DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-1282
Sponsor: Rep. Garrett, Thomas A., Jr. [R-VA-5]
Introduced: 2017-03-01 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Executive agency funding and structure
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Public contracts and procurement

Summary:
action_date: 2017-03-01
text: 

DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Homeland Security of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an Acquisition Review Board to strengthen accountability and uniformity within the DHS acquisition review process, review major acquisition programs (programs estimated to require a total expenditure of at least $300 million over their life cycle costs), and review the use of best practices.
 
The board shall convene at DHS's discretion and whenever: (1) a major acquisition program requires authorization to proceed from one acquisition decision event to another, is in breach of its approved requirements, or requires additional review; or (2) a non-major acquisition program requires review.
 
The board's responsibilities are to:
 
 
determine whether a proposed acquisition has met the requirements of key phases of the acquisition life cycle framework and is able to proceed to the next phase and eventual full production and deployment; 
 
oversee whether a proposed acquisition's business strategy, resources, management, and accountability is executable and aligned to strategic initiatives; 
 
support the acquisition decision authority in determining the appropriate direction at key acquisition decision events; 
 
conduct systematic reviews to ensure that acquisitions are progressing in compliance with the approved documents for their current acquisition phases; 
 
review the acquisition documents of each major acquisition program to ensure the reliability of underlying data; and 
 
ensure that practices are implemented to require consideration of tradeoffs among cost, schedule, and performance objectives as part of the process for developing requirements for major acquisition programs prior to initiating the second acquisition decision event. 

 
If the person exercising acquisition decision authority over a major acquisition program approves such program to proceed into the planning phase before such program has a DHS-approved acquisition program baseline, DHS shall create and approve a baseline report regarding such approval and provide specified notice to Congress.

action_date: 2017-03-23
text: 

DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an Acquisition Review Board to strengthen accountability and uniformity within the DHS acquisition review process, review major acquisition programs (programs estimated to require a total expenditure of at least $300 million over their life cycle costs), and review the use of best practices.
 
The board shall convene at DHS's discretion and whenever: (1) a major acquisition program requires authorization to proceed from one acquisition decision event to another, is in breach of its approved requirements, or requires additional review; or (2) a non-major acquisition program requires review.
 
The board's responsibilities are to:
 
 
determine whether a proposed acquisition has met the requirements of key phases of the acquisition life cycle framework and is able to proceed to the next phase and eventual full production and deployment; 
 
oversee whether a proposed acquisition's business strategy, resources, management, and accountability is executable and aligned to strategic initiatives; 
 
support the acquisition decision authority in determining the appropriate direction at key acquisition decision events; 
 
conduct systematic reviews to ensure that acquisitions are progressing in compliance with the approved documents for their current acquisition phases; 
 
review the acquisition documents of each major acquisition program to ensure the reliability of underlying data; and 
 
ensure that practices are implemented to require consideration of tradeoffs among cost, schedule, and performance objectives as part of the process for developing requirements for major acquisition programs prior to initiating the second acquisition decision event. 

 
If the person exercising acquisition decision authority over a major acquisition program approves such program to proceed into the planning phase before such program has a DHS-approved acquisition program baseline, DHS shall: (1) create and approve a baseline report regarding such approval; (2) notify Congress within 7 days after an acquisition decision memorandum is signed; and (3) within 60 days after such signing, report on the rationale for such decision and a plan of action to require an acquisition program baseline for such program.
 
DHS shall report annually to specified congressional committees through FY2022 on the board's activities, including information on:
 
 
any acquisition decision memoranda for each meeting of the board, 
 
results of the systematic reviews,
 
results of acquisition document reviews, and 
 
activities to ensure that practices are adopted and implemented throughout DHS regarding such tradeoffs. 


action_date: 2017-06-21
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 23, 2017. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
 

DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security of 2002 to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an Acquisition Review Board to strengthen accountability and uniformity within the DHS acquisition review process, review major acquisition programs (programs estimated to require a total expenditure of at least $300 million over their life cycle costs), and review the use of best practices.
 
The board shall convene at DHS's discretion and whenever: (1) a major acquisition program requires authorization to proceed from one acquisition decision event to another, is in breach of its approved requirements, or requires additional review; or (2) a non-major acquisition program requires review.
 
The board's responsibilities are to:
 
 
determine whether a proposed acquisition has met the requirements of key phases of the acquisition life cycle framework and is able to proceed to the next phase and eventual full production and deployment; 
 
oversee whether a proposed acquisition's business strategy, resources, management, and accountability is executable and aligned to strategic initiatives; 
 
support the acquisition decision authority in determining the appropriate direction at key acquisition decision events; 
 
conduct systematic reviews to ensure that acquisitions are progressing in compliance with the approved documents for their current acquisition phases; 
 
review the acquisition documents of each major acquisition program to ensure the reliability of underlying data; and 
 
ensure that practices are implemented to require consideration of tradeoffs among cost, schedule, and performance objectives as part of the process for developing requirements for major acquisition programs prior to initiating the second acquisition decision event. 

 
If the person exercising acquisition decision authority over a major acquisition program approves such program to proceed into the planning phase before such program has a DHS-approved acquisition program baseline, DHS shall: (1) create and approve a baseline report regarding such approval; (2) notify Congress within 7 days after an acquisition decision memorandum is signed; and (3) within 60 days after such signing, report on the rationale for such decision and a plan of action to require an acquisition program baseline for such program.
 
DHS shall report annually to specified congressional committees through FY2022 on the board's activities, including information on:
 
 
any acquisition decision memoranda for each meeting of the board,
 
results of the systematic reviews,
 
results of acquisition document reviews, and 
 
activities to ensure that practices are adopted and implemented throughout DHS regarding such tradeoffs. 



Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-06-22
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
action_date: 2017-06-21
text: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2017-06-21
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2017-06-21
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5020-5021)
action_date: 2017-06-21
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5020-5021)
action_date: 2017-06-21
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1282.
action_date: 2017-06-21
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5020-5022)
action_date: 2017-06-21
text: Mr. Garrett moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2017-03-23
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 32.
action_date: 2017-03-23
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-57.
action_date: 2017-03-23
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-57.
action_date: 2017-03-08
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2017-03-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
action_date: 2017-03-01
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-03-01
text: Introduced in House