Department of Homeland Security Financial Accountability Act
Public Law 108-330 · H.R. 4259 · 108th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Oct 16, 2004 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA-19)
Cosponsors (6): Rep. Tom Davis, Rep. Henry Waxman,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Department of Homeland Security Financial Accountability Act - (Sec. 3) Amends the Chief Financial Officer Act of 1990 and the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the President to appoint a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who is to report directly to the Secretary of DHS and to the Under Secretary for Management.
Removes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from the list of agencies required to have a CFO.
(Sec. 4) Amends the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000 to instruct the Secretary of DHS to: (1) submit a specified performance and accountability report, including an audit opinion of DHS internal controls over its financial reporting; and (3) design and implement DHS-wide management controls that reflect the national homeland security strategy of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, and that permit assessment by Congress and DHS managers of DHS performance in executing such strategy.
Requires performance and accountability reports for fiscal years after 2005 to include an assertion of the internal controls that apply to financial reporting by the DHS.
(Sec. 5) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Future Years Homeland Security Program to: (1) include the same type of information, organizational structure, and level of detail as a certain future years defense program; (2) set forth the homeland security strategy that was used to develop program planning guidance for the Program; and (3) include an explanation of how the resource allocations included in the Program correlate to homeland security strategy.
(Sec. 6) Instructs the Secretary to establish an Office of Program Analysis and Evaluation. Creates the position of Director of Program Analysis and Evaluation.
(Sec. 7) Requires the CFO of DHS to notify simultaneously specified congressional committees whenever appropriations earmarked for DHS are either transferred or reprogrammed.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 2886Related bill
Department of Homeland Security Financial Accountability Act
S. 1567Related bill
Department of Homeland Security Financial Accountability Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.
- Oct 16, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-330.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 5, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 30, 2004FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 29, 2004FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Sep 7, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
- Jul 21, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate.
- Jul 20, 2004FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4259.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Platts moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jun 9, 2004CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 307.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security (Select) discharged.
- CommitteeCommittee · House Committee on Homeland Security (Select) Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than June 9, 2004.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Government Reform. H. Rept. 108-533, Part I.
- May 6, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 4, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security (Select), for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.