Description:
H.R. 4785 would direct the Under Secretary of Management for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to oversee and manage vehicle fleets throughout the department. Currently, agencies within DHS (such as Customs and Border Protection) largely manage their own fleets. The bill would require the Under Secretary to monitor compliance with federal laws and regulations related to the use of government vehicles, develop a methodology to determine optimal fleet size, and approve vehicle leases and acquisitions. H.R. 4785 also would require DHS agencies to report data on vehicle use quarterly and submit fleet management plans, including cost-benefit analyses, annually to the Under Secretary.
Based on information from DHS, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4785 would cost about $2 million in fiscal year 2017 and about $1 million annually thereafter, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts. Most of those funds would cover costs for hiring additional staff for the Under Secretary and for upgrading computer systems. H.R. 4785 could lead to more efficient use of DHS vehicles, but we have no basis for estimating the magnitude or timing of any savings that may result. Because enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 4785 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
H.R. 4785 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.
