H.R. 9882: DHS Acquisition Documentation Integrity Act

This bill would add new documentation and reporting rules for large Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acquisition programs—meaning major purchases or contracts for equipment, services, or a mix of both.

What counts as a covered program

The bill defines a major acquisition program as a DHS capital asset, services, or hybrid program expected to cost at least $300 million over its life cycle (in 2026 dollars), or any program the Department’s Chief Acquisition Officer labels major because of its size, risk, or importance.

New documentation requirements

For each covered program, DHS would have to keep acquisition records that are complete, accurate, timely, and matched to the level of risk involved. Those records would need to include:

• Validated performance requirements tied to the mission need
• An analysis of possible options to meet that need
• A full life-cycle cost estimate with supporting materials
• Verification of that estimate against independent cost estimates, including explanations for any differences
• A cost-benefit analysis
• An integrated master schedule for the program
• Plans for technical reviews, testing, and evaluation during development
• An acquisition strategy describing the planned approach and pathway
• A logistics and support plan for operating the capability after deployment
• An acquisition baseline that tracks the program’s cost, schedule, and performance targets and records major changes

The bill also requires DHS to prepare cost estimates and schedules using practices consistent with Government Accountability Office best practices, and to review and approve any revisions to the documentation under department policy.

Reporting when a program runs into trouble

If DHS learns that a major acquisition program has a breach—defined as:

• a likely cost overrun of more than 15 percent,
• a likely delay of more than 180 days, or
• an expected failure to meet a key performance threshold,

the Under Secretary for Management would have to notify the House and Senate homeland security committees within 30 days.

That report would need to explain:

• what happened and why
• how the breach affects cost, schedule, and performance
• an updated baseline and a full history of changes to the original baseline
• an updated schedule and a full history of schedule changes
• a full life-cycle cost analysis
• a remediation plan with corrective actions and any remaining risks
• how DHS will measure and track progress on the plan

Extra analysis for larger problems

If the likely cost overrun is more than 20 percent, or the likely delay is more than 12 months, DHS would also have to provide a written determination on whether the program’s asset or service is essential to the mission, whether better alternatives exist, whether the updated cost and schedule are reasonable, and whether the management structure is adequate to control the program.

Relevant Companies

None found