United States senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Steve Daines (R-MT) have introduced bipartisan legislation to authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to extend its use of a procurement tool for acquiring leading-edge technology. This procurement tool, known as Other Transaction Authority (OTA), provides DHS with the flexibility to work with the most innovative businesses, including those that have not previously contracted with the federal government. OTA has helped DHS acquire advanced technologies to assist with critical homeland security missions, including border security, aviation security and supply chain security.
OTA provides DHS with the means to quickly procure advanced technologies that address critical homeland security needs. The authority is set to expire on September 30, 2024, and the legislation will extend the authority to ensure DHS can continue to use this tool. OTA allows DHS to enter into flexible agreements with businesses rather than traditional contracts, promoting more collaboration between the federal government and the business in sharing financial and technical risks, which increases commercialization opportunities. DHS provides for OTA opportunities to be posted publicly to facilitate competition, and OTA awards are reported to the Federal Procurement Data System for funding transparency.
The bipartisan Better Enabling Secure and Trustworthy (BEST) Technology for the Homeland Act would extend the DHS’s existing OTA for seven years, through fiscal year 2031. The authority was last extended as part of Chairman Peters’ Advancing American AI Act in the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.
In related news, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N Mayorkas and chief information officer (CIO) and chief artificial intelligence officer Eric Hysen recently announced the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) first Artificial Intelligence Roadmap. Click here to read the full story.