§563b Acquisition Baseline Establishment and Reports

Summary

Require the Department to set and write down clear baseline requirements before buying any security-related technology. Those baselines must give estimated costs (including lifecycle costs), a schedule, and performance milestones; list risks and how to reduce them; and say what staff are needed to run and support the project. The acquisition official must check that the milestones are technologically possible, working with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology. The Administrator, also with the Under Secretary, must create a test and evaluation plan that explains how the technology will be tested (lab, field, modeling, simulation, and analysis), sets a timely test schedule, and, if passengers will use the tech, shows how to measure passenger acceptance. For high-priority needs listed in the most recent Plan, independent reviewers must verify the milestones and costs, but their work must not cause undue delays. The Administrator must also make it easy for interested vendors to get the baseline and test plans they need to take part. After an acquisition starts, the acquisition official must review whether it meets the baseline. The review must check that planned testing was done and that test results show the milestones are feasible. If the review finds that costs exceed the baseline by more than 10 percent, delivery is delayed by more than 180 days, or a performance milestone that matters for security failed, the Administrator must report to the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee within 30 days. The report must show the assessment results, explain the cause, and give a plan to fix the problem.