I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4061 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the management of 
information technology within the Department of Veterans Affairs by 
providing for the Chief Information Officer of that Department to have 
authority over resources, budget, and personnel related to the support 
function of information technology, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 17, 2005 
Mr. BUYER (for himself, Mr. EVANS, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. 
EVERETT, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. FILNER, 
Mr. GUTIERREZ, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. REYES, Ms. 
GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. UDALL 
of New Mexico, Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire, Mr. MORAN of Kan-
sas, and Mr. TURNER) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the 
management of information technology within the De-
partment of Veterans Affairs by providing for the Chief 
Information Officer of that Department to have authority 
over resources, budget, and personnel related to the sup-
port function of information technology, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Department of Vet-
erans Affairs Information Technology Management Im-
provement Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN 
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 
(a) RESOURCES, BUDGET, AND PERSONNEL AU-
THORITY
OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER.—Section 
310 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsections: 
‘‘(c) To support the economical, efficient, and effec-
tive execution of the information technology objectives, 
policies, and plans of the Department in support of De-
partment goals, the Secretary shall ensure that the Chief 
Information Officer has the authority and control nec-
essary for the development, approval, implementation, in-
tegration, and oversight of policies, procedures, processes, 
activities, and systems of the Department relating to the 
management of information technology for the Depart-
ment, including the management of all related mission ap-
plications, information resources, personnel, and infra-
structure. 
‘‘(d)(1) The Secretary, acting through the Chief In-
formation Officer, shall develop, implement, and maintain 
a process for the selection and oversight of information 
technology for the Department.
‘‘(2) As components of the development of the process 
required by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall develop for 
the Department— 
‘‘(A) an information technology strategic plan 
that includes performance measurements; and 
‘‘(B) an integrated enterprise architecture. 
‘‘(3) The information technology strategic plan shall 
set forth a multiyear plan for the use of information tech-
nology and related resources to support the accomplish-
ment of the Department’s mission. 
‘‘(4) The Chief Information Officer shall review and 
update the information technology strategic plan and the 
integrated enterprise architecture on an ongoing basis to 
maintain the currency of the plan and the currency of the 
enterprise architecture with technological changes and 
changing mission needs of the Department. 
‘‘(e)(1) Funds may be obligated for information tech-
nology for the Department only in accordance with the 
process implemented under paragraph (1) or as otherwise 
specifically authorized or delegated by the Chief Informa-
tion Officer or as otherwise directed by the Secretary. 
‘‘(2)(A) Amounts appropriated for the Department 
for any fiscal year that are available for information tech-
nology shall be allocated within the Department, con-
sistent with the provisions of appropriations Acts, in such
manner as may be specified by, or approved by, the Chief 
Information Officer. 
‘‘(B) If for any fiscal year amounts referred to in sub-
paragraph (A) that are available for the Veterans Health 
Administration (or are otherwise available for functions 
relating to medical care) are to be allocated under sub-
paragraph (A) in a manner that is inconsistent with the 
allocation method known as the Veterans Equitable Re-
source Allocation, such allocation may be made only with 
the approval of the Secretary and after the Under Sec-
retary for Health is notified. 
‘‘(3) When the budget for any fiscal year is submitted 
by the President to Congress under section 1105 of title 
31, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that 
identifies amounts requested for information technology 
for the Department. The report shall set forth those 
amounts both for each Administration within the Depart-
ment and for the Department in the aggregate and shall 
identify, for each such amount, how that amount is 
aligned with and supports the information technology stra-
tegic plan under subsection (d), as then in effect. 
‘‘(f)(1) The Chief Information Officer shall select the 
Chief Information Officer for each of the Veterans Health 
Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, 
and the National Cemetery Administration. Any such se-
lection may only be made after consultation with the 
Under Secretary with responsibility for the Administration 
for which the selection is to be made. 
‘‘(2) Each Administration Chief Information Officer 
selected under paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) shall be designated as a Department Dep-
uty Chief Information Officer; and 
‘‘(B) shall report to the Department Chief In-
formation Officer. 
‘‘(3) The Department Deputy Chief Information Offi-
cers are responsible for implementing in their respective 
Administrations, as directed by the Department Chief In-
formation Officer, the information technology strategic 
plan and the integrated enterprise architecture developed 
for the Department by the Department Chief Information 
Officer pursuant to subsection (d)(2). 
‘‘(4) To accomplish the policies, programmatic goals, 
information technology system acquisitions, and align-
ments prescribed, authorized, or directed by the Depart-
ment Chief Information Officer, each Department Deputy 
Chief Information Officer shall maintain, for their respec-
tive Administrations, operational control of all information 
technology system assets and personnel necessary, includ-
ing direct management of the Administration’s software 
and applications development activities.
‘‘(5) The Department Deputy Chief Information Offi-
cers— 
‘‘(A) shall be the principal advocate for the in-
formation technology needs of their respective Ad-
ministrations; and 
‘‘(B) shall assure, by coordinating with the De-
partment Chief Information Officer, that the busi-
ness and mission needs of their respective Adminis-
trations are met by considering requirements at all 
levels. 
‘‘(g)(1) The Secretary shall ensure that the annual 
report submitted by the Secretary pursuant to section 
11313 of title 40 includes an identification of any obliga-
tion approved by the Chief Information Officer under sub-
section (e)(1), including the date, amount, and purpose 
of such obligation. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary shall submit to the Committees 
on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Rep-
resentatives an annual report, not later than March 1 of 
each year (beginning in 2009), providing the Secretary’s 
assessment of the implementation during the year covered 
by the report of the provisions of subsections (c), (d), and 
(e). Each such report shall include— 
‘‘(A) the assessment of the Secretary as to in-
creased efficiency within the Department of informa-
tion technology acquisition processes, management, 
responsibility, and accountability as a result of those 
provisions; and 
‘‘(B) estimated cost savings to the Department 
as a result of those provisions. 
‘‘(h) In this section, the term ‘information tech-
nology’ has the meaning given that term in paragraph (6) 
of section 11101 of title 40.’’. 
(b) REPORTS TO CONGRESS ON IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) PERIODIC PROGRESS REPORTS.— 
(A) REPORTS REQUIRED.—The Secretary 
of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress 
progress reports on the implementation of sub-
sections (c), (d), and (e), of section 310 of title 
38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a). 
(B) TIME FOR PROGRESS REPORTS.—A re-
port under subparagraph (A) shall be submitted 
as expeditiously as feasible after the end of the 
60-day period, the 90-day period, and the 180- 
day period beginning on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
(C) MATTER TO BE INCLUDED.—Each re-
port under this paragraph shall set out the