#aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  ,h4   
,r4 #adcc  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend the    
,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb to    
improve morale within the ,department of
 ,homeland ,security workforce by       
conferring new responsibilities to the  
,chief ,human ,capital ,officer1        
establishing an employee engagement     
steering committee1 requiring action    
plans1 and authorizing an annual        
employee award program1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,department of      
,homeland ,security ,morale1            
,recognition1 ,learning and ,engagement 
,act of #bjai or the ,,dhs ,,morale     
,act4  #b4 ,chief ,human ,capital       
,officer responsibilities ,section #gjd 
of the ,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb
 7#f ,u4,s4,c4 #cdd7 is amended--  7#a7 
in subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 in paragraph   
7#a7--  7i7 by inserting 1 including    
with respect to leader development and  
employee engagement1 after policies2    
7ii7 by striking and in line and        

inserting 1 in line2 and  7iii7 by      
inserting and informed by best practices
 within the ,federal government and the 
private sector1 after priorities12  7,b7
 in paragraph 7#b71 by striking develop 
performance measures to provide a basis 
for monitoring and evaluating and       
inserting use performance measures to   
evaluate1 on an ongoing basis12  7,c7 in
 paragraph 7#c71 by inserting that1 to  
the extent practicable1 are informed by 
employee feedback after policies2  7,d7 
in paragraph 7#d71 by inserting         
including leader development and        
employee engagement programs1 before in 
coordination2  7,e7 in paragraph 7#e71  
by inserting before the semicolon at the
 end the following3 that is informed by 
an assessment1 carried out by the ,chief
 ,human ,capital ,officer1 of the       
learning and developmental needs of     
employees in supervisory and            
non-supervisory roles across the        
,department and appropriate workforce   
planning initiatives2  7,f7 by          

redesignating paragraphs 7#i7 and 7#aj7 
as paragraphs 7#ab7 and 7#ac71          
respectively2 and  7,g7 by inserting    
after paragraph 7#h7 the following new  
paragraphs3  7#i7 maintain a catalogue  
of available employee development       
opportunities1 including the ,homeland  
,security ,rotation ,program pursuant to
 section #hdd1 departmental leadership  
development programs1 interagency       
development programs1 and other         
rotational programs2  7#aj7 ensure that 
employee discipline and adverse action  
programs comply with the requirements of
 all pertinent laws1 rules1 regulations1
 and ,federal guidance1 and ensure due  
process for employees2  7#aa7 analyze   
each ,department or ,government-wide    
,federal workforce satisfaction or      
morale survey not later than #ij days   
after the date of the publication of    
each such survey and submit to the      
,secretary such analysis1 including1 as 
appropriate1 recommendations to improve 
workforce satisfaction or morale within 

the ,department2  2  7#b7 by            
redesignating subsections 7d7 and 7e7 as
 subsections 7e7 and 7f71 respectively2 
7#c7 by inserting after subsection 7c7  
the following new subsection3  7d7      
,chief ,learning and ,engagement        
,officer ,the ,chief ,human ,capital    
,officer may designate an employee of   
the ,department to serve as a ,chief    
,learning and ,engagement ,officer to   
assist the ,chief ,human ,capital       
,officer in carrying out this section4  
2 and  7#d7 in subsection 7e71 as so    
redesignated--  7,a7 by redesignating   
paragraphs 7#b71 7#c71 and 7#d7 as      
paragraphs 7#e71 7#f71 and 7#g71        
respectively2 and  7,b7 by inserting    
after paragraph 7#a7 the following new  
paragraphs3  7#b7 information on        
employee development opportunities      
catalogued pursuant to paragraph 7#i7 of
 subsection 7b7 and any available data  
on participation rates1 attrition rates1
 and impacts on retention and employee  
satisfaction2  7#c7 information on the  

progress of ,department-wide strategic  
workforce planning efforts as determined
 under paragraph 7#b7 of subsection 7b72
  7#d7 information on the activities of 
the steering committee established      
pursuant to section #gaa7;a71 including 
the number of meetings1 types of        
materials developed and distributed1 and
 recommendations made to the ,secretary2
  4  #c4 ,employee engagement steering  
committee and action plan  7a7 ,in      
general ,title ,,vii of the ,homeland   
,security ,act of #bjjb 7#f ,u4,s4,c4   
#cda et seq47 is amended by adding at   
the end the following new section3      
#gaa4 ,employee engagement  7a7         
,steering committee ,not later than #abj
 days after the date of the enactment of
 this section1 the ,secretary shall     
establish an employee engagement        
steering committee1 including           
representatives from operational        
components1 headquarters1 and field     
personnel1 including supervisory and    
non-supervisory personnel1 and employee 

labor organizations that represent      
,department employees1 and chaired by   
the ,under ,secretary for ,management1  
to carry out the following activities3  
7#a7 ,identify factors that have a      
negative impact on employee engagement1 
morale1 and communications within the   
,department1 such as perceptions about  
limitations on career progression1      
mobility1 or development opportunities1 
collected through employee feedback     
platforms1 including through annual     
employee surveys1 questionnaires1 and   
other communications1 as appropriate4   
7#b7 ,identify1 develop1 and distribute 
initiatives and best practices to       
improve employee engagement1 morale1 and
 communications within the ,department1 
including through annual employee       
surveys1 questionnaires1 and other      
communications1 as appropriate4  7#c7   
,monitor efforts of each component to   
address employee engagement1 morale1 and
 communications based on employee       
feedback provided through annual        

employee surveys1 questionnaires1 and   
other communications1 as appropriate4   
7#d7 ,advise the ,secretary on efforts  
to improve employee engagement1 morale1 
and communications within specific      
components and across the ,department4  
7#e7 ,conduct regular meetings and      
report1 not less than once per quarter1 
to the ,under ,secretary for            
,management1 the head of each component1
 and the ,secretary on ,department-wide 
efforts to improve employee engagement1 
morale1 and communications4  7b7 ,action
 plan2 reporting ,the ,secretary1 acting
 through the ,chief ,human ,capital     
,officer1 shall-- 7#a7 not later than   
#abj days after the date of the         
establishment of the employee engagement
 steering committee under subsection    
7a71 issue a ,department-wide employee  
engagement action plan1 reflecting input
 from the steering committee and        
employee feedback provided through      
annual employee surveys1 questionnaires1
 and other communications in accordance 

with paragraph 7#a7 of such subsection1 
to execute strategies to improve        
employee engagement1 morale1 and        
communications within the ,department2  
and  7#b7 require the head of each      
component to-- 7,a7 develop and         
implement a component-specific employee 
engagement plan to advance the action   
plan required under paragraph 7#a7 that 
includes performance measures and       
objectives1 is informed by employee     
feedback provided through annual        
employee surveys1 questionnaires1 and   
other communications1 as appropriate1   
and sets forth how employees and1 where 
applicable1 their labor representatives 
are to be integrated in developing      
programs and initiatives2  7,b7 monitor 
progress on implementation of such      
action plan2 and  7,c7 provide to the   
,chief ,human ,capital ,officer and the 
steering committee quarterly reports on 
actions planned and progress made under 
this paragraph4  7c7 ,termination ,this 
section shall terminate on the date that

 is five years after the date of the    
enactment of this section4  4  7b7      
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
contents in section #a7;b7 of the       
,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb is    
amended by inserting after the item     
relating to section #gaj the following  
new item3  ,sec4 #gaa4 ,employee        
engagement4  4  7c7 ,submissions to     
,congress  7#a7 ,department-wide        
employee engagement action plan ,the    
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1      
acting through the ,chief ,human        
,capital ,officer of the ,department of 
,homeland ,security1 shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,homeland ,security of   
the ,house of ,representatives and the  
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate   
the ,department-wide employee engagement
 action plan required under subsection  
7b77#a7 of section #gaa of the ,homeland
 ,security ,act of #bjjb 7as added by   
subsection 7a7 of this section7 not     
later than #cj days after the issuance  

of such plan under such subsection      
7b77#a74  7#b7 ,component-specific      
employee engagement plans ,each head of 
a component of the ,department of       
,homeland ,security shall submit to the 
,committee on ,homeland ,security of the
 ,house of ,representatives and the     
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate   
the component-specific employee         
engagement plan of each such component  
required under subsection 7b77#b7 of    
section #gaa of the ,homeland ,security 
,act of #bjjb not later than #cj days   
after the issuance of each such plan    
under such subsection 7b77#b74  #d4     
,annual employee award program  7a7 ,in 
general ,title ,,vii of the ,homeland   
,security ,act of #bjjb 7#f ,u4,s4,c4   
#cda et seq471 as amended by section #c 
of this ,act1 is further amended by     
adding at the end the following new     
section3  #gab4 ,annual employee award  
program  7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary
 may establish an annual employee award 

program to recognize ,department        
employees or groups of employees for    
significant contributions to the        
achievement of the ,department's goals  
and missions4 ,if such a program is     
established1 the ,secretary shall--     
7#a7 establish within such program      
categories of awards1 each with specific
 criteria1 that emphasizes honoring     
employees who are at the non-supervisory
 level2  7#b7 publicize within the      
,department how any employee or group of
 employees may be nominated for an      
award2  7#c7 establish an internal      
review board comprised of               
representatives from ,department        
components1 headquarters1 and field     
personnel to submit to the ,secretary   
award recommendations regarding specific
 employees or groups of employees2  7#d7
 select recipients from the pool of     
nominees submitted by the internal      
review board under paragraph 7#c7 and   
convene a ceremony at which employees or
 groups of employees receive such awards

 from the ,secretary2 and  7#e7         
publicize such program within the       
,department4  7b7 ,internal review board
 ,the internal review board described in
 subsection 7a77#c7 shall1 when carrying
 out its function under such subsection1
 consult with representatives from      
operational components and headquarters1
 including supervisory and              
non-supervisory personnel1 and employee 
labor organizations that represent      
,department employees4  7c7 ,rule of    
construction ,nothing in this section   
may be construed to authorize additional
 funds to carry out the requirements of 
this section or to require the          
,secretary to provide monetary bonuses  
to recipients of an award under this    
section4  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment    
,the table of contents in section #a7;b7
 of the ,homeland ,security ,act of     
#bjjb1 as amended by section #c of this 
,act1 is further amended by inserting   
after the item relating to section #gaa 
the following new item3  ,sec4 #gab4    

,annual employee award program4  4  #e4 
,independent investigation and          
implementation plan  7a7 ,in general    
,not later than #abj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall investigate whether the   
application in the ,department of       
,homeland ,security of discipline and   
adverse actions are administered in an  
equitable and consistent manner that    
results in the same or substantially    
similar disciplinary outcomes across the
 ,department for misconduct by a        
non-supervisory or supervisor employee  
who engaged in the same or substantially
 similar misconduct4  7b7 ,consultation 
,in carrying out the investigation      
described in subsection 7a71 the        
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall consult with the ,under   
,secretary for ,management of the       
,department of ,homeland ,security and  
the employee engagement steering        
committee established pursuant to       

subsection 7b77#a7 of section #gaa of   
the ,homeland ,security ,act of #bjjb   
7as added by section #c7;a7 of this     
,act74  7c7 ,action by ,under ,secretary
 for ,management ,upon completion of the
 investigation described in subsection  
7a71 the ,under ,secretary for          
,management of the ,department of       
,homeland ,security shall review the    
findings and recommendations of such    
investigation and implement a plan1 in  
consultation with the employee          
engagement steering committee           
established pursuant to subsection      
7b77#a7 of section #gaa of the ,homeland
 ,security ,act of #bjjb1 to correct any
 relevant deficiencies identified by the
 ,comptroller ,general of the ,united   
,states in such investigation4 ,the     
,under ,secretary for ,management shall 
direct the employee engagement steering 
committee to review such plan to inform 
committee activities and action plans   
authorized under such section #gaa4  #f4
 ,impacts of shutdown ,not later than   

#ij days after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary of        
,homeland ,security shall report to the 
,committee on ,homeland ,security of the
 ,house of ,representatives and the     
,committee on ,homeland ,security and   
,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate   
regarding the direct and indirect       
impacts of the lapse in appropriations  
between ,december #bb1 #bjah1 and       
,january #be1 #bjai1 on--  7#a7         
,department of ,homeland ,security human
 resources operations2  7#b7 the        
,department's ability to meet hiring    
benchmarks2 and  7#c7 retention1        
attrition1 and morale of ,department    
personnel4  ,passed the ,house of       
,representatives ,april #a1             
#bjai4;,clerk4