Interagency Personnel Rotation Act of 2011

Bill: 112-s-1268
Sponsor: Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT]
Introduced: 2011-06-23 in the Senate
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Department of Justice
Department of State
Diplomacy, foreign officials, Americans abroad
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
Executive Office of the President
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Homeland security
Performance measurement

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-23
text: 
Interagency Personnel Rotation Act of 2011 - Establishes a Committee on National Security Personnel (Committee) within the Executive Office of the President. Requires such Committee to issue a National Security Human Capital Strategy to develop the national security and homeland security personnel necessary to accomplish national security and homeland security objectives that require integration of personnel and activities from multiple executive branch agencies to maximize mission success and minimize cost. 
 
Requires the Committee to identify a National Security Interagency Community of Interest (ICI) for purposes of carrying out this Act and to provide for employees serving in an ICI position to be assigned on a rotational basis to another ICI position that is within a related agency or within an interagency body. Defines &quot;ICI position&quot; as a position whose duties primarily relate to national security or homeland security policy formulation or execution. 
 
Provides for a system of interagency rotational service by which employees with national security and homeland security expertise serve for a period of time in other agencies with a national security mission. Makes such interagency rotational service a requirement for selection to the Senior Executive Service.
 
Requires employees serving in an ICI position to participate in orientation training and education on national security and homeland security strategy.
 
Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish a course for political appointees relating to the objectives, history, and functioning of the senior-level interagency process and strategies for ensuring maximum interagency cohesion and the accomplishment of national security and homeland security objectives in an efficient and effective manner.

action_date: 2012-11-13
text: 
Interagency Personnel Rotation Act of 2011 - (Sec. 2) States that the purpose of this Act is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the government by fostering greater interagency experience among executive branch personnel on national security and homeland security matters involving more than one agency. 
 
(Sec. 3) Sets forth definitions for purposes of this Act. Defines: (1) &quot;ICI&quot; as a National Security Interagency Community of Interest; (2) &quot;ICI position&quot; as a position within an ICI that is identified by the head of a covered agency (an agency that is part of an ICI) as a position with significant responsibility for the subject area of the ICI and for activities involving more than one agency, and that is in the civil service at or above GS-11 of the General Schedule; and (3) &quot;National Security Interagency Community of Interest&quot; as positions in the executive branch that, as a group, are positions within multiple agencies of the executive branch having significant responsibility for the same substantive, functional, or regional subject area related to national security or homeland security that requires integration of the positions and activities across multiple agencies to ensure that the executive branch operates as a single, cohesive enterprise.
 
(Sec. 4) Establishes the Committee on National Security Personnel within the Executive Office of the President, comprised of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as Chairperson, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Requires the Committee to implement this Act and validate the actions of agencies in implementing the requirements of this Act. Establishes a board, comprised of designees selected by specified cabinet-level agency heads, to assist the Committee.
 
Authorizes appropriations in FY2012-FY2016 for the Committee.
 
(Sec. 5) Requires the Committee to identify: (1) ICIs on an ongoing basis to carry out this Act and authorizes it to alter or discontinue an ICI, (2) entities in the executive branch that are primarily involved in interagency activities relating to national or homeland security, and (3) the National Security Council and Directorate of Strategic Operational Planning of the National Counterterrorism Center as interagency bodies. Requires the head of each covered agency to identify ICI positions within such agency. 
 
(Sec. 6) Requires the Committee to: (1) provide for employees serving in an ICI position to be assigned on a rotational basis to another ICI position that is in another agency or in an interagency body and within the same ICI as the employee's original position, (2) determine the minimum length of a rotation depending upon the nature of the position involved, and (3) submit annually a consolidated list of ICI positions open for rotation with an explanation of the criteria for the identification of positions as being within the ICI. 
 
Sets forth training and education and performance appraisal requirements for employees serving in an ICI position.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to assign military officers to ICI positions.
 
(Sec. 7) Requires an agency head: (1) in selecting individuals to fill senior positions in an ICI, to ensure that strong preference is given to individuals who have performed interagency rotational service; and (2) to establish the minimum number of agency positions within an ICI that will be filled by personnel who have performed interagency rotational service. 
 
(Sec. 8) Requires: (1) during the first four fiscal years after the fiscal year in which this Act is enacted, the establishment of one ICI for emergency management and one ICI for stabilization and reconstruction; and (2) during each such fiscal year, not less than 20 and not more than 25 executive branch employees to perform service in an ICI position in another covered agency or in an interagency body. Requires the Committee to: (1) designate a metropolitan area in which such ICIs shall be located, and (2) submit a plan to Congress for the establishment of such ICIs.
 
(Sec. 9) Requires the Committee to: (1) periodically issue a National Security Human Capital Strategy to develop the national security and homeland security personnel necessary for accomplishing national security and homeland security objectives that require integration of personnel and activities from multiple agencies of the executive branch, and (2) report on the implementation of such Strategy and this Act. Requires such Strategy to: (1) provide for the implementation of this Act, (2) identify best practices from ICIs already in operation, (3) identify any additional ICIs to be identified by the Committee, (4) include a schedule for the issuance of directives and the establishment of standards relating to requirements under this Act, (5) include a description of how the Strategy incorporates views and suggestions obtained through consultations with Congress, and (6) include an assessment of performance measures over a multi-year period. 
 
(Sec. 10) Requires the Comptroller General (GAO) to report on the effectiveness of the system of interagency rotational service established by this Act.
 
(Sec. 11) Requires each strategy, plan, report, or other submission required by this Act to be made available only in electronic form.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-11-13
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 540.
action_date: 2012-11-13
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 112-235.
action_date: 2012-11-13
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Lieberman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 112-235.
action_date: 2011-10-19
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2011-06-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2011-06-23
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4098-4099)
action_date: 2011-06-23
text: Introduced in Senate