SA 3663. Mr. VITTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3500 proposed by Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Baucus, and Mr. Grassley) to the bill H.R. 2419, to provide for the continuation of agricultural programs through fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle F of title VII, add the following:
SEC. 75__. MODIFICATIONS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall not implement any modification that reduces the availability or provision of information technology service, or administrative management control of that service, including data or center service agency, functions, and personnel at the National Finance Center and the National Information Technology Center service locations, until the date on which the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry of the Senate receive a written determination and report from the Chief Financial Officer or Chief Information Officer of the Department of Agriculture and the Secretary that states that the implementation of the modification is in the best interests of the Department of Agriculture.
(b) Report on Proposed Modifications.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, and the Comptroller General a report on any proposed modification to reduce the availability or provision of any information technology service, or administrative management control of such a service, including data or center
service agency, functions, and personnel at the National Finance Center and National Technology Center service locations, that includes--
(1) a business case analysis (including of the near- and long-term costs and benefits to the Department of Agriculture and all other Federal agencies and departments that benefit from services provided by the National Finance Center and the National Information Technology Center service locations) of the proposed modifications, as compared with maintaining administrative management control or information technology service functions and personnel in the existing structure and at present locations;
and
(2) an analysis of the impact of any changes in that administrative management control or information technology service (including data or center service agency, functions, and personnel) on the ability of the National Finance Center and National Information Technology Center service locations to provide, in the near- and long-term, to all Federal agencies and departments, cost-effective, secure, efficient, and interoperable--
(A) information technology services;
(B) cross-servicing;
(C) e-payroll services; and
(D) human resource line-of-business services.
(c) Assessment.--Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Comptroller General receives the report submitted under subsection (b), the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a detailed written assessment of the report that includes an analysis (including of near- and long-term cost benefits and impacts) of the alternatives available to all Federal
agencies and departments to acquire cost-effective, secure, efficient, and interoperable information technology, cross-servicing, e-payroll, and human resource line-of-business services.
(d) Operating Reserve.--
(1) IN GENERAL.--Of annual income amounts in the working capital fund of the Department of Agriculture allocated for the National Finance Center, the Secretary may reserve not more than 4 percent--
(A) for the replacement or acquisition of capital equipment, including equipment for--
(i) the improvement and implementation of a financial management plan;
(ii) information technology; and
(iii) other systems of the National Finance Center; or
(B) to pay any unforeseen, extraordinary costs of the National Finance Center.
(2) AVAILABILITY FOR OBLIGATION.--
(A) IN GENERAL.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B), none of the amounts reserved under paragraph (1) shall be available for obligation unless the Secretary submits notification of the obligation to--
(i) the Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and
(ii) the Committees on Appropriations and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
(B) EXCEPTION.--The limitation described in subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any obligation that, as determined by the Secretary, is necessary--
(i) to respond to a declared state of emergency that significantly impacts the operations of the National Finance Center; or
(ii) to evacuate employees of the National Finance Center to a safe haven to continue operations of the National Finance Center.


(As printed in the Congressional Record for the Senate on Nov 14, 2007.)