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Program Management Improvement Accountability Act

Public Law 114-264 · S. 1550 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 14, 2016 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA)

Cosponsors (2): Sen. Heidi Heitkamp,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 404 yea, 11 nay404–11
  • 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.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Program Management Improvement Accountability Act

(Sec. 2) This bill establishes as additional functions of the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requirements to:

• adopt and oversee implementation of government-wide standards, policies, and guidelines for program and project management for executive agencies;

• chair the Program Management Policy Council (established by this Act);

• establish standards and policies for executive agencies consistent with widely accepted standards for program and project management planning and delivery;

• engage with the private sector to identify best practices in program and project management that would improve federal program and project management;

• conduct portfolio reviews to address programs identified as high risk by the Government Accountability Office (GAO);

• conduct portfolio reviews of agency programs at least annually to assess the quality and effectiveness of program management; and

• establish a five-year strategic plan for program and project management.

The bill exempts the Department of Defense (DOD) from such provisions to the extent that they are substantially similar to: (1) federal provisions governing the defense acquisition workforce; or (2) policy, guidance, or instruction of DOD related to program management.

The head of each federal agency that is required to have a Chief Financial Officer shall designate a Program Management Improvement Officer to implement agency program management policies and develop a strategy for enhancing the role of program managers within the agency. The OMB must submit a report containing such strategy within one year after enactment of this bill. The Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics shall be considered the Program Management Improvement Officer for DOD.

The Program Management Policy Council is established within OMB to act as the principal interagency forum for improving agency practices related to program and project management.

The Office of Personnel Management must issue regulations that: (1) identify key skills and competencies needed for an agency program and project manager, (2) establish a new job series or update and improve an existing job series for program and project management within an agency, and (3) establish a new career path for program and project managers.

The GAO must issue a report within three years of enactment, in conjunction with its high risk list, examining the effectiveness of the following (as required or established under this Act) on improving federal program and project management:

• the standards, policies, and guidelines for program and project management;

• the strategic plan;

• Program Management Improvement Officers; and

• the Program Management Policy Council.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 114th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 404 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

404 yea11 nay16 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(177)

Republicans who voted yea(227)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1250 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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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.

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Related bills

2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 2144Related bill

    Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015

  • S. 2943 · became Public Law 114-328Related bill

    National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017

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.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 30 actions.

  1. Dec 14, 2016Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-264.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 5, 2016FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 1, 2016FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Nov 30, 2016Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.
  6. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  7. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to House amendment to Senate bill by Unanimous Consent.
  8. Sep 26, 2016FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
  9. Sep 22, 2016FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  10. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 404 - 11 (Roll no. 550).House roll call 550
  11. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  12. Sep 20, 2016FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  13. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 1550.
  14. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  15. FloorFloor · Mr. Carter (GA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  16. Jun 21, 2016CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 495.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 114-637.
  18. May 17, 2016CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  19. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  20. Nov 30, 2015FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
  22. Nov 20, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  23. Nov 19, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  24. FloorFloor · The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  25. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  26. Nov 3, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 288.
  27. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-162.
  28. Jun 24, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  29. Jun 10, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  30. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
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.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 2873SenateSen. Joni ErnstR-IA· offered Nov 19, 2015Agreed to

    To improve the bill.

    Nov 19, 2015: Amendment SA 2873 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
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.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.