To require the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy to prescribe a policy regarding purchase card and travel card programs to provide a government-wide system of accountability for such cards.

September 24, 2003

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida (for himself, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. CHOCOLA, Mr. HENSARLING, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. SCHROCK, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Mr. BARTON of Texas, and Mr. PUTNAM) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform

To require the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy to prescribe a policy regarding purchase card and travel card programs to provide a government-wide system of accountability for such cards.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Purchase Card and Travel Card Accountability Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. GOVERNMENT-WIDE SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PURCHASE CARDS AND TRAVEL CARDS.

(a) REGULATIONS REQUIRED- The Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. 403 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`SEC. 41. GOVERNMENT-WIDE SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PURCHASE CARDS AND TRAVEL CARDS.

`(a) POLICY FOR PURCHASE CARDS AND TRAVEL CARDS- The Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, pursuant to the authority provided in section 6(a), shall prescribe a Government-wide policy regarding the use of purchase cards and travel cards by Federal employees.

`(b) CONTENTS OF POLICY-

`(1) APPROPRIATE AND INAPPROPRIATE USES- The policy shall include definitions of appropriate and inappropriate uses of purchase cards and travel cards.

`(2) SYSTEM OF ACCOUNTABILITY- The policy shall include a system of accountability for employees using such cards, with disciplinary actions that include reimbursement to the Federal Government and termination of employment for employees that violate the terms of the agreements for the use of such cards.

`(c) IMPLEMENTATION THROUGH GOVERNMENT-WIDE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION- The policy prescribed under subsection (a) shall be implemented through the Federal Acquisition Regulation and shall be followed by executive agencies in their respective purchase card and travel card programs.

`(d) INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORTS- The Inspector General of each executive agency with a purchase card or travel card program shall periodically submit reports to the Administrator on disciplinary actions taken with respect to employees of the agency found in violation of the purchase card or travel card program.'.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of contents in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`Sec. 41. Government-wide system of accountability for purchase cards and travel cards.'.

(c) IMPLEMENTATION- The policy required by section 41 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, as added by subsection (a), shall be implemented not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

END