Bill Tracker

Bill Tracker: 117th Congress-First Session (2022)

NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

H.R. 21 FedRAMP Authorization Act, Connolly (D-VA) SUMMARY Would codify the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program within the General Services Administration and make certain changes designed to enable the government to better leverage cloud computing services. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 1/5/21. Related bill: S. 3099.

H.R. 22 Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act, Quigley (D-IL) SUMMARY Would require federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget to make certain budget justification materials publicly available. STATUS Passed the House (412-2) on 1/5/21. Related bill: S.272.

H.R. 26 Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act, Comer (R-KY) SUMMARY Would prohibit the federal government from using reverse auctions for complex, specialized, or substantial design and construction services. STATUS Signed into law on 7/26/21; P.L. 117-28.

H.R. 367 Homeland Security Acquisition Professional Career Program Act, Titus (D-NV) SUMMARY Would establish an acquisition professional career program to develop a cadre of acquisition professionals in the Department of Homeland Security. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 4/20/21. Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/24/22

H.R. 408 Department of Homeland Security Mentor-Protege Program Act, McEachin (D-VA) SUMMARY Would codify the Mentor-Protégé Program of the Department of Homeland Security. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 4/20/21. Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 7/14/21. H.R. 916 Rebalance for an Effective Defense Uniform and Civilian Employees (REDUCE) Act, Calvert (R-CA) SUMMARY Would reduce the Department of Defense civilian workforce by 15% by Fiscal Year 2025. STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services on 2/8/21. H.R. 978 Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act, Connolly (D-VA) SUMMARY Would require federal agencies to develop and disclose safety plans that contain certain information for on-site employees and contractors during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 5/13/22. Related bill: S.2343.

H.R. 1251 Cyber Diplomacy Act, McCaul (R-TX) SUMMARY Would create a Bureau of International Cyberspace Policy at the Department of State, led by an ambassador with the same rank and status as an assistant secretary of state. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 4/20/21.

H.R. 1319 American Rescue Plan Act, Yarmuth (D-KY) SUMMARY Provides supplemental appropriations to address the continued impact of COVID-19 on the economy, public health, state and local governments, individuals, and businesses. Among other provisions, the law includes $1 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund and an extension of CARES Act Section 3610. STATUS Signed into law on 03/11/21; P.L. 117-2.

NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

H.R. 1602 Eliminate Barriers to Innovation Act, McHenry (R-NC) SUMMARY Would establish the ‘SEC and CFTC Working Group on Digital Assets’ to analyze and report on the legal and regulatory framework in the United States for digital assets and make recommendations for improvement. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 4/20/21.

H.R. 1833 DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act, Katko (R-NY) SUMMARY Would designate the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as responsible for maintaining capabilities to identify and mitigate cyber threats to industrial control systems. STATUS Passed the House on 7/20/21. Text included in the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 117-81).

H.R. 2471 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Jefferies (D-NY) SUMMARY Provides funding for federal agencies for the remainder of FY22 and included new cybersecurity reporting requirements, Ukraine-related spending and the text of the Intelligence Authorization Act. STATUS Signed into law on 3/15/22, 117-103. H.R. 2485 Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Quigley (D-IL) SUMMARY Would require the Government Publishing Office to establish and maintain a publicly available online portal containing copies of all congressionally mandated reports. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 7/26/21. Related Bill: S.2838.

H.R. 2617 Performance Enhancement Reform Act, Connolly (D-VA) SUMMARY Would require agencies’ chief performance officers to now include the chief human capital officer, the chief information officer, the chief data officer, and the chief financial officer when preparing the annual performance plans. STATUS Passed the House (414-10) on 9/28/21. Ordered to be reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 11/3/21.

H.R. 2685 Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act, Eshoo (D-CA) SUMMARY Would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to report to Congress on the cybersecurity of existing wireless networks (2G, 3G, and 4G) and vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and surveillance by adversaries. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce on 7/21/21. Passed the House (404-19) on 12/1/21. H.R. 2915 Homeland Procurement Reform (HOPR) Act, Correa (D-CA) SUMMARY Would require the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to procure one-third of items for a frontline operational component from small businesses to the maximum extent possible. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 11/16/21. Related bill: S.1009.

H.R. 3264 Domains Critical to Homeland Security Act, Katko (R-NY) SUMMARY Would require the Department of Homeland Security to undertake research and development to identify and evaluate the extent to which critical domain risks within the United States supply chain pose a substantial threat to homeland security. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 7/20/21. H.R. 3350 Small-business Procurement Utilization Reform (SPUR) Act, Neguse (D-CO) SUMMARY Would increase the governmentwide goal for the percentage of procurement contracts awarded to small business concerns. STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Small Business on 5/19/21.

NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

H.R. 3919 Secure Equipment Act, Scalise (R-LA) SUMMARY Would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from approving any authorization application for certain Chinese telecommunications equipment. STATUS Signed into law on 11/11/21; P.L. 117-55. Related bill: S.1790 H.R. 4042 Aviation Funding Stability Act, DeFazio (R-OR) SUMMARY Would exempt the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from federal shutdowns by giving the FAA access to non-appropriated funds. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure on 10/27/21. H.R. 4350 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Smith (D-WA) SUMMARY Would authorize appropriations and policy for Fiscal Year 2022 for the Department of Defense. STATUS Passed the House on 9/23/21. Related bill: S.1605.

H.R. 4357 The DHS Reform Act, Thompson (D-MS) SUMMARY Would make reforms to the Department of Homeland Security mission and management, including making changes to the workforce and the department’s acquisition authorities. STATUS Referred to the Committees on Homeland Security; Judiciary; and Transportation and Infrastructure on 7/6/21.

H.R. 4363 DHS Contract Reporting Act, Harshbarger (R-TN) SUMMARY Would require daily public reporting by the Department of Homeland Security for contract awards over $4 million. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 9/29/21. Reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 6/9/22.

H.R. 4363 DHS Contract Reporting Act, Harshbarger (R-TN) SUMMARY Would require daily public reporting by the Department of Homeland Security for contract awards over $4 million. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 9/29/21. Reported by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 6/9/22.

H.R. 4445 Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, Bustos (D-IL) SUMMARY Prohibits the use of clauses in employment contracts that would require forced arbitration for victims of sexual assault and harassment. STATUS Signed into law on 3/3/22, P.L. 117-90.

H.R. 4521 America COMPETES Act, Johnson (D-TX) SUMMARY Would reform federal agencies policies and procedures with the intent of enhancing U.S. competitiveness with China. STATUS Passed the House by a 222-210 on 2/4/22. Related Bill: S.1260. H.R. 4682 Unmanned Aerial Security (UAS) Act, Guest (R-MS) SUMMARY Would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from operating, financing, or procuring unmanned aircraft systems that are manufactured in China. STATUS Passed the House (voice vote) on 9/29/21. H.R. 5104 Just In Case Act, Wittman (R-VA) SUMMARY Would provide DoD with the authorities to pay certain contractor expenses during pandemics and other emergencies. STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services on 8/24/21.

Bill Tracker: 117th Congress-First Session (2022)

NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

H.R. 5305 Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, DeLauro (D-CT) SUMMARY Provides for a continuing resolution for federal agencies and provides disaster relief and supplemental appropriations for Afghanistan related accounts. STATUS Signed into law on 9/30/21; P.L. 117-43. H.R. 5325 End Government Shutdowns Act, Balderson (R-OH) SUMMARY Would provide continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if appropriations bills or a continuing resolution have not been enacted. The bill would reduce the appropriations by 1% after the first 120-day period and by an additional 1% for each subsequent 90-day period until appropriations legislation is enacted. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Appropriations on 9/22/21. Related bill: S.2760. H.R. 5440 Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, Clark (D-NY) SUMMARY Would establish the Cyber Incident Review Office in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and require certain critical infrastructure owners and operators to report cyber incidents. STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security on 9/30/21. H.R. 5411 Governing Effectively, with Transparency, Integrity, and Timeliness, and Doing Our Necessary Expenditures Act (or the GET IT DONE Act), Johnson (R-SD) SUMMARY Would hold the salaries of certain government officials and prohibit travel if each of the regular appropriations bills for a fiscal year prior is not enacted into law by the beginning of the fiscal year. STATUS Referred to the Committees on Appropriations, Oversight and Reform, House Administration, Rules, and the Budget on 9/29/21. H.R. 5415 Debt Ceiling Reform Act, Boyle (D-PA) SUMMARY Would authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to increase the public debt limit without Congressional action. STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means on 9/29/21. H.R. 5412 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Schiff (D-CA) SUMMARY Would authorize appropriations for the Intelligence Community’s programs for Fiscal Year 2022 and includes policy provisions that impact the Intelligence Community’s contractor workforce. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on 9/29/21. Related bill: S. 2610.

H.R. 5495 Building Resilient Supply Chains Act, Malinowski (D-NJ) SUMMARY Would create a Supply Chain Resiliency and Crisis Response Office in the Department of Commerce and authorizes funding to develop, diversify, and expand supply chains and the domestic manufacturing of critical goods and services. STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on 10/5/21. H.R. 5501 Ransom Disclosure Act, Ross (D-NC) SUMMARY Would require certain public and private entities to disclose ransom payments to the Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours and directs the department to make that information publicly available annually. STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on 10/5/21. Related Bill S. 2943. H.R. 5658 DHS Roles and Responsibilities in Cyber Space Act, Bacon (R-NE) SUMMARY Would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress on the cybersecurity roles and responsibilities of the DHS components. STATUS Passed the House (313-105) on 5/16/22.

Bill Tracker: 117th Congress-First Session (2022)

NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

H.R. 6256 To ensure that goods made with forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China do not enter the United States market, and for

other purposes., McGovern (D-MA)

SUMMARY Would impose importation limits on goods produced using forced labor in China, especially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and imposes sanctions related to such forced labor. STATUS Signed into law on 12/23/21; P.L. 117-78.

H.R. 6497 Federal Information Security Modernization Act, Maloney (D-NY) SUMMARY Would make changes to the government’s cybersecurity authorities, policies, and roles and responsibilities. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Oversight and Reform on 2/2/22. Related bill: S.3600.

H.R. 6724 Debt Ceiling Reform Act, Boyle (D-PA) SUMMARY Would allow for future debt ceiling increases unless Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval and lays out procedures for its consideration. STATUS Referred to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Rules on 2/15/22. Related bill: S. 3654.

H.R. 6861 Reducing Costs of DHS Acquisitions Act, Clay (R-GA) SUMMARY Would require program managers to report cost or performance breaches for major acquisition programs and provide plans for remedial actions. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security on 3/2/22.

H.R. 6871 DHS Acquisition Reform Act, LaTurner (R-KS) SUMMARY Would changes the acquisition-related roles and authorities of the undersecretary for management and other DHS officials. STATUS Passed the House (398-15) on 5/17/22.

H.R. 7164 CFO Vision Act, Maloney (D-NY) SUMMARY Would update the 1990 Chief Financial Officers Act to standardize the responsibilities for and authorities of agencies’ Chief Financial Officers and revise requirements for financial management planning. STATUS Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 3/18/22.

H.R. 7299 Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act, Mrvan (D-IN) SUMMARY Would require an independent entity to conduct a cybersecurity assessment of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ information systems, and their efficacy and submit a plan to Congress to address their findings. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on 3/30/22. Related Bill: S. 3863.

H.R. 7900 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Smith (D-WA) SUMMARY Would authorize appropriations and policy for Fiscal Year 2023 for the Department of Defense. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Armed Services on 6/23/22.

S. 73 American Security Drone Act, Scott (R-FL)

SUMMARY Would ban the procurement or use by the federal government of unmanned aircraft systems that are manufactured or assembled by certain entities, including entities subject to influence or control by China.

STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/12/21.

Bill Tracker: 117th Congress-First Session (2022)

NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

S. 272 Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act, Peters (D-MI)

SUMMARY Would require federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget to make certain budget justification materials publicly available. STATUS Signed into law on 09/24/21; P.L. 117-23. Related bill: H.R.22.

S. 583 Promoting Rigorous and Innovative Cost Efficiencies for Federal Procurement and Acquisitions (PRICE) Act, Peters (D-MI)

SUMMARY Would require annual reports on the Department of Homeland Security’s Procurement Innovation Lab and would further establish a council to examine best practices for acquisition innovation in contracting in the federal government, including small business contracting. STATUS Signed into law on 2/22/22, P.L. 117-88.

S. 636 Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act, Ernst (R-IA)

SUMMARY Would require federal agencies to report annually on certain projects that are either more than five years behind schedule, or $1 billion over budget. STATUS Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/10/21.

S. 671 Federal Agency Customer Experience Act, Hassan (D-NH) SUMMARY Would require certain agencies to collect and publish voluntary feedback on customer service and require the Government Accountability Office to report on agencies’ use of the data to improve service delivery. STATUS Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 7/19/21.

S. 731 Department of Veterans Affairs Information Technology Reform Act, Tester (D-MT) SUMMARY Would improve the management of information technology projects and investments of the Department of Veterans Affairs. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on 12/15/21.

S. 732 BuyAmerican.gov Act, Portman (R-OH) SUMMARY Would direct the President and specified federal agencies to take steps to increase transparency and limit the use of waivers of Buy American laws. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/12/21. S. 1009 Homeland Procurement Reform (HOPR) Act, Shaheen (D-NH) SUMMARY Would require the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to procure one-third of items for a frontline operational component from small businesses to the maximum extent possible. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 7/14/21. Related bill: H.R. 2915.

S. 1231 Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Technical Corrections Act, Portman (R-OH) SUMMARY Would prohibit the federal government from using reverse auctions for complex, specialized, or substantial design and construction services. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 4/20/21. Related bill: H.R.26.

S. 1260 United States Innovation and Competition Act, Schumer (D-NY) SUMMARY Would create a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation at the National Science Foundation focused on basic research, commercialization, and innovation related to key technology areas with geostrategic implications for the United States, among other provisions. STATUS Passed the Senate on 6/8/21. Related Bill: H.R.4521.

Bill Tracker: 117th Congress-First Session (2022)

NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

S. 1303 Build America, Buy America Act, Brown (D-OH) SUMMARY Would require federal agencies to identify each infrastructure program and ensure that certain materials for those projects are produced in the United States. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/12/21. Text included in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).

S. 1306 Make PPE in America Act, Portman (R-OH) SUMMARY Would provide for domestic sourcing of personal protective equipment. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/12/21. Text included in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58). Related bill: H.R. 2720.

S. 1316 Cyber Response and Recovery Act of 2021, Peters (D-MI) SUMMARY Would authorize a Cyber Recovery and Response Fund for the Secretary of Homeland Security to utilize in response to certain designated cyber incidents. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/12/21. Text included in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).

S. 1419 Protecting Critical Boards and Electronics Through Transparency and Enduring Reinvestment

(PCBETTER) Act, Hawley (R-MO)

SUMMARY Would establish an “Electronics Supply Chain Fund” for the construction, expansion, or modernization of facilities to develop or manufacture semiconductors, microelectronics, advanced electronic packaging, and printed circuit boards. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Armed Services on 4/28/21.

S. 1605 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Scott (R-FL) SUMMARY Authorizes funding and policies for Department of Defense activities and programs for FY2022. STATUS Signed into law on 12/27/21; P.L. 117-81.

S. 2201 Supply Chain Security Training Act, Peters (D-MI) SUMMARY Would require the Administrator of General Services to develop a training program for officials with supply chain risk management responsibilities at executive agencies. STATUS Passed the Senate on 1/11/22.

S. 2343 Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act, Warner (D-VA) SUMMARY Would require federal agencies to develop and disclose safety plans that contain certain information for on-site employees and contractors during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on 7/19/21. Related bill: H.R. 978.

S. 2407 Cyber Incident Notification Act, Warner (D-VA) SUMMARY Would require federal agencies, government contractors, and critical infrastructure owners and operators to report cyber intrusions within 24 hours of their discovery. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 7/21/21. Text included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, P.L. 117-103.

S. 2428 False Claims Amendments Act, Grassley (R-IA) SUMMARY Would overrule the Supreme Court’s decision in Universal Health Services, Inc. v. United States, which held a lawsuit could fail for lack of materiality if an agency continued to pay a contractor despite fraudulent conduct. STATUS Reported by the Committee on the Judiciary on 11/16/21.

Bill Tracker: 117th Congress-First Session (2022)

NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

S. 2439 DHS Industrial Control Systems Capabilities Enhancement Act, Peters (D-MI) SUMMARY Would designate the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency as responsible for maintaining capabilities to identify and mitigate cyber threats to industrial control systems. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Related bill: H.R.1833. Text included in the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 117-81). S. 2525 Domains Critical to Homeland Security Act, Portman (R-OH) SUMMARY Would require the Department of Homeland Security to undertake research and development to identify and evaluate the extent to which critical domain risks within the United States supply chain pose a substantial threat to homeland security. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 8/4/21. Related bill: H.R.3264. Text included in the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 117-81).

S. 2610 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Warner (D-VA) SUMMARY Would authorize appropriations for the Intelligence Community’s programs for Fiscal Year 2022 and includes policy provisions that impact the Intelligence Community’s contractor workforce. STATUS Reported by the Select Committee on Intelligence on 8/10/21. Related bill: H.R.5412. Text included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, P.L. 117-103. S. 2727 Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, Lankford (R-OK) SUMMARY Would automatically approve a continuing resolution upon a lapse in appropriations every two weeks and withhold funding for certain activities until appropriations are enacted. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 9/14/21. S. 2760 End Government Shutdowns Act, Portman (R-OH) SUMMARY Would provide continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if appropriations bills or a continuing resolution has not been enacted. The bill would reduce the appropriations by 1% after the first 120-day period and by an additional 1% for each subsequent 90-day period until appropriations legislation is enacted. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Appropriations on 9/20/21. Related bill: H.R.5325

S. 2792 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Reed (D-RI) SUMMARY Would authorize appropriations and policy for Fiscal Year 2022 for the Department of Defense. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Armed Services Committee on 9/22/21. Related bill: S.1605.

S. 2792 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Reed (D-RI) SUMMARY Would authorize appropriations and policy for Fiscal Year 2022 for the Department of Defense. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Armed Services Committee on 9/22/21. Related bill: S.1605.

S. 2838 Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, Portman (R-OH) SUMMARY Would require the Government Publishing Office to establish and maintain a publicly available online portal containing copies of all congressionally mandated reports. STATUS Reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/5/22. Related bill: H.R.2485.

S. 2892 Stop the Shutdowns Transferring Unnecessary Pain and Inflicting Damage In The Coming Years (Stop STUPIDITY) Act, Warner (D-VA) SUMMARY Would automatically renew funding for federal departments and agencies, at the previous year’s funding levels, in the event of a future lapse in appropriations, with the exceptions of the legislative branch and the Executive Office of the President. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Appropriations on 9/29/21.

Bill Tracker: 117th Congress-First Session (2022) NEW NEW Newly introduced since last issue Major action taken since last issue Bill became law since last issue

S. 3341 VA Electronic Health Record Transparency Act, Moran (R-KS) SUMMARY Would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to report on the costs of its Electronic Health Record Modernization Program, including by describing all expenses driven by the program. STATUS Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on 12/8/21.

S. 3408 Federal Cloud Risk Management Improvements Act, Ossoff (D-GA) SUMMARY Would require GSA to issue a report on security of data stored or processed by cloud service providers. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 12/15/21. S. 3578 Slave-Free Business Certification Act, Hawley (R-MO) SUMMARY Would require companies to annually audit their supply chains for forced labor practices or human trafficking activities and publish reports on their policies to prevent the use of forced labor. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on 2/3/22.

S. 3600 Strengthening American Cybersecurity Act, Peters (D-MI) SUMMARY Would make changes to the government’s cybersecurity authorities, policies, and roles and responsibilities; include new reporting requirements for cyber breaches for critical infrastructure; and authorize the FedRAMP program. STATUS Passed the Senate on 3/1/22. Related bill: H.R.6497. .

S. 3654 The Debt Ceiling Reform Act, Durbin (D-IL) SUMMARY Would allow for future debt ceiling increases unless Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval and lays out procedures for its consideration. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Finance on 2/15/22. Related bill: H.R.6724.

S. 3863 Strengthening VA Cybersecurity Act, Rosen (D-NV) SUMMARY Would require an independent entity to conduct a cybersecurity assessment of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ information systems, and their efficacy and submit a plan to Congress to address their findings. STATUS Referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on 3/17/22. Related Bill H.R. 7299.

S. 3890 Improving Intergovernmental Cooperation and Reducing Duplication Act, Peters (D-MI) SUMMARY Would require updates to the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act intended to improve cooperation between the Federal Government and State, local, territorial, and Tribal governments STATUS Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 3/22/22.

S. 3897 Legacy IT Reduction Act, Hassan (D-NH) SUMMARY Would require federal agencies to compile an inventory of each legacy information technology system and submit modernization plans to Congress. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 3/30/22.

S. 3905 Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act, Peters (D-MI) SUMMARY Would require the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to review the sufficiency of current organizational Conflict of Interest regulations and propose changes. STATUS Ordered to be reported by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on 5/25/22.

ME&A Assists USAID Celebrate 50-Year Partnership with Bangladesh at Portfolio Review

by Monica Jerbi, ME&A Communications Manager

To assist USAID/Bangladesh in generating and applying continuous learning across its portfolio, the ME&A-led USAID Bangladesh Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (BMEL) Activity recently put on a two-day portfolio review event for more than 100 officials from USAID and the Government of Bangladesh (GOB). Portfolio reviews enhance strategic collaboration with host countries, advance data-informed decisions and policies, strengthen knowledge transfer among staff and partners, and ensure lessons learned and changes in a Mission’s internal and external environments are reflected in programming.

The event, held on March 30 and 31, 2022, in the Lakeshore Hotel in Dhaka, also coincided with the celebration of USAID’s 50th anniversary in Bangladesh, making the review an opportunity to celebrate some of the long-term impacts that USAID’s partnership with the GOB has achieved. It also enabled USAID/Bangladesh to share information about the Country Development Cooperation Strategy (CDCS) 2020-2025 and allow USAID and GOB counterparts to assess progress and results achieved and discuss challenges ahead.

As part of BMEL’s broader mandate to provide USAID/ Bangladesh with learning and knowledge management support services, ME&A handled all the portfolio review event’s logistics and facilitation as well as drafted a portfolio review report summarizing the event’s key takeaways for USAID. BMEL, implemented from Dhaka, is a $9.4 million USAID contract enabling USAID/Bangladesh to collect and use relevant data to achieve Mission development objectives, forward evidencebased programmatic decision-making, and enhance the capacity of Mission staff members in learning and knowledge management. Under BMEL, ME&A has completed: • More than a dozen performance evaluations of USAIDfunded activities/programs in Bangladesh. • Conducted nationwide sectoral assessments in multiple sectors, including rule of law and justice, labor, media, and natural resources management. • Conducted extensive third-party monitoring for the Mission, including 110 direct site visits in 11 districts in Bangladesh covering the democracy, human rights and governance, economic growth, and health sectors. This third-party monitoring resulted in 273 recommendations for the improvement of USAID-funded activities in Bangladesh to date. 3

From left to right: Mison Barua, ME&A/BMEL Finance and Operations Director; Saiful Islam, Lakeshore Hotel Manager; Dora Plavetic, USAID/Bangladesh; Nazrul Islam, ME&A/BMEL Deputy Chief of Party/Monitoring Team Lead; Margaret-Ann Haywood.

More than 100 officials from USAID and the Government of Bangladesh attended a portfolio review event in Dhaka also celebrating USAID’s 50th anniversary in Bangladesh.