SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘DHS Multiyear Acqui-
sition Strategy Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. MULTIYEAR ACQUISITION STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle D of title VIII of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 391 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 836. MULTIYEAR ACQUISITION STRATEGY. 
‘‘(a) MULTIYEAR
ACQUISITION
STRATEGY
RE-
QUIRED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the appropriate congressional 
committees and the Comptroller General of the 
United States a multiyear acquisition strategy to 
guide the overall direction of the acquisitions of the 
Department while allowing flexibility to deal with 
ever-changing threats and risks, and to help indus-
try better understand, plan, and align resources to 
meet the future acquisition needs of the Depart-
ment. Such strategy shall be updated and included 
in each Future Years Homeland Security Program 
required under section 874. 
‘‘(2) FORM.—The strategy required under para-
graph (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but 
may include a classified annex for any sensitive or
classified information if necessary. The Secretary 
shall publish such strategy in an unclassified format 
that is publicly available. 
‘‘(b) CONSULTATION.—In developing the strategy re-
quired under subsection (a), the Secretary shall, as the 
Secretary determines appropriate, consult with head-
quarters, components, employees in the field, and individ-
uals from industry and the academic community. 
‘‘(c) CONTENTS OF STRATEGY.—The strategy shall 
include the following: 
‘‘(1) PRIORITIZED LIST.—A systematic and in-
tegrated prioritized list developed by the Under Sec-
retary for Management in coordination with all of 
the Component Acquisition Executives of Depart-
ment major acquisition programs that Department 
and component acquisition investments seek to ad-
dress, including the expected security and economic 
benefit of the program or system that is the subject 
of acquisition and an analysis of how the security 
and economic benefit derived from such program or 
system will be measured. 
‘‘(2) INVENTORY.—A plan to develop a reliable 
Department-wide inventory of investments and real 
property assets to help the Department—
‘‘(A) plan, budget, schedule, and acquire 
upgrades of its systems and equipment; and 
‘‘(B) plan for the acquisition and manage-
ment of future systems and equipment. 
‘‘(3) FUNDING GAPS.—A plan to address fund-
ing gaps between funding requirements for major ac-
quisition programs and known available resources, 
including, to the maximum extent practicable, ways 
of leveraging best practices to identify and eliminate 
overpayment for items to— 
‘‘(A) prevent wasteful purchasing; 
‘‘(B) achieve the greatest level of efficiency 
and cost savings by rationalizing purchases; 
‘‘(C) align pricing for similar items; and 
‘‘(D) utilize purchase timing and econo-
mies of scale. 
‘‘(4) IDENTIFICATION
OF
CAPABILITIES.—An 
identification of test, evaluation, modeling, and sim-
ulation capabilities that will be required to— 
‘‘(A) support the acquisition of tech-
nologies to meet the needs of such strategy; 
‘‘(B) leverage to the greatest extent pos-
sible emerging technological trends and re-
search and development trends within the pub-
lic and private sectors; and
‘‘(C) identify ways to ensure that appro-
priate technology is acquired and integrated 
into the Department’s operating doctrine to im-
prove mission performance. 
‘‘(5) FOCUS ON FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS.—An as-
sessment of ways the Department can improve its 
ability to test and acquire innovative solutions to 
allow needed incentives and protections for appro-
priate risk-taking in order to meet its acquisition 
needs with resiliency, agility, and responsiveness to 
assure homeland security and facilitate trade. 
‘‘(6) FOCUS
ON
INCENTIVES
TO
SAVE
TAX-
PAYER DOLLARS.—An assessment of ways the De-
partment can develop incentives for program man-
agers and senior Department acquisition officials 
to— 
‘‘(A) prevent cost overruns; 
‘‘(B) avoid schedule delays; and 
‘‘(C) achieve cost savings in major acquisi-
tion programs. 
‘‘(7) FOCUS ON ADDRESSING DELAYS AND BID 
PROTESTS.—An assessment of ways the Department 
can improve the acquisition process to minimize cost 
overruns in— 
‘‘(A) requirements development;
‘‘(B) procurement announcements; 
‘‘(C) requests for proposals; 
‘‘(D) evaluation of proposals; 
‘‘(E) protests of decisions and awards; and 
‘‘(F) the use of best practices. 
‘‘(8) FOCUS
ON
IMPROVING
OUTREACH.—An 
identification and assessment of ways to increase op-
portunities for communication and collaboration with 
industry, small and disadvantaged businesses, intra- 
government entities, university centers of excellence, 
accredited certification and standards development 
organizations, and national laboratories to ensure 
that the Department understands the market for 
technologies, products, and innovation that is avail-
able to meet its mission needs and to inform the De-
partment’s requirements-setting process before en-
gaging in an acquisition, including— 
‘‘(A) methods designed especially to engage 
small and disadvantaged businesses, a cost-ben-
efit analysis of the tradeoffs that small and dis-
advantaged businesses provide, information re-
lating to barriers to entry for small and dis-
advantaged businesses, and information relating 
to unique requirements for small and disadvan-
taged businesses; and
‘‘(B) within the Department Vendor Com-
munication Plan and Market Research Guide, 
instructions for interaction by acquisition pro-
gram managers with such entities to— 
‘‘(i) prevent misinterpretation of ac-
quisition regulations; and 
‘‘(ii) permit, within legal and ethical 
boundaries, interacting with such entities 
with transparency. 
‘‘(9) COMPETITION.—A plan regarding competi-
tion under subsection (d). 
‘‘(10) ACQUISITION WORKFORCE.—A plan re-
garding the Department acquisition workforce under 
subsection (e). 
‘‘(d) COMPETITION PLAN.—The strategy required 
under subsection (a) shall also include a plan to address 
actions to ensure competition, or the option of competi-
tion, for major acquisition programs. Such plan may in-
clude assessments of the following measures in appro-
priate cases if such measures are cost effective: 
‘‘(1) Competitive prototyping. 
‘‘(2) Dual-sourcing. 
‘‘(3) Unbundling of contracts. 
‘‘(4) Funding of next-generation prototype sys-
tems or subsystems.
‘‘(5) Use of modular, open architectures to en-
able competition for upgrades. 
‘‘(6) Acquisition of complete technical data 
packages. 
‘‘(7) Periodic competitions for subsystem up-
grades. 
‘‘(8) Licensing of additional suppliers, including 
small businesses. 
‘‘(9) Periodic system or program reviews to ad-
dress long-term competitive effects of program deci-
sions. 
‘‘(e) ACQUISITION WORKFORCE PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) ACQUISITION WORKFORCE.—The strategy 
required under subsection (a) shall also include a 
plan to address Department acquisition workforce 
accountability and talent management that identifies 
the acquisition workforce needs of each component 
performing acquisition functions and develops op-
tions for filling such needs with qualified individuals, 
including a cost-benefit analysis of contracting for 
acquisition assistance. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL
MATTERS
COVERED.—The 
acquisition workforce plan under this subsection 
shall address ways to—
‘‘(A) improve the recruitment, hiring, 
training, and retention of Department acquisi-
tion workforce personnel, including contracting 
officer’s representatives, in order to retain high-
ly qualified individuals who have experience in 
the acquisition life cycle, complex procurements, 
and management of large programs; 
‘‘(B) empower program managers to have 
the authority to manage their programs in an 
accountable and transparent manner as such 
managers work with the acquisition workforce; 
‘‘(C) prevent duplication within Depart-
ment acquisition workforce training and certifi-
cation requirements through leveraging already- 
existing training within the Federal Govern-
ment, academic community, or private industry; 
‘‘(D) achieve integration and consistency 
with Government-wide training and accredita-
tion standards, acquisition training tools, and 
training facilities; 
‘‘(E) designate the acquisition positions 
that will be necessary to support the Depart-
ment acquisition requirements, including in the 
fields of— 
‘‘(i) program management;
‘‘(ii) systems engineering; 
‘‘(iii) procurement, including con-
tracting; 
‘‘(iv) test and evaluation; 
‘‘(v) life cycle logistics; 
‘‘(vi) cost estimating and program fi-
nancial management; and 
‘‘(vii) additional disciplines appro-
priate to Department mission needs; 
‘‘(F) strengthen the performance of con-
tracting officers’ representatives (as defined in 
subpart 1.602–2 and subpart 2.101 of the Fed-
eral Acquisition Regulation), including by— 
‘‘(i) assessing the extent to which 
such representatives are certified and re-
ceive training that is appropriate; 
‘‘(ii) assessing what training is most 
effective with respect to the type and com-
plexity of assignment; and 
‘‘(iii) implementing actions to improve 
training based on such assessments; and 
‘‘(G) identify ways to increase training for 
relevant investigators and auditors of the De-
partment to examine fraud in major acquisition 
programs, including identifying opportunities to
leverage existing Government and private sector 
resources in coordination with the Inspector 
General of the Department. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) ACQUISITION.—The term ‘acquisition’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 131 of title 
41, United States Code. 
‘‘(2) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’ 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. 
‘‘(3) BEST PRACTICES.—The term ‘best prac-
tices’, with respect to acquisition, means— 
‘‘(A) a knowledge-based approach to capa-
bility development that includes 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; and 
‘‘(J) integrating into the mission and busi-
ness operations of the Department of Homeland 
Security the capabilities described in subpara-
graphs (A) through (I). 
‘‘(4) 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. 
‘‘(5) MAJOR ACQUISITION PROGRAM.—The term 
‘major acquisition program’ means a Department 
acquisition program that is estimated by the Sec-
retary to require an eventual total expenditure of at 
least $300,000,000 (based on fiscal year 2017 con-
stant dollars) over its life cycle cost.’’. 
(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 
835 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 836. Multiyear acquisition strategy.’’. 
SEC. 3. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REVIEW 
OF MULTIYEAR ACQUISITION STRATEGY. 
(a) REVIEW.—After submission of the first multiyear 
acquisition strategy in accordance with section 836 of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by section 2 
of this Act) after the date of the enactment of this Act,