Reforming Federal Procurement of Information Technology Act or RFP-IT Act - Establishes an increased $500,000 simplified acquisition threshold for contracts for the purchase of information technology services from a small business concern.
Makes permanent the authority to issue solicitations for purchases of commercial items in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold.
Establishes within the General Services Administration (GSA) the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program to bring non-government innovators into the federal government to solve challenges of national importance.
Redesignates the Office of Electronic Government as the United States Digital Government Office or United States DGO. Designates the head of such Office as the U.S. Chief Information Officer.
Establishes in the DGO the Digital Service Pilot Program to provide digital services to support executive agencies on high-priority federal information technology projects.
Directs the GSA Administrator to conduct an in-depth analysis of IT Schedule 70. Defines "IT Schedule 70" as the multiple award supply of GSA for the procurement of information technology.
Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to Congress on: (1) the effectiveness of the 18F program of GSA, (2) IT Schedule 70, and (3) challenges and barriers to entry for small business technology firms into the federal marketplace.
Requires the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to be revised to clarify that agency acquisition personnel are permitted and encouraged to engage in responsible and constructive exchanges with industry, so long as such exchanges are consistent with existing law and do not promote an unfair competitive advantage.
Requires the U.S. Chief Information Officer to advise the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on improving the performance of federal agencies in development specifications for an information technology project contract.
Makes the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) a member of the FAR Council.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5255 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5255
To enhance the procurement of information technology by establishing a
United States Digital Government Office and United States Chief
Information Officer, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 2014
Ms. Eshoo (for herself, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Swalwell of
California, and Ms. DelBene) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To enhance the procurement of information technology by establishing a
United States Digital Government Office and United States Chief
Information Officer, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Reforming Federal
Procurement of Information Technology Act'' or ``RFP-IT Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Increase in simplified acquisition threshold for information
technology projects.
Sec. 3. Permanent authority for use of simplified acquisition
procedures for certain commercial items.
Sec. 4. Presidential Innovation Fellows Program.
Sec. 5. Redesignation of Office and Administrator of Electronic
Government as United States Digital
Government Office and United States Chief
Information Officer.
Sec. 6. Digital Service Pilot Program.
Sec. 7. Analysis and report on streamlining and strengthening IT
Schedule 70.
Sec. 8. Report by Government Accountability Office on information
technology acquisition by the Federal
Government.
Sec. 9. Improving the quality of information technology solicitations.
Sec. 10. FAR Council membership for Administrator of Small Business
Administration.
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION THRESHOLD FOR INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS.
(a) Increase.--Section 134 of title 41, United States Code, is
amended by striking ``means $100,000.'' and inserting the following:
``means--
``(1) $100,000; or
``(2) in the case of a contract for the purchase of
information technology (as such term is defined in section
11101 of title 40) services from a small business concern (as
such term is defined in section 3(a) of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 632(a)), $500,000.''.
(b) Construction.--Nothing in the amendment made by subsection (a)
shall be construed as affecting adjustments made by, or the authority
of, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council under section 1908 of
title 41, United States Code (relating to inflation adjustment of
acquisition-related dollar thresholds).
SEC. 3. PERMANENT AUTHORITY FOR USE OF SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION
PROCEDURES FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS.
Section 4202 of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 (division D of Public
Law 104-106; 10 U.S.C. 2304 note) is amended by striking subsection
(e).
SEC. 4. PRESIDENTIAL INNOVATION FELLOWS PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the General
Services Administration a program to be known as the ``Presidential
Innovation Fellows Program'' (in this section referred to as the
``Program'').
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Program is to bridge the gap
between the private sector and the public sector by bringing non-
Government innovators into the Government to work collaboratively for a
period of time with Government innovators in order to rapidly solve
challenges of national importance.
(c) Administration.--The Administrator of General Services shall
administer the Program.
(d) Fellows.--
(1) Selection of fellows.--The Administrator of General
Services shall select Presidential Innovation Fellows for
participation in the Program.
(2) Length of fellowships.--Each fellowship in the Program
shall last 6 to 13 months, at the discretion of the
Administrator of General Services.
(3) Qualifications.--In order to participate in the
Program, a candidate for fellow shall be a citizen of the
United States and able to fulfill the duties of the role for
which the candidate applies.
SEC. 5. REDESIGNATION OF OFFICE AND ADMINISTRATOR OF ELECTRONIC
GOVERNMENT AS UNITED STATES DIGITAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE AND
UNITED STATES CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER.
(a) Redesignation of Office as United States Digital Government
Office.--Section 3602(a) of title 44, United States Code, is amended by
striking ``Office of Electronic Government'' and inserting ``an office
to be known as the `United States Digital Government Office' or `United
States DGO'''.
(b) Redesignation of Head of Office as United States Chief
Information Officer.--Section 3602(b) of such title is amended to read
as follows:
``(b) There shall be at the head of the office an officer who shall
be known as the United States Chief Information Officer (referred to in
this section as the `United States CIO'), appointed by the President by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Director shall
delegate to the United States CIO the authority to administer all
functions set forth in this section or any other applicable law, except
that any such delegation shall not relieve the Director of
responsibility for the administration of such functions. The United
States CIO shall serve as principal adviser to the Director on Federal
information technology policy.''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 3602 of such title is further
amended--
(1) in subsection (c), by striking ``Administrator'' and
inserting ``United States CIO'';
(2) in subsections (d), (e), and (f), by striking
``Administrator'' the first place it appears and inserting
``United States CIO''; and
(3) in subsections (f)(16) and (g), by striking ``Office of
Electronic Government'' and inserting ``United States Digital
Government Office''.
(d) References.--As of the date of the enactment of this Act, any
reference in law or regulation to the Office of Electronic Government
and the Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government shall be
deemed to refer to the United States Digital Government Office and the
United States Chief Information Officer, respectively.
SEC. 6. DIGITAL SERVICE PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the United States
Digital Government Office a pilot program to be known as the ``Digital
Service Pilot Program'' (in this section referred to as the ``Pilot
Program'').
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Pilot Program is to provide
digital service experts to support executive agencies on high-priority
Federal information technology projects. The Pilot Program shall be
carried out in accordance with this section and may include the
initiative in the Office of Management and Budget to provide such
digital service experts.
(c) Head of Digital Service Pilot Program.--The United States Chief
Information Officer shall administer the Pilot Program.
(d) Projects.--
(1) Minimum number.--During the three-year period beginning
on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Pilot Program
shall initiate and complete no fewer than five high-priority
Federal information technology projects in partnership with
executive agencies.
(2) Specific agency projects.--Of the projects required
under this subsection, at least one project shall be initiated
in each of the following entities:
(A) The Office of Management and Budget.
(B) The General Services Administration.
(C) The Department of Homeland Security.
(D) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
(E) The Small Business Administration.
(e) Definition.--In this section, the term ``executive agency'' has
the meaning provided that term by section 105 of title 5, United States
Code.
SEC. 7. ANALYSIS AND REPORT ON STREAMLINING AND STRENGTHENING IT
SCHEDULE 70.
(a) Analysis Requirement.--The Administrator of General Services
shall conduct an in-depth analysis of IT Schedule 70. The analysis
shall cover, at a minimum, the following:
(1) Methods to enhance the administration of IT Schedule
70.
(2) Identification of the most onerous or burdensome
requirements related to using IT Schedule 70.
(3) Methods to lower barriers to entry to using IT Schedule
70, to ensure that innovative information technology firms are
not discouraged by superfluous or unnecessary barriers.
(4) Ways to ensure that the Federal Government has direct
access to the Nation's most innovative technology firms, which
includes attracting companies that operate solely in the
commercial marketplace.
(b) Report Requirement.--The Administrator shall submit to Congress
a report on the analysis conducted under subsection (a), not later than
365 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. The report shall
include the results of the analysis and specific recommendations on
potential administrative and statutory modifications that would
eliminate or fix any problems identified in the report.
(c) IT Schedule 70 Defined.--In this section, the term ``IT
Schedule 70'' means the multiple award supply schedule of the General
Services Administration for the procurement of information technology.
SEC. 8. REPORT BY GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE ON INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY ACQUISITION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
(a) Report Requirement.--The Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to Congress one or more reports on the following:
(1) The effectiveness of the 18F program of the General
Services Administration.
(2) IT Schedule 70 (as defined in section 7), including the
manner in which the Schedule does or does not enable agencies
to have access to effective, up-to-date technology at
competitive prices from the best technology firms.
(3) Challenges and barriers to entry for small business
technology firms, including the reasons why certain small
business technology firms that are successful in the private
sector decide not to enter the Federal marketplace.
(b) Deadline.--The Comptroller General shall submit a report or
reports under subsection (a) not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 9. IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SOLICITATIONS.
(a) Enhanced Communication Between Government and Industry.--Not
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Federal Acquisition Regulation shall be revised to clarify that agency
acquisition personnel are permitted and encouraged to engage in
responsible and constructive exchanges with industry, so long as those
exchanges are consistent with existing law and regulation and do not
promote an unfair competitive advantage to particular firms.
(b) Priority Goal for Information Technology Management.--The
United States Chief Information Officer, in consultation with the
Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, shall advise the Director
of the Office of Management and Budget to ensure that the priority goal
for the Federal Government relating to information technology
management under section 1120(a)(1)(B)(iii) of title 31, United States
Code, addresses improving the performance of Federal agencies in
development specifications for a contract for an information technology
project.
SEC. 10. FAR COUNCIL MEMBERSHIP FOR ADMINISTRATOR OF SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Addition of Administrator of Small Business Administration to
Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council.--Section 1302(b) of title 41,
United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (C);
(2) by striking the period and inserting ``; and'' at the
end of subparagraph (D); and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(E) the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration.''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 1303(a)(1) of such title is
amended--
(1) by striking ``and the Administrator of National
Aeronautics and Space,'' and inserting ``the Administrator of
National Aeronautics and Space, and the Administrator of the
Small Business Administration,''; and
(2) by striking ``and the National Aeronautics and Space
Act of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.),'' and inserting ``the
National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2451 et
seq.), and the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.),''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
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