[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2250 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2250
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the management of
information technology projects and investments of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2021
Mr. Rosendale (for himself, Mr. Mrvan, and Mr. Banks) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the management of
information technology projects and investments of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, 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 ``Department of Veterans Affairs
Information Technology Reform Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. MANAGEMENT OF MAJOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 81 of title 38, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:
``SUBCHAPTER VI--INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
``Sec. 8171. Definitions
``In this subchapter:
``(1) The term `appropriate congressional committees'
means--
``(A) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the
House of Representatives and the Senate; and
``(B) the Subcommittees on Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies of the House of
Representatives and the Senate.
``(2) The term `information technology' has the meaning
given that term in section 11101 of title 40.
``(3) The term `life cycle costs' means all direct and
indirect costs to acquire, implement, operate, and maintain an
information technology system.
``(4) The term `major information technology project' means
a project or program of the Department of Veterans Affairs
(including a project or program of any element of the
Department) for, or including, the acquisition or
implementation of an information technology system if--
``(A) the project or program is designated--
``(i) by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
or the Chief Information Officer of the
Department as a major information technology
project; or
``(ii) by the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget as a major information
technology investment, as defined in section
11302 of title 40;
``(B) the dollar value of the project or program is
estimated by the Secretary to exceed--
``(i) $50,000,000 (as adjusted for
inflation pursuant to section 1908 of title 41)
for all project or program costs in a single
fiscal year;
``(ii) $200,000,000 (as adjusted for
inflation pursuant to section 1908 of title 41)
for all project acquisition or implementation
costs for the duration of the project or
program; or
``(iii) $500,000,000 (as adjusted for
inflation pursuant to section 1908 of title 41)
for the total life cycle costs of the project
or program; or
``(C) any increment of the project or program
separately meets the requirements of subparagraphs (A)
or (B).
``Sec. 8172. Management of major information technology projects
``(a) Cost, Schedule, and Performance Information.--The Secretary
of Veterans Affairs may not obligate or expend funds for any major
information technology project that begins after the date of the
enactment of this section unless the Secretary, acting through the
Chief Information Officer, submits to the appropriate congressional
committees a report containing information on the cost, schedule, and
performance of such project. Each such report shall include, with
respect to such project, the following:
``(1) An estimate of acquisition, implementation, and life
cycle costs.
``(2) An intended implementation schedule indicating
significant milestones, initial operating capability, and full
operating capability or completion.
``(3) Key business, functional, or performance objectives.
``(b) Baseline.--(1) The Secretary shall use the information on the
cost, schedule, and performance of a major information technology
project included in the report under subsection (a) as the baseline
against which changes or variances are measured during the life cycle
of such project.
``(2) The Secretary shall--
``(A) annually update the baseline of a major information
technology project pursuant to subsection (c); and
``(B) include such updated baseline in the documents
providing detailed information on the budget for the Department
that the Secretary submits to Congress in conjunction with the
President's budget submission pursuant to section 1105 of title
31.
``(c) Changes and Variances.--(1) Not later than 60 days after the
date on which the Secretary identifies a change or variance described
in paragraph (2) in the cost, schedule, or performance of a major
information technology project, the Secretary, acting through the Chief
Information Officer, shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a notification of such change or variance, including a
description and explanation for such change or variance.
``(2) A change or variance in the cost, schedule, or performance of
a major information technology project described in this paragraph is--
``(A) with respect to the acquisition, implementation, or
life cycle cost of the project, or an increment therein, a
change or variance that is 10 percent or greater compared to
the baseline;
``(B) with respect to the schedule for achieving a
significant milestone, initial operating capability, or final
completion of the project, a change or variance that is 180
days or greater compared to the baseline; or
``(C) with respect to the performance, an instance where a
key business, functional, or performance objective is not
attained, or is not anticipated to be attained, in whole or in
part.
``(d) Management.--The Secretary shall ensure that each major
information technology project is managed by an interdisciplinary team
including the following:
``(1) A project manager who is--
``(A) certified in project management at level
three by the Department or the Department of Defense
pursuant to section 1701a of title 10, or who holds an
equivalent certification by a private sector project
management certification organization, as determined
appropriate by the Secretary; and
``(B) an employee of the Office of Information and
Technology of the Department or an employee of an
element of the Department at which the project
originates.
``(2) A functional lead who is an employee of the element
of the Department at which the project originates.
``(3) A technical lead who is an employee of the Office of
Information and Technology of the Department.
``(4) A contracting officer.
``(5) Sufficient other project management, functional,
technical, and procurement personnel as the Secretary
determines appropriate.
``Sec. 8173. Information technology activities of the Financial
Services Center
``(a) Management.--Consistent with sections 11302 and 11319 of
title 40--
``(1) the Chief Information Officer of the Department
shall--
``(A) exercise authority over the management,
governance, and oversight processes relating to
information technology of the Financial Services Center
of the Department, or such successor office; and
``(B) supervise the information technology
employees and contractors of the Financial Services
Center; and
``(2) the Director of the Financial Services Center of the
Department, or the head of such successor office, may not enter
into a contract or other agreement for information technology
or information technology services unless the contract or other
agreement has been reviewed and approved by the Chief
Information Officer.
``(b) Oversight.--The Chief Information Officer shall have
oversight and operational authority over all information security
practices of the Financial Services Center of the Department.
``Sec. 8174. Submission of annual reviews of information technology
``The Secretary, acting through the Chief Information Officer,
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees each annual
review of the information technology portfolio of the Department
conducted pursuant to section 11319(d)(3) of title 40. The first such
annual review so submitted shall include a copy of each previous annual
review conducted under such section.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:
``subchapter vi--information technology projects and activities
``8171. Definitions.
``8172. Management of major information technology projects.
``8173. Information technology activities of the Financial Services
Center.
``8174. Submission of annual reviews of information technology.''.
(c) Application; Report.--
(1) Current and new projects.--Except as specifically
provided in subsection (a) of section 8172 of title 38, United
States Code, as added by subsection (a) of this section, such
section 8172 shall apply with respect to major information
technology projects that begin before, on, or after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
(2) Report on current projects.--
(A) Requirement.--Not later than 90 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report on each major
information technology project that the Secretary is
carrying out as of the date of the report. The report
shall contain, with respect to each such project,
information on the cost, schedule, and performance of
such project as described in subsection (a) of such
section 8172.
(B) Definitions.--In this subsection, the terms
``appropriate congressional committees'' and ``major
information technology project'' have the meanings
given those terms in section 8171 of title 38, United
States Code, as added by subsection (a) of this
section.
SEC. 3. ASSESSMENT OF SUITABILITY OF CLOUD MIGRATION INVESTMENTS.
(a) Assessment.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, acting
through the Chief Information Officer of the Department of Veterans
Affairs, shall conduct an assessment, in accordance with guidance from
the Office of Management and Budget, of all information technology
investments of the Department of Veterans Affairs to determine the
suitability of the investments for migration to a cloud computing
service.
(b) Consistent Mechanism.--The Secretary, acting through the Chief
Information Officer, shall establish a consistent and repeatable
mechanism to track savings and cost avoidances from the--
(1) migration of information technology investments to
cloud computing services; and
(2) deployment of cloud computing services.
SEC. 4. REPORT ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DASHBOARD INFORMATION.
(a) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Chief Information
Officer, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
report containing--
(1) an explanation of the ratings, rankings, and risk
categorizations used by the Chief Information Officer pursuant
to subparagraph (C) of section 11302(c)(3) of title 40, United
States Code, with respect to the information technology
dashboard of the Office of Management and Budget developed
under such section; and
(2) copies of supporting or explanatory information
provided by the Chief Information Officer to the Office of
Management and Budget with respect to submissions by the Chief
Information Officer to the information technology dashboard for
the fiscal year in which the report is submitted (other than
information not otherwise made public pursuant to such
section).
(b) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In section, the
term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(1) the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of
Representatives and the Senate; and
(2) the Subcommittees on Military Construction, Veterans
Affairs and Related Agencies of the House of Representatives
and the Senate.
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