I
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3280
To clarify and enhance the authorities of the Chief Information Officer,
Department of Agriculture.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 26, 1998
Mr. GOODLATTE (for himself and Mr. LATHAM) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform and Over-
sight, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
A BILL
To clarify and enhance the authorities of the Chief
Information Officer, Department of Agriculture.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the
‘‘USDA Year 2000 Compliance Enhancement Act’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Purpose and findings.
Sec. 4. Position of Chief Information Officer, Department of Agriculture.
Sec. 5. Responsibilities of Chief Information Officer with regard to information
technology architecture.
Sec. 6. Availability of agency information system funds.
Sec. 7. Authority of Chief Information Officer over information technology per-
sonnel.
Sec. 8. Annual Comptroller General report on compliance.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER.—The term
‘‘Chief Information Officer’’ means the individual
appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture under sec-
tion 3506(a)(2)(A) of title 44, United States Code,
to serve as Chief Information Officer of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture.
(2) INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY.—The term
‘‘information technology’’ has the meaning given
that term in section 5002(3) of the Clinger-Cohen
Act of 1996 (40 U.S.C. 1401(3)).
(3) INFORMATION RESOURCES.—The term ‘‘in-
formation resources’’ has the meaning given that
term in section 3502(6) of title 44, United States
Code.
(4) INFORMATION RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.—
The term ‘‘information resources management’’ has
the meaning given that term in section 3502(7) of
title 44, United States Code.
(5) INFORMATION SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘infor-
mation system’’ has the meaning given such term in
section 3502(8) of title 44, United States Code.
(6) INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
ARCHITEC-
TURE.—The term ‘‘information technology architec-
ture’’ has the meaning given that term in section
5125(d) of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 (40
U.S.C. 1425(d)).
(7) OFFICE OR AGENCY.—The terms ‘‘office or
agency’’ and ‘‘offices and agencies’’ mean each cur-
rent or future—
(A) national, regional, county, or local of-
fice or agency of the Department;
(B) county committee established under
section 8(b)(5) of the Soil Conservation and
Domestic 
Allotment 
Act 
(16 
U.S.C.
590h(b)(5)); and
(C) State committee, State office, or field
service center of the Farm Service Agency.
(8) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’
means the United States Department of Agriculture.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS.
(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to facili-
tate the continued successful administration of Depart-
ment of Agriculture farm policies and programs through
the creation of a centralized office in the Department to
oversee the use of information resources within the De-
partment.
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
(1) American agriculture relies on the Depart-
ment for the administration of a number of policies
and programs essential to the success and vitality of
agricultural producers and rural communities in the
United States;
(2) the successful administration of these poli-
cies and programs depends upon the ability of the
Department to use information resources in as effi-
cient and effective manner as is technologically fea-
sible;
(3) in order to successfully administer these im-
portant farm policies and programs the Department
relies on a number of information resources that re-
quire comprehensive and Department-wide overview
and control in order to avoid needless duplication
and misuse of resources;
(4) agricultural production, marketing, the dis-
tribution of commodities, and the extension of farm
credit and security are particularly reliant upon the
successful use of information resources within the
Department;
(5) the failure of the Department to meet the
requirement of the Office of Management and Budg-
et that all Department mission critical systems be
year 2000 compliant would have an adverse impact
on the Department’s farm policies and programs
and American agricultural producers; and
(6) in order to better ensure the continued suc-
cess and vitality of agricultural producers and rural
communities it is necessary that within the Depart-
ment measures are taken to coordinate and centrally
plan the use of the information resources of the De-
partment.
SEC. 4. POSITION OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, DE-
PARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
(a) POSITION IN DEPARTMENT.—In order to ensure
that information resources within the Department are di-
rected with the greatest efficiency towards the administra-
tion of farm policies and programs as authorized by law,
the Chief Information Officer of the Department—
(1) shall report directly to the Secretary of Ag-
riculture; and
(2) shall not be under the direction or control
of the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture or other offi-
cial or employee of the Department.
(b) POSITION ON EXECUTIVE INFORMATION TECH-
NOLOGY INVESTMENT REVIEW BOARD.—The Chief Infor-
mation Officer shall serve as vice-chairperson of the Exec-
utive Information Technology Investment Review Board of
the Department or any other entity established by the Sec-
retary of Agriculture to review and approve the acquisition
of information technology by offices and agencies of the
Department.
SEC. 5. RESPONSIBILITIES OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFI-
CER WITH REGARD TO INFORMATION TECH-
NOLOGY ARCHITECTURE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Chief Information Officer
shall have the authority and responsibility for ensuring
that the information technology architecture of the De-
partment, and any office or agency of the Department,
is based on the strategic business plans, information re-
sources, goals of information resources management, and
core business process methodology of the Department in
order to ensure the successful implementation of farm
policies and programs administered by the Department as
required by law.
(b) DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION.—The Chief In-
formation Officer shall be responsible for the design and
implementation of an information technology architecture
for the Department that ensures that—
sponsible for the development, acquisition, procurement,
and implementation of information resources by an office
or agency of the Department in a manner that—
(1) is consistent with the information tech-
nology architecture designed under subsection (b);
and
(2) results in the best use of resources of the
office or agency for information technology.
SEC. 6. AVAILABILITY OF AGENCY INFORMATION SYSTEM
FUNDS.
(a) TRANSFER.—Each office and agency of the De-
partment shall transfer to the control of the Chief Infor-
mation Officer an amount of funds each fiscal year equal
to four percent of the estimated expenditures to be made
by that office or agency for equipment and software for
the information system of that office or agency for a fiscal
year (other than expenditures for intra-government pay-
ments). The Secretary of Agriculture shall determine the
actual amount to be transferred by an office or agency
of the Department.
(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Funds transferred
under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Funds transferred under sub-
section (a) may be used by the Chief Information Officer
only—
(1) to carry out the responsibilities of the Chief
Information Officer under this Act, section 5125 of
the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 (40 U.S.C. 1425),
and section 3506(a)(2) of title 44, United States
Code;
(2) to assist in the development, acquisition,
procurement, or implementation of information re-
sources by more than one office or agency of the De-
partment in order to ensure the creation of a De-
partment-wide single information system; and
(3) to meet the requirement of the Office and
Management and Budget to make all mission critical
systems year 2000 compliant.
SEC. 7. AUTHORITY OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
OVER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PERSON-
NEL.
(a) DEPUTY INFORMATION OFFICERS.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established
within the Office of the Chief Information Officer
the position of deputy information officer who shall
be appointed by the Chief Information Officer and
serve as a liaison between the Chief Information Of-
ficer and each office or agency of the Department.
The separate position of chief information officer of
an office or agency of the Department is hereby
abolished.
(2) SUCCESSION.—A person who is serving as
a chief information officer of an office or agency of
the Department on the date of the enactment of this
Act shall serve as a deputy information officer in the
Office of the Chief Information Officer until such
time as a successor (if any) is appointed by the
Chief Information Officer.
(b) MANAGERS
OF MAJOR INFORMATION TECH-
NOLOGY PROJECTS.—The assignment of an employee of
the Department to serve as manager of a major informa-
tion technology program or project (as defined by the
Chief Information Officer) of an office or agency of the
Department, and continuation of the assignment, shall be
subject to the approval of the Chief Information Officer.
The Chief Information Officer shall provide input into the
performance review of any person so assigned.
(c) DETAIL
AND ASSIGNMENT
OF PERSONNEL.—
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an employee
of the Department may be detailed or assigned to the Of-
fice of the Chief Information Officer for a period of more
than 30 days without reimbursement to the employee’s
employing agency or office.
(d) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT OF-
FICERS.—Procurement officers in the Department who
are responsible for the procurement of information tech-
nology shall serve under the direction and control of the
Chief Information Officer.
SEC. 9. ANNUAL COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON
COMPLIANCE.
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than January 15
of each year, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nu-
trition, and Forestry of the Senate a report evaluating the
compliance by the Chief Information Officer and the De-
partment with this Act. The Comptroller General shall
conduct the evaluation in a manner which will permit an
assessment of the effect of the Department’s compliance
or lack thereof on the administration of farm policies and
programs carried out by the Department as required by
law.
(b) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—Each report under sub-
section (a) shall include the following:
(1) An ongoing review and compilation of
spending by the Department on information re-
sources which will permit an assessment of the com-
pliance with section 6(a) by offices and agencies of
the Department.
(2) An ongoing review and compilation of
spending by the Department on information re-
sources which will permit an assessment of the Chief
Information Officer’s compliance with section 6(c).
(3) An ongoing assessment and evaluation of
the Chief Information Officer’s performance of du-
ties under this Act.
(4) An ongoing review and evaluation of the
Department’s success in creating a Department-wide
single information system, as described in section
6(c)(2), and in complying with the requirement of
the Office of Management and Budget to make all
mission critical systems year 2000 compliant, as re-
quired under section 6(c)(3).
(c) EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—In addi-
tion to the requirements of subsection (b), the Comptroller
General may include in a report under subsection (a) such
other recommendations and evaluations as the Comptrol-
ler General considers appropriate.
Æ