Public Law 117-88 passed February 22, 2022

Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and Acquisitions Act of 2021

Small business participation in the Federal market is key for a strong industrial base.

Business Opportunity Development Reform Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-656) the President to establish Government goals for procurement contracts awarded to small business.

Small Business Administration (SBA) works with the Federal agency to make sure required targets are met for the Federal Government.

Procurement Innovation Lab aim at experimenting with techniques across the Homeland Security Enterprise, provide a forum to test new ideas, share lessons, and promote practices. Foster cultural change through testing, feedback, and information sharing. The goal is to make the acquit ion process easier within the Federal Acquisition Regulation for both the Federal Government and contractors.

Definitions:

Administrator:: Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy

Appropriate Congressional Committees:: Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate, Oversight and Reform, Small Business of the House of Representatives.

Council:: Chief Acquisition Officers

Department:: Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security Enterprise:: reference Homeland Security Act of 2002

Scorecard:: reference National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal year 2016

Secretary:: Secretary of Homeland Security

Small Business:: qualified HUBZone small business owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, women; socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, Indian tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations defined by the Small Business Act.

Undersecretary:: Under Secretary for Management of the Department

The Under Secretary will publish a yearly report on the Department on Procurement Innovation Lab website. The report shall demonstrate accomplish better competition, reduce time to award, cost savings, better outcomes or meeting goals for contracts awarded to small businesses.

The Under Secretary shall develop and disseminate guidance and training for contracting officers, specialists, program managers and other personnel concerning how and when to use the innovative procurement techniques.

The Under Secretary shall share the best practices across the Department and make information available to other Federal agencies to improve procurement methods and training.

This will end 3 years after the enactment of this Act.

No later than 45 days after the enactment of this Act, the Administrator will meet with Council to examine best practices in contracting in the Federal Government, including small business contracting.

The Council may form a working group, chaired by the Administrator and composed of

  1. Chief Procurement Officer of the Department

    1. Council members from

      1. General Services Administration

      2. Department of Defense

      3. Department of the Treasury

      4. Department of Veterans Affairs

      5. Department of Health and Human Services

      6. Small Business Administration

      7. other Federal agencies that demonstrate sustained progress for 3 years prior to the date of this Act.

    2. Other employees with requisite senior experience

The duties required of the Council shall gather no later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act and will meet quarterly until Council submits a report and conducts outreach with the workforce and the public.

One year after the enactment of this Act, the Council shall submit a report to the congressional committee describing innovative acquisition practices and applications of technologies that have worked well in achieving better procurement outcomes, increased efficiency, improved program outcomes, better customer experience and meeting or exceeding goals and reasons why these practices have succeeded. Steps to adopt transformational commercial business practices, modernize data analytics, advance technologies that make decision making easier and improve customer service. Finally, make recommendations for statutory changes to accelerate the adoption of these new innovation and practices.

No later than 18 months after the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief the congressional committee the findings and recommendations of the report.

The report will be published on the website of the Office of Management and Budget and on the Innovation Hub on the Acquisition Gateway and on any other successor Government-wide site.

The Administrator shall encourage the head of each Federal agency to maintain a site on the website of the Federal agency for acquisition and contracting professionals, program managers, members of the public and others whom are dedicated to acquisition innovation.

The Council is encouraged to consult with governmental and non-governmental experts.

The Councils duties shall be terminated 30 days after the date on which the Council conducts the briefing.