Title: Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2017
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Border Security Technology Accountability Act of 2017
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) ensure that each border security technology acquisition program that is determined to be a major acquisition program has an acquisition program baseline approved by the relevant acquisition decision authority; (2) document that each such program is meeting the cost, schedule, and performance thresholds specified in such baseline in compliance with relevant departmental acquisition policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation; and (3) have a plan for each such program to meet program implementation objectives by managing contractor performance.
The Under Secretary for Management and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is required to ensure that border security technology acquisition program managers adhere to relevant internal control standards identified by the Government Accountability Office. The Commissioner shall provide information to assist the Under Secretary in monitoring proper program management of such acquisition programs.
The Under Secretary for Management, in coordination with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology and the Commissioner, shall submit a plan for testing and evaluation, and the use of independent verification and validation resources, for border security technology so that new border security technologies are evaluated through a series of assessments, processes, and audits to ensure: (1) compliance with relevant departmental acquisition policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and (2) the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars.
"Major acquisition program" means a DHS acquisition program that is estimated by DHS to require an eventual total expenditure of at least $300 million over its life cycle cost.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 146 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 146

    To strengthen accountability for deployment of border security 
   technology at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 12, 2017

  Mr. McCain introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To strengthen accountability for deployment of border security 
   technology at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Border Security Technology 
Accountability Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. BORDER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY ACCOUNTABILITY.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle C of title IV of the Homeland Security 
Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 231 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 434. BORDER SECURITY TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM MANAGEMENT.

    ``(a) Planning Documentation.--For each border security technology 
acquisition program of the Department that is determined to be a major 
acquisition program, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) ensure that each such program has a written 
        acquisition program baseline approved by the relevant 
        acquisition decision authority;
            ``(2) document that each such program is meeting cost, 
        schedule, and performance thresholds as specified in such 
        baseline, in compliance with relevant departmental acquisition 
        policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation; and
            ``(3) have a plan for meeting program implementation 
        objectives by managing contractor performance.
    ``(b) Adherence to Standards.--The Secretary, acting through the 
Under Secretary for Management and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection, shall ensure that border security technology 
acquisition program managers who are responsible for carrying out this 
section adhere to relevant internal control standards identified by the 
Comptroller General of the United States. The Commissioner shall 
provide information, as needed, to assist the Under Secretary in 
monitoring proper program management of border security technology 
acquisition programs under this section.
    ``(c) Plan.--The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary for 
Management, and in coordination with the Under Secretary for Science 
and Technology and the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection, shall submit a plan to the appropriate congressional 
committees for testing and evaluation, and the use of independent 
verification and validation resources, for border security technology 
so that new border security technologies are evaluated through a series 
of assessments, processes, and audits to ensure--
            ``(1) compliance with relevant departmental acquisition 
        policies and the Federal Acquisition Regulation; and
            ``(2) the effectiveness of taxpayer dollars.
    ``(d) Major Acquisition Program Defined.--In this section, the term 
`major acquisition program' means a Department acquisition program that 
is estimated by the Secretary to require an eventual total expenditure 
of at least $300,000,000 (based on fiscal year 2017 constant dollars) 
over its life cycle cost.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 433 the following:

``Sec. 434. Border security technology program management.''.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act or the amendments made by this Act. This Act and such 
amendments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise available for 
such purposes.
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