DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-886
Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]
Introduced: 2017-04-06 in the Senate
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: 2017-04-06
text: 

DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017

 
This bill amends the Homeland Security Act 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 notify Congress.

action_date: 2017-10-16
text: 
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
 

DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act 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 notify Congress.
 
DHS, by one year after this bill's enactment and annually through FY2022, shall provide information to Congress on the board's activities.

action_date: 2017-11-09
text: 

DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017

 
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act 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 program has met the requirements of 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 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, as required by DHS policy, DHS shall create and approve a baseline report regarding such approval and notify Congress.
 
DHS, by one year after this bill's enactment and annually through FY2022, shall provide information to Congress on the board's activities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-11-13
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2017-11-13
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2017-11-13
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2017-11-09
text: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2017-11-09
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
action_date: 2017-11-09
text: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S7164)
action_date: 2017-10-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 240.
action_date: 2017-10-16
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson without amendment. With written report No. 115-170.
action_date: 2017-10-16
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson without amendment. With written report No. 115-170.
action_date: 2017-07-26
text: Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
action_date: 2017-04-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2427-2428)
action_date: 2017-04-06
text: Introduced in Senate