Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act

Bill: 113-s-1893
Sponsor: Sen. Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH]
Introduced: 2013-12-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Aviation and airports
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Government studies and investigations
Homeland security
Minority and disadvantaged businesses
Performance measurement
Public contracts and procurement
Public-private cooperation
Small business
Technology assessment
Technology transfer and commercialization
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2013-12-20
text: 
Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop, update biennially, and report to Congress a strategic multiyear technology investment plan, which may include a classified addendum to report sensitive transportation security risks, technology vulnerabilities, or other sensitive security information.
 
Directs the Administrator to analyze the TSA's acquisition of any security-related technology to determine if it is justified. Requires the Administrator, 30 days before any TSA award of a contract for acquisitions exceeding $30 million, to report to Congress the results of the analysis and certify that the security benefits justify the contract cost.
 
Directs the appropriate TSA acquisition official to establish certain performance baseline requirements before any TSA security-related technology acquisition. Requires that official to review and assess each acquisition for meeting the baseline requirements and to report those results to Congress.
 
Requires the Administrator, before the procurement of additional quantities of equipment to fulfill a TSA mission need, to utilize, to the extent practicable, any existing units in the TSA's inventory to meet that need.
 
Directs the Administrator to report annually to Congress on TSA's goals for contracting with small and disadvantaged businesses.
 
Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to assess TSA's implementation of GAO recommendations regarding the acquisition of security-related technology that were made before enactment of this Act.
 
Directs the GAO to evaluate TSA's progress in implementing this Act.

action_date: 2014-11-17
text: 
Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act - (Sec. 3) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to:
 
 
 develop and update biennially a strategic five-year technology investment plan, which may include a classified addendum to report sensitive transportation security risks, technology vulnerabilities, or other sensitive security information; and
 
publish the plan in an unclassified form in the public domain.
 
Directs the Administrator, before acquiring any security-related technology, to analyze whether acquisition is justified. Requires the Administrator, 30 days before any TSA award of a contract for acquisitions exceeding $30 million, to report to Congress the results of the analysis and certify that the transportation security benefits justify the contract cost.
 
Requires the appropriate TSA acquisition official to establish certain performance baseline requirements before any TSA security-related technology acquisition. Requires that official to review and assess each acquisition for meeting the baseline requirements and to report the results to Congress.
 
Requires the Administrator, before procuring additional quantities of equipment to fulfill a TSA mission need, to utilize, to the extent practicable, any existing units in the TSA's inventory to meet that need.
 
Directs the Administrator to report annually to Congress on TSA's performance record in meeting its goals for contracting with small businesses.
 
Directs the Administrator to execute all responsibilities set forth in this Act in a manner consistent with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and TSA policies and directives.
 
(Sec. 4) Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) assess TSA's implementation of GAO recommendations regarding the acquisition of security-related technology made before enactment of this Act, and (2) evaluate TSA's progress in implementing this Act.
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to report to Congress on the feasibility of tracking TSA security-related technology, including software solutions, through automated information and data capture technologies.
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the GAO to evaluate TSA's testing and evaluation process relating to security-related technology.
 
(Sec. 7) Requires this Act to be carried out using amounts otherwise available. Declares that no additional appropriations are authorized to carry out this Act.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-11-17
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 599.
action_date: 2014-11-17
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-274.
action_date: 2014-11-17
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-274.
action_date: 2014-07-23
text: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2013-12-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2013-12-20
text: Introduced in Senate