Information Technology (IT) Management: The Clinger-Cohen Act and the Homeland Security Act of 2002

The role of information technology (IT) figures prominently in the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296). Although most of these provisions are primarily focused on external information management (i.e., the department's interactions with other departments and agencies), some internal information management provisions also are included to help address the challenges of absorbing the programs, personnel, and objectives now residing in other agencies. For example, Section 103 addresses an aspect of federal management, the creation of a Chief Information Officer (CIO), which was established for agencies under the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996. The law also outlines IT management duties for some of the Under Secretaries. Compared in relation to the Clinger-Cohen Act, the information technology management provisions raise some potential oversight issues, including the appointment and reporting requirements of the department-level CIO, overlapping IT management responsibilities between various departmental officials, and possible national security exemptions from Clinger-Cohen requirements. This report will be revised as congressional action requires.