House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Issues Report on Authorization, Oversight Plans for All House Committees (Part 14 of 19)
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
AUTHORIZATION AND OVERSIGHT PLAN
Rule X, Clause 2(d) of the Rules of the House requires each standing committee of the House to adopt and submit a two-year authorization and oversight plan to the
The following is the authorization and oversight plan for the
This plan contains a detailed list of matters for oversight and investigation that will advance the Committee's mission to ensure the economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the federal government and all its agencies. The list is not exhaustive. The Committee will retain the flexibility to investigate instances of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement as they emerge, and to conduct oversight of other issues as appropriate.
LAPSED AUTHORIZATIONS
The Committee will consider lapsed authorizations in its jurisdiction in the 115th
WASTE, FRAUD, ABUSE, AND MISMANAGEMENT
The Committee will continue to examine instances of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement of the activities of the federal government, with an emphasis on spending. Although the
OPEN GOVERNMENT AND TRANSPARENCY
The Committee will continue to advocate for technological solutions to increase transparency throughout the government. The Committee will seek to ensure that the federal government's information--with a few well-defined exceptions, such as national security information--is available online and formatted in ways that facilitate easy access and analysis. The Committee will evaluate possible legislation to set policy goals for technology-driven transparency for program performance, regulatory materials, and legislative documents.
In 2016,
The Committee will also examine the implementation of other open government laws, such as the Presidential Records Act, the Federal Records Act, and the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and consider whether any statutory mandates may impede public access to information.
The Committee will continue to investigate the persistent challenges and failures associated with the preservation of presidential and federal records, as required by law. Dating back to the
In 2014, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act) was signed into law. The DATA Act, if effectively implemented, will transform federal spending transparency by providing program and activity level spending information. The Committee will continue oversight conducted in the 114th
The Committee will continue to monitor implementation of the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act, Pub. L. 114-40, including transmission of the Commission's final report which is due in Fall 2017.
CYBERSECURITY
Under the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA), which
In
The Committee will also continue its oversight of federal agencies' policies and regulations affecting cybersecurity technologies and practices. This includes federal and state law enforcement policy towards the use of strong-encryption in and on information technology devices and applications.
Additionally, the Committee will examine the role and responsibility of the federal government in global internet governance, specifically regarding the effect of data protection laws on
After a year-long investigation into the data breaches at the
SECURITY CLEARANCES/NATIONAL BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS BUREAU
On
3White House, Press Release, The Way Forward for Federal Background Investigations (
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT
Federal agencies spent over
The Committee will review the federal government's IT acquisition and management policies to ensure that taxpayers are getting the maximum return for their money. The Committee will closely monitor the executive branch's efforts to stop IT projects that are not on target, streamline those that are wasteful, and work to ensure that inefficient legacy systems are decommissioned.
The Committee will conduct IT acquisition oversight and specifically monitor agencies' implementation of the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA). The Act provides an important tool to help agencies manage and acquire IT. As part of this oversight effort, the Committee will continue to issue FITARA Scorecards approximately every six months to assess agencies' implementation of the law. The Scorecard measures performance of FITARA-related activities, such as agencies efforts to assess risk in IT investments, IT budget savings, use of incremental development in software acquisition and consolidation of data centers.
The Committee will look broadly at ways technology can improve governmental processes. In particular, the Committee will focus on the need to transition from outdated legacy systems to newer and more efficient systems--such as those that utilize cloud computing and other technologies--to drive savings. The Committee will be reviewing the status of agency modernization efforts by continuing inquiries related to inventory of legacy IT systems and outdated and unsupported operating systems and software. In addition, the Committee will consider legislative options to incentivize agencies to modernize IT by allowing agencies to reinvest savings realized through modernization. The Committee will also continue to assess the progress of federal IT investments and shine light on underperforming programs and assets.
Changes in technology present government agencies with new possibilities and new challenges. The Committee will continue to monitor for agency misuse of technology and identify areas for improved oversight. For example, given the prominence of cloud computing in efforts to modernize federal IT systems, the Committee will continue its oversight of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) to ensure federal agencies are able to quickly adopt secure cloud based solutions.
The Committee will review the effect of federal IT mandates under laws such as the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), the E-Government Act of 2002, and the Clinger- Cohen Act. The Committee will seek input from government employees on the front lines of acquisition and implementation to determine whether these mandates have improved data security, public access, and IT enterprise planning, and at what cost.
The Committee will also closely follow the implementation of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act).
E-GOVERNMENT ACT
In the 115th
GSA programs to maintain, improve, and promote an integrated federal internet portal for public access to government information and services;
OMB coordinated program to develop and maintain a government-wide repository and website about federal government research and development;
GSA program to study best practices at community technology centers, to develop and disseminate online tutorials, and promote community technology centers generally;
GSA program to develop and maintain common protocols for geographic information systems;
OMB coordinated program to ensure government-wide information security; and
OMB,
The Committee will also consider:
Section 834, Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (expires
Section 832, Enhanced Transparency and Improved Risk Management (expires
Section 833, Portfolio Review (expires
PRIVACY IN A DIGITAL AGE
Technological innovations are supplying federal agencies with increasing information about the lives of individual citizens. The Committee will broadly investigate whether the protections provided by privacy laws and the Fourth Amendment are sufficient to protect an individual's privacy in the digital age, with an emphasis on access to geolocation data.
The
The increasing use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) presents concerns over the current regulations establishing authority over the airspace above a person's property. The Committee will examine the privacy and regulatory issues surrounding the intersection of UAS and airspace rights and law.
In 2016, OMB issued a memo to heads of executive departments and agencies to reassess the structure and resources of its privacy programs. The Committee will conduct oversight of federal agency chief privacy officers to assess the structure and resources of agencies' privacy programs.
The Committee will also examine and evaluate agency privacy and security practices to ensure protection of confidential data including personally identifiable information.
EMERGING TECHNOLOGY
The Committee, which is responsible for oversight across the government, is uniquely situated to bring together multiple federal agencies that have (or claim to have) regulatory authority over a particular field or technology. Generally, the Committee's goal is ensuring regulators do not place undue or impractical burdens on new technologies, such as conflicting or duplicative regulations.
The Committee will examine the 20th-century regulatory state and structure to identify potential ways of either adjusting or abandoning laws and regulations that are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective in the digital age.
The Committee will also examine specific new technologies and their potential benefits and risks, such as augmented reality, artificial intelligence, facial recognition, autonomous delivery vehicles, and quantum computing.
FEDERAL REGULATION AND THE REGULATORY PROCESS
While some federal regulations are necessary to effectively implement the laws that
The Committee will evaluate rulemakings to ensure that they do not exceed their authority and adhere to the requirements embodied in statutes. Regulators have an obligation to develop rules in an open and transparent manner and provide adequate time for the public to participate in a meaningful way. Therefore, the Committee will scrutinize practices not subject to typical rulemaking requirements, such as the issuance of guidance documents, interim final rulemakings, and settlement agreements, as well as local, state, and federal taxes, fines, fees, and penalties.
In addition, the Committee will focus on the role of the
Finally, the Committee will examine the effect of unfunded mandates on state and local governments and private entities, and explore ways to potentially enhance the effectiveness of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995.
HEALTH CARE AND ENTITLEMENTS
The Committee will identify waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government entitlement programs. The Committee will conduct oversight related to the budgetary and economic effect of America's entitlement programs as well as options that would increase choice, access, and quality in health care markets and lower the cost of health care. The Committee will also examine the increase in federal entitlement programs, with a focus on waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement within those programs.
The Committee will continue to conduct oversight of the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Specifically, the Committee will focus on bringing transparency to the federal government's increased role in health care markets, with a focus on determining the effect of policies on consumer choice and insurance premiums. The Committee will continue to closely examine regulations promulgated under new PPACA authorities, and other executive branch actions, to ensure that they are consistent with the text and intent of the law. The Committee will continue to review health care policy, procedures, and practices at the federal, state, and local level, in particular potential new policies that could change the PPACA. Specifically, the Committee will examine the potential effects of partial or complete PPACA repeal on the employer-sponsored insurance market, the individual and small group insurance markets, and other federal health care programs, including
The Committee will also conduct oversight of the
DRUG POLICY AND SAFETY
The Committee will continue to work toward the reauthorization of the
THE
As the authorizer of the
In
In
The Committee will consider reforms related to GAO's function of providing legal opinions to
Finally, the Committee will monitor implementation of GAO congressional protocols and propose revisions as appropriate.
FINANCIAL SECTOR AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
The Committee will conduct oversight of the financial sector, focusing on those regulatory agencies at the heart of the financial crisis and those agencies created, or that saw their powers expanded by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. The Committee will monitor financial regulators' management, technological initiatives, and rulemaking, with a view towards promoting capital formation, predictable and efficient markets, and investor and consumer protection.
The Committee will monitor the work of the
Key topics for oversight include the need for technology- driven transparency in financial regulatory filings so that markets can quickly digest crucial information, management, and communications challenges at key agencies, including the
The Committee will conduct oversight of
The Committee will conduct oversight of the
The Committee will continue to monitor the
The Committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
The Committee will continue to conduct oversight of the
The Committee will examine consumer protection efforts across the federal government. As a part of this oversight, the Committee will examine the regulatory and enforcement actions of the
INSPECTORS GENERAL
On
The Committee will continue to work closely with the inspectors general to ensure they have the tools needed to perform their important oversight work. With the new reporting requirements on unimplemented recommendations, the Committee intends to help inspectors general demand accountability from their respective agencies. The new reporting requirements will also allow the Committee to have better oversight of how the
The Committee will continue to encourage that inspector general vacancies be filled and work to highlight the importance of filling these positions.
As in previous congresses, the Committee will send a survey to all 70-plus inspectors general to obtain data on their operations.
WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION
The Committee will maintain its efforts related to the protection of whistleblowers in the federal government. This focus has widespread bipartisan support in
The Committee has legislative jurisdiction over federal workforce measures, including those to protect whistleblowers and prevent retaliation. In addition to legislation already passed out of the House this
The Committee is committed to encouraging a culture throughout the federal government of protecting whistleblowers, and will work to encourage best practices to prevent retaliation. To that end, the Committee will continue to work closely with OSC, the agency tasked with policing whistleblower retaliation in the federal government. The Committee will also work closely with
The Committee will continue to work directly with whistleblowers in the federal government, including those who make disclosures of waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement to the Committee. The Committee considers such disclosures an extremely important source for Congressional oversight, aiding the Committee's efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in the federal government. The Committee will continue to advance policies that protect federal employees' rights to communicate directly with
The Committee will examine directives restricting federal employees from communicating freely with
The mission of the
OSC's last reauthorization, passed in 2002, covered FY 2003 through FY 2007, and lapsed at the end of that period. In the 114th
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS
The Committee will continue its oversight and support of the
The Committee will also consider reauthorization of OGE, as well as substantive and procedural reforms to improve its effectiveness. OGE's statutory authorization lapsed in 2007, and it has asked the Committee to begin the reauthorization process.
FEDERAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
The Committee will examine federal financial management. This review will include compliance with financial management and accounting laws, as well as the security and reliability of federal financial systems. The Committee will also focus on agency efforts to reduce improper payments and achieve an unqualified audit opinion for the federal government.
Financial management reforms in 1990 required all federal agencies to conduct financial audits and for GAO to audit the consolidated financial statements of the federal government. To date, GAO has not been able to issue an audit opinion. In the 2016 statement which included the financial statements as of and for FY 2015 and FY 2016, GAO identified three reasons for not issuing an opinion: (1) the federal government cannot account for and reconcile intra-governmental financial activity between federal entities; (2) the
The size of
The Committee will also continue to investigate improper payments distributed by federal agencies. Under the 2002 Improper Payments Information Act (IPIA), federal agencies are required to annually review all programs and activities to identify those entities susceptible to significant improper payments. For FY 2015, improper payments totaled
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING
Controlling federal government contract spending is critically important. The federal government buys a wide variety of goods and services, from pens to sophisticated weapons systems to cybersecurity tools and services. In FY 2016, the federal government spent
The Committee will conduct oversight of agency contracting to ensure there is appropriate management of taxpayer funds and agencies are effectively using acquisition strategies to achieve policy goals. Such policy goals include effective deployment of cyber tools, timely processing of disability benefits, and accurate and timely provision of citizen services. Further, the Committee will conduct oversight that includes a focus on contract management and identify areas where the government has not effectively optimized commercial best practices. The Committee will also monitor the Administration's use of civil and criminal remedies to address wrongdoing and will promote transparency at the point of contract award and throughout the life cycle of federal contracts to prevent waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement.
The Committee will also focus on oversight of IT acquisition because far too many federal IT investments fail or incur cost overruns and schedule slippages and do not contribute to mission objectives. As a result of these failures in IT acquisition, the GAO designated "Improving the Management of IT Acquisitions and Operations" as high risk in
The Committee oversight and acquisition reform objectives will be focused on: (1) ensuring the federal government acquisition process reflects commercial best practices, to the extent practicable; (2) leveraging public and private sector capacity to provide goods and services efficiently; and (3) encouraging innovation and modernization of goods and services with streamlined contract processes and limited government- unique requirements.
SUSPENSION AND DEBARMENT
The federal government spends almost
GOVERNMENTAL REORGANIZATIONS
As required by House Rule X, clause 4(c)(1)(B), the Committee will continue to evaluate the effects of laws enacted to reorganize the legislative and executive branches of the Government.
GRANT REFORM
The Committee will continue to conduct oversight of federal grants, including grant programs and activities. The Committee will examine the efficiency, fairness, and transparency of the grant making process, and evaluate opportunities to reform and streamline the grant making process across the federal government. The Committee's review will extend to emergency and non-emergency grant making, including disaster grant making and processes employed to coordinate recovery between the federal government and states. The Committee will also examine
GOVERNMENT OF THE
The Committee will review the
METRO--
The Committee will continue its oversight of the
2020 DECENNIAL CENSUS
The cost of the decennial census has continued to rise decade after decade. For example, the total cost for the 2000 census was
42020 Census Operational Plan (Nov. 2015).
Notably, beginning in
NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND FEDERAL RECORDS
The Committee will continue its oversight and support of the
The Committee will examine the
The Committee will also examine the
THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE
As the authorizer of civil service rules under Title 5 of the United States Code, the Committee will conduct oversight to ensure the federal workforce is operating efficiently and effectively and as
In addition, as the nation nears the 40th anniversary of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95-454, the Committee will also undertake a comprehensive review of the civil service system reform. Modernizing the civil service system is critical to better serving the federal workforce and the American taxpayers it serves. The hiring process must be competitive, merit-based, technology-based, and conducted in a cost-effective manner. In addition, a review of the General Schedule and occupational families and job series should be conducted to determine whether and how it can be improved and overhauled to better entice talented young people into the government and reward high performers. The Committee will examine other areas for potential improvement, including the federal retirement system, skills gaps, accountability and removal processes, labor management, and reform of the Senior Executive Service (SES).
The
Since FY 2006,
The Committee will examine actions and plans
Additionally, the Committee will continue to examine the security of international mail coming into
HOMELAND SECURITY
The creation of the
The Committee will also review the issuance of visas and passports and the operations of
The Committee will conduct oversight of the federal government's emergency management capabilities to ensure that lessons learned from previous disasters--such as the need for improved planning and execution, communications operability, and coordination between all levels of government and within the federal government--are part of federal agency reform efforts.
The Committee will also conduct oversight of the
The Committee will conduct oversight of
The Committee will closely examine the effect of any federal action. The Committee will conduct oversight to ensure federal law upholds the
NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN OPERATIONS
The Committee's interagency jurisdiction allows for the examination of the effectiveness, efficiency, and cooperation of all
The Committee's oversight of
The Committee will identify ways to reform the interagency process and eliminate waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement among the various
The Committee will conduct oversight of
The Committee will evaluate
The Committee will continue oversight of the
The Committee will continue to oversee and assess the efforts of
The Committee will identify ways to eliminate waste and promote accountability and effectiveness in
TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The Committee will examine the country's aging infrastructure. It will address ways to modernize the way Americans move by reviewing the efficiency of national transportation and infrastructure projects and by identifying and preventing waste. Oversight in this area will include highway and airport redevelopment projects, and fixed rail system improvements.
Additionally, the Committee will examine high speed rail developments and concepts throughout the country, as well as overseas, to help determine the most feasible and cost- effective way to improve mass transit.
The Committee will also consider the role technology plays in advancing commercial and private travel. Oversight in this area will include looking into laws, regulations, and policies related to unmanned aerial vehicles and self-driving cars, for example. The Committee will also examine the status of our nation's merchant marine, including the current condition of the ocean-going fleet in the foreign trade.
TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND SECURITY
The Committee will continue its oversight of the
ENERGY
This will include looking at the treatment of advanced production techniques, such as hydraulic fracturing, that have led to this boon. In addition, the Committee will examine the transportation infrastructure used for these supplies, such as oil and gas pipelines and coal export facilities. Insufficient capacity has led to bottlenecks, forcing producers to transport domestic oil and gas by inefficient means, such as rail and truck. The Committee will examine the pipeline permitting process, which involves agencies as varied as the
The Committee will also continue its broad investigation of the
ENVIRONMENT
The Committee will continue to take an active role in overseeing the
The Committee will carry on its oversight of the
Additionally, the Committee will continue to monitor the
PUBLIC LANDS & PUBLIC LAND AGENCIES
The federal government owns roughly 28 percent of the 2.27 billion acres of land in
As part of this oversight of land management, the Committee will examine opportunities for reform of the Antiquities Act of 1906. The Committee will consider options to increase local and state authority in the monument designation process. The Committee will also review the suitability and selection procedure for previous designations.
The Committee will also continue oversight of the
The Committee will also generally review the public land agencies' permitting and leasing programs to ensure fair application and that federal lands are open to multiple uses. This will focus on energy leasing projects, recreational permits, and the commercial permitting process.
Additionally, the Committee will conduct further examination of the
FEDERAL REAL PROPERTY
The Committee will oversee implementation of the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016, Pub. L. 114-287, which was enacted on
The Committee will also work to oversee implementation of the Federal Property Management Reform Act of 2016, Pub. L. 114-318, which codifies the
PUBLIC HOUSING
The Committee will examine overall costs associated with public housing throughout the country and territories, as well as the significant unmet need for public housing in
STATE AND LOCAL AFFAIRS
The Committee will conduct oversight of the relationship between the federal government and states and municipalities, as required by House Rule X, clause 4 (c)(1)(C). Key issues involve unfunded mandates, grants, and consultation with state and local governments in the federal policy- and rule-making process. The Committee will evaluate how the federal government collects and utilizes information from the state and local level to improve the routine consideration of specialized knowledge, interests, and input of stakeholders.
The Committee will seek to reauthorize the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), which was designed to eliminate the imposition of unfunded federal mandates on state and local governments and strengthen the partnership between the federal government and state, local, and tribal governments. The law directs the
The Committee will look to reauthorize the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) to address the increasing administrative burden of compliance with federal paperwork and regulatory requirements. The PRA governs the process of information collection and management by the federal government, and provides the public with the opportunity to comment on information collections. To facilitate this review and the reduction of the information collection burden, the PRA created the
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Trafficking in persons, or human trafficking, is a multi- billion dollar criminal industry that victimizes millions of people annually--both at home and abroad. In the 115th
FEDERAL TAX ACCOUNTABILITY
In Fiscal Year 2016, the federal government spent
FEDERAL FIREARMS
The Committee will continue oversight of federal firearms and ammunition inventory accounting and security. In recent years, a number of media reports highlighted instances whereby federal agencies lost firearms or failed to accurately secure them against theft or loss. The Committee will continue to review agency inventory accounting practices, and to hold accountable agencies that inadequately protect their firearms and ammunition inventories. The Committee will also review agency firearms, munitions, and related equipment purchasing. During the 114th
RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD DISABILITY FRAUD
The Committee will continue to investigate the disability program at the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) for potential fraud. The Committee will also work to ensure the RRB is implementing recommendations set forth by its
Continues with Part 15 of 19
House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Issues Report on Authorization, Oversight Plans for All House Committees (Part 16 of 19)
House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Issues Report on Authorization, Oversight Plans for All House Committees (Part 6 of 19)
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