Title: Homeland Security Acquisition Professional Career Program Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Homeland Security Acquisition Professional Career Program Act
This bill establishes in the Department of Homeland Security an acquisition professional career program to develop a cadre of acquisition professionals.
The Management Directorate shall administer the program, including carrying out recruitment efforts and providing specialized acquisition training.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 367 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 367

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an acquisition 
          professional career program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 19, 2021

  Ms. Titus introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish an acquisition 
          professional career program, 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 ``Homeland Security Acquisition 
Professional Career Program Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF THE ACQUISITION PROFESSIONAL CAREER PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Title VII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 341 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 711. ACQUISITION PROFESSIONAL CAREER PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department an 
acquisition professional career program to develop a cadre of 
acquisition professionals within the Department.
    ``(b) Administration.--The Under Secretary for Management shall 
administer the acquisition professional career program established 
pursuant to subsection (a).
    ``(c) Program Requirements.--The Under Secretary for Management 
shall carry out the following with respect to the acquisition 
professional career program.
            ``(1) Designate the occupational series, grades, and number 
        of acquisition positions throughout the Department to be 
        included in the program and manage centrally such positions.
            ``(2) Establish and publish on the Department's website 
        eligibility criteria for candidates to participate in the 
        program.
            ``(3) Carry out recruitment efforts to attract candidates--
                    ``(A) from institutions of higher education, 
                including such institutions with established 
                acquisition specialties and courses of study, 
                historically Black colleges and universities, and 
                Hispanic-serving institutions;
                    ``(B) with diverse work experience outside of the 
                Federal Government; or
                    ``(C) with military service.
            ``(4) Hire eligible candidates for designated positions 
        under the program.
            ``(5) Develop a structured program comprised of acquisition 
        training, on-the-job experience, Department-wide rotations, 
        mentorship, shadowing, and other career development 
        opportunities for program participants.
            ``(6) Provide, beyond required training established for 
        program participants, additional specialized acquisition 
        training, including small business contracting and innovative 
        acquisition techniques training.
    ``(d) Reports.--Not later than December 31, 2021, and annually 
thereafter through 2027, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on 
the acquisition professional career program. Each such report shall 
include the following information:
            ``(1) The number of candidates approved for the program.
            ``(2) The number of candidates who commenced participation 
        in the program, including generalized information on such 
        candidates' backgrounds with respect to education and prior 
        work experience, but not including personally identifiable 
        information.
            ``(3) A breakdown of the number of participants hired under 
        the program by type of acquisition position.
            ``(4) A list of Department components and offices that 
        participated in the program and information regarding length of 
        time of each program participant in each rotation at such 
        components or offices.
            ``(5) Program attrition rates and post-program graduation 
        retention data, including information on how such data compare 
        to the prior year's data, as available.
            ``(6) The Department's recruiting efforts for the program.
            ``(7) The Department's efforts to promote retention of 
        program participants.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Hispanic-serving institution.--The term `Hispanic-
        serving institution' has the meaning given such term in section 
        502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a).
            ``(2) Historically black colleges and universities.--The 
        term `historically Black colleges and universities' has the 
        meaning given the term `part B institution' in section 322(2) 
        of Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)).
            ``(3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).''.
    (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 professional career program.''.
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