Continuity of Operations Demonstration Project Act - Directs the Chief Human Capital Officers Council and the Interagency Continuity of Operations Working Group, in order to test the preparedness of the federal government to continue to operate in the event of an extended emergency situation, to jointly provide for a demonstration project under which two or more agencies shall perform a representative range of government services and operations (both essential and nonessential) under circumstances simulating a situation in which federal employees are, as a result of a sudden and unexpected contingency, required to work: (1) from locations apart from their usual and customary workplace, including from home and from agency-designated facilities; and (2) for a continuous period of not less than ten consecutive workdays.
Directs the Council, in carrying out the demonstration project, to ensure that specified requirements are met with respect to: (1) communications; (2) training relating to duties and responsibilities during an emergency situation; (3) access to technologies, information, or other assistance; (4) coordination with the earliest governmentwide continuity of operations interagency exercise; (5) plans detailing which operations will be performed, which employees will perform those operations, and how those operations are to be performed; (6) participation (limited to those employees who would otherwise have been eligible to telework); and (7) coordination with otherwise existing federal telework policies, requirements, and funding.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5366 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5366
To provide for a demonstration project to enhance the ability of
Federal agencies to continue to operate during an extended emergency
situation, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 11, 2006
Mr. Davis of Illinois (for himself, Mr. Waxman, Mr. Porter, Ms. Norton,
Mr. Cummings, Mr. Owens, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Wynn, and Mr. Van Hollen)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for a demonstration project to enhance the ability of
Federal agencies to continue to operate during an extended emergency
situation, 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 ``Continuity of Operations
Demonstration Project Act''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to enhance the ability of Federal agencies to manage
their personnel and to otherwise continue to operate during an
extended emergency situation;
(2) to enhance the ability of Federal employees to carry
out their duties and responsibilities from home or other sites
removed from their usual and customary workplace;
(3) to enhance flexibility in Government operations
generally; and
(4) to determine what technologies, changes in work
processes, or other measures are needed to accomplish the
foregoing, while preserving data security.
SEC. 3. CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.
(a) In General.--In order to test the preparedness of the Federal
Government to continue to operate in the event of an extended emergency
situation, the Chief Human Capital Officers Council and the Interagency
Continuity of Operations Working Group shall jointly provide for a
demonstration project under which 2 or more agencies shall perform a
representative range of Government services and operations (both
essential and nonessential) under circumstances simulating a situation
in which Federal employees are, as a result of a sudden and unexpected
contingency, required to work--
(1) from locations apart from their usual and customary
workplace, including from home and from agency-designated
facilities; and
(2) for a period of not less than 10 consecutive workdays.
(b) Other Requirements.--In carrying out the demonstration project,
the Council and the Working Group shall ensure--
(1) that appropriate mechanisms exist so that participating
agencies and employees will be able to engage in any necessary
communications, and so that appropriate oversight of employees
can be maintained, at all times;
(2) that participating employees have received appropriate
training relating to what their duties and responsibilities are
during an emergency situation and how those duties and
responsibilities are to be carried out;
(3) that participating employees have available to them or
are able to access any technologies, resources, information, or
other assistance they may require in order to carry out their
duties and responsibilities effectively and efficiently;
(4) that such project is conducted in coordination with the
earliest Governmentwide continuity of operations interagency
exercise following the date of the enactment of this Act which
is conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and as to
which the implementation of this paragraph is practicable;
(5) that, at least 3 months before such project is
implemented, all agencies that are scheduled to participate
have developed plans detailing which operations will be
performed during the simulated emergency, which employees will
perform those operations, and how those operations are to be
performed;
(6) that participation will be limited to those employees
who, irrespective of this Act, would otherwise have been
eligible to telework; and
(7) that such project will be conducted in coordination
with otherwise existing Federal teleworking policies,
requirements, and funding, so that no additional resources are
needed in order to carry out this Act.
SEC. 4. REPORT TO CONGRESS.
Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Council and the Working Group shall submit to the Committee on
Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a written
evaluation of the demonstration project, including a description of the
approaches taken and lessons learned by participating agencies, and
recommendations for such legislation or administrative action as the
Council and the Working Group consider appropriate.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act--
(1) the term ``Chief Human Capital Officers Council'' or
``Council'' refers to the Chief Human Capital Officers Council,
as established by section 1303 of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (5 U.S.C. 1401 note);
(2) the term ``Interagency Continuity of Operations Working
Group'' or ``Working Group'' refers to the Interagency
Continuity of Operations Working Group, established by the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security, pursuant to Federal Preparedness Circular 65, dated
June 15, 2004;
(3) the term ``Federal agency'' or ``agency'' means an
Executive agency, as defined by section 105 of title 5, United
States Code; and
(4) the term ``Federal employee'' or ``employee'' means an
individual employed in or under an agency.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.
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