H.R. 2915 would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to contract with manufacturers and suppliers that are domestic small businesses for at least one-third of spending for uniforms and certain protective gear for designated offices and agencies within the department. The requirement would apply to any contracts signed six months after the bill’s enactment. H.R. 2915 also would require DHS to brief the Congress annually about the failure of any vendors to meet delivery deadlines for covered items. It also would require a report within 180 days of enactment about how DHS could acquire additional items from domestic sources and a study within 18 months of enactment on the adequacy of DHS uniform allowances.
Based on information from DHS, uniforms and protective gear manufactured or supplied by domestic small businesses currently account for more than one-third of the department’s spending on items covered under H.R. 2915. Thus, CBO expects that implementing the bill would not significantly affect the department’s spending on those items. Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that it would cost DHS less than $500,000 over the 2022-2026 period to annually brief the Congress and produce the required reports; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
