The Opportunity Project Act of 2019
This bill directs the Department of Commerce, through collaboration between federal agency personnel, end users, and technology experts, to carry out a program, to be known as the Opportunity Project, to facilitate the development of digital products for the public.
Commerce may enter into agreements with federal agencies and states or political subdivisions of states to (1) provide for participation by their employees in digital product development conducted through the project, or (2) make available employees of Commerce to assist in teaching and implementing the processes of the project for use in digital product development by such agency, state, or political subdivision.
The Government Accountability Office must report on the project's effectiveness.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3528 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3528
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to carry out a program to
facilitate the development of digital products for the public, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 27, 2019
Mr. Lipinski introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Oversight and Reform
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Commerce to carry out a program to
facilitate the development of digital products for the public, 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 Opportunity Project Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Opportunity Project of the Department of Commerce
is based on a process that engages the technology industry to
create digital products that expand economic opportunity for
the people of the United States.
(2) The Opportunity Project facilitates cross-sector
collaboration, makes Federal Government data more usable and
accessible, and creates a positive impact for families,
communities, and businesses.
(3) Since launching in 2016, The Opportunity Project has
yielded dozens of new digital products, including products that
connect veterans and their families with jobs, connect people
experiencing homelessness with services and shelter, and
rebuild rural economies.
(4) The Opportunity Project provides Federal agencies with
new ways to use existing Federal data to solve problems and
create innovative products by combining the skills and
knowledge of Federal agency personnel, end users, and
technology experts.
(5) The process used by The Opportunity Project can be
adopted by any Federal agency or non-Federal entity interested
in transforming data into digital products for the public.
(6) The Opportunity Project is consistent with the
President's cross-agency priority goal of leveraging data as a
strategic asset.
SEC. 3. THE OPPORTUNITY PROJECT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a program, to be
known as ``The Opportunity Project'', to facilitate the development of
digital products for the public through collaboration between Federal
agency personnel, end users, and technology experts.
(b) Requirements.--In carrying out The Opportunity Project, the
Secretary shall--
(1) provide regularly updated guidance on priorities for
digital product development and objectives to be accomplished
by the products developed; and
(2) facilitate--
(A) the identification of data that may be useful
in the development of such products;
(B) the formation of teams of Federal agency
personnel, end users, and technology experts to develop
such products; and
(C) a process that leads the teams through the
development of a digital product or a minimum viable
technology product as a main component of the work
associated with The Opportunity Project as a program.
(c) Sources of Data.--Data identified under subsection (b)(2)(A)
may include the data of Federal agencies, States, political
subdivisions of States, and private-sector entities.
(d) Topic Submissions.--The Secretary shall establish a process for
a Federal agency to submit for consideration under The Opportunity
Project a priority for digital product development or an objective to
be accomplished by a digital product developed.
(e) Agreements With Other Federal Agencies and States.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary may enter into an agreement
(written, verbal, or informal) with a Federal agency, State, or
political subdivision of a State to--
(A) provide for participation by employees of such
agency, State, or political subdivision in digital
product development conducted through The Opportunity
Project; or
(B) make available employees of the Department of
Commerce to assist in teaching and implementing the
processes of The Opportunity Project for use in digital
product development by such agency, State, or political
subdivision.
(2) Reimbursement.--An agreement entered into under
paragraph (1) may provide for the reimbursement to the
Secretary for the services provided by employees of the Bureau
of the Census under such agreement, as the Secretary and the
Federal agency, State, or political subdivision of a State (as
the case may be) deems appropriate.
(f) Performance Metrics.--The Secretary shall--
(1) develop metrics to track the performance of The
Opportunity Project and the resulting products; and
(2) collect data to enable ongoing assessment of The
Opportunity Project.
(g) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a report on the performance of The
Opportunity Project, including an assessment of the effectiveness of
The Opportunity Project in--
(1) increasing the usability and accessibility of Federal
data by the public; and
(2) increasing the use of Federal data by the public.
(h) GAO Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to Congress a report assessing the effectiveness of The
Opportunity Project in--
(1) increasing the usability and accessibility of Federal
data by the public;
(2) increasing the use of Federal data by the public; and
(3) the impact of the resulting products on members of the
public.
(i) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the
meaning given the term ``agency'' in section 551 of title 5,
United States Code.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the
United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth,
territory, or possession of the United States, and each
federally recognized Indian Tribe.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.
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