The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed bipartisan legislation to reform the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) acquisition management, requiring greater oversight of the Department’s purchasing process.
H.R. 4228, the DHS Acquisition Accountability and Efficiency Act was introduced by Homeland Security Committee Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Duncan (R-SC), as well as Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency Ranking Member Ron Barber (D-AZ) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency Vice Chairman Steve Daines (R-MT).
Since 2005, DHS Acquisition Management activities have been on the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) “High-Risk List” for programs that are highly susceptible to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. In April, GAO noted continued weaknesses in DHS’s acquisition planning process and portfolio management.
In 2013, the DHS Inspector General found the Department mismanaged a $3 billion DHS-wide contract to modernize its radio systems, and in 2012, GAO reported that 21 of 68 IT contracts totaling $1 billion were not meeting cost and schedule obligations.
“Today the House took an important step to restore much needed accountability to DHS. For years, DHS’s purchases of major homeland security systems have been late, cost more, and done less than promised,” said Subcommittee Chairman Jeff Duncan. “This bill will save taxpayer dollars by forcing DHS to improve its management.”
The full text of H.R. 4228 is available here (pdf).
Source: Committee on Homeland Security
