tion, and Department acquisition management direc-
tives established by the Under Secretary for Man-
agement. 
‘‘(10) MAJOR
ACQUISITION
PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘major acquisition program’ means a Depart-
ment acquisition program that is estimated by the 
Secretary to require an eventual total expenditure of 
at least $300,000,000 (based on fiscal year 2019 
constant dollars) over its life cycle cost or a program 
identified by the Chief Acquisition Officer as a pro-
gram of special interest.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
710 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 711. Acquisition authorities for Program Accountability and Risk Man-
agement.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 10, 
2020. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3413 
AN ACT 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 
provide for certain acquisition authorities for the 
Under Secretary of Management of the Depart-
ment of Homeland Security, and for other pur-
poses.